Baptist Community Ministries awards Transom Grants twice a year to programs in three focus areas: health, education and public safety. Our goals are as follows:
- Health: A healthy community provides its citizens an environment that creates a state of positive physical, mental, spiritual, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
- Education: A healthy community provides learning opportunities for all of its residents to develop the cognitive, vocational, social, and emotional skills necessary to be successful in college, work, and life.
- Public Safety: A healthy community provides for a balanced approach to crime prevention and management, including effective interventions and behavioral controls working in cooperation with efficient, effective and coordinated justice system agencies.
In the color bar above, you’ll find some examples of Transom Grants that were awarded over the past couple years. Generally, 20 or fewer Transom Grants are approved for funding each year. If your organization seeks funding and your program aligns with BCM’s Mission and Core Values, please see the details and requirements outlined in the text below, and we encourage you to submit an application.
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Grant Award
- All requests must be at least $50,000 per year to be considered.
- There is no maximum award amount.
- Grants can be awarded for 1, 2 or 3 years in duration.
- Grants can be used for Planning, Existing Programming or Start Up.
- Grants must be submitted in one of the BCM Focus Areas (Health, Education, and Public Safety.)
Before You Apply
Organizations must first take these steps before applying for a Transom grant.
- Check your eligibility.
- View the Transom Eligibility Webinar for detailed information.
- Read our application FAQs.
- View sample application materials to better understand what information is requested.
- Review our list of awarded grants to get an idea of what we fund and corresponding grant amounts.
- Mark all application deadlines on your calendar!
Eligibility
What Do We Fund?
BCM is committed to the greater New Orleans region and to the attainment of a healthier community for the people living here. BCM strives to provide a better quality of life through its grantmaking efforts, with specific focus on Health, Education and Public Safety. Our goals are as follows:
Health: A healthy community provides its citizens an environment that creates a state of positive physical, mental, spiritual, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
Education: A healthy community provides learning opportunities for all of its residents to develop the cognitive, vocational, social, and emotional skills necessary to be successful in college, work, and life.
Public Safety: A healthy community provides for a balanced approach to crime prevention, including effective interventions and behavioral controls working in cooperation with efficient, effective and coordinated justice system agencies.
Since our inception more than 28 years ago, BCM has awarded over 1,443 grants to over 446 organizations totaling over $250.6 million.
Check Your Eligibility
- BCM accepts proposals from the following entities – 501(c)(3) organizations (in good standing with the IRS but not categorized as a church), academic institutions and government entities/municipalities.
- All proposals must demonstrate the ability to positively impact the greater New Orleans region (Orleans, Jefferson, Plaquemines, St. Bernard and St. Tammany parishes). Proposals must work in one or more of these parishes.
- Proposals must relate to one or more of BCM’s focus areas (Health, Education and Public Safety)
- If awarded, organizations will be required to submit an audit for each year of funding.
Eligibility Quiz
- Are you a 501(c)(3) organization (excluding churches) in good standing with the IRS OR an academic institution OR a government entity/municipality? Yes OR No
- Does your proposed project impact the greater New Orleans region? Yes OR No
- Does your proposed project relate to one of BCM’s focus areas (Health, Education or Public Safety)? Yes OR No
- If funded, will you be able to provide an audit for each year of funding? Yes OR No
Please note that a “NO” response to any of the aforementioned questions will result in an automatic decline of your proposal.
Application Process
Baptist Community Ministries accepts grant applications twice each year during our fall and spring application windows. BCM utilizes a two-part process to review applications – Letter of Intent (LOI) and Full Proposal. Only LOI applicants that are invited to submit full applications can apply for funding. Applicants should anticipate the application process to take approximately four to six months from the initial submission of the letter of intent to the receipt of funding.
STEP ONE: LETTER OF INTENT (LOI)
LOI’s are submitted using BCM’s online application portal.
- LOI Guide
- Sample Letter of Intent Review Sheet
- Required Budget Template When preparing the programmatic budget, only include confirmed sources of revenue. If approved, these confirmed sources will be used to calculate BCM’s percent contribution.
STEP TWO: FULL APPLICATION (If invited)
Only organizations that are invited to do so are allowed to submit a full transom grant application. Guidelines can be found by clicking the link below.
For more information on this cycle of the Transom Grant application process, you can view the recorded info session and accompanying slide deck below:
Fall 2025 Transom Grant Info Session Recording
Transom Info Session Slide Deck
Application Review
BCM staff assess LOIs and make recommendations to the BCM Grants Committee. The BCM Grants Committee selects the final pool of applicants and invites successful applicants to submit a full proposal.
Full applications to BCM are assessed and scored by BCM staff in consultation with independent expert reviewers in the program areas. Proposals are evaluated on their Alignment with BCM’s Mission and Strategy, Project Design, Applicant Capacity, Project Context and Sustainability. Final funding recommendations are made by BCM staff to the Grants Committee for their review. The Grants Committee forwards their recommendations to the BCM Board of Trustees for final funding approval. Please note that any full proposals received from organizations that were not invited to apply will not be considered.
Upcoming Dates
Fall 2025 Cycle
June 26, 2025: Info Session
July 14 – July 28, 2025: LOI submissions accepted
July 28, 2025: LOI deadline at 5:00 PM
September 5, 2025: Notifications of full application invitations sent
September 29, 2025: Full application deadline at 5:00 PM
November 21, 2025: Grant decision notifications sent
BCM is hosting an optional Info Session in advance of opening the Fall Transom Grant cycle. During this Info Session you will learn about eligibility, application requirements, and reporting requirements to help your organization determine next steps for the next cycle of our Transom grant. Please CLICK HERE to register.
Apply Online
The LOI window is closed.
Contact
If you have any issues accessing the application link, please contact one of the team members below:
Leslie McPherson
Naa-Shorme Aidoo
Frequently Asked Questions
Q – What organizations are eligible to apply for Transom funding?
A – BCM accepts proposals from the following entities – 501(c)(3) organizations (in good standing with the IRS), academic institutions and government entities/municipalities. Please note that BCM does not fund individuals or churches.
Q – What are BCM’s focus areas?
A – BCM’s focus areas are Health, Education and Public Safety. All Transom proposals must relate to one or more of these areas.
Q – What geographic area does BCM serve?
A – BCM serves the greater New Orleans community (Orleans, Jefferson, Plaquemines, St. Bernard and St. Tammany parishes) and accepts proposals that demonstrate the ability to positively impact these communities. Please note that, historically, roughly 80% of BCM’s transom awards are to organizations working in or impacting Orleans and Jefferson parishes.
Q – Is there a limit to the amount of funding I can request?
A – BCM Transom requests must include a minimum request of $50,000 per year up to three years (including indirect costs up to 12%). While no maximum amount is specified, prospective applicants are strongly encouraged to exercise reasonable judgment when preparing their budget requests. BCM average transom awards are roughly $100,000-$150,000 per year.
Q – How many years can I request funding?
A – BCM provides a maximum of three (3) years of funding for Transom grants. Prospective applicants may request support for one (1), two (2) or three (3) years. Please note that BCM reserves the right to modify the amount and/or length of grant upon approval.
Q – Does BCM only fund new programming?
A – BCM welcomes proposals that offer innovative and/or new approaches to complex and longstanding community challenges. Proposals may focus on planning or implementation for new or existing programming and must clearly outline how the community will be positively impacted by the effort. Please note that BCM does not provide support for the establishment of new organizations.
Q – Are fiscal agents allowed to apply on behalf of other organizations?
A – BCM does not permit submissions from fiscal agents.
Q—Does BCM accept proposals for general operating support or capital campaigns?
A – No, BCM’s Transom awards are restricted and support specific programs/projects. Requests for general operating or capital support are not permitted.
Q – My organization impacts the greater New Orleans region but is not domiciled in the five-parish area? Am I allowed to apply?
A – Yes, the applicant organization can be located outside of the greater New Orleans region. But the proposal must clearly demonstrate the ability to positively impact one or more of BCM’s primary focus on the greater New Orleans community (Orleans, Jefferson, Plaquemines, St. Bernard and St. Tammany parishes).
Q – Can I request 100% funding for my project from BCM?
A – Prospective applicants are permitted to request full funding from BCM. However, applicants are strongly encouraged to provide clear and sound rationale when making such a request.
Q – I currently have a BCM grant. Am I prohibited from applying for a Transom grant?
A – BCM does not prohibit submissions from current grantee partners. However, please note that the receipt of multiple grants during the same term is infrequent.
Q – My previous proposal was declined. Can I reapply?
A – Prospective applicants who have applied during two (2) consecutive Transom cycles and were declined are prohibited from submitting another proposal for the third (and consecutive)) cycle. Applicants must observe a one year (two cycle) waiting period before reapplying.
Q – Can I submit more than one (1) application?
A – BCM only allows one (1) proposal per applicant. Please note that large institutions, including universities, municipalities, etc., may be permitted to submit more than one (1) proposal with express written approval from BCM.