The Christian Alliance for Orphans is thrilled to announce the first-of-its-kind “Expanding Family Solutions Grant Challenge.”

Passion and self-sacrifice are often at the root of service to vulnerable children and families.  That’s as essential as it is beautiful.   Without these commitments of the heart, humanitarian work can be little more than lifeless systems.  Love, not cold service, is the one thing we all most need and long for.

But if we are to love well, commitment to innovation and well-informed action are also essential ingredients.  These help turn good intention into good results and continually improve the outcomes of our labors.

All over the world today, faith-based organizations are innovating to do better for the children and families they serve.  They’re cultivating fresh ideas and applying current research in their in-the-trenches service.  This includes creative programs that enable more children to grow up within nurturing families.

The “Expanding Family Solutions Grant Challenge” is offered to celebrate that pioneering work and spur it forward.  A total of $50,000 will be awarded in grants of $5,000 to $10,000 to help organizations innovate – by expanding the ways in which children they serve can experience care within a family. 

Each project supported by the grants will create or expand effective family-based care solutions for children worldwide.  Examples could include:

• Implementing more robust gate keeping and family tracing services.
• Initiating an important element of a new foster care program.
• Creating a kinship care training program and support network.
• Re-purposing current resources – such as medical care or schooling – in ways that help enable children to remain with their biological families.
• Implementing key parts of a local adoption recruitment, placement and/or support program

Of course, these grants won’t fund massive projects.  But we love the thought of how small catalysts can spur forward the innovation already astir…spark fresh “What if” thinking … and ultimately help pioneering leaders around the globe to move great ideas into action.

Applications are open to all CAFO members serving children worldwide.  To learn more, visit the Challenge Grant Home Page.