Your gifts make a difference!

Written by Robert Brooks Heard, MDiv, BCC, ACPE

This has been an exciting season for the Foundation! After years of prudent financial stewardship and investments, the Foundation can make up to $300,000 available for innovative programs and projects which will helps us to impactfully advance justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in ACPE and to support future spiritual care providers, educators, and psychotherapists from underrepresented communities. Below, I would like to highlight two recent initiatives funded because of your contributions to the Foundation for ACPE.

New - CEC (Certified Educator Candidate) Ignite Grant: Up to $120,000

  • Purpose: The Certified Educator Candidate (CEC) Ignite Grants Program seeks to support the development of ACPE Certified Educator Candidate (CEC) programs, to facilitate the certification of more ACPE educators, and to help new CEC programs move towards sustainability.
  • Awards will be for three years: Year 1=Up to $60,000; Year 2=Up to $40,000; Year 3=Up to $20,000
  • The inaugural CEC Ignite Grant recipient is Northshore Hospital, with the program being led by Rabbi Hillel Fox and Rev. Matthew Rhodes.

New - ACPE Hemenway Scholars - Summer Stipend Support for Students: Up to $60,000 annually

  • Purpose: Named in honor of Joan Hemenway, a pillar in the organization, this opportunity recognizes the significant financial burdens of some CPE students. ACPE will provide $2,000 stipends to up to 30 summer CPE students to support housing, offset educational debt, living expense, etc.
  • We had an overwhelming response to this scholarship. The review committee thoughtfully considered all applications and have shared their selections with the Foundation Board. Each applicant should have received a notification about their application last week.

I’m also thrilled to announce that at the 2023 ACPE Annual Conference during our first in-person donor reception since the pandemic donors raised over $10,000!

I am humbled and excited to serve a term as the Foundation Board chair. This year we welcome new board member Jo Hirschmann and Pam Lazor as chair-elect. On behalf of the Foundation Board, I would like to thank all our donors, many of whom are members of the ACPE community who give in gratitude for what they have received through ACPE.