I am sure most of you are aware of the recently passed congressional infrastructure bill of $1.2 trillion. That is right — trillion ($1,200,000,000,000). That is a lot of zeros.
Some of you may not know that there is a section of the bill meant to benefit churches and houses of worship. Thanks to Michael Martin with ECFA for pushing me to dig into this.
Government Infrastructure Bill and Your Smart Church
Before we think the U.S. government has graciously provided a generous “gift” to churches, let’s dig a little deeper.
Here are some of the elements that we were able to find:
- The amount allocated for the house of worship funding is $50 million of the $1.2 trillion making the percentage small. It is only .004% of the total bill.
- The $50 million is not just for houses of worship. It takes in a broader category of non-profits.
- The Nonprofit Energy Efficiency Act would provide monies to purchase new heating and cooling systems for buildings. So, it is particular.
- There is a cap of $200,000 per grant.
- If 250 organizations get $200,000 each, only 250 organizations will benefit.
- For a frame of reference, there are over 350,000 churches in America plus other non-profits. If 250 churches are awarded the $200,000, that would be only .007% of all churches in America.
- $200,000 would cover the cost of about 40-50 tons of HVAC equipment. This is about the amount needed for 13-15,000 Square feet for building. Not that big.
- $50 Million sounds like a lot of money — and it is — until you look at the size of the total pie and how thin the slices would need to be to benefit the broader church world.
In Conclusion
With all that said, I am not an accountant, CPA, or financial expert. So, if you have an interest in what your church may be able to benefit from this bill, I suggest you do your own research and determine the process, rules, qualifying components, and timing.
Lastly, it never hurts to learn from other professionals. Join our free Facebook group to make sure you stay on top of industry trends and how church leaders face them.
