Overall satisfaction was the assessment of the workshop “Grant Writing and Fundraising for Missionary Projects”, organized by SOFIA, which took place on 7-11 September 2015 at Villa Maria in Rome. More than 50 participants, both religious and lay people from all over the world, met on the Gianicolo hill, inspired by a common goal: to improve their project proposals and to learn how to obtain funding granted by national and international institutions.
They spent one intensive week together crammed with lectures, exercises, accounts and encounters, where professionals and beginners had the opportunity to delve into the techniques of project presentation, being aware of the fact that today, passion and goodwill are not sufficient any more to ensure that the financial needs of the missions are being met. It is key to look for funding as well as to acquire new skills in order to make generosity happen. That was the ultimate objective of the Workshop held by two experts in this field, Marist Brother Allen Sherry FMS and SOFIA’s Arnout Mertens in an atmosphere of commitment, dedication and shared experiences, which already now anticipates a successful repetition of the event in 2016. A particular thank-you to special guests Misean Cara and Church in Need, and to the event’s sponsor, the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See.
