Mary Bonner, who spent much of her life in San Marcos and active in the ministries of First Presbyterian Church, was devoted to serving others, especially those in the community with the greatest needs. Mary passed away in 2007 at the age of 95, leaving her estate to be shared equally by First Presbyterian Church, San Marcos, and First Presbyterian Church, Houston. It was Mary’s wish that the primary purpose of the income from her bequest be “aid to the poor.”
First, San Marcos strives to honor Mary’s wishes through many of our ministries and outreach to the community. One of the most important of these ministries is the Mary Bonner Community Needs program, which provides grants to non-profit organizations active in the San Marcos, Hays County area.
Mary Bonner Community Needs Grants Program
Our Mission:
To improve the quality of life for people in need in the Greater San Marcos area.
Our Vision:
To direct our resources toward those in need.
Our Values:
- We believe the church is the body of Christ and as members of His body we are called to serve the needs of our neighbors.
- We believe all people were created by God and are worthy of our love and service.
- We believe that helping people help themselves will improve their quality of life.
- We believe stewardship requires fidelity to the spirit and the intent of the benefactor to minister to the poor.
Typical Exclusions from Funding
The Mary Bonner Community Needs Grants Program will not typically consider the following for grants:
- Organizations that do not meet the charitable status requirements of IRS Code 501(c)(3)
- Individuals
- Individual Scholarships
- Debt reduction or previously incurred deficits for any reason
- Business Ventures
- Loans
- Endowments
- Brick and mortar projects for individual churches including new buildings, renovations, repairs, and furnishings
- Arts/Culture
- Environmental Projects
- Animals
- Social Clubs
- Sports/Recreations/Leisure
- Meetings and Conferences
- The production of videos, films, and other recordings
- Historic Preservation Projects
- Individual church projects where a collaborative effort with other churches may be more beneficial and effective.
Grants will only be considered for those who submit a properly formatted proposal as defined by the criteria and application which follow. For more information about the grants program contact Oren Renick, Elder at jrenick@grandecom.net.
Criteria for Mary Bonner Community Needs Grants
To qualify, a program must
- Have a clearly defined purpose that improves the quality of life of people in need.
- Provide a form of aid that relates directly to the people being served
A proposal must
- Tell how your project will improve the lives of people to be served – now and in the future
- Indicate how your project will work with people in need to enhance their quality of life
- List all other sources of money being requested and/or already awarded for this project
- Tell how the program will continue after the grant (if received) is spent
- Explain the process to be used to report progress and to measure success
- Be signed by the Proposal Writer and a Board chair or other responsible person
Grants awarded
- Must be a one-time grant, although the project may not be complete in a single year. The project must be underway by the beginning of the calendar year following the receipt of funds.
- May not be used for payment of current debrs, for creating or maintaining revolving loan funds, nor to fund a permanent endowment. Funds requested cannot be used as part of a general operating budget.
NOTE: Priority will be given to applicants who have not been previously funded by the Mary Bonner Community Needs Program.
Grant recipients
- Must return an interim report and all supporting documentation before the second payment will be made. The first payment will be 50% of the total amount awarded and will be sent on or around January 1. Upon receipt of an acceptable interim report by July 1, the remaining 50% will be paid by October 1. The second payment will be forfeited if an acceptable interim report is not received.
- Must notify the Bonner Program of any change of leadership or address.
Assembly instructions
Ten (10) separate packages need to be assembled and include:
- Application form
- Budgets (must be in U.S. currency)
- Completed W-9 form (for domestic projects)
- Proposal form checklist
- Documentation of 501(3)(c)
Staple top left corner of each package and mail to:
Oren Renick, Elder
Mary Bonner Community Needs Program of FPC
623 Willow Creek Circle
San Marcos, TX 78666