Stories outside of young adulthood and Christian tradition may be captured as a part of these projects, but Sacred Discoveries and its funder, Lilly Endowment Inc., are particularly interested in young adult stories of Christian faith, and project deliverables should reflect such stories. “Young adulthood” is traditionally defined as the time between the ages of 18 and 30, but projects may also include older teens (16 to 17-year-olds) who are navigating significant transitions toward adult faith and life.
We expect that there will be stories told from diverse religious and non-religious perspectives. And also, deliverables will need to reflect some stories that are particularly Christian, in all of their authenticity and complexity.
While the hope is to widely share all stories via the distribution channels of Sacred Discoveries and Augustana University, discretion will be exercised around stories that are especially vulnerable or sensitive. Confidentiality and anonymity will be honored when requested.
Reporting will include request for qualitative and quantitative data such as:
On the website, upload a single PDF, no more than 6 pages (single-spaced, 11-point font), which includes the following:
There is opportunity on the application to request an extension and propose a later deadline for project completion.
All expenses should have a direct tie to your storytelling project. Microgrants are not meant to supplement existing staffing or staff salaries, nor are they meant to fund programming or supplies unrelated to your storytelling project.
Appropriate uses of money include things like:
Dollars should not be spent on:
This depends on the dollar amount of requests, but we anticipate 8-12 awards per cycle, with roughly half being awarded to congregations and ministry partners and half being awarded to Augustana faculty, administrators, and coaches.
If your proposal is not selected for a microgrant, you are welcome to re-apply in a future cycle.
No. Honoraria paid to other AU employees is not permitted as part of the microgrant. You can, however, bring in outside speakers or storytellers and offer an honorarium to them.
Yes, student stipends can be paid through your microgrant. All student stipends will be paid by depositing money into Student Accounts. If a student has an outstanding balance, their stipend will be paid toward this balance. If a student has no outstanding balance, the stipend will be issued as a refund.
Your stipend/bonus will be paid upon successful project and report completion. Stipends/bonuses will be paid through Human Resources and are subject to taxes.
The Augustana University God Pod wants to come to your community to capture and share stories of faith in your congregation, town, synod, or campus! Fill out the form below to request a visit. The God Pod will be available for scheduling beginning in August 2026.
Bringing the God Pod to your community gives Sacred Discoveries permission to share any stories that are collected.
Sacred Discoveries is collecting stories from anyone and everyone who has something to share about God’s work in their lives. Record your own short video response or offer a written reflection on one of our storytelling prompts.
By submitting this form, you acknowledge that Sacred Discoveries has the right to share and distribute your story.