ERA anticipates awarding up to $30,000 in grants for 2008. Guidelines for proposals and applications for the grants can be downloaded here. The deadline is October 12. Up to six grants of $5,000 may be awarded.

"ERA was founded by a group of lay Episcopalians who realized that there are many organizations in our communities making miracles happen in the lives of people with HIV/AIDS every day, but they lack access to funds because their ministries are too small or localized to meet the requirements of most RFPs," said Suzanne Culhane, chair of ERA.

ERA attempts to fill that gap by offering small grants of up to $5,000 to local Episcopal-affiliated ministries serving people with HIV/AIDS, she said.

ERA was formed in 2003 as a loose coalition of Episcopal churches in the Diocese of New York who agreed to do collaborative fundraising for HIV/AIDS-related services through the annual AIDS Walk New York, organized by Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC). Because government funding for services to people with HIV/AIDS is diminishing, many churches have been striving to fill that ongoing need. ERA grants help enable crucial parish-based AIDS ministries receive the funding they need because they are often not eligible for secular funding.

ERA is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization. Supported almost exclusively by contributions to individuals walking with ERA in the annual AIDS Walk New York, ERA raised $55,000 this year through contributions to walkers raising money for ERA and GMHC in the 2007 AIDS Walk.

The organization supports ministries to people with HIV and AIDS throughout the
greater New York area, including the Episcopal dioceses of New York, Long Island and Newark. A list of the first grant recipients is available here.

The next round of awards will be announced at a reception following a special World AIDS Day mass on December 1 at Trinity Church-St. Paul's Chapel.

New York Bishop Mark S. Sisk is the organization's honorary chair.