Citizens has again been awarded a matching grant from Transforming the Bay with Christ (TBC) & the Stratum Foundation, this year for $27,000! AND, a generous donor has offered to match an additional $10,000!
This means, with your help, our church can receive $74,000 for gospel work in San Francisco.
Grant Details
Why us? Citizens Church is one of just 32 Bay Area churches to be awarded a grant this year!
The Stratum Foundation evaluates churches using seven criteria: the church must (1) be supported by other churches in the city, (2) outwardly-focused, (3) contextually sensitive, (4) have a realistic plan for long-term financial viability with kingdom generosity, (5) vetted by trusted organizations, (6) setup for long-term impact, and (7) already invested in the Bay Area kingdom eco-system.
These criteria have always been the aim of our church and we feel affirmed and encouraged to have been chosen by Bay Area Christian leaders.
What for? This grant will help us continue important gospel work in San Francisco and strengthen our efforts toward long-term growth and sustainability.
By the grace of God, Citizens became stronger in 2024! Our membership has grown and matured. Our Sundays consistently include new folks from a variety of life- and faith-backgrounds—seasoned, newer, and non-Christians united in their desire to know more of Christ. We commissioned 3 new deacons, grew our worship team, and developed new small group leaders. This fall, we ran an Alpha cohort for discussion about faith with friends who aren’t Christians, and we met monthly as a whole-church for prayer and dinner.
And, we now have an office space for the first time in our church’s history! We’re excited for how this physical building will spark creativity and facilitate margin, allowing us to develop leaders, bless our neighbors, and equip our community. 2024 has also been a surprisingly good financial year for Citizens. We made significant progress toward financial self-sustainability, and grew our church's recurring internal giving.
That said, we still depend on the generosity of Christians outside our church. San Francisco’s tech-based economy is likely to struggle in 2025 and that affects the populations we serve the most. External generosity is like a shock absorber for our church, providing the stability we need in a bumpy environment. This grant helps us be more effective and stay focused on God’s vision for our church.
Why now? The gospel is bearing eternal fruit at Citizens and in San Francisco.
We believe that 2025 will hold many stories of redemption: curious atheist friends discovering the love of Christ and community, marriages being strengthened and relationships being repaired, unhoused neighbors being welcomed into homes. God has uniquely positioned Citizens to be a home for the homeless – physically and spiritually. It is who we are and who we want to be. This grant will help us be that home, and expand it to include more people.
Help us Raise $74K!
For every $1 you give, it will be doubled. And then God will take that earthly treasure and make it last forever in the redeemed lives of San Franciscans. What an opportunity for all of us to join in God’s work!
Will you partner with us to reach the materially and spiritually displaced of San Francisco, that many more would find their home in Jesus?
We are also able to accept check donations, just make sure you put “Citizens Church” in the memo line and mail your gift to: Stratum Foundation, 220 Halleck St. Suite 100B, San Francisco, CA 94129.
If you would like to give stock or crypto donations, Stratum is able to accept them on our behalf. Contact Courtney Ameli with Donor Relations at courtney@stratum.foundation.
