Vincentian Solidarity Office
The Vincentian Solidarity Office (VSO) is a program of the General Curia to assist various Vincentian ministries in obtaining funding for services to the poor.
Goals and Objectives
Goals
To assist the Congregation of the Mission with obtaining funds for its evangelization and service of the poor.
Objectives
- To secure funding for Vincentian Solidarity Office projects benefiting the needs and works of the poorer provinces, vice-provinces and missions of the Congregation of the Mission.
- To distribute grants from the Vincentian Solidarity Fund for micro-projects of the poorer provinces, vice-provinces and missions of the Congregation of the Mission.
- To raise the funds to fulfill the obligations of the Patrimony Fund Project (endowments) of the Congregation of the Mission.
- To obtain money for other needs of the Congregation of the Mission as directed by the Superior General and his Council.
Brief History
- In his letter of October 20, 2002 to the members of the Congregation of the Mission, the Superior General, Father Robert P. Maloney, C.M., with the unanimous consent of his Council, announced his decision to establish the VSO and appointed Brother Peter A. Campbell, C.M. (Eastern Province, USA) to be its first Director on June 15, 2002. As stated in the letter, the original goal of the VSO was: “To assist the poorer provinces, vice-provinces and missions of the Congregation of the Mission with writing successful grant proposals to funding organizations for their works and needs.” The VSO was conceived as an optional service that a poorer province, vice-province or mission could use to help fund projects that benefited the needs of the confreres or the people that they served in their apostolic works. The VSO was and continues to be located at St. Vincent’s Seminary in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which is the Provincial House of the Eastern Province of the Congregation of the Mission in the United States.
- The VSO officially opened for service on January 1, 2003.
- The VSO Website (www.famvin.org/vso) in English, French and Spanish went online for the first time on February 8, 2003.
- Mr. Scott Fina, Ph.D. joined the VSO as the Associate Director on July 12, 2004.
- The first edition of the quarterly VSO Bulletin (March, June, October and December) in English, French and Spanish was published in June 2005.
- The Superior General, Father G. Gregory Gay, C.M., and his Council revised and expanded the list of provinces, vice-provinces and missions eligible for VSO service in March 2007. (LINK to List)
Vincentian Soliarity Fund (VSF)
- Father Maloney and his Council established the VSF as a fund belonging to the General Curia of the Congregation of the Mission on December 12, 2002.
- In his Mission Appeal Letter of October 18, 2004, Father Gay announced the creation of the VSF and invited individuals, local communities and provinces of the Congregation of the Mission to make donations to the VSF to be used to match funds secured for VSO projects (up to 50% of the total cash costs of a project) and/or distribute grants of $5,000 or less to fund VSF micro-projects (100% funding).
- (As of 12/31/2008)Donors pledge $505,000 to contribute funds to the VSF to be used as matching funds for VSO projects for a five year period (2005-2009).
- The program to distribute VSF Micro-Project Grants started on July 1, 2005.
- The VSF Micro-Project Grant Application Forms in English, Spanish and French were revised in January 2009. The front page of instructions of the VSF Micro-Project Grant Application Form in English explains the distribution of VSF Micro-Project Grants and includes the seven criteria approved by the Superior General and his Council for eligibility to be considered for a VSF Micro-Project Grant. (LINK to Micro-Project Application First Page)
Summary of VSO Results
VSO Projects
January 1, 2003 to December 31, 2008:
Number of Projects
- 2003 7
- 2004 10
- 2005 17
- 2006 32
- 2007 22
- 2008 21
- Total 109
Funding of Projects
- VSO $1,922,767.94
- VSF $1,733,967.25
- Total $3,656,735.19
VSF Micro-Project Grants
July 1, 2005 to October 31, 2008 (Second Funding Period for 2008-09):
Number of Projects
- 2005-06 15
- 2006-07 17
- 2007-08 18
- 2008-09 6
- Total 56
Funding of Projects
- VSF $280,000.00
- Total $280,000.00
Summary of Funded Projects
January 1, 2003 to December 31, 2008:
Number of Projects
- Funded VSO Projects 109
- VSF Micro-Project Grants 56
- Total 165
Funding of Projects
- VSO Projects $3,656,735.19
- VSF Micro-Project Grants $280,000.00
- Total $3,936,735.19
List of Eligible Recipients
CONGREGATION OF THE MISSION PROVINCES, VICE-PROVINCES AND MISSIONS ELIGIBLE FOR VSO SERVICE
- Organized under the Visitors’ Conferences and the General Curia
- Approved by the Superior General and His Council in March of 2007
APVC (Asia Pacific Visitors’ Conference)
- Australia (only Fiji)+
- China
- India – North+
- India – South+
- Indonesia+
- Philippines+
CEVIM (Conference of Visitors of the Congregationof the Mission of Europe and the Orient)
- France – Paris (only Algeria, Cameroon, Vietnam)+
- France – Toulouse (only Iran)
- Hungary+
- Italy – Naples (only Albania)
- Orient
- Portugal
- Slovakia+
- Slovenia (only Argentina)+
- Spain – Barcelona (only Honduras)+
- Spain – Salamanca (only Mozambique)
- Spain – Zaragoza (only Honduras)
- SS. Cyril & Methodius*+
CLAPVI (Latin American Conference of Vincentian Provinces)
- Argentina+
- Brazil – Curitiba
- Brazil – Fortaleza+
- Brazil – Rio de Janeiro
- Central America+
- Chile
- Colombia+
- Costa Rica*+
- Cuba+
- Ecuador+
- Mexico+
- Peru
- Puerto Rico+
- Venezuela
COVIAM (Conference of the Visitors in Africa and Madagascar)
- Congo+
- Ethiopia+
- Madagascar+
- Mozambique*+
- Nigeria*+
- St. Justin de Jacobis+
GENERAL CURIA (International Missions)
- Bolivia+
- Papua New Guinea
- Solomon Islands+
NCV (National Conference of Visitors of the United States)
- USA – Eastern (only Panama)
- USA – Midwest (only Kenya)+
Notes
- Vice-Provinces*
- +Received VSO Service 2003-2008 (29 or 67%)
- Provinces: 36
- Vice-Provinces: 4
- International Missions of the General Curia: 3
- Total: 43
VSO Project Application Form
VINCENTIAN SOLIDARITY OFFICE PROJECT APPLICATION FORM
INSTRUCTIONS
The attached VSO Project Application Form should be used by the visitor, vice-visitor or superior of an international mission of the General Curia to request assistance from the Vincentian Solidarity Office (VSO) for the funding of a project.
Please print or type the answers to all questions on the application form. If you need more space to answer any of the questions, you can attach additional pages to the application. You may also attach any other information that would be helpful in understanding the project. The VSO Project Application Form and all written correspondence must be sent in English to the VSO Director:
- Father Miles J. Heinen, C.M. +1 215-713-2432 (Telephone)
- Vincentian Solidarity Office +1 215-843-9361 (Fax)
- 500 East Chelten Avenue cmvso@yahoo.com (E-mail)
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19144 www.famvin.org/vso (Website)
- United States of America
Applications that satisfy all of the following six VSO project criteria approved by the Superior General and his Council will be accepted for VSO service:
1. The visitor, vice-visitor or superior of an international mission of the General Curia approves and sends the VSO Project Application Form to the Director of the Vincentian Solidarity Office. 2. The VSO Project Application Form is properly filled out. 3. The province, vice-province or mission submitting the VSO Project Application Form is eligible for VSO service, as determined by the Superior General and his Council. (Refer to the list on the next page.) 4. The project is a work of the Congregation of the Mission and benefits the needs of the confreres of the province, vice-province or mission, or the people they serve. 5. There is a reasonable chance of securing funds for the project. 6. The Vincentian Solidarity Office has the resources to work on the project.
After receiving a VSO Project Application Form, the VSO Director will inform the applicant regarding the decision made about his application:
- • 'Accepted": The application is accepted for VSO service.
- • Not Accepted: The application was not accepted for VSO service because it did not satisfy all six VSO project criteria.
If the project is accepted for VSO service, the VSO staff will work to secure the funds requested for the project. However, there is no guarantee that the project will be funded. Success in securing funds for a project depends on a number of factors, e.g., the type of project, the amount of money requested, the cooperation of the applicant in supplying information to VSO staff about the project, the support of the local bishop or episcopal conference for the project, the local contribution toward the project, availability of funding for the project, etc.
Projects accepted for VSO service may receive matching funds from the Vincentian Solidarity Fund (VSF). VSF monies are used to match funding secured for VSO projects up to 50% of the cash costs of a project beyond the local contribution. VSF matching funds are restricted and only can be released once monies have been secured from other funding sources.
VSF Micro-Project Grant Application Form
Instruction
VINCENTIAN SOLIDARITY OFFICE PROJECT APPLICATION FORM
INSTRUCTIONS
The attached VSO Project Application Form should be used by the visitor, vice-visitor or superior of an international mission of the General Curia to request assistance from the Vincentian Solidarity Office (VSO) for the funding of a project.
Please print or type the answers to all questions on the application form. If you need more space to answer any of the questions, you can attach additional pages to the application. You may also attach any other information that would be helpful in understanding the project. The VSO Project Application Form and all written correspondence must be sent in English to the VSO Director:
- Father Miles J. Heinen, C.M. +1 215-713-2432 (Telephone)
- Vincentian Solidarity Office +1 215-843-9361 (Fax)
- 500 East Chelten Avenue cmvso@yahoo.com (E-mail)
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19144 www.famvin.org/vso (Website)
- United States of America
Applications that satisfy all of the following six VSO project criteria approved by the Superior General and his Council will be accepted for VSO service:
1. The visitor, vice-visitor or superior of an international mission of the General Curia approves and sends the VSO Project Application Form to the Director of the Vincentian Solidarity Office. 2. The VSO Project Application Form is properly filled out. 3. The province, vice-province or mission submitting the VSO Project Application Form is eligible for VSO service, as determined by the Superior General and his Council. (Refer to the list on the next page.) 4. The project is a work of the Congregation of the Mission and benefits the needs of the confreres of the province, vice-province or mission, or the people they serve. 5. There is a reasonable chance of securing funds for the project. 6. The Vincentian Solidarity Office has the resources to work on the project.
After receiving a VSO Project Application Form, the VSO Director will inform the applicant regarding the decision made about his application:
- Accepted: The application is accepted for VSO service.
- Not Accepted: The application was not accepted for VSO service because it did not satisfy all six VSO project criteria.
If the project is accepted for VSO service, the VSO staff will work to secure the funds requested for the project. However, there is no guarantee that the project will be funded. Success in securing funds for a project depends on a number of factors, e.g., the type of project, the amount of money requested, the cooperation of the applicant in supplying information to VSO staff about the project, the support of the local bishop or episcopal conference for the project, the local contribution toward the project, availability of funding for the project, etc.
Projects accepted for VSO service may receive matching funds from the Vincentian Solidarity Fund (VSF). VSF monies are used to match funding secured for VSO projects up to 50% of the cash costs of a project beyond the local contribution. VSF matching funds are restricted and only can be released once monies have been secured from other funding sources.
Applications received by the VSO:
- From May 1 through August 31 - Will be considered for funding in September
- From September 1 through October 31 - Will be considered for funding in: November
- From November 1 through January 31 - Will be considered for funding in: February
- From February 1 through April 30 - Will be considered for funding in: May
After each meeting, the VSO Director will inform the applicants regarding the funding decisions made about their applications:
- Approved: The application is approved for funding.
- Deferred: The application will be reconsidered at the next funding meeting.
- Not Approved: The application was not approved for funding because there were insufficient monies in the Vincentian Solidarity Fund to award a VSF micro-project grant in the current funding year.
