The Augustana Foundation was established by the Augustana Lutheran Church congregation in 1971. The nine-member Committee meets quarterly (February, May, August and November) and is responsible for the investment and administration of funds which have been given by people wishing to provide a legacy or to memorialize and honor relatives and friends through Augustana Lutheran Church of Denver. Only the investment income from the original Foundation Fund can be expended at the discretion of the Foundation Committee. The principal can be expended only with the approval of a majority of the Congregation at a duly called meeting.

The purpose of The Augustana Foundation Fund is to encourage and support projects or undertakings which

  • Enrich or uplift the spiritual life of Augustana Lutheran Church;
  • Provide a desirable addition or improvement to Augustana’s facilities that cannot be funded entirely through other channels; and
  • Provide needed assistance or support to a worthy individual or family, or a worthy Christian ministry.

How can I give a gift to the Foundation?

The Foundation offers a number of ways to make contributions. All gifts are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law.

  • Donate Online
  • Outright Gifts of Cash
  • Gifts of Securities or Real Estate
  • Life Insurance Gifts
  • Bequests in Your Will
  • Gifts in Memoriam
  • Gifts in Honor and Thanks
  • We suggest that you consult your attorney or financial advisor for more information and to decide what plan will work best for you, your family, and your heirs. Please contact Finance Administrator Lisa Mikolajczak at 303-388-4678 or by email for more information.

What happens to gifts that I give to the Foundation?

Through a gift to the Augustana Foundation, you have the unique opportunity to enrich the lives of others who share your faith, enhance the mission and ministries of the church, memorialize and honor loved ones, and leave a legacy.

Your legacy means:

  • establishing your place in the history of Augustana Lutheran Church and its far-reaching ministry;
  • helping continue the Augustana tradition of Lutheran leadership in the metro-Denver area;
  • providing an investment which will continue your stewardship for generations to come.

The investment income has allowed the Committee to make grants for Augustana’s internal ministries including seminarian grants; financial support for Augustana students attending Lutheran colleges and universities; Health Ministry’s 9Health Fair; Christmas Eve Broadcast on KOA; support for Augustana Arts’ “City Strings” program; Music Ministry; and Lifelong Learning seminars and conferences.

Grants for outreach ministries included Lutheran Family Services; Holy Hammers; ELCA Global Mission (World Hunger); ELCA Young Adults in Global Mission Program; Lutheran Lay School of Theology; Prodigal Gatherings; Regional AIDS Interfaith Network; Project WISE; Urban Peak; assistance for developing Lutheran congregations and Lutheran partner churches, and for ministries around the globe.

We continue to provide ELCA MissionFuture4KIDZ Investment Fund gifts of $100 for each child baptized at Augustana. This is a wonderful way to begin saving for a child’s education, while investing in the future of the Lutheran Church.

Who can request a grant?

  • The pastors of Augustana Lutheran church automatically request a grant for any child baptized at Augustana for an ELCA MissionFuture4KIDZ Investment Fund gift.
  • Confirmed members of Augustana Lutheran Church who are accepted at a Lutheran Church-related college or university may request a grant.
  • Any person or organization may submit a general grant request.In making grants, The Augustana Foundation gives particular consideration to:
  • Projects that support the strategic plan and goals for Augustana’s congregational ministry.
  • Projects that support youth and children’s ministry.
  • Requests for seed money for new ministries. Seed money funding is generally subject to a three-year limit.
  • Projects that demonstrate multiple sources of funding and partnership.
  • Lutheran-based, Lutheran-affiliated, or Lutheran-sponsored ministries.
  • Christian-based or Christian-sponsored ministry groups (though interfaith-based requests will be considered.)
  • Community projects that utilize Augustana facilities (e.g. 9Health Fair).

How do I request a grant?

Download grant request forms for the Augustana Foundation from the column on the right.

When are the deadlines for requesting grants?

The grant request form must be received on the last Friday of January, April, July, or October (January 31, April 24, July 31, October 30, 2020) to be considered at the quarterly Foundation meetings.

For Higher Education grants, the application for the Fall Semester should be received by the last Friday in April and no later than the last Friday in July. For the Spring Semester, the application should be received by the last Friday in October.

How do I know whether my grant request has been approved?

You will be notified by the Augustana Foundation after the quarterly meetings held in February, May, August and November.

What are the Foundation’s criteria for granting requests?

The Foundation is committed to higher education grants-in-Aid for Augustana Families, and MIF MissionFuture Kidz Baptismal Gifts. The Foundation also has a goal to allocate 33% of annual gifting to outreach ministries. Questions that are commonly considered include: Is the grant request seed money for a new project? How many people will the grant benefit or impact? How are additional funds being sought or leveraged? Are there funds available for the grant request?

  • Foundation funds will not, under ordinarily foreseeable circumstances, be used for what are normally considered budgeted items for cost of current operation of Augustana Lutheran Church.
  • Two-thirds of grant funds will be allocated to applications originating within Augustana Lutheran Church; 1/3 of grant funds will be allocated to applications originating outside Augustana Lutheran Church.
  • The fact that a particular ministry (e.g., Senior and Music ministry) may have designated funds under Foundation stewardship does not mean that such ministries are precluded from applying for general fund grants.

Who serves on the Augustana Foundation Committee?

The Foundation committee consists of nine members appointed by the Augustana Lutheran Church Council. Foundation members must also be members of Augustana Lutheran Church.

What’s the relationship between The Augustana Foundation and Augustana Lutheran Church?

The Augustana Lutheran Church council appoints the Augustana Foundation members. Augustana Lutheran Church has a separate operating budget. The Foundation does not provide for the Church general operating funds, but may support seed money for a new project.

If I still have questions, who do I contact?

Please contact Finance Administrator Lisa Mikolajczak at 303-388-4678 or by email for more information.