The Leadership 100 Board of Trustees, in a historic vote, approved a grant of $5 million toward the St. Nicholas National Shrine. The vote took place on Wednesday, February 19, 2020, at the 29th Annual Leadership 100 Conference in Palm Beach, which concluded on Sunday, February 23, according to Chairman Argyris Vassiliou.

“We wanted to respond to the priorities of His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros by offering the fullest participation possible in supporting the St. Nicholas National Shrine and ministry. Our action demonstrates the support of Leadership 100 in ensuring the realization of this significant national symbol for our Church and our Nation.”

The St. Nicholas grant will be paid over the next two fiscal years, $2.5 million in 2020 and $2.5 million in 2021. The Executive Committee had approved the grant, along with additional new and prior year grants of $2,673,658 to be distributed in 2020.  

In addition to the required Executive Committee approval of all grants, the decision was made to submit the St. Nicholas grant to the full Board of Trustees for their support because of its significance.

Additional new grants included:

1. The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese Information Technologies Department - $500,000 for the Modernizing Archdiocesan Technology – Telecom and Systems Redesign.

2. The Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministries - $270,000 for the Metropolis Camping Ministries to support each of the eight Metropolis camps as well as one for the Direct Archdiocesan District.

3. The Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministries - $90,000 over three years ($30,000 per year) for the Youth Safety Education to ensure compliance with the newly adopted Policies for the Safety of Children and Youth.

4. The Department of Stewardship, Outreach and Evangelism - $76,200 for the Home Mission Parish Program.

5. The Office of Ionian Village - $74,558 for the IV Next 2020.

6. The Department of Inter-Orthodox, Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations - $50,000 for the International Project and Partner Engagement.

7. The Spanish Ministry Initiative - $50,000 for the Clergy Conference for Spanish Ministry.

8. The Center for Family Care - $15,000 for the Clergy Couple Care - Inaugural National Clergy Couple Retreat.

9. The Department of Inter-Orthodox, Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations - $100,000 over two years ($50,000 per year) for the Orthodox Christianity and Mental Health.

10. The Department of Stewardship, Outreach & Evangelism - $5,000 for the Inter-Orthodox Missions, Outreach & Evangelism Roundtable.

11. The Hellenic College/Holy Cross Office of Vocation & Ministry - $80,000 for the Training Our Leaders in Transformative Value of Excellent Fundraising Practices.

12. The Project Mexico and St. Innocent Orphanage - $65,000 for the Project Mexico Harvest 100 to support volunteers and interns building new homes.

13. The Greek Orthodox Metropolis of San Francisco - $50,000 for the 2020 Young Adult League Conference.

14. The St. Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine - $12,500 for the Costas Balafas – Photographic Hierarchy on Mount Athos 1969-2001 Exhibit.

15. Ancient Faith Radio - $60,000 for the National/Global Orthodox Digital Media Expansion Project to create three remote studios in order to expand its reach and programming.

Prior year grants included:

1. The Small Parish Program - $105,000 for second year funding of a $330,000 three-year grant.

2. The Office of Ionian Village - $15,000 for the IV On-The-Go (third year of a five-year grant totaling $75,000) to organize eleven retreats that seek to replicate the Ionian Village experience in parishes within the United States.

3. Hellenic College/Holy Cross Scholarship Program - $1,000,000 (second year of a ten-year grant totaling $10 million).

4. Retired Clergy in Need Program - $5,400.

5. The Orthodox Christian Studies Center at Fordham University - $50,000 (third year of five-year grant totaling $250,000) for the Affirming an Orthodox Christian Theology of Human Rights to develop an international research initiative and publish analyses of Orthodox Christianity’s engagement of human rights issues.