Watson Missions Grant

Watson Mission Offering Grant Guidelines

The Purpose:  This offering is named in honor of Dover Baptists and missionaries, Leslie and Hazel Watson, and helps fund missions and charitable work outside of Dover Baptist Association’s budgeted expenses. The offering calls attention to missions and charitable work in and beyond the communities served by Dover churches. Watson Missions grants are intended to benefit work that complements, rather than duplicates, the work of Dover and its churches. Funding received from this offering is intended to support tax-exempt ministries or organizations that provide services in keeping with our biblical values to a people group in the communities that our churches serve.

Overseeing Party: Watson Team

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Funding Source: Dover Baptist Association receives its offering through October 31 each year. Dover distributes Missions Offering grants after the offering closes on October 31.

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Limitations & Eligibility

NOMINATING CHURCH AND NOMINEE ELIGIBILITY

Only completed nominations submitted by active Dover member churches will be considered for funds from the Watson Missions Offering. An active Dover member church is defined as one that a) contributes to the association’s General Budget and b) attends at least two (2) Executive Committee, Semi-Annual, and/or Annual Meetings, during the year prior to the application deadline. An active Dover member church that submits a Watson nomination is understood as a nominating church.

Eligible nominees are limited to any tax-exempt ministry or organization that provides services–in keeping with our biblical values–to a people group in the community that any or all active Dover member churches serve. Nominees are not limited to ministries or organizations sponsored by the Dover Baptist Association, its member churches, or other Baptist entities. Churches may nominate secular organizations if the nominee can demonstrate that it meets all other requirements.

EXCEPTIONS

Dover Baptist Association has established a history of supportive relations with various organizations and ministries. These groups are considered existing efforts as long as they are within a covenantal relationship with Dover Baptist Association as negotiated through Partnership Missions Team, Church Support Team, or otherwise authorized group(s) within the Dover Baptist Association. These existing efforts shall receive annual Watson funding provided they have supplied required reporting for corresponding periods of grant receipt. In order to be considered for continued funding annually, these existing efforts shall be supplied by name to the Watson Team, along with any other pertinent information and/or dates of covenantal expiration, by either the ex officio members Executive Director and/or Treasurer, and/or directly from the applicable authorized groups.

PERMITTED, PROHIBITED, AND FUTURE GRANT USE

The grant must be used for the direct benefit of the people served by the ministry or organization (e.g., benevolent or program expenses). The grant must NOT be used for salaries or operating expenses other than those that directly benefit the people the ministry or organization serves. Within six (6) months after receiving the grant, the recipient ministry or organization should provide a report to Dover and to the nominating church describing what happened to the money and what it accomplished or made possible. This report will be used by the Watson Team to help evaluate future nominations for similar grants and to promote ongoing Watson Missions Offering collection.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

Watson Team members and their eligible churches may apply for Watson funding but shall recuse themselves regarding approval for their own churches’ nomination(s).

WATSON TEAM AUTHORITY AND NO GUARANTEE

Dover Baptist Association’s Watson Missions Offering Team has both final determination of eligibility in accordance with these guidelines and approval on awarded grants. An incomplete or late application and/or nomination may disqualify the nominee from consideration. Complete nomination does not guarantee approval of an awarded grant. The Watson Team may choose to award amount requested or a different amount up to $3,000 to an eligible nominated ministry or organization. Above notwithstanding, the Watson Team is ultimately accountable to Dover Baptist Association and its Executive Committee. Any awarded grants are subject to funding limitations afforded by the corresponding year’s Watson Missions Offering Fund.

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Application Information: 

DEADLINE
Completed nominations (see below) must arrive in the Dover office by the last business day of October for grants to be made by the end of the year.

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NOMINATION/APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS:
The Watson Team provides an application to help ensure all nomination requirements listed below are met. However, the Watson Team may choose to accept nominations outside of an application but will do so provided that all nomination requirements are fulfilled. Complete nominations must include the following: 
1)    Nominating church point of contact (i.e. individual submitting nomination on behalf of nominating church) including:

• His/her name 

• Email address 

• Phone number

• Name of nominated church ministry, if self-nominating

2)    Nominated organization point of contact (*NOTE: Only needed if nominee is separate entity from the nominating church) including:

• His/her name

• Organizational title (if applicable)

• Name of nominated organization

• Email address

• Phone number

3)    Description of mission of the ministry or organization
4)    Requested amount (up to $3,000)
5)    Description of how the grant will be used
6)    Acknowledgement and affirmation of the Permitted, Prohibited, and Future Grant Uses as stated above in relation to receipt of a potential grant
7)    An official letter from the nominating church’s senior pastor that: 

• Names the nominated ministry or organization

• Verifies the nomination has been made on behalf of the church

• AND, Authorizes the church’s point of contact (**NOTE: If the senior pastor is the church point of contact, another authorized church representative such as associate pastor, trustee, or officer must provide the required official letter.)

8)    AT LEAST ONE of the following: 

• Meeting minutes from a church-wide meeting where the nomination of the ministry or organization took place

• Most recent church financial report documenting an existing funding relationship with the nominated ministry or organization

• A brief letter signed by the church’s Clerk, Board of Trustees, and/or other church officer(s) certifying that the nominating party(ies) is/are authorized to act on behalf of the church in its/his/her nomination

• OR, Excerpt from church governing document (e.g. bylaws, constitution) that articulates that the nominating party is authorized to act on behalf of the church in its/his/her nomination regarding missions, ministries, and community outreach initiatives

9)    Most recent annual report or some other supporting documentation that confirms the legitimacy of the work of the potential grant recipient (***NOTE: Any previous Watson grant recipients who have provided the required report within 6 months of the previous year’s grant do not need to provide this.)
10)    OPTIONAL: Any other information that might help the team evaluate the grant application
 

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Approved by Dover’s Executive Committee on April 14, 2026.