Bishop's Charitable Assistance Fund

Bishop's Crisis Relief Emergency Fund

A Prayer in Time of Pandemic

O God, whose Only Begotten Son
bore the weight of human suffering
for our salvation,
hear the prayers of your Church
for our sick brothers and sisters
and deliver us from this time of trial.

Open our ears and our hearts
to the voice of your Son:
Be not afraid, for I am with you always.

Bless all doctors and nurses,
researchers and public servants;
give us the wisdom to do what is right
and the faith to endure this hour,
that we might gather once again
to praise your name in the hearts of your Church,
delivered from all distress
and confident in your mercy.

Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Grant Applications

The Bishop’s Charitable Assistance Fund is adapting our grant making to assist organizations in New Hampshire that are directly addressing this pandemic and public health crisis with the Bishop’s Crisis Relief Emergency Fund.

The Bishop’s Crisis Relief Emergency Fund will help provide grants to organizations in their response to the COVID-19 virus. We are committing to distribute at least $100,000 in emergency grants over the next couple of months. The Fund will provide support for the poor and disadvantaged struggling to afford basic needs such as food, shelter and health.

We are waiving our guideline that organizations not apply if they have received funding within the same calendar year or has received funding for the last three consecutive years. All eligible organizations are welcome to apply for this next quarter no matter when they have received a past grant from the BCAF.

Guidelines and instructions on how to apply are available through the BCAF grant application form. If your organization is interested in applying for a grant we need your request by April 22, 2020. All grants will be reviewed in the month of May and we will endeavor to mail all grant checks by the end of May.

The Bishop’s Charitable Assistance Fund will go back to our original grant making process in October/November of 2020. Please visit our (www.catholicnh.org/bcaf) for future instructions and deadlines.

Make a Donation

The Bishop’s Charitable Assistance Fund is committed to helping organizations in New Hampshire respond to the COVID-19 outbreak. We are adapting our current grant making and launching the Bishop’s Crisis Relief Emergency Fund. This new Fund will continue to assist the needy and the poor, for the next couple of months, and put additional resources into New Hampshire communities.

If you would like to contribute to the Bishop’s Crisis Relief Emergency Fund, please use the PayPal button below. If you would like to mail in a donation, please make the check out to the Bishop’s Charitable Assistance Fund, 153 Ash Street, Manchester, NH 03104. All donations will be applied to helping the pandemic and public health crisis.

About the BCAF

The Bishop’s Charitable Assistance Fund is a not-for-profit organization within the Catholic Church in New Hampshire. The Fund enables the Bishop of Manchester, through a board of directors, to make grants to not-for-profit organizations without regard to religious affiliation for projects that help people in New Hampshire meet their basic needs. Volunteer lay men and women, who serve as Directors, make recommendations to the Bishop of Manchester for grants with an emphasis on meeting basic needs of food, clothing, shelter, heat and other necessities. The grants go to organizations in New Hampshire whose mission and operations are consistent with the mission of the Roman Catholic Church.

Left to right: Deacon Frank Ottaviano, recipient of the 2019 Vita et Caritas Award; his wife, Margaret; Bishop Libasci; and the 2019 BCAF co-chairs, Lisa and Alex Walker.

BCAF Reception

On Thursday, September 5, Bishop Libasci hosted approximately 380 guests at the Summer Reception for the Bishop's Charitable Assistance Fund, held this year on the grounds of St. Pius X Parish in Manchester. The Summer Reception, held annually, marked the end of another successful campaign for the BCAF, which this year raised some $240,000 that will be distributed during the coming year to non-profit agencies that help meet the needs of the most vulnerable of our fellow citizens throughout the state. This is the highest amount raised since the 2001 campaign. Bishop Libasci also presented the 5th annual Vita et Caritas Award to Deacon Frank Ottaviano, Assistant Chaplain, at Catholic Medical Center in Manchester.  With the award, a $2,500 grant was presented to the Wilson Street Integrated Health which is a service of the Health Care for the Homeless Program of Manchester, a collaboration between CMC and the Manchester Health Department.

See Photo Gallery (Photography by Charlene Graham)

BCAF Grants

Grant Recipients

View a list of BCAF grant recipients from October 1, 2019 – September 30, 2020.

View our 2019 BCAF Newsletter

Vita et Caritas Award

Apply now for the Vita et Caritas Award presented to a non-profit organization’s volunteer who makes significant contributions to the organization. This award, which includes a grant to the organization, honors the memory of Ruthie Ford, whose life reflected tireless dedication to service to help women, children and families. Read more about the Vita Caritas Award.

Board of Directors

The BCAF has a volunteer board of directors that is responsible for both raising funds and reviewing and approving grant applications.