The Drexel Project
NFCYM’s Initiative on Faith and Service
Introduction to the Drexel Project
NFCYM is thrilled to announce The Drexel Project, a groundbreaking initiative that will launch the largest mobilization of Catholic parishes to engage high school students in acts of service and theological reflection in the United States!
The project will:
- Empower over 1,000 parishes to accompany young people through the implementation of service projects
- Employ a Design, Serve, Reflect engagement model that centers the voices and ideas of young people
- Equip parishes and organizations with a diverse scope of resources to help them meet the needs of their communities
- Award grants to both parishes and organizations in multiple rounds throughout 2026-2029
Grant Information
Parish Grants | Organizational Grants |
|---|---|
NFCYM will provide grants directly to parishes that have partnered with young people using the Drexel Project’s Service Design Process. The grants will provide funding for the resources needed to bring the planned service projects to life, such as covering the cost of materials, logistical needs, and other training or support required to ensure the successful completion of the service activity. | NFCYM will provide larger grants to select ministry organizations to implement creative projects to empower parishes to engage young people in service and theological reflection. NFCYM will require that the organizations embrace the same guiding pillars as the main Drexel Project, but will work to ensure the organizations are free to develop approaches that are novel. |
Goal | Goal |
|---|---|
Through this program, NFCYM seeks to empower at least 100 parish communities to embody a culture of accompaniment, where adults and young people design, serve, and reflect together. These grants are not simply about funding projects; they are about cultivating spaces where young people encounter Christ, discover their gifts, and become protagonists in the Church’s mission of justice and mercy. | Through this initiative, NFCYM seeks to partner with at least 20 youth-serving organizations whose creativity and expertise will help inspire and equip parishes nationwide. Together, these efforts will strengthen at least 200 parish communities, multiplying opportunities for young people to serve, reflect, and grow as missionary disciples. |
Applications - Opening January 2027
Applications for round two of The Drexel Project will open in January 2027.
Upcoming Information Sessions
The Drexel Project Round 2 General Information Session
November 5, 2026
2:00 pm ET | 11:00 am PT
The Drexel Project Grant Writing Information Session
December 10, 2026
2:00 pm ET | 11:00 am PT
Applications for the Drexel Project are now open through April 15. Select the grant below that best fits your parish or organization to begin the application process.
Project Timeline for 2026-27
Date | Goal |
|---|---|
October | Round Two Information Announced |
October-December | Info Sessions |
January 11 | Applications Open |
April 16 | Application Deadline |
July | Round Two Grants Disbursed |
NFCYM will journey alongside the parishes and organizations engaged in the Drexel Project, whether they receive grants or simply take part in the process. Together we will monitor progress, share insights, and provide mutual support to strengthen the impact of each initiative. Participating communities will be invited to reflect annually on both the fruits and the challenges of their efforts, offering stories and data that help us all learn. Organizational partners will gather feedback from their participants, contributing to a shared body of wisdom that benefits the entire Church. NFCYM will provide consultation and tools to ensure that reporting is not simply an obligation, but a resource for parishes and organizations themselves as they continue to grow in mission.
Frequently Asked Questions
General Overview
Q: Who is the Drexel Project for?
A: The Drexel Project is primarily designed for Catholic parishes and the adults who accompany high school–aged young people. Parish grants directly support parish-based projects that engage teens in faith-rooted service, theological reflection, and shared leadership.
At the same time, the Drexel Project is for the whole Church. Catholic schools, ministry organizations, diocesan offices, and religious orders are invited to participate in the project’s mission by using its resources, joining formation opportunities, and contributing their wisdom and charisms. Through Organizational Grants, Catholic organizations may also receive funding to equip and support parishes in this work, helping extend the project’s impact across multiple communities.
Participation and Eligibility
Q: Who is eligible to participate in the Drexel Project?
A: Any Catholic parish may participate in the Drexel Project by using its formation resources, Service Design Resource, and theological reflection tools to engage high school–aged young people in faith-rooted service. Parishes may also apply for parish grants to support locally designed service projects.
In addition, Catholic schools, diocesan offices, ministry organizations, and religious orders are welcome to participate in the broader life of the project by using its resources, joining learning opportunities, and contributing to the shared mission of faith and service. Catholic organizations that serve parishes may also apply for Organizational Grants, which are specifically intended to equip and support parishes in this work.
Q: Can a parish participate without applying for a grant?
A: Yes. Parishes are encouraged to participate in the Drexel Project without applying for or receiving a grant, and we anticipate that the majority of participants will engage the project in this way. All parishes may use the project’s formation resources, Service Design Process, and theological reflection tools to engage young people in faith-rooted service.
Grants are intended to remove financial barriers for some communities, but they are not required to participate. The Drexel Project is designed to be flexible and accessible, allowing parishes to begin where they are and grow at a pace that fits their context.
Q: What age range of young people is expected to participate?
A: The Drexel Project is primarily focused on high school–aged young people, generally ages 14–18. All formation resources, the Service Design Resource, and grant-funded projects are designed with this developmental stage in mind.
That said, some parishes and organizations may choose to adapt the Drexel Project’s approach for slightly younger or older young people as part of their broader ministry. These adaptations are welcome, as long as the core commitments to youth leadership, accompaniment, and theological reflection remain central.
Design, Serve, Reflect Model
Q: What is the Design, Serve, Reflect engagement model?
A: The Design, Serve, Reflect model is the core engagement framework of the Drexel Project. It is a youth–adult partnership process that helps parishes move beyond “doing service” to forming young people as missionary disciples through intentional accompaniment and theological reflection.
- Design: Adults and young people work together to listen to their community, discern real needs, pray, and collaboratively design a service project. Young people are actively involved in shaping what the project will be and how it will respond to those needs.
- Serve: Adults and young people carry out the service project together, encountering those they serve and deepening relationships through shared action. Service is approached as an experience of faith, not just a task to complete.
- Reflect: Participants engage in intentional theological reflection before, during, and after the service experience, helping young people name where they encountered God, how the experience connects to their faith, and how it shapes who they are becoming.
Together, Design, Serve, and Reflect form a continuous process that centers youth leadership, strengthens intergenerational accompaniment, and helps service become a lived expression of faith rather than a one-time activity.
Q: Is the Service Design Process required for all participants?
A: The Service Design Process is required for all parish grant–funded projects. Parishes that apply for and receive a Drexel Project parish grant must use the Service Design Process as written by NFCYM so that service projects emerge from youth–adult collaboration, discernment, and theological reflection.
For participants not applying for grant funding, use of the Service Design Process is strongly encouraged but not required.
For organizational grant partners, the Service Design Process as written by NFCYM is not required. However, the purpose of an organizational grant is for the organization to establish a similar or complementary process that equips parishes to accomplish the same core objectives—youth leadership, accompaniment, and theological reflection—using an approach rooted in the organization’s own charism and expertise rather than NFCYM’s written resource.
Grants and Funding
Q: What is the difference between parish grants and organizational grants?
A: Parish grants are awarded directly to Catholic parishes to support service projects that are designed and led collaboratively by adults and high school–aged young people. These grants help parishes bring a specific faith-rooted service experience to life and include resources for planning, carrying out the service, and engaging in theological reflection together.
Organizational grants are awarded to Catholic organizations that serve and support parishes (such as ministry nonprofits, apostolates, diocesan offices, or networks). These grants fund larger, multi-parish or capacity-building efforts that equip many communities to engage young people in faith and service. While the approaches may vary based on an organization’s charism, all organizational grants share the same core commitments to youth leadership, accompaniment, and theological reflection.
Q: How much funding is available per grant?
A: For parish grants, funding is available in amounts of up to $10,000 per parish to support a locally designed service project created using The Drexel Project’s Service Design Resource, in collaboration between adults and high school–aged young people.
For organizational grants, funding is available in amounts of up to $125,000 per organization and must be used to equip and support parishes in engaging young people in faith-rooted service and theological reflection.
Q: What types of expenses are eligible for funding? Are there expenses that cannot be covered by the grants?
A: Please see the Parish Grant and Organizational Grant Information sheets located at https://nfcym.org/programs/the-drexel-project/ for a complete list of activities the grants can be used to fund.
Q: Can grants be used for stipends or staffing?
A: Yes. Grant funds may be used for stipends or salaries as long as the portion of the position being funded is directly related to implementing the Drexel Project grant project. This includes roles such as project coordination, facilitation, training, or other support necessary to carry out the locally designed service project.
All staffing or stipend expenses must be clearly connected to the project’s activities, proportionate to the work required, and fully justified in the grant application. Grant funds may not be used to support unrelated or general ministry staffing and must align with the Drexel Project’s commitments to youth leadership, accompaniment, and theological reflection.
Parish Grants
Q: Can we do multiple service projects with one grant?
A: Yes. A parish may use a single parish grant to support multiple Drexel Project small groups, each engaging in the Service Design Process and carrying out different service projects. In this case, the grant supports a collection of micro–service projects that are all part of the parish’s overall Drexel Project effort.
Parishes must clearly explain this approach in their application and submit a detailed budget that lists each small group’s service project and associated expenses. All projects must be locally designed using the Drexel Project’s Service Design Resource and include youth leadership, accompaniment, and theological reflection.
Q: Can multiple parishes collaborate on a single project?
A: Yes. Multiple parishes may collaborate on a shared Drexel Project service effort, especially when collaboration strengthens youth leadership, accompaniment, and impact.
In the case of a collaborative project, one parish must submit the grant application and will be responsible for signing the grant agreement and administering the grant. While collaborating parishes are encouraged to have an internal memorandum of understanding or shared agreement about roles, finances, and responsibilities, NFCYM will assign grant responsibility to a single parish for each award.
Q: Can a parish apply in more than one grant round?
A: Yes. A parish may apply in more than one parish grant round over the life of the Drexel Project as long as each application involves a different group of young people engaging in the Service Design Process.
Parish grants are not intended to extend or continue a project that was previously funded through a Drexel Project grant. Parishes applying again should propose a new service design experience with a new group of young people and be in good standing with any prior Drexel Project grants, including meeting all reporting and grant requirements.
Q: I am in a school setting. Can I apply for a parish grant?
A: Parish grants may only be awarded to Catholic parishes, and the grant agreement must be signed by the parish. A Catholic school may not apply on its own for a parish grant.
Catholic schools are welcome to participate in a parish grant project in partnership with a parish, provided that students are joined and accompanied by a group of adults from the parish throughout the Service Design Process. The goal is to foster relationships of accompaniment rooted in the parish community. While NFCYM recognizes the important role that school staff and teachers play in accompanying young people, parish grant projects must involve a broader group of parish-based adults in order to qualify for funding.
Q: I have a preexisting service project. Can I apply?
A: In general, no. Parish grants are intended to fund service projects that emerge from a parish’s engagement with the Drexel Project’s Service Design Process, not to support or continue preexisting programs.
That said, a group of young people may enter the Service Design Process and discern that their call is to reform, revitalize, or reimagine an existing parish service effort. In this case, the application must make clear that the project is the fruit of youth-led discernment and design, not a predetermined activity. The process should be entered into openly, with young people genuinely empowered to shape what the project becomes.
Organizational Grants
*Due to the large volume of organizational grants awarded in Round 1, Round 2 grants will be reserved for organizations that have not previously received funding in Round 1
Q: What types of organizations are eligible for organizational grants?
A: Organizational grants are available to Catholic organizations that equip and support parishes in engaging high school–aged young people in faith-rooted service and theological reflection. Eligible applicants include diocesan offices, Catholic nonprofits, apostolates, ministry networks, and religious orders.
In addition to fitting this general category, organizations must meet the following requirements:
- Be a diocesan or organizational member in good standing of NFCYM and able to remain in good standing for the duration of the grant
- Demonstrate a proven capacity to work directly with parishes, not just individual young people
- Propose a project that equips parishes and has clear parish-level impact
- Align with the guiding pillars of the Drexel Project, including youth protagonism, shared leadership, accompaniment, and theological reflection
- Show organizational readiness to manage grant-funded projects with transparency and accountability
- Have leadership and governance structures that formally endorse the proposed project
- Commit to participation in project evaluation, reporting, and the Faith and Service Ministry Network
Organizational grants are not intended for stand-alone programs or projects without parish engagement. They exist to strengthen parish ministry at scale by leveraging an organization’s charism, expertise, and reach.
Q: How will NFCYM select organizational partners?
A: NFCYM will select organizational partners through a competitive review process designed to ensure strong alignment with the mission and goals of the Drexel Project. Applications will be reviewed by experienced ministry leaders using criteria that focus on both mission fit and organizational capacity.
In particular, NFCYM will look for organizations that:
- Clearly demonstrate how their project will equip and support parishes
- Align with the Drexel Project’s guiding pillars, including youth protagonism, shared leadership, accompaniment, and theological reflection
- Show a proven ability to work directly with multiple parishes
- Reflect the organization’s charism, strengths, and unique gifts in service of the wider Church
- Demonstrate readiness to manage grant funds responsibly, including strong governance and financial accountability
- Commit to required participation in evaluation, reporting, and research activities
NFCYM also seeks a diverse group of organizational partners—representing different contexts, cultures, geographies, and approaches—so that the Drexel Project can serve parishes across the breadth of the Church.
Accessing More Information
Q: How can parishes and organizations stay informed about updates?
A: Parishes and organizations can stay informed about the Drexel Project by joining NFCYM’s Faith and Service Ministry Network, where updates about grants, formation opportunities, webinars, and project resources are regularly shared.
Additional updates are also communicated through NFCYM emails, newsletters, and Accompany Magazine, as well as on the NFCYM website. Grant-related announcements, deadlines, and recordings of informational sessions will be shared through these channels to ensure broad and equitable access to information.
Want to learn more?
Questions? Contact projects@nfcym.org.
