SISTERS OF BON SECOURS, USA
MINISTRY GRANT APPLICATION FORM
Submission Date:
Proposal Title:
December 14, 2018
Campaign to be the first southern state to abolish the death penalty
Amount Requested
$ 20,000
Organization Name: Virginians for Alternatives to the Death
Penalty (VADP)
Address P.O. Box 12222
City/State/Zip Richmond, VA 23241
Phone: (434) 960-7779
Email office@vadp.org
Website: www.vadp.org
Person Responsible for | Name: Michael Stone
Proposal Address VADP
Address P.O. Box 12222
City/State/Zip Richmond, VA 23241
Phone: (434) 960-7779
Email: office@vadp.org
Person who
recommended this
grant...
Ed Gerardo, former Director of Community
Commitment and Social Investments for the
Bon Secours Health System
Is this your first
proposal?
No
If not...how many times
have you sought
funding from the Sisters
of Bon Secours?
This is our third-year grant request.
SISTERS OF BON SECOURS, USA 1®
Narrative
Describe within 200 words a narrative description of the purpose of your proposal:
VADP is seeking funds to educate the public about the death penalty in Virginia, with the
long-term objective of ending capital punishment in the state. For the past three years we
have worked with partners in the mental health community to exempt people with severe
mental illness from the death penalty in Virginia. The project supports a Field Director to
educate religious, civic, and business leaders in key legislative districts across Virginia.
VADP is a non-profit statewide citizens’ organization founded in 1991 to end the death
penalty through education, organizing, and advocacy. We work closely with the
Virginia Catholic Conference and ACLU of Virginia.
Organizations supporting the severe mental illness (SMI) exemption include the National
Alliance on Mental Illness Virginia, Virginia Counselors Association, Mental Health
America of Virginia, and the National Association of Social Workers Virginia Chapter.
After the 2019 session of the Virginia General Assembly ends in February, VADP will
shift its public education efforts toward building support for outright repeal of the death
penalty. That will be our focus for the 2020 legislative session.
We plan to demonstrate widespread support for abolition across the political spectrum
throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia.
How is the proposal in alignment with the Sisters of Bon Secours’ purpose of their
ministry grant funding?
This project is in keeping with the Sisters of Bon Secours Mission and its traditions as well as the
Advocacy Resolutions of Bon Secours Ministries that states:
“The struggle for a more humane world is not an option; it is an integral part of spreading the
Gospel. In light of this deeply held conviction, we are compelled to work toward a more
just and humane world where the dignity of all persons is respected and an environment is
created that allows for the full flourishing of each human person.
“Therefore, in keeping with Catholic Social Teaching and the charism of Bon Secours, we
stand in solidarity with those who seek the common good and the protection of all persons,
particularly those who are marginalized.”
Capital punishment is contrary to essential human dignity as articulated by Pope John Paul II in
Evangelium Vitae (The Gospel of Life) and affirmed in the Catechism of the Catholic Church
(2266 & 2267).
For decades, the Vatican as well as the U.S. Catholic Bishops have called for an end to
executions. On May 6, 2015 the Virginia Bishops wrote, “By ending the use of the death
penalty we would take one important step — among significant others we must take — to abandon
the culture of death and embrace the culture of life.”
SISTERS OF BON SECOURS, USA 1®
Those sentenced to death in Virginia are overwhelming poor, people of color, and those with
mental illness. For example, Dinwiddie County sought the death penalty in 2017 for a black
man who killed a state trooper, then fled after taking off his clothes. After his capture, this man
was ruled incompetent and treated in a state psychiatric unit for over a year. At trial the jury
rejected the insanity defense despite the opinion of both prosecutor and defense expert witnesses
that he was insane at the time of the crime. The jury then convicted the man of capital murder,
but did not sentence him to death. The man is now being held in a maximum-security prison
instead of receiving mental health treatment in a secure facility.
In July 2017 Governor Terry McAuliffe allowed the execution of a mentally ill man, William
Morva, despite the opinion of an independent court-appointed expert that Mr. Morva suffered
from delusional disorder, a form of psychosis which caused him to be unable to distinguish
objective reality from delusion.
Death row inmates in Virginia have been held in solitary confinement for years at a time. This
practice has serious negative consequences and driven at least one death row inmate insane. A
federal court case has forced the Virginia Department of Corrections to improve conditions and
allow limited social interaction among death row inmates.
Needs Assessment
* What is the scope and significance of the unmet or underserved need being
addressed by this proposal?
A 2006 study by the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Statistics showed that 64
percent of local jail inmates, 56 percent of state prisoners, and 45 percent of federal
prisoners have symptoms of mental illness. Mental Health America estimates that 20
percent of inmates currently on death row in the United States have a severe mental illness.
It is difficult to know how many people will be affected by the SMI exemption or abolition of
the death penalty in Virginia.
+ Is anyone addressing this need? If so, how does the proposal align or differ from the
other project(s)/service(s) already being provided?
VADP is the only organization in Virginia that is solely dedicated to reform and abolition of
the death penalty. It plays a leading role in convening coalition partners (e.g., the Virginia
Catholic Conference and ACLU of Virginia) and coordinating joint efforts in education,
organizing, and advocacy.
* Approximately how many people will be served by this proposal?
The direct beneficiaries of VADP’s work are the three inmates currently on death
row and those accused of capital murder as well as their attorneys. There is no
database on the number of capital prosecutions in Virginia despite a 2002
recommendation by the Virginia Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC)
to create one.
SISTERS OF BON SECOURS, USA 1®
In addition, employees in our courts, criminal justice system, and prisons would be relieved
of the burden to try, sentence, and carry out executions. Many of these individuals suffer
psychological trauma from involvement with the state’s death penalty system.
Finally, the taxpayers of Virginia will benefit from ending capital punishment which is far
more expensive than the alternative sentence of life in prison without parole. It is estimated
that ending capital punishment would save Virginia several million dollars each year.
Project Goals
* List the goals and specific objectives of this project and provide an estimated
timetable for impl tation.
VADP has a goal of seeking a vote to abolish the death penalty in the 2020 session of the
Virginia legislative session. In order to reach this goal, VADP and its partner organizations
will introduce reform legislation such as the severe mental illness exemption to educate
legislators and the public about the serious problems in our death penalty system.
VADP, the Virginia Catholic Conference, and the ACLU of Virginia have identified legislators
who have struggled with their consciences to vote in favor of death penalty-related bills. Our
educational efforts with local religious, civic, and business leaders take place in the districts of
these Delegates and Senators in order to build constituent support for death penalty abolition.
Objectives for this project in 2019 are:
= Identify at least 50 additional religious, civic, and business leaders in 8 target legislative
districts identified by VADP and its partner organizations.
Contact at least 20 of these leaders by phone and/or e-mail each week.
= Meet with at least 5 of these leaders each week.
Build ongoing relationships with many of these local leaders.
Recruit at least five local leaders in each of the 8 target legislative districts to contact
their legislator and advocate for abolition of the death penalty.
* How will you measure the achievement of these objectives?
The Field Director has created an online spreadsheet or database of each identified local leader
and his or her background as well as logs of each contact made, individual meeting results, and
follow-up actions. It also identifies those who oppose the death penalty.
Project Management
a. How will the project be managed?
The Field Director submits weekly work reports to the VADP Executive Director. These
activities are reviewed in biweekly meetings between the Field Director and VADP
Executive Director. They discuss progress and challenges as well as work to resolve
problems encountered by the Field Director.
4
SISTERS OF BON SECOURS, USA 1®
b. Who are the key people involved in managing this project.
Michael Stone is VADP Executive Director. Previously, he worked as a Field Organizer for
the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty in Virginia, Missouri, South Dakota, and
Pennsylvania. He has spoken often about capital punishment and identified “unlikely”
opponents to the death penalty — political conservatives and violent crime victims.
Michael worked for 25 years in social ministry at the Office of Justice & Peace in the
Catholic Diocese of Richmond from 1984 to 2009. He served as Respect Life Coordinator
and worked on issues such as abortion, assisted suicide, and capital punishment.
Dale Brumfield is the VADP Field Director who began work in May 2017. He is the author
of eight books, including The Virginia State Penitentiary: A Notorious History. Dale has
authored numerous anti-death penalty articles for the Richmond Times- Dispatch, North of
the James magazine, Richmond Magazine, the Rappahannock Review and the conservative
political website: www.BearingDrift.com.
Budget
What are the specific uses of the grant funds you are requesting, e.g., salary for a
social worker?
Salary for the Field Director.
Project Sustainability
a. What efforts have been made to raise money from other sources? Please list
name(s) and amount(s) of past, currently secured, pending and potential sources
of funding. Include potential untried sources (name and dollar amount). Please
specify.
Historically, VADP has raised funds from three sources — individuals, faith communities,
and foundations.
Very few foundations are willing to consider grants for an issue as controversial as the
death penalty. VADP has received technical assistance from the Tides Foundation that
identified eight foundations from a search of the online Foundation Directory. When
contacted, all said they would not consider funding for VADP due to various reasons — not
a priority issue, too controversial, or beyond the scope of funding criteria.
Since then the VADP Executive Director has focused on meetings with current major
donors, potential major donors, and pastors of churches who have not provided financial
support for our work.
In addition, VADP supporters have hosted “friend-raising” events in Herndon, Richmond,
Roanoke, Norfolk, Charlottesville, and Washington, DC during 2016 and 2017 to
introduce new donors to our work. Other events in Richmond and Washington are
scheduled in the first months of 2019.
SISTERS OF BON SECOURS, USA
b. What are the long-term plans for continuing this project? Can this project
become self-sustaining? Please explain.
Earlier this year we obtained a new $15,000 grant from the Daughters of Wisdom for this
project. We are eligible for renewal of this grant for two additional years.
We hope that continued funding from the Bon Secours Sisters Ministry Fund and the
Daughters of Wisdom will help us to obtain matching funds from more churches, major
donors, and other congregations of women religious.
Cc)
SISTERS OF BON SECOURS, USA
BUDGET SUMMARY OF PROPOSED PROGRAM/ PROJECT
Outline your anticipated annualized operational budget and key revenue sources for calendar year 2019:
BUDGET CATEGORIES
(1) Amount
Requested from Bon
Secours Grant Fund
(2) Other Sources
of Funding
Other Funding
Offsets
Total Program
Operating Budget
PERSONNEL*:
Salaries
$ 20,000
Individuals &
churches
$20,000
$ 40,000
Fringe (specify)
Consultants/other costs
OFFICE SUPPLIES:
Supplies
Postage
Travel (10,000 miles @
$0.54/mile)
Individuals &
churches
$5,400
5,400
Telephone
PROGRAM MATERIALS:
(Please specify)
a.
b.
FACILITIES:
Rent
Utilities
Other (specify)
EQUIPMENT: (Specify
equipment needed)
INSURANCE
OTHER (specify)
a.
b.
PROGRAM FEES**:
TOTAL
$ 20,000
$ 20,400
$45,400
/
SISTERS OF BON SECOURS, USA 1®
Application Checklist
v Acompleted Application Form
v Anattached copy of proof of the IRS tax-exempt determination letter. (This is not
necessary for Sisters of Bon Secours or BSI/BSM sponsored ministries).
v Attached list of references not directly associated with the organization of no more
than three names with email addresses and phone numbers.
Y Copy of Organization’s Income Statement
Submission Deadlines: January 1 and July 1
All applications are to be submitted electronically to Carol Jessee, Executive Assistant,
Sisters of Bon Secours: Carol _Jessee@bshsi.org Phone: 410-442-3113
Committee Review and Approval Notification usually happen within 3 weeks of the
deadlines. Funds are dispensed once notification of approval and returned acceptance of
grant funding are received.
Thomas J. Butler, Chair Sisters of Bon Secours Ministry Grant
(410) 913-7421
Thomas_Butler@bshsi.org
