SISTERS OF BON SECOURS, USA (4
MINISTRY GRANT APPLICATION FORM
Submission Date: December 14, 2018
Proposal Title: 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/ Richmond, VA 23241
Zip (434) 960-7779
Phone: office@vadp.org
Email www.vadp.org
Website:
Person Responsible Name: Michael Stone
for Proposal Address VADP
Address P.O. Box 12222
City/State/ Richmond, VA 23241
Zip (434) 960-7779
Phone: office@vadp.org
Email:
Person who Ed Gerardo, former Director of
recommended this Community Commitment and Social
grant... Investments for the Bon Secours
Health System
Is this your first No
proposal?
If not...how many This is our third-year grant request.
times have you
sought funding from
the Sisters of Bon
Secours?
SISTERS OF BON SECOURS, USA ®
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
Fohrnary VANP will chift ite nuhlic aducatinn affarte taward huildina
ow 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).
2
/
SISTERS OF BON SECOURS, USA
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.”
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?
(3)
/
SISTERS OF BON SECOURS, USA ®
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.
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 implementation.
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.
SISTERS OF BON SECOURS, USA
= 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.
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
/
SISTERS OF BON SECOURS, USA ®
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.
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.
SISTERS OF BON SECOURS, USA
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:
(3)
(1) Amount
Requested from (2) Other Total Program
Bon Secours Grant Sources of Other Funding Operating
BUDGET CATEGORIES Fund Funding Offsets Budget
PERSONNEL*:
Individuals &
Salaries $ 20,000 churches $ 40,000
$20,000
Fringe (specify)
Consultants/other
costs
OFFICE SUPPLIES:
Supplies
Postage
Travel (10,000 miles Inaividuals & £406
@ $0.54/mile) eres ’
$5,400
Telephone
PROGRAM
MATERIALS: (Please
specify)
a.
b.
FACILITIES:
Rent
Utilities
Other (specify)
EQUIPMENT: (Specify
equipment needed)
INSURANCE
OTHER (specify)
a.
b.
SISTERS OF BON SECOURS, USA
4
PROGRAM FEES**:
TOTAL
$ 20,000
$ 20,400
$45,400
Application Checklist
vy Acompleted Application Form
v An attached 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.
v¥ 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 |essee@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
9
SISTERS OF BON SECOURS, USA (4
(410) 913-7421
Th ; Butler@bshsi.org
10
CC BY-NC-SA 4.0