Grants for Churches in New Hampshire (2026 Guide)

National rules for churches seeking grants are in our grants for churches guide; this page is about New Hampshire. For programs open to other New Hampshire nonprofits, read the New Hampshire grants guide. Churches near the borders can compare the Maine church grants guide and the Massachusetts church grants guide.

New Hampshire Church Grants by the Numbers

New Hampshire is 38th of the 50 states by church grant count, with 610 grants from 245 foundations totaling $8,771,866, according to Grantsights analysis of the filings. It's a small pool: about 0.4% of the 147,187 church grants in the national recount.

No mega-gifts, so the average is closer to honest. New Hampshire has no seven-figure church grant in the data. The 13 gifts of $100,000 or more still hold 29% of the money, which is why the $14,380 average sits well above the $5,000 median. For a church writing its first request, the median is the number to plan with.

Open doors, but few repeat givers. According to our analysis, 86 of the 245 foundations, 35.1%, name an application route on their filings, against 23.1% nationally. Of the ten smaller states Grantsights compared this month, only West Virginia's share (43.3%) is higher. The catch: just 50 foundations (20%) gave to two or more New Hampshire recipients, and only 8% gave to three or more. Four in five gave to a single church or ministry, and 34% made exactly one church grant in the state. Mailing the same letter to all 245 is the common mistake. Aim at the 86 with a route, then narrow to those whose past grants went to more than one congregation.

Nearly half the funders mostly give elsewhere. Only 133 of the 245 foundations (54%) do most of their church giving in New Hampshire. For the other 112, a New Hampshire church is a side interest next to bigger giving in other states, so a request should explain the local tie plainly.

What the purposes say. Purpose lines are often blank, so keyword counts undercount: 33 grants mention community work, 19 missions, 15 building or repair, 9 housing, and 7 recovery. Among recipient-name matches, Catholic leads (137), then Congregational (94), Baptist (51), and Episcopal (27).

A free preview lets you see how many foundations gave to churches in New Hampshire; its counts can differ slightly from this page's because it reads a different pull.

Where the Money Lands: Manchester, Concord, and the Lakes Region

The 12 busiest recipient cities hold 271 of New Hampshire's 610 church grants, 44%, spread across 116 cities in all. Cities here are mailing addresses on the filings, not ZIP areas.

Manchester is the best place to send a proposal. It has 86 grants, 14% of the state, and 20 of its 36 funders, 56%, publish a route. About 39% of Manchester's dollars, though, went to one Catholic parish for daily operations in three gifts across tax years 2024 and 2025.

Concord's total is mostly one church. Two general-support gifts to a Christian Science church in tax year 2023, $575,496 and $209,376, make up about 82% of Concord's $951,629. The city's $5,480 median is the more useful figure.

New London's median isn't a pattern to copy. Its $31,403 median comes from 17 grants by just five foundations, led by gifts of $200,400 and $157,500 to one Baptist church, the first split among a deacon fund, the general fund, and a $100,000 capital campaign.

The Lakes Region gives small and often. Wolfeboro has 29 grants from 10 funders at a $2,500 median, and Laconia has 12 at $10,000. Portsmouth's 24 grants have a $3,610 median. A Seacoast or lakes church should expect four-figure gifts.

Outside the 12 busiest cities, 339 grants are spread thinly. A small congregation in Coos County or the western hills should plan around its denomination, LCHIP, and food programs rather than local foundations.

Using the Funder List in New Hampshire

For New Hampshire, the Grantsights church funder list shows every foundation counted above, along with its church and ministry grants as filed on its own 990-PF: amount, recipient, year, purpose, a link to the filing, and whether the filing says the foundation accepts requests. The list covers every state, costs one payment with no subscription, and comes with a 30-day refund. Three ways to work it here:

1. Filter to the 86 with a route. New Hampshire's high share means a real pool of foundations that tell applicants how to reach them.
2. Find the 50 multi-church givers. These foundations have funded more than one New Hampshire congregation and are the likeliest to consider yours.
3. Match the purpose. If your project is recovery support, housing, or a community meal, pick funders whose past grants used those words.

Leave alone any foundation whose filing says it gives only to preselected organizations, unless a member knows a trustee. Our guide to foundations that give grants to churches walks through Part XV of a 990-PF and a first inquiry letter.

Article 83, Article 6, and Public Money for Religious Bodies

New Hampshire's no-aid language dates to an 1877 amendment of the 1784 constitution, per the amendment notes on the state's own constitution page. In a proviso, Part II, Article 83 on NH.gov (opens in a new tab) says "that no money raised by taxation shall ever be granted or applied for the use of the schools or institutions of any religious sect or denomination." The words "institutions" and "denomination" reach beyond schools.

Article 6 adds two more limits. Part I, Article 6 (opens in a new tab) protects the right of "religious societies" to choose and pay their own teachers, says "no person shall ever be compelled to pay towards the support of the schools of any sect or denomination," and bars the "subordination of any one sect, denomination or persuasion to another." It was amended in 1968 to remove obsolete sectarian references.

The courts have barely tested it. In Duncan v. State (opens in a new tab), decided August 28, 2014, the superior court had ruled that the state's Education Tax Credit program violated Part II, Article 83. The New Hampshire Supreme Court didn't reach that question. It held that the taxpayers lacked standing and vacated the ruling. Voters answered in 2018: Part I, Article 8 now gives any taxpayer eligible to vote in the state standing to ask the Superior Court whether the state or the taxpayer's own town has spent public funds in violation of the constitution. Grantsights found no New Hampshire Supreme Court decision applying Article 83 to a preservation or security grant for a church on November 6, 2026.

Federal law sets the outer edge. Trinity Lutheran Church v. Comer (opens in a new tab) (2017) held that a state can't shut a church out of a generally available grant just because it's a church, and Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, 591 U.S. 464 (2020), applied that to state no-aid clauses. In practice, LCHIP funds work on active sanctuaries, and federal pass-throughs are open to congregations. Federal money still can't pay for worship or religious teaching, as our government grants for churches guide explains. With taxpayer standing in the constitution, keep any state-funded project clearly about the building or the public service, not the ministry.

Security Grants for New Hampshire Houses of Worship

New Hampshire's FY2026 Nonprofit Security Grant Program closed at 4 p.m. on July 13, 2026, and no next round was posted on November 6, 2026. Per the NH Department of Safety's NSGP page (opens in a new tab), its Bureau of Grants Management runs the program on these terms:

The red flag is a partial package. The page says applications must contain all five documents "to be included in the scoring process." A church that sends the Investment Justification and promises the assessment later won't be scored.

Nationally, FY2026 funding is $300 million, split evenly between the urban-area and state tracks, against $274.5 million in FY2025, according to FEMA's NSGP page (opens in a new tab), which lists places of worship among eligible groups. FEMA's FY2026 award announcement came on September 28, 2026. Grantsights didn't find a state-funded security grant for New Hampshire houses of worship. Our church security grants guide covers vulnerability assessments, and our SAM.gov registration guide explains the UEI that federal awards require.

Preservation: LCHIP Funds Sanctuaries, the Moose Plate Doesn't

LCHIP made rehabilitation awards of $100,000 and $22,000 to active congregations in its 2025 round. The Land and Community Heritage Investment Program is a state authority under RSA 227-M, and its 2025 award list (opens in a new tab) shows how churches use it:

• Portsmouth, a case in point. The Unitarian Universalist Church received $100,000 to repair ten large sanctuary windows in South Church, built in 1826 and listed on the National Register. The church is providing the match.
• Manchester. Grace Episcopal Church received $22,000 to replace failing vinyl windows on the 1844 Riddle House, which it owns next to its sanctuary, matching with its own funds and volunteer labor.
• Dorchester. A preservation nonprofit received $88,000 for the foundation and bell-tower roof of the 1905 Cheever Chapel, a former Sunday school chapel it plans to reopen.

The Program Rules (opens in a new tab), revision XIX adopted September 14, 2026, don't mention religion. What they do require:

LCHIP's schedule page (opens in a new tab) describes a yearly cycle: application materials in March, an eligibility letter of intent in April, full proposals in mid-June, and decisions in mid-November, with exact dates usually announced in February. Churches underestimate the cash half of the match: volunteer labor can count only toward the non-cash half, and LCHIP won't reimburse it.

The Moose Plate route is for towns. The Division of Historical Resources' Conservation License Plate grant page (opens in a new tab) offers up to $20,000 for publicly owned historic buildings and lists privately owned resources as ineligible. Its 2026 round is open, with letters of intent due October 16 and applications due November 13, 2026. A church-owned building doesn't qualify, but a town-owned meetinghouse that a congregation uses could be the town's project.

Tax credits and national funds. The federal 20% credit applies only to income-producing buildings (opens in a new tab), so a sanctuary used for worship alone is out. The National Trust's grants page (opens in a new tab) lists National Fund for Sacred Places grants up to $500,000 and Preserving Black Churches awards of $50,000 to $200,000, and no New Hampshire congregation was among the 30 awardees in its October 20, 2026 announcement (opens in a new tab). See our church building repair grants guide and historic churches guide for other building funders.

Food Programs: TEFAP Distributors and EFSP

New Hampshire's EFSP money for Phase 43 (FY2025) is 448,572 dollars, and 51% of it sits with the State Set-Aside Committee, according to the EFSP National Board's Phase 43 allocation table (opens in a new tab).

Only three of New Hampshire's ten counties have their own allocation. A church pantry in Belknap, Carroll, Cheshire, Grafton, Merrimack, Strafford, or Sullivan County, including Concord, Dover, Keene, and Laconia, competes through the set-aside committee. Coos County's own line is small, so a North Country pantry should apply to both.

TEFAP runs through local distributors. Community Action Partnership of Hillsborough and Rockingham Counties says on its TEFAP page (opens in a new tab) that it distributes TEFAP foods in those two counties to pantries, shelters, and soup kitchens, and that recipients must be under 240% of the federal poverty guidelines. Its dollar table carries no effective date, and Grantsights couldn't find a current statewide TEFAP income table on a New Hampshire state page, so ask your distributor which table applies before you print an intake form.

The food bank network. The New Hampshire Food Bank describes more than 400 partner agencies on its partner agency page (opens in a new tab). Church-sponsored programs qualify if they're a 501(c)(3) or operate under an umbrella organization, distribute food at no cost to a clientele at least 50% low income, belong to only one Feeding America food bank, and work from a permanent site rather than a private home. Our church food pantry grants guide covers what EFSP boards and food banks ask for.

Diocesan and Conference Funds in New Hampshire

One New Hampshire denominational program had a 2026 application posted when Grantsights checked on November 6, 2026. The Episcopal Church of New Hampshire's Mission Resources Committee page (opens in a new tab) lists:

The diocese's grants and loans page also lists Environmental Sustainability, Global Missions, and United Thank Offering grants and Diocesan Advance Fund loans, but Grantsights didn't confirm their current terms. Grantsights also didn't verify grant programs at the New Hampshire Conference of the United Church of Christ, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Manchester, the New England Conference of the United Methodist Church, or the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation. Ask them directly. Our grants for small churches guide covers what to ask a judicatory.

What New Hampshire Church Grant Lists Don't Tell You

Generic lists of church grants miss five things that matter in New Hampshire:

1. Route share is high, repeat giving is low. 35% of funders publish a route, but only 20% gave to more than one recipient.
2. No grant topped $1 million. The largest was $575,496, so the state's numbers aren't distorted by megachurch gifts.
3. LCHIP pays for sanctuaries. A Portsmouth church won $100,000 for worship-space windows in 2025, with a cash match and a preservation agreement attached.
4. The Moose Plate fund excludes church-owned buildings. It's for town, county, and state property.
5. Any taxpayer can sue. The 2018 amendment to Part I, Article 8 means a church's state-funded project should be easy to defend under Article 83.

A 90-Day Plan for a New Hampshire Church

1. First 2 weeks: inventory. Pull your incorporation and tax status documents, the board list, and the last audited or reviewed financial statement, and check whether the building is on the State or National Register.
2. Weeks 2 to 6: LCHIP groundwork. If the building needs work over $50,000, start a Qualified Preservation Plan and line up cash pledges for at least a quarter of the cost, since the match must be half cash.
3. Weeks 4 to 8: security file. Complete a facility assessment, photos, and a mission statement on letterhead so the next NSGP notice doesn't catch the church short.
4. Weeks 6 to 10: foundation letters. Use the funder list to pick New Hampshire foundations with a route and a history of giving to more than one church, and send one-page letters about one project.
5. Weeks 10 to 13: food and diocese. Ask your TEFAP distributor and the New Hampshire Food Bank about partner status, and ask your diocese or conference what opens in 2027.

The free eligibility checker matches an organization to open programs, and the church grant path index sorts church funding by the need it pays for.

Limits of the New Hampshire Data

The 610 grants are drawn from 990-PF filings, which lag a year or more behind the gifts, so tax year 2025 holds only 25% of the rows. Name matching misses congregations filed under other names and may count a few ministries that aren't churches. City rows follow mailing addresses. Grantsights couldn't confirm a current statewide TEFAP income table, LCHIP's exact 2027 dates, the next NSGP window, or the grant rules of New Hampshire's UCC, Catholic, and Methodist bodies.

Sources Checked

Each New Hampshire source below was checked on November 6, 2026:

• New Hampshire Constitution, Part II, Article 83 (opens in a new tab) and Part I, Articles 6 and 8 (opens in a new tab); Duncan v. State (opens in a new tab); Trinity Lutheran (opens in a new tab)
• NH Department of Safety NSGP page (opens in a new tab); FEMA NSGP page (opens in a new tab)
• LCHIP Program Rules (opens in a new tab), 2025 awards (opens in a new tab), and schedule (opens in a new tab); Division of Historical Resources Conservation License Plate grants (opens in a new tab); NPS tax credit eligibility (opens in a new tab); National Trust grants (opens in a new tab) and 2026 awards (opens in a new tab)
• EFSP Phase 43 allocations (opens in a new tab); CAPHR TEFAP page (opens in a new tab); New Hampshire Food Bank partner agencies (opens in a new tab)
• Episcopal Church of New Hampshire Mission Resources Committee (opens in a new tab)
• Grantsights analysis of New Hampshire recipients in 990-PF filings, tax years 2021 to 2025, as of November 5, 2026