CRS Rice Bowl is the Lenten program of Catholic Relief Services. Through CRS Rice Bowl, Catholics in the United States are invited to put their faith into action through prayer, fasting and almsgiving. In addition to the familiar cardboard box for collecting Lenten alms, CRS also provides resources for activities, reflections, and stories.
CRS Rice Bowls support the work of CRS in more than 120 different countries each year. Lenten alms donated through the Rice Bowl are used both globally and locally, with 75% supporting work around the world and 25% staying in the local diocese to support hunger and poverty alleviation efforts.
Annual Grant Opportunity
The Catholic Foundation provides an annual grant opportunity that is funded by the Rice Bowl Collection. The grant funds projects that support immigrant or refugee populations in meeting their basic needs, such as food, shelter, healthcare and literacy.
The CRS Rice Bowl grant application is open April 7 – June 1, 2026.
Important things to note prior to applying
- The organization and project must not conflict with Catholic moral and social teaching.*
- The organization must be based in the 16 counties of Northeastern Wisconsin within the Diocese of Green Bay
- The organization must not engage in partisan political activity.
- Grant money may not be used for salaries or wages.
*Your organization must not support activities that are contrary to Catholic moral and social teaching such as abortion, artificial means of birth control, embryonic-stem cell research, same-sex marriage, capital punishment, euthanasia, war making beyond the scope of the Just War Theory, or deportation of persons without a felony.
Maximum request amount and award
- Awards up to $2,500 per organization
Extra consideration Projects submitted by Catholic parishes and faith-based organizations will be given extra consideration. (For applications made by a Catholic parish, the pastor/pastoral leader’s signature is required on the application form indicating his/her approval of the grant application).