Religious and life stance communities - Grants

Registered religious and life stance communities may request state and municipal grants. The municipal subsidy is calculated on the basis of the municipality’s budgeted expenditures for the Church of Norway, distributed according to each state church member in the municipality.  Applications for municipal and state subsidies should be submitted together.

Religious and life stance communities.

In order to be entitled to municipal support, the religious or life stance community must be eligible for state funding. The county governor determines a religious or life stance community’s eligibility for state funding. Grants may only be requested for members who are not also members of the Church of Norway or another religious or life stance community that receives grants. Grants for religious communities must be used for religious purposes. Grants for life stance communities must be used for purposes that fall within the activities of the life stance community.

The Council for Religious and Life Stance Communities

The head of the religious or life stance community’s governing body must submit a written application.

• Organisation number from the Central Coordinating Register for Legal Entities (further information can be obtained from the Brønnøysund Register Centre, tel.: +47 7500 7500)
• Accounts and annual reports from the preceding grant year, if applicable
• List of national ID numbers for all subsidy-entitled members. For communities with more than 100 members, the list must be provided in digital format on a CD-ROM or USB flash drive.

The county governor will forward the membership list with national ID numbers to the Brønnøysund Register Centre. The Brønnøysund Register Centre will check that all the ID numbers match those in the Central Population Registry. Grants will only be paid for members with valid ID numbers.

The organisation may appeal the decision within a deadline of three weeks from the date on which the decision was received. The appeal must be sent to the authority that made the decision. The organisation must indicate in the appeal what part of the decision it wishes to be changed and must provide justification for the changes. The municipality will be able to offer guidance. The county governor will handle appeals to municipality decisions concerning grants. Before your appeal is sent there, the municipal authority that made the decision will consider whether there is reason to change the decision. If the decision is upheld, the case will be passed on to the county governor.