news article
Apply for the 2026 Cady Grant
February 27, 2026 / By Dr. Blenda Smith, Cady Grant Committee Chair / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
It is with joy that we announce the time to apply for Cady Grants is here. Continuing the memory and legacy of Ercil Cady, an annual granting of up to $5,000 is open in Upper New York.
The Cady Grant is an opportunity to benefit those in the Upper New York Conference. Ercil Cady’s vision was for “the benefit or education of minority groups or individuals, preferably black and American Indians.”
Last year the Cady Grant supported:
- Friends of Ganondagan’s “Edge of the Woods Camp” five-day, cultural immersive, overnight camp held at Ganondagan for 15 - 20 Haudenosaunee youth.
- Lincoln Memorial UMC’s educational and historical excursion to Charleston, SC to establish a relationship with an AME church, and learn the history of African Americans, their oppression, and subsequent liberation.
- Midwifery education for an African American who brings sensitive and appropriate health care to pregnant women of color. (African American women’s mortality is four to five times the rate of white women in Erie County.)
- The Laity Session of Upper New York Annual Conference 2025 with Intercultural competency training for laity led by the Rev. April Casperson who shared insights on understanding and engaging across cultures.
- Onondaga United Methodist Church as it faced serious water contamination issues due to historical industrial pollution in the region, particularly around Onondaga Lake.
Click here to review the Cady Grant guidelines. Click here to apply. Applications are due by April 30.
The Cady Grant Committee includes Blenda Smith, Chair; the Rev. Beckie Sweet; Sharon Schmit; and the Rev. Nola Anderson.