the churchground project

The funding program the churchground project of the Berthold Leibinger Foundation is aimed at Protestant and Catholic congregations within the administrative area of the Evangelical Regional Church of Württemberg as well as the Diocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart. In close cooperation with independent planning offices, artists, or student groups, creative tandems can develop innovative, yet-to-be-implemented designs for intermediate spaces between church grounds and public areas. The goal is to transform fallow land, green spaces, or parking zones around churches into social and cultural meeting places within the neighborhood. The focus is on design quality, enhancing the function as a place to stay, and the connection to church identity, as well as on simple feasibility without complex approval procedures. A professional jury evaluates the submissions based on sustainability, usability of open spaces, and the improvement of the interface between church and neighborhood.

For each winning project, up to 20,000 euros in project costs are provided as a grant in Baden-Württemberg. The application deadline is May 28, 2026; implementation can begin from June 17, 2026, within the framework of a kick-off workshop at the Diakonisches Werk Württemberg. The application requires an explanatory text (max. 3,000 characters) for the status analysis as well as posters in DIN A0 format (alternatively 2× DIN A3) to visualize the idea. Public institutions are eligible for funding, with only the church congregations acting as applicants. The selection of funded projects is made by a jury based on criteria such as quality of stay, design creativity, and diaconal impact. With the churchground project, a platform is created to revitalise church outdoor areas in a forward-looking and participatory manner.