About Total Inclusion!
“Total Inclusion! Widening the Welcome at ELCA Outdoor Ministries” is a collaborative effort of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) churchwide organization and Lutheran Outdoor Ministries (LOM), the association of the camps and retreat centers affiliated with the ELCA. Total Inclusion! is an opportunity to inspire, educate and resource LOM organizations as they move toward a wider and more intentional inclusion of people who have been historically marginalized in the church – especially people of color, people with disabilities, and people who are LGBTQIA+.
Updates and Announcements
For the final three years of the Total Inclusion! Grant, the intention is to focus on creating depth – a depth in subgranting, leading to depth of expertise, and deepening commitment across the network. We will begin the third cycle of the Total Inclusion! Grant with the creation of a network of “Total Inclusion! Leaders” subgrants that will support a small cohort of outdoor ministry organizations in “widening the welcome” to groups that have been underserved. There will also be a focus on mentorship – having our Total Inclusion! Leaders grantees helping to mentor and support the work of other outdoor ministry organizations. Additionally, with this being the final Total Inclusion! Grant, we will also be working to celebrate the work of Total Inclusion!, track the growth of camps, and further cement this work into the fabric of LOM.
To learn more about the Total Inclusion! Leaders grant, visit: Total Inclusion! Leaders Request For Proposal (RFP)
Apply for the Total Inclusion! Leaders Grant
Below is a timeline for the Total Inclusion! Leaders grant:
- April 1, 2026: Total Inclusion! Leaders subgrant is announced
- April 21, 2026 from 7:00-8:00pm CT, Total Inclusion! Leaders Zoom Info Meeting
- April 29, 2026 from 2:00-3:00pm CT, Total Inclusion! Leaders Zoom Info Meeting
- May 11, 2026: Total Inclusion! Leaders subgrant application is opened
- September 15, 2026: Total Inclusion! Leaders subgrant application is closed
- November 1, 2026: Total Inclusion! Leaders subgrant awardees are announced
Total Inclusion! Leaders grant office hours with Hannah Evans will be available on the second Tuesday of every month from 2:00-3:00pm CT throughout the summer. Email Hannah.Evans@elca.org to receive the office hours link. Office hours dates and times will be:
- May 13, 2026 from 2:00-3:00pm CT
- June 10, 2026 from 2:00-3:00pm CT
- July 8, 2026 from 2:00-3:00pm CT
- August 12, 2026 from 2:00-3:00pm CT
- September 9, 2026 from 2:00-3:00pm CT
Total Inclusion! Past Projects and Resources
There is much to celebrate in terms of the outcomes of Total Inclusion! so far. Total Inclusion! has awarded grants to many of the outdoor ministry organizations within LOM. Additionally, Total Inclusion! hosted symposiums around the country preparing executive directors and board presidents to support initiatives related to Total Inclusion! Additionally, Total Inclusion! has produced a series of 8 educational videos with presentations by leaders who represent persons who are often marginalized and are familiar with and/or well known throughout the ELCA and/or LOM. Total Inclusion! has also:
- Connected with other outdoor ministry organizations around the country to learn effective strategies and share ideas
- Helped to develop a component of the LOM Annual Leadership Training Event (LTE) that accentuates the importance of addressing issues of diversity, equity and inclusion in an ongoing way throughout the outdoor ministry organizations of the ELCA
- Offered sub-grants to even more camps
- Supported diversity audits at 8 outdoor ministry organizations across the country
- Developed a self-audit tool for outdoor ministry organizations to use on their own
To find additional resources and information about Total Inclusion!, visit the ELCA’s Total Inclusion website: https://www.elca.org/total-inclusion
To read the most recent News Release about Total Inclusion!, click here: Total Inclusion! News Release
Any Total Inclusion related questions can be directed to:
Hannah Evans
Hannah.Evans@elca.org