United Methodist Foundation

What United Methodist Foundation does

United Methodist Foundation of Michigan (also doing business as UMF) is a 501(c)(3) public charity founded in 1926 and headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It serves the Michigan Conference of The United Methodist Church and adjacent Wesleyan-heritage ministry organizations, offering value-aligned investment management, planned giving and trust administration, clergy and church lending (including a 1.5% fixed clergy education debt refinancing product and up to $1.5 million church mortgages via the Michigan Area Loan Fund), grants and scholarships, and leadership development coaching for pastors. Its three primary customer segments are individuals seeking charitable gift and estate planning, ordained pastors seeking financial and leadership support, and ministry organizations (churches, camps, agencies) seeking stewardship and investment services.

The Foundation's core technology is faith-driven, socially responsible investment management. Portfolios are screened against the Social Principles of The United Methodist Church, excluding alcohol, tobacco, pornography, firearms, gambling, major military contractors, environmental damage, and human rights violators. Execution is outsourced to BlackRock (security selection across five equity strategies and active fixed income management for half of the Bond Fund) and Rockefeller Financial (discretionary advisor to the entire portfolio), with Axiom Wealth Partners acting as the intermediary. The Foundation itself retains a lean 8-person leadership team and does not run proprietary trading systems; its differentiation is in the screening policy and the curated fund offering rather than in trading or analytics infrastructure.

The revenue model is fee-based on managed investment funds. Most stewardship, consultation, and educational services are provided at no charge to local churches as part of the organization's ministry. Investment management fees are 1% (100 basis points) annually for accounts under $1M, with rebates of 0.2% for accounts of $1M–$3M and 0.3% for accounts of $3M or more, plus a $50 annual administrative fee per account, billed monthly. The Foundation is self-sustaining rather than apportionment-funded, has no shareholders, pays no dividends, and does not compensate staff via commissions or bonuses.

Name

United Methodist Foundation

Legal name

United Methodist Foundation of Michigan

Website

https://umfmichigan.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1926

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The United Methodist Foundation of Michigan is a 501(c)(3) public charity, founded in 1926, that provides faith-aligned investment management, planned giving, clergy and church lending, grants, and leadership development to Michigan Conference United Methodist churches, pastors, and individuals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Faith-based investment management services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (81311), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Miscellaneous Business Credit Institution (6159)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC), Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis) (BPAGAJAD)

Keywords

• Faith-based investment management
• Socially responsible investing
• Planned giving services
• Clergy debt refinancing
• Church financial stewardship

Headquarters

HQ city

Grand Rapids

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Investment Management Fees: The majority of revenue is derived from management fees related to various investment funds. Fee structure includes 1% (100 basis points) annual fee for clients with accounts totaling less than $1M, with rebates of 0.2% for accounts $1M-$3M and 0.3% for accounts $3M or more. An additional $50 annual administrative fee is assessed per account.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The United Methodist Foundation of Michigan provides faith-aligned, socially responsible investment management, planned giving, charitable gift planning, clergy education debt refinancing, mortgage and promissory note loans to churches, and stewardship consultation to local churches, pastors, and ministry organizations across the Michigan Conference of The United Methodist Church. Most services are offered at no charge to local churches, with revenue primarily generated through investment fund management fees.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Investment Funds Socially responsible investment funds, including a Stock Fund and Bond Fund, screened against United Methodist Church Social Principles (excluding alcohol, tobacco, gambling, firearms, military contractors, environmental damage, and human rights violators). Designed for churches, ministry organizations, and individuals seeking faith-aligned investment management.
• Clergy Education Debt Refinancing Education debt refinancing for clergy at a 1.5% fixed interest rate for loans up to $50,000, helping pastors reduce educational debt burdens.
• Michigan Area Loan Fund Provides mortgage loans up to $1.5 million to churches at competitive rates (5.25%-6.25% for 15-20 year terms) and offers promissory notes to Michigan residents and organizations as a concurrent investment opportunity currently paying 3.0% interest to investors.
• Planned Giving Services Charitable gift planning, trust administration, legacy giving, financial and estate planning consultation, and planned gift calculators for individuals, pastors, and ministry organizations.
• Consultations and Coaching Personalized financial stewardship consultation, leadership development coaching, planned giving seminars, development audits, and capital campaign guidance for church leaders, pastors, and ministry organizations.
• Grants and Scholarships Mustard Seed Grants of $2,000 for churches serving migrants and refugees, seminary student scholarships, and the United Methodist Quadruple Dollars for Scholars matching scholarship program for United Methodist students attending Methodist-affiliated institutions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Clergy debt refinancing at 1.5% fixed interest rate for up to $50,000 in student loans
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Wespath Benefits and InvestmentscoreOthersRev. Joel Fitzgerald serves on the Wespath Benefits and Investments Board of Directors. Wespath is a related United Methodist Church agency involved in benefits administration for clergy.
• National Association of United Methodist FoundationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Foundation is a member of this national association. Rev. Dr. David S. Bell serves as immediate past president of the association, providing leadership and networking across United Methodist foundations nationally.
• Amplify MediacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmplify Media partnership provides Saving Grace: A Guide to Financial Well-Being as part of Amplify Media's First Look Program, offering video-based financial education from a Wesleyan perspective.
• Abingdon PresscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Abingdon Press for the Saving Grace financial education program, which includes videos, workbook, leader guide and devotional materials for church-wide and small-group studies.
• United Methodist Higher Education FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the United Methodist Quadruple Dollars for Scholars program, providing matching scholarships to United Methodist students attending Methodist-affiliated institutions.
• Rockefeller Financial LLCcoreTechnology or IntegrationRetained as discretionary investment advisor to manage the entire portfolio in accordance with investment objectives, policies, and restrictions. Axiom Wealth Partners serves as representatives providing linkage between BlackRock, Rockefeller Financial LLC, and the Foundation.
• BlackRockcoreTechnology or IntegrationProvides actual security selection and executes trades for the Stock Fund through five diversified equity strategies. Also actively manages fixed income positions for half of the Bond Fund.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Catholic Extension: Catholic-focused foundation supporting underserved dioceses through grants, loans, and capacity-building — directly comparable grantmaking-plus-loans structure serving faith-based ministry clients.

Direct peers

• Indiana United Methodist Foundation: Sister United Methodist Foundation serving the Indiana Conference with investment funds, planned giving, and church loans — most direct operational comparable given shared denomination, model, and product set.
• United Methodist Foundation of Western Pennsylvania: Another conference-level UMC foundation offering investment management, grants, scholarships, and planned giving services to local churches and clergy.
• Presbyterian Foundation: Faith-aligned foundation providing planned giving, donor services, and investment management for PCUSA congregations and members — operates a near-identical stewardship and fund management model.
• Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Foundation: Denominational foundation supporting ELCA congregations with endowment, planned giving, and stewardship services comparable to what the United Methodist Foundation of Michigan delivers for UMC churches.
• Wespath Benefits and Investments: United Methodist Church general agency managing clergy retirement benefits and institutional investments with UMC-aligned screens — closely overlaps the Foundation's investment management and clergy financial wellness offerings.
• Church Foundation for the Diocese of Orlando: Diocesan faith-based foundation providing investment management, planned giving, and loans to Catholic parishes and schools — strong operational analog at the conference/diocese level.

Broad incumbents

• GuideStone Financial Resources: Southern Baptist denominational financial services organization offering retirement, insurance, and investment products with faith-based screening — a much larger-scale comparator operating similar values-aligned investing at national scope.
• Everence Financial: Annuities, banking, and investment services rooted in Anabaptist values with socially responsible screens — overlaps with the Foundation's faith-driven investment and lending franchise, though with broader financial services beyond a single denomination.
• National Christian Foundation: Large Christian-focused donor-advised fund and giving platform offering planned giving and asset stewardship services that compete for the same faith-driven charitable dollars.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/channels/umfmichigan
• Facebookfacebook.com/umfmichigan.org
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/united-methodist-foundation-of-michigan
• Instagraminstagram.com/umfmichigan

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about United Methodist Foundation