Christian School Foundation

What Christian School Foundation does

Christian School Foundation is a Canadian non-profit charitable foundation headquartered in Hamilton, Ontario, that operates as the national intermediary between donors and approximately 100 member Christian schools across 10 provinces. Established in its current form in July 2014 through the amalgamation of three regional Christian school foundations and expanded via the 2015 OACSF merger and the 2016 London District Christian Education Foundation amalgamation, the Foundation manages roughly $30 million in donated funds and disburses nearly $3 million annually in grants, bursaries, and entrance scholarships to member schools. Its mission is to provide professional gift management and planned giving infrastructure that individual schools lack, enabling donors to give confidently through vehicles such as bequests, life insurance assignments, appreciated securities, registered accounts, donor-advised funds, and Revocable Deposit Agreements.

The Foundation's product surface centers on a Funds Portal (hosted at csfca.fcsuite.com/erp) for online donation and fund management, a Grants and Bursaries Program covering needs-based bursaries, entrance scholarships ($750–$3,000), and enrollment-boosting initiatives, and a comprehensive Planned Giving Services practice supported by educational resources on tax-efficient gifting strategies. The Mustard Seed Society functions as a donor recognition sub-brand targeting 50 planned gifts per member school. Technology is largely third-party: the fund management portal runs on an external platform and no proprietary technology, APIs, AI/ML capabilities, or patents are disclosed.

Revenue is generated through three streams: charitable donations from individuals, families, and organizations; earnings shared with the Foundation via Revocable Deposit Agreements administered in partnership with Christian Stewardship Services; and gift administration services for member schools. No fees are charged to recipient schools. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via the website, personalized phone and email advisory, the Mustard Seed Society recognition program, and direct outreach to schools and donors across Canada. The Foundation is governed by a Board of Directors and led by CEO Tony Kamphuis (appointed 2016), with Henry Koornneef as Executive Vice-President, Kevin teBrake as Director of Planned Gifts and Investments, and Meghan Van Pelt as Director of Grants and Operations.

Name

Christian School Foundation

Legal name

Christian School Foundation

Website

https://christianschoolfoundation.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Christian School Foundation is a Canadian non-profit charitable foundation that manages $30 million in donated funds and disburses nearly $3 million annually to support 100 member Christian schools across 10 provinces through planned giving, grants, and bursary programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Foundation / Education Fund Management

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132), Religious Organizations (8131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Philanthropic & Charitable Trust Services (FSAAANAI), Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis) (BPAGAJAD), Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

Keywords

• Charitable foundation services
• Planned giving programs
• School endowment management
• Donor fund administration
• Education grant programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Ontario

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donor Gifts and Contributions: The Foundation receives charitable donations from individuals, families, and organizations supporting Christian education. These include one-time gifts, recurring donations, and planned gifts such as bequests, life insurance, and securities.
2. Revocable Deposit Agreements: The Foundation partners with Christian Stewardship Services to offer Revocable Deposit Agreements (RDAs) where donors invest funds and earnings are shared between the donor and the Foundation. This provides ongoing support while allowing donors to retain access to principal.
3. Gift Administration Services: The Foundation provides fund management services for member schools, holding and investing donated funds, and disbursing grants and bursaries according to donor intentions and school needs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Christian School Foundation is a Canadian charitable foundation that provides gift management and estate planning services connecting donors with 100+ member Christian schools. It offers planned giving vehicles (life insurance, securities, RDAs, bequests, donor-advised funds), manages approximately $30 million in donated funds, disburses nearly $3 million annually in grants and bursaries, and provides enrollment support and member school administration services across Canada.

Product overview

Christian School Foundation operates as a unified charitable platform offering multiple interconnected services to support Christian education in Canada. The core offering centers on a Funds Portal for donation management, combined with Grants and Bursaries Programs for financial assistance. The Foundation provides Planned Giving Services including various gifting instruments (life insurance, appreciated securities, registered accounts, wills, donor-advised funds), supported by educational resources. The Mustard Seed Society serves as a recognition program for planned gift donors. Currently serving 100 member schools, the Foundation manages approximately $30 million in donated funds and disburses nearly $3 million annually in support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Mustard Seed Society: A listing of donors who have arranged a planned gift in support of member schools, with a goal of 50 planned gifts per member school.

Products and services

• Funds Portal

Quantifiable outcome

• $100,000 enrollment-boosting gift resulted in 40+ students from 32 families receiving Christian education access
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Act FivecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 November 2018Act Five is a gap year program partnering with Redeemer University College and the Christian School Foundation. The Foundation supports this innovative program offering with enrollment and recruitment bursaries, expanding options for students transitioning from Christian high schools.
• EduDeo MinistriesminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2018EduDeo Ministries sponsors the Excellence in Global Perspective Teaching category of the John Rozema Awards, supporting recognition of teachers who integrate global perspectives into Christian education.
• CarduscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Cardus partners with the Foundation on the John Rozema Teaching Excellence Awards, offering $28,000+ in annual awards across categories including group excellence, elementary teaching, secondary teaching, creative and performing arts, and global perspective teaching.
• Christian Stewardship ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChristian Stewardship Services is a partner agency that helps administer Revocable Deposit Agreements (RDAs). The Foundation works with CSS to offer investment vehicles that share earnings between donors and the Foundation for ongoing promotional efforts.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• National Christian Foundation Canada: Canadian affiliate of the National Christian Foundation providing donor-advised funds and planned giving services to Canadian Christian donors. Direct competitor in the faith-based DAF and planned giving space within Canada.
• Christian Community Foundation: US-based Christian donor-advised fund and planned giving provider serving faith-based donors, ministries, and individuals. Same model of faith-aligned gift administration and donor stewardship, though US-focused.
• National Christian Foundation: US-based faith-based grantmaking organization administering donor-advised funds and planned giving vehicles for Christian donors and ministries. Highly comparable operating model (donor-advised funds, planned giving, grants to faith-based institutions), though larger in scale and US-focused.
• Barnabas Foundation: Canadian Christian charitable foundation focused on estate planning, planned giving, and charitable gift administration for Christian ministries. Direct overlap with CSF's planned giving and gift administration services for faith-based donors.
• The Great Commission Foundation: Canadian registered charity providing charitable receipting, gift administration, and donor services to Christian missionaries, churches, and ministries. Comparable model of intermediating donations for faith-based recipients in Canada.
• Christian Stewardship Services: Canadian Christian financial services partner that co-administers Revocable Deposit Agreements with CSF. Offers parallel planned giving and stewardship services to Canadian Christian donors and ministries, with significant operational overlap.

Others

• Cardus: Canadian faith-based think tank and research/grantmaking organization that is a strategic partner of CSF (co-runs the John Rozema Teaching Excellence Awards). Adjacent in mission and donor base, though primarily a research/policy organization rather than a planned-giving intermediary.

Broad incumbents

• Foundation Source: US-based provider of administrative and back-office services for private foundations, including grantmaking administration. Comparable in the administrative/grantmaking infrastructure layer, though broader and secular, not specifically focused on Christian education.
• Canadian Council of Christian Charities: National Canadian membership association supporting Christian charities through advocacy, education, and resources. Broader ecosystem incumbent in the Canadian Christian non-profit sector, with overlapping beneficiary base of Christian schools and ministries.

Regional players

• Edmonton Christian School Foundation / Provincial Christian School Foundations: Regional/provincial Christian school foundations across Canada that historically served as the model CSF was built from (via amalgamation of three regional foundations in 2014). Some still operate as regional fundraising arms for member schools.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ChrSchFdtn
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ontario-christian-school-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Christian School Foundation