Christian Foundation of America —A 501(c)3 Nonprofit

What Christian Foundation of America —A 501(c)3 Nonprofit does

Christian Foundation of America (CFA) is a tax-exempt 501(c)3 community foundation founded in 1981 and headquartered in Westlake Village, California, operating with 14 staff. It serves Christian donors, the financial advisors and estate attorneys who counsel them, and the churches, charities, and ministries that ultimately receive grants. CFA's product set centers on tax-advantaged charitable giving vehicles: Donor Advised Funds (minimum $10,000 opening contribution), the Manna Fund for Qualified Charitable Distributions from IRAs (age 70½+), and a range of charitable trust structures including Charitable Remainder Unitrusts, Charitable Remainder Annuity Trusts, Charitable Lead Trusts, Give It Twice Trusts, and Unitrust/Sale arrangements. A premium Charitable Family Office service (CFO.Charity) for high-net-worth families is in development with a 2026 target. Adjacent offerings include the GladVisor volunteer stewardship advisor network, the Center for Latino Philanthropy in Faith (Unidos En Fé), the Center for Mission Effectiveness, and the Cultivating Generosity Annual Grants Program (over $537,000 distributed since inception, currently paused for 2025-26).

The organization earns revenue through managed-services administrative fees on funds under administration rather than through proprietary technology — no internal platform is described. Its go-to-market is sales-led and consultative, combining direct donor outreach, a Preferred Advisor Program that turns Financial Advisors and Estate Attorneys into referral partners, GladVisor-embedded engagement in churches and charities, and content marketing through a Generosity Learning Center, blog, newsletter, and an annual flagship gala. Marketing channels include Calendly-scheduled consultations, Facebook and LinkedIn, and email newsletter capture.

CFA was originally established as Western Loans within the Missionary Church Western Region, rebranded as the Stewardship Development Foundation in 1992 and Christian Foundation of the West in 2005, adopted its current name in September 2019, and became an independent foundation in May 2020. Leadership transitioned in November 2025 when President & CEO Katherine L. Saighton (president since 2012) moved to a part-time Senior Advisor role and Kristen DeVries assumed the President & CEO position; Randall P. Sanada serves as Board Chairman. CFA is an ECFA member and holds Tax ID# 77-0566530.

Name

Christian Foundation of America —A 501(c)3 Nonprofit

Legal name

Christian Foundation of America

Website

https://cfa.charity

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Christian Foundation of America is a 501(c)3 community foundation administering Donor Advised Funds, Qualified Charitable Distributions (Manna Fund), and charitable trusts for Christian donors, their financial advisors and estate attorneys, and recipient churches and ministries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Giving Administration

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Finance Services (6199)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Philanthropic & Charitable Trust Services (FSAAANAI), Charitable Giving & Philanthropic Trust Advisory (FSAEAKAH)

Keywords

• Donor advised funds
• Charitable giving services
• Planned giving administration
• Charitable trust services
• Community foundation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Westlake Village

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donor Advised Fund (DAF) Administration: CFA generates revenue through administrative fees charged on Donor Advised Funds. Donors contribute assets (starting at $10,000 minimum) to their DAF, which grows tax-free. CFA processes grant recommendations and charges fees for administration and fund management services.
2. Manna Fund (QCD) Management: CFA administers Qualified Charitable Distributions from IRAs for retirees age 70½+. The Manna Fund allows donors to redirect Required Minimum Distributions to charity tax-free, with CFA handling distribution logistics and administration.
3. Charitable Trust Administration: CFA provides trustee services for Charitable Remainder Unitrusts, Charitable Remainder Annuity Trusts, Charitable Lead Trusts, and other complex charitable vehicles. Revenue comes from trust administration and oversight fees.
4. Grants Program: CFA runs an annual 'Cultivating Generosity' grants program (currently paused for 2025-26) that has distributed over $537,000 to ministries since inception. This is a giving program rather than a revenue generator for CFA.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Christian Foundation of America is a faith-based community foundation that administers tax-advantaged charitable giving vehicles for individual donors, provides back-office fulfillment for financial advisors and estate attorneys, and offers planned-giving and endowment services to Christian churches and ministries. Core offerings include Donor Advised Funds (minimum $10,000), the Manna Fund for Qualified Charitable Distributions from IRAs, Charitable Remainder Trusts, Charitable Lead Trusts, the CFO.Charity family-office service, and the GladVisor volunteer stewardship advisor program.

Product overview

Christian Foundation of America operates as a full-service community foundation offering a comprehensive suite of charitable giving products and services. The core portfolio centers on Donor Advised Funds (DAF) and the Manna Fund for Qualified Charitable Distributions as primary tax-advantaged giving vehicles, complemented by a range of Charitable Trust structures (Charitable Remainder Unitrusts, Charitable Remainder Annuity Trusts, Charitable Lead Trusts, Give It Twice Trusts, and Unitrust/Sale arrangements). Premium services include CFO.Charity for Charitable Family Office wealth management. The organization also provides the GladVisor Program for volunteer stewardship advisory services to churches and charities, maintains two Centers of Excellence (Center for Latino Philanthropy in Faith and Center for Mission Effectiveness), and operates a Cultivating Generosity Annual Grants Program. All services are designed to inspire biblical generosity and Kingdom impact while providing tax advantages.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Donor Advised Fund (DAF) A tax-advantaged giving fund where donors contribute cash, stocks, mutual funds, real estate, and business interests to receive immediate tax deductions, grow funds tax-free, and recommend grants to ministries over time. Minimum to open is $10,000, with setup possible within 48 hours.
• Manna Fund (Qualified Charitable Distribution) A Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) giving account for retirees age 70.5+ that allows redirecting IRA Required Minimum Distributions directly to charity tax-free. Annual limits of $111,000 (individuals) or $222,000 (married filing jointly) in 2026, providing triple tax benefits by reducing taxable income, maximizing Social Security benefits, and simplifying giving.
• CFO.Charity (Charitable Family Office) Comprehensive charitable wealth management services for high-net-worth families with complex charitable components, including Donor Advised Funds, Charitable Remainder Trusts, Charitable Lead Trusts, endowments, family private foundations, and Program Related Investments for Christian/Social Impact.
• GladVisor Program A volunteer stewardship advisor network pairing churches and charities with experienced financial professionals who provide biblical generosity education, workshops, training materials, and legacy planning guidance.
• Charitable Remainder Unitrust An irrevocable trust that accepts cash or appreciated property, sells assets tax-free, and provides income for life or a term of years while benefiting charity.
• Charitable Remainder Annuity Trust An irrevocable trust funding fixed annual income for life or a term of years, with assets sold tax-free and remainder going to designated charities.
• Charitable Lead Trust A trust that makes annual gifts to CFA for a specified period, with the remainder passing to family beneficiaries at substantial tax savings.
• Cultivating Generosity Annual Grants Program Annual grant awards program supporting Christian ministry organizations in Ventura and Los Angeles counties. Since inception, over $537,000 has been awarded to ministries. Currently paused for 2025-26 year.
• Harvest Fund An accumulating fund for Qualified Charitable Distributions that builds reserves from excess IRA assets for long-term charitable impact.
• Give It Twice Trust A trust structure providing children with a stream of income while simultaneously making a gift to charity.
• Unitrust and Sale A property contribution strategy where donors gift a portion of property to fund a charitable remainder trust, receiving cash and lifetime income upon sale.
• Center for Latino Philanthropy in Faith (Unidos En Fé) A specialized center providing resources and support for Latino communities in philanthropic giving and faith-based stewardship, led by Karen Maria Devemark.
• Center for Mission Effectiveness A consulting center helping Christian service organizations improve effectiveness in service delivery and donor engagement, led by John Gardner, MBA.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $537,000 distributed to ministries since program inception
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Missionary Church Western RegioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistorical organizational relationship with roots dating to CFA's founding in 1981. While CFA became independent in 2020, a minority of MCWR-nominated Directors remain on CFA's Board, and CFA's Statement of Faith remains subject to Missionary Church representative approval.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Renaissance Charitable Foundation (now GiveSafely): Independent Donor Advised Fund sponsor that has invested heavily in digital donor experience under the GiveSafely rebrand. Directly competes with CFA on DAF and charitable planning, with stronger technology platform and broader investment menus.
• Thrivent Charitable Impact & Investing: Faith-aligned charitable arm affiliated with Thrivent (a Lutheran fraternal benefit society), offering Donor Advised Funds, charitable planning, and impact investing. Closest secular-faith peer to CFA's Christian focus, targeting a defined faith-aligned donor segment.
• American Endowment Foundation: Independent Donor Advised Fund sponsor that supports a broad donor base with DAFs, charitable gift planning, and complex giving vehicles (CRATs, CLTs). Operates in the same niche as CFA and competes for mid-market HNW donors seeking flexible giving structures.
• National Philanthropic Trust: Independent DAF sponsor offering Donor Advised Funds, charitable planning, and trust administration to a wide donor base, including faith-aligned donors. Directly comparable on DAF, charitable trust, and planned giving products.
• National Christian Foundation: The largest faith-based Donor Advised Fund sponsor in the US, operating as a Christian-focused community foundation that offers DAFs, planned giving, and grantmaking services to Christian donors, churches, and ministries — directly comparable product suite and target donor base to CFA.

Broad incumbents

• Raymond James Charitable Endowment Fund: National DAF sponsor affiliated with Raymond James financial services, offering Donor Advised Funds with brokerage integration. Competes with CFA for HNW Christian donors, particularly those advised by Raymond James advisors.
• Schwab Charitable: Major national Donor Advised Fund sponsor affiliated with Charles Schwab, with significant AUM and integrated brokerage DAF accounts. Competes with CFA for DAF donors but offers no faith-specific mission alignment or stewardship advising.
• Fidelity Charitable: The largest DAF sponsor in the United States (>$50B AUM), offering Donor Advised Funds with broad investment options and integrated brokerage accounts. A secular incumbent that competes for the same donor wallet share as CFA but at vastly greater scale.

Emerging players

• Charitable Trust Administrators, Inc. (CTAI): Third-party charitable trust administrator founded by CFA Advisory Council member Chuck McLucas, providing administrative services for charitable trusts and foundations. Comparable to CFA's Charitable Trust Administration revenue stream.

Others

• Crescendo Interactive: Planned giving marketing and software provider led by CFA Board Member A. Charles Schultz; provides GiftLegacy Pro Marketing System used by faith-based and secular nonprofits. An ecosystem/enabling partner rather than direct competitor, but tightly networked with CFA's advisor audience.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• XFacebook.com/ChristianFoundationofAmerica
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/christian-foundation-of-america

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Foundation of America —A 501(c)3 Nonprofit