Christian Church Foundation

What Christian Church Foundation does

The Christian Church Foundation is an Indianapolis-headquartered nonprofit religious foundation established in 1961 to serve the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) denomination. It operates as a planned-giving and endowment-management institution, offering individuals, congregations, regions, and other Disciples ministries a unified platform of charitable-giving vehicles and professional investment services. Its flagship product is the Joint Investment Trust (JIT), a pooled investment vehicle holding $1.3 billion (as of March 31, 2026) on behalf of more than 800 Disciples ministries and over 1,550 of the Foundation's own endowment funds, structured across five distinct funds — Common Balanced, Beasley Growth, Campbell Multi-Strategy, Bostick Select (faith-screened), and Brown Income.

The Foundation's product suite spans individual planned-giving instruments — Charitable Gift Annuities (minimum $5,000), Charitable Remainder Trusts (minimum $250,000), Steward's Donor-Advised Funds (minimum $10,000), Permanent/Endowment Funds (from $1,000), IRA Qualified Charitable Distributions, noncash asset donations, and estate planning services — alongside congregational services including the Mentoring Model for legacy giving, congregational asset protection, and a dedicated Closing Congregations Legacy Program that transforms assets of dissolving congregations into perpetual ministry support. Distribution is field-based through Zone Representatives covering seven U.S. zones, the Northeastern Region, Canada, and Puerto Rico.

The Foundation is governed by a Board of Directors and led by its 4th president, Matt Rosine, who assumed the role in 2021. Revenue is not publicly disclosed; operational funding derives from investment management economics on the JIT and the administration of charitable trusts and annuities, while many donor and congregation-facing services are provided at no direct cost. The organization employs approximately 23 staff, reflecting a lean operating model relative to its $1.3B asset base.

Name

Christian Church Foundation

Legal name

Christian Church Foundation, Inc.

Website

https://christianchurchfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1961

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Founded in 1961, the Christian Church Foundation is an Indianapolis-based nonprofit serving the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) denomination, operating the $1.3 billion Joint Investment Trust and a planned-giving platform for 800+ ministries and individual donors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Faith-Based Endowment & Planned Giving Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (81311), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Open-End Investment Funds (525910)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282), Finance Services (6199)

akta.pro primary industry

Philanthropic & Charitable Trust Services (FSAAANAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Local Congregations & Worship Communities (Churches, Mosques, Temples, Synagogues) (BPAGAJAA)

Keywords

• Planned giving services
• Endowment management
• Faith-based investing
• Charitable gift annuities
• Pooled investment trust

Headquarters

HQ city

Indianapolis

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, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Investment Management Services: The Foundation manages the Joint Investment Trust (JIT), a pooled investment vehicle serving over 800 Disciples ministries and 1,550+ endowment funds. Professional fund management is provided through multi-manager investment approaches across five distinct funds.
2. Charitable Gift Annuities: The Foundation administers Charitable Gift Annuities, providing lifetime payments to donors in exchange for contributions. Minimum investment of $5,000.
3. Charitable Remainder Trusts: The Foundation serves as trustee for Charitable Remainder Trusts (CRTs), providing regular payments to individuals during the trust term with remainder going to designated charities. Minimum gift of $250,000.
4. Steward's Donor-Advised Fund: Donor-Advised Fund with minimum contribution of $10,000, allowing donors to receive immediate tax deductions while retaining advisory privileges over grant distributions.
5. Permanent Fund Management: Endowment funds for congregations with gifts starting at $1,000, with distributions beginning when fund value reaches $10,000.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Christian Church Foundation operates the Joint Investment Trust (JIT), a pooled investment vehicle managing $1.3 billion on behalf of more than 800 Disciples of Christ ministries and over 1,550 endowment funds. It provides planned giving services including Charitable Gift Annuities, Charitable Remainder Trusts, Donor-Advised Funds, Permanent Funds, and estate planning for individual donors, congregations, and ministry institutions of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) denomination.

Product overview

Christian Church Foundation offers a unified platform of planned giving and investment management services centered around its Joint Investment Trust (JIT), which pools investments for Disciples ministries. The core investment products include five distinct funds: Common Balanced Fund (moderate allocation), Beasley Growth Fund (moderately aggressive growth), Campbell Multi-Strategy Fund (with hedging strategies), Bostick Select Fund (faith-based with social screens excluding fossil fuels and weapons), and Brown Income Fund (conservative income). For charitable giving, the Foundation offers Charitable Gift Annuities (minimum $5,000), Charitable Remainder Trusts (minimum $250,000), Steward's Donor-Advised Funds (minimum $10,000), and Permanent/Endowment Funds (starting at $1,000). Additional services include IRA Charitable Distributions, noncash asset donations, estate planning, congregational asset protection, the Mentoring Model for legacy giving, and support for closing congregations. All services are delivered through relationship-based zone representatives across defined geographic regions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Joint Investment Trust (JIT): Pooled investment program developed to provide cost efficiencies and professional fund management for Disciples ministries.
• Bostick Select Fund
• Steward's Donor-Advised Fund
• Charitable Gift Annuity
• Fiers-Brown Society

Products and services

• Joint Investment Trust (JIT) A pooled investment vehicle that combines the investing strength of Disciples ministries for cost efficiencies and professional fund management, serving more than 800 ministries and 1,550+ endowment funds with $1.3 billion in investments.
• Common Balanced Fund Seeks total return from a moderate asset allocation through a multi-manager approach, investing globally across equities, bonds, and real assets.
• Beasley Growth Fund Seeks total return from a moderately aggressive asset allocation through a multi-manager approach, investing in domestic and international equities as well as fixed income.
• Campbell Multi-Strategy Fund Seeks equity-like returns with downside protection through a multi-manager approach with hedging strategies, investing in domestic and international equities, flexible capital, and real assets.
• Bostick Select Fund Faith-based investment fund with a moderately aggressive allocation that excludes investments in fossil fuels, weapons manufacturers, and companies involved in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, while actively investing in environmentally sustainable companies.
• Brown Income Fund Seeks income from a conservative asset allocation through a multi-manager approach, investing in domestic fixed income, domestic equities, and real assets.
• Charitable Gift Annuity A planned giving instrument where donors make a gift and receive fixed lifetime payments, with potential tax benefits. Can be started with a minimum gift of $5,000.
• Charitable Remainder Trust (CRT) Provides regular payments to individuals during the term of the trust, then leaves a gift to selected charities. Can be started with a minimum gift of $250,000. The Foundation serves as trustee.
• Steward's Donor-Advised Fund A donor-advised fund allowing donors to contribute $10,000 or more for an immediate charitable deduction while retaining flexibility to advise on fund distributions during their lifetime.
• Permanent Funds Endowment funds established by donors or families to support chosen ministries in perpetuity. Created with gifts of $1,000 or more, with distributions beginning when the fund reaches $10,000.
• IRA Charitable Distribution (QCD) Allows IRA owners to transfer up to $105,000 (2024, indexed for inflation) directly to charity from their IRA, avoiding taxable income while satisfying Required Minimum Distributions.
• Noncash Asset Donations Accepts appreciated long-term securities, real estate, and other noncash assets as charitable gifts, allowing donors to take deductions at full market value while avoiding capital gains tax.
• Estate Planning Services Assists individuals with legacy planning including permanent fund establishment, estate document guidance, and coordination with attorneys and executors.
• Mentoring Model A planned giving ministry program that trains church leadership to promote legacy giving through seminars, permanent fund policies, legacy circles, and ongoing mentorship within congregations.
• Congregational Asset Protection Strategies and consulting services to help congregations protect their investments and assets from potential loss due to financial mismanagement or denominational transitions.
• Closing Congregations Legacy Program Guides congregations through the process of closing their ministry while establishing permanent funds to continue supporting Disciples ministries in perpetuity.

Quantifiable outcome

• JIT assets of $1.3 billion serving 800+ ministries and 1,550+ endowment funds
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• Phillips Theological SeminarymajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021In 2021, Phillips Theological Seminary entrusted over 220 named endowment funds to the Foundation for investment management. The partnership reflects shared belief that capital should serve creation, with Foundation providing investment services and helping donors incorporate the seminary in estate plans.
• Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Foundation is a member of ICCR, an association of 275 faith-based institutional investors working with corporations on social and environmental responsibility. ICCR influences change through responsible shareholding, proxy voting, and shareholder resolutions on major social and environmental issues.
• United Christian Missionary SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Foundation provides treasury services for United Christian Missionary Society including receipting charitable gifts and providing distributions per UCMS Trustee instructions. UCMS has eight Trustees and four Officers but no active employees.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Presbyterian Foundation: The serving foundation of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), offering planned giving, endowment management, and investment services to congregations, donors, and ministries. Highly comparable in denominational alignment, product suite (CGAs, CRTs, DAFs, permanent funds), and Zone/regional field-staff model.
• ELCA Foundation: Endowment and planned giving arm of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, providing donor-advised funds, charitable gift annuities, and pooled investment management for Lutheran congregations and ministries. Comparable structure, faith-aligned investing screens, and donor cultivation model.
• United Methodist Foundation: Hosts 87 regional United Methodist foundations providing planned giving, endowment, and investment services to UMC congregations. Directly comparable in scope, product set, and denominational stewardship function.
• National Christian Foundation: Faith-based donor-advised fund provider serving evangelical Christians with $5B+ in annual granting. Comparable in faith-based giving focus, DAF-centric product, and advisor-driven gifting strategy, though broader/international in donor reach.
• Church Pension Group: Provides pension, health, and financial services to The Episcopal Church, including planned giving and investment offerings for congregations and clergy. Closely comparable as a denomination-affiliated financial services organization with similar AUM scale.
• LCMS Foundation: The planned giving and endowment foundation of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, managing charitable gift annuities, endowments, and donor-advised funds for LCMS congregations. Highly comparable in structure, products, and denominational focus.
• Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Foundation: Stewardship foundation for the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship providing planned giving, endowment, and investment management to Baptist congregations and individuals. Comparable in mission focus, pooled investment program, and donor-advised offerings.
• Brethren Benefit Trust: Financial services and stewardship arm of the Church of the Brethren, providing pension, insurance, and investment management for Brethren congregations and related ministries. Smaller in scale but very comparable in serving a single denomination with pooled investment and stewardship services.

Broad incumbents

• Fidelity Charitable: The largest donor-advised fund sponsor in the US with over $100B AUM. Indirect competitor for high-net-worth donors weighing the Foundation's DAF/Permanent Fund vehicles against a secular, scale-leading platform with national brand recognition.
• Schwab Charitable: Major donor-advised fund provider with $25B+ AUM and broad financial advisor distribution. Comparable DAF product offering and represents a secular alternative for Disciples donors who prioritize DAF liquidity and integration with brokerage assets over denomination alignment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Church Foundation