What United Methodist Foundation Of Louisiana does

The United Methodist Foundation of Louisiana is a private nonprofit religious foundation incorporated in Louisiana and headquartered in Baton Rouge, founded in 1975 to provide financial services to United Methodist churches, institutions, and individual donors within the Louisiana Annual Conference. The foundation is governed by a Board of Trustees and operates as an independent entity affiliated with — but not owned by — the Louisiana Annual Conference.

The foundation's core service portfolio comprises six product lines: investment fund management for church endowments and individual accounts, planned giving and estate planning education, ministry grants, church loans, scholarships channeled through the United Methodist Higher Education Foundation's Dollars for Scholars program, and an Endowment Match Program that doubles churches' initial $5,000 endowment contributions. Distribution is direct: foundation staff manage accounts, deliver statewide workshops, and provide a secure online account portal (iphiview) for account holders to view balances and daily activity. Additional offerings include a Vanco-powered online giving integration and legacy giving vehicles such as bequests, trusts, and charitable gift annuities.

The foundation reports approximately $230 million in assets under management as of 2022, making it one of the largest United Methodist Foundations in the denomination. Since issuing its first grant in 1980, it has awarded over $7 million in cumulative grants to churches, ministries, and clergy leadership development, with $374,418 in grants in 2024 and $279,418 in 2025. Pricing is mission-aligned: most services are provided free of charge to Methodist churches and donors, with revenue derived from investment management fees on AUM and donor contributions funding the grants program. The organization employs a small team of roughly eight staff supervised by President/CEO Chris Spencer (since July 2021).

Name

United Methodist Foundation Of Louisiana

Legal name

United Methodist Foundation of Louisiana

Website

https://umf.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The United Methodist Foundation of Louisiana is a 1975-founded nonprofit that provides investment management, planned giving, grants, loans, and scholarships to United Methodist churches and donors across Louisiana, managing approximately $230 million in assets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Foundation Financial Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Educational Support Services (6117), Religious Organizations (8131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC), Foundation/NGO & Philanthropic Scholarships (EDAIAOAH)

Keywords

• Church endowment management
• Planned giving services
• Ministry grant programs
• Church investment funds
• Clergy financial education

Headquarters

HQ city

Baton Rouge

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Fund Management Services: Manages investment funds and endowments for Methodist churches and individuals, providing financial services while promoting generosity culture
2. Grants Program: Awards grants to Methodist ministries across Louisiana, funded through donor contributions and foundation resources
3. Endowment Match Program: Matches church contributions up to $5,000 for establishing endowments, allowing churches to double their money

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The United Methodist Foundation of Louisiana provides financial services for Methodist churches and individuals throughout Louisiana, including investment management for endowments and church funds, planned giving and legacy/estate planning education, grants for ministries, loans for churches, and scholarships through the Dollars for Scholars matching program. It also operates an Endowment Match Program that doubles church contributions up to $5,000 for establishing endowments, and offers free workshops and webinars on stewardship, church finance, and clergy tax planning.

Product overview

The United Methodist Foundation of Louisiana offers a comprehensive suite of financial services for Methodist churches and donors in Louisiana. The portfolio includes six core services: Investments (fund management), Planned Giving (estate planning education), Grants (ministry support), Loans (church financing), Scholarships (Dollars for Scholars program), and an Endowment Match Program (dollar-for-dollar matching for church endowments). Additional offerings include Legacy Giving options (bequests, trusts, gift annuities), Vanco-powered online giving, and a secure online account portal for account holders to manage balances and transactions. The Foundation serves as a faith-based financial partner promoting generosity among Methodist donors and churches since 1975.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Investments

Named customers3 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

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• North American United Methodist Foundation (NAUMF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 October 2025Foundation President Chris Spencer was elected Vice President of NAUMF, representing Louisiana in this national organization of United Methodist foundations.
• Horizons StewardshipcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 August 2023Faith-based fundraising consulting firm partnered with Foundation to present generosity strategy workshops for pastors and church leaders. Presented two one-day workshops in Baton Rouge and Shreveport in August 2023. Joe Park (President/CEO) and Richard Rogers (Senior Vice President) served as presenters for stewardship training programs.
• Academy for Spiritual FormationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 May 2022Foundation provided $10,000 sponsorship enabling 17 Louisiana clergy and laity to attend The Academy for Spiritual Formation's 5-Day Academy retreat focused on combating burnout and holistic spirituality.
• Fuller Center Disaster RebuildersminorOthers · 25 February 2022Volunteer organization providing labor for roof building and repair as part of the Roofs Up Louisiana! disaster recovery program assisting homes affected by Hurricane Laura.
• Mennonite Disaster ServicesminorOthers · 25 February 2022Volunteer organization providing labor for roof building and repair as part of the Roofs Up Louisiana! disaster recovery program.
• Community Foundation of SWLAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 February 2022Coalition partner instrumental in identifying families most in need for the Roofs Up Louisiana! disaster recovery program addressing hurricane and storm damage.
• Louisiana Annual Conference of the United Methodist ChurchcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 February 2022Led by Director of Missional Engagement and Outreach Bill Howell, the Conference partners with Foundation on disaster recovery programs including Roofs Up Louisiana!, providing coordination and leadership for ministry outreach.
• United Methodist Higher Education Foundation (UMHEF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Foundation participates in UMHEF's Dollars for Scholars matching scholarship program, supporting Louisiana college students attending United Methodist-related schools. Awards more than $2 million annually through this program.
• Dakota Wesleyan UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation hosted gathering for Dakota Wesleyan University's Practical Church Leadership program, a 13-month cohort strengthening pastors' knowledge in finance, personnel management, and stewardship with 21 graduate credits.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Presbyterian Foundation: National foundation of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) providing financial services, planned giving resources, and loans to Presbyterian churches and ministries. Comparable faith-based financial services model operating at a broader, multi-state scale.
• Baptist Foundation of Texas: A large Texas-based denominational foundation serving Baptist churches with investment management, planned giving, loans, and grants. Comparable in product breadth and faith-based financial services model, though serving a different denomination.

Regional players

• Community Foundation of Southwest Louisiana: Community foundation based in the Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana region that partnered with UMF Louisiana on the Roofs Up Louisiana! hurricane recovery program. Comparable in grantmaking mission and Louisiana geography but serves a broader, secular donor base.
• Greater New Orleans Foundation: The largest community foundation in the Louisiana/Gulf Coast region, managing charitable assets and awarding grants across Southeast Louisiana. Operates in overlapping geography with UMF Louisiana but serves a much broader, multi-denominational donor base.

Direct peers

• Texas Methodist Foundation: A United Methodist conference foundation serving Texas churches with investments, loans, grants, and planned giving services. It is the closest direct peer in scale, denomination, and product offering to the Louisiana Foundation, differentiated only by geography.
• United Methodist Church Foundation (Western NC): Regional United Methodist foundation serving Western North Carolina churches with similar investments, grants, and planned giving services. Comparable in mission, structure, and customer base to UMF Louisiana.
• United Methodist Foundation of Indiana: Another state-level United Methodist foundation offering investments, planned giving, grants, and scholarships to Indiana Methodist churches and donors. Directly comparable service mix and denomination focus to UMF Louisiana.

Others

• United Methodist Higher Education Foundation (UMHEF): National United Methodist organization administering the Dollars for Scholars matching scholarship program in which UMF Louisiana participates. Acts as a programmatic partner and ecosystem enabler for the Foundation's scholarship offerings to Louisiana students attending Methodist-related schools.
• Horizons Stewardship: Faith-based fundraising and generosity consulting firm that partnered with UMF Louisiana to deliver stewardship workshops for pastors and church leaders in 2023. Complementary service provider rather than direct competitor; relevant as a strategic partner and adjacent ecosystem player.
• North American United Methodist Foundations (NAUMF): Umbrella association of United Methodist foundations across North America, where UMF Louisiana's President was elected Vice President in 2025. Functions as a peer network and industry body rather than a competing operator.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/umfla
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/united-methodist-foundation-of-louisiana

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about United Methodist Foundation Of Louisiana