General Questions

  • What kinds of grants do you provide?

    Capital Projects

    Construction or acquisition of buildings, land, or equipment that directly support a ministry’s Christian mission, with priority given to seminaries and pastor training schools.

    Or

    Sustainability Projects

    Initiatives that create practical revenue or financial-stability pathways, helping the ministry strengthen its budget and decrease dependence on outside funding.

  • How do you determine if my project meets your sustainability criteria?

    A sustainability project is one that helps a ministry develop local income or cost-savings that contribute to its long-term financial health. Sustainability, in this context, refers to a ministry’s commitment to establishing revenue sources that reduce dependence on continual outside funding. While we recognize that many ministries require ongoing support, we prioritize projects that present a clear, achievable pathway toward greater financial stability.

  • Why do you limit your grant funds to foreign missions?

    We believe God has richly blessed the United States with a strong Church presence, a variety of Christian schools and Universities with many who freely contribute to their ongoing support. This is not the case in many parts of the world so our focus is on those nations and missions outside of the U.S. who do not enjoy such strong financial resources and opportunities.

  • How does it work? How do I get started?

    The first step is to submit a Grant Request which provides us with information about your organization and your project. We also ask that you upload a copy of the organization’s IRS 501(c)(3) designation and other relevant documentation. If it appears that your project meets with our funding criteria and goals, your Request will be reviewed by our Board and further contact will be initiated.


    To apply, visit Our Grant Request Process page.

  • What if my organization is not registered as a nonprofit, a 501(c)(3) by the IRS?

    We are unable to fund individuals or organizations that do not meet this requirement. The Birtcher Family Foundation is only able to award grants to non-profit organizations that are registered and classified by the Internal Revenue Service as 501(c)(3).

  • What if my organization is not registered as a US nonprofit 501(c)(3) but we have a US fiscal sponsor?


    At this time, we do not provide grants through fiscal sponsors. 


  • What is the typical progression for grant seekers?

    The Foundation’s Grant Committee reviews all Grant Request Applications that meet our criteria. Once a proposal is received, Board members may contact the respective grantee representatives or undertake a site visit, if feasible. Following this initial review, requests are presented to the entire Board of Trustees for final consideration and the requestor is notified. Depending on the scope of the project, this could take up to 3-6 months.

  • What if my organization has previously received a grant from BFF?

    If you have previously received a grant from the Foundation, simply click here to provide your contact information and a brief summary of your request; further instructions will follow.    

  • Are there submission deadlines?

    Grant proposals may be submitted anytime. The Birtcher Family Foundation trustees meet frequently to consider grant awards.

  • What if my organization does not have a doctrinal or mission statement?

    The Birtcher Family Foundation’s vision is “to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ and to promote Christian values in foreign lands.” Its mission is the promotion of Christian evangelism, values and discipleship. When Mr. and Mrs. Birtcher established the Family Foundation, they clearly defined those types of projects and organizations with whom we would partner; in order to assure that we are holding true to their stated desires, our trustees require that an organization have a mission or doctrinal statement, and that it is consistent with ours.

  • What if my organization is sponsored by or has a formal working relationship with a denomination?

    In order to maintain our mandate of spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ, our trustees have determined that we should not align The Birtcher Family Foundation with any specific denomination. We advise those organizations that are sponsored by or have formal relationships with denominations to first seek funding through those channels that are available to them as a result of their ties to that denomination.

  • What will be required of my organization if we receive your funds?

    As a condition of receiving an award from The Birtcher Family Foundation, we ask that progress report(s) be submitted at specified intervals and a completion report at the project’s end.

  • What if my organization is also engaged in political activities, health initiatives and socio-economic change?

    As you can imagine, we receive many more requests for assistance than we are able to assist with our own limited resources. In order to prioritize our consideration, The Birtcher Family Foundation relies on a set of guidelines to help us select those projects to which we can lend financial support. We do not provide grants for these types of activities and recommend that you direct your fund-seeking efforts towards those foundations that offer that type of support.

  • Do you provide support for colleges or universities?

    Colleges and universities generally fall outside our guidelines. In recent years our funding to education has gone almost exclusively to construction of Christian K-12, vocational schools, Christian training centers, and seminaries.


    For colleges and universities, we recommend that you direct your fund-seeking efforts towards those foundations where higher education is a priority.