Here at IP, most of the community foundations we cover tend to be secular organizations that leave religion out of the equation, except for maybe hosting a few faith-oriented donor-advised funds. But there are exceptions to that, including this Southeast funder focused on Memphis and the state of Tennessee, which seeks to combine traditional community foundation giving with God-inspired grantmaking.
Here’s a look at how the Christian Community Foundation (CCF) operates and how local grantseekers can get its support.
Many interest areas
The Christian Community Foundation’s grantmaking interests are varied and numerous, as one might expect from a community funder. For example, CCF supports organizations that focus on youth, housing, economic development and education. Healthcare, athletics, financial literacy and juvenile offenders are also interests of CCF. Pregnancy counseling groups, adoption organizations and missions have steadily received CCF’s support as well.
A strong local focus
CCF aims to serve donors in the Mid-South region of the U.S., in order to “facilitate the building of God’s kingdom in our community and throughout the world.” The foundation is based in Memphis, Tennessee, and focuses much of its attention on the city of Memphis. However, some grants occasionally reach communities outside the region as well, based on donor affiliations and preferences.
Community impact
Since its inception, CCF has awarded at least $720 million in grants to thousands of nonprofits and has emerged as one of the largest grantmakers in Memphis. From 2020 through 2021, it reports giving out $63 million in grants.
Donor-advised funds are CCF’s primary offering, and constitute a way for local donors to give without going through the expense and effort of establishing their own foundations. But be sure not to confuse CCF with the National Christian Foundation, another faith-oriented DAF sponsor with a more national scope.
Besides DAFs, other CCF offerings include nonprofit organization funds, a cash management program encompassing an investment pool of bank certificates of deposit, and the Hope for Memphis Fund, which makes grants and loans from CCF’s surplus, earnings and donations made to the fund by others.
Securing a grant
Unfortunately for local grantseekers in the Memphis area, CCF is not particularly accessible and does not appear to welcome unsolicited funding requests. CCF provides numerous forms for donors to set up their giving but offers fewer ways for nonprofits to apply for grants and receive awards. To inquire about any potential grant opportunities, grantseekers may want to contact the foundation directly online or by phone.
Learn more about this funder in IP’s full profile of the Christian Community Foundation in our Southeast Funding Guide.