Provide financial services, planned giving education, grants, scholarships and stewardship support to strengthen Methodist churches and ministries across Louisiana and promote a culture of generosity.
A $1,000,000 grant to Methodist Hospital Houston stands out in the recent record for United Methodist Foundation of Louisiana Inc. That larger award sits alongside recurring support for Methodist institutions, churches, and ministry partners across Louisiana, showing a funder that combines direct grants with scholarships, matching programs, endowment support, and stewardship services. The foundation’s work is tied to strengthening Methodist churches and ministries in Louisiana, and its grantmaking reflects that mission through both operating support and program support. Recent awards also show attention to the statewide United Methodist ecosystem. The Louisiana Conference of the United Methodist Church received multiple grants across different years, including support designated for program work and operations, while Wesley Conference Center and La MethodistChildrens Home also appear among the larger recipients. Alongside institutional support, the foundation backs education and ministry preparation through scholarship programs for students and ordained or licensed ministry candidates. The overall profile points to a local funder that directs most of its giving within Louisiana and uses several grant mechanisms to support church life, leadership development, and affiliated ministries.
Education is one clear strand of the foundation’s grantmaking. Through its scholarship programs, it supports United Methodist students and ministry candidates in Louisiana, including the Strozier Family Camp Scholarship for youth with financial constraints and the Board of Ordained Ministry/Foundation Scholarships for ordained or licensed ministry or undergraduate studies. Church sustainability is another focus. The Endowment Match Program doubles a church’s contribution when it establishes a true endowment at the foundation, linking current giving to long-term financial support for churches. The foundation also funds ministry operations and program work through its Foundation Grants Program, which supports Methodist churches and ministries within the Louisiana Conference. That program includes funding for clergy and laity development, innovative ministries, church-community connections, and response to or preparation for natural disasters. Its scholarship participation in UM Higher Education Foundation — Dollars for Scholars also extends support to United Methodist undergraduate students.
$963K
$60M
$8.2M
$4.7M
Most grants fall between $5K and $35K, with a median of $11K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$11K
75th Percentile
$35K
Tracie H Wharton
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Typical grants are modest relative to the largest awards: the 25th percentile is $5,250, the median is $10,500, and the 75th percentile is $35,000. The recent record also includes several awards above that range, including seven-figure support to one medical recipient and multiple five-figure grants to church, conference, and ministry partners. This is a recurring grantmaker rather than a one-off funder. The Louisiana Conference of the United Methodist Church appears across multiple years, and other recipients such as Hope Ministries also recur. The foundation uses a mix of program support and operations support, and it runs several named grant and scholarship programs. Unsolicited applications are accepted for the active programs listed.
Giving is highly concentrated in Louisiana: 82% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state, and Louisiana is the top state by grant count. Baton Rouge appears often, alongside Ruston, Shreveport, Lake Charles, Woodworth, Coushatta, Covington, Dulac, and Houma. Outside Louisiana, recent grants reached Houston, Loveland, Boone, Chicago, and Black Mountain, but all recent grant recipients were in the United States.
The foundation supports Methodist churches and ministries, scholarships, planned giving education, endowment matching, church leadership resources, and investments and loans. Active programs also include camp scholarships, ministry grants, and matching scholarship support for United Methodist students.
Yes. The active programs listed for the foundation all note that they accept unsolicited applications, including the Strozier Family Camp Scholarship, the Foundation Grants Program, the Endowment Match Program, and the scholarship programs.
The grant-size distribution centers at $5,250 at the 25th percentile, $10,500 at the median, and $35,000 at the 75th percentile. Recent grants also include awards at much larger and smaller levels, depending on the program and recipient.
Louisiana is the main geography for giving, with 82% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state. Baton Rouge is a frequent recipient city, and other Louisiana locations include Ruston, Shreveport, Lake Charles, Woodworth, Coushatta, Covington, Dulac, and Houma.
Active programs focus on youth camp participation, undergraduate education, endowment building, ministry support, clergy and laity development, innovative ministries, church-community connections, disaster response, and preparation for ministry through scholarship support.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Current and upcoming funding from United Methodist Foundation of Louisiana that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Applications are for clergy, congregations, or organizations whose proposed activities align with the Journey Toward Excellence mission, including clergy renewal, retreats, workshops, pastoral leadership, and wellbeing.
Deadline: December 31, 2026; funds awarded February 2027.
Who can apply: Strengthen United Methodist churches and ministries within the Louisiana Conference; applications are reviewed by the Grants Committee.
Deadline: March 1, July 1 and October 15 each year
Who can apply: Applicants must be a United Methodist Church, UMC-affiliated ministry, or United Methodist-supported nonprofit. Projects should fit one or more of the stated grant categories. UMC members must submit a completed District Superintendent signature form. The Foundation is not intended to be the project's only funding source.
Deadline: March 1, July 1, and November 1. A 2025 news article states March 1, July 1, and October 15; the current grants page and application state November 1.
Who can apply: Applicant churches must be United Methodist Churches within Louisiana affected by a federally designated disaster. Applications must be submitted within 30 days of the disaster.
Deadline: Within 30 days of the disaster. The October 2024 cycle has been awarded.
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Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana Conference UMC | Baton Rouge, LA | $390,153 | 2026 | Operations |
| Turning Point USA | Phoenix, AZ | $250,000 | 2026 | Operations |
| Hope MInistries | Baton Rouge, LA | $60,000 | 2026 | Operations |
| Salvation Army | Lake Charles, LA | $50,000 | 2026 | Operations |
| Tiger Athletic Foundation | Baton Rouge, LA | $50,000 | 2026 | Operations |
| Texas Hill Country Comm Church | Kerrville, TX | $41,500 | 2026 | Operations |
| La Methodist Childrens Home | Ruston, LA | $36,600 | 2026 | Operations |
| First Methodist Coushatta | Coushatta, LA | $33,100 | 2026 | Operations |
| Trinity Methodist | Ruston, LA | $27,200 | 2026 | Operations |
| Habitat For Humanity | Baton Rouge, LA | $10,000 | 2026 | Operations |
| Waldheim Methodist | Covington, LA | $9,200 | 2026 | Operations |
| Black Mountain Home | Black Mountain, NC | $5,000 | 2026 | Operations |
| Lousiana Conference of the UMC | Baton Rouge, LA | $339,430 | 2025 | operations |
| La MethodistChildrens Home | Ruston, LA | $88,658 | 2025 | operations |
| Samaritans Purse | Boone, NC | $37,000 | 2025 | operations |
| Our Lady Catholic | Lake Charles, LA | $35,000 | 2025 | operations |
| Tiger Athletic Foundation | Baton Rouge, LA | $30,340 | 2025 | operations |
| Trinity Methodist | Ruston, LA | $27,200 | 2025 | operations |
| First Methodist Coushatta | Coushatta, LA | $20,000 | 2025 | operations |
| Front Yard BIkes | Baton Rouge, LA | $12,500 | 2025 | operations |
| Ross Lynn Foundation | Ruston, LA | $11,000 | 2025 | operations |
| Christus Foundation | Shreveport, LA | $10,000 | 2025 | operations |
| Hope Ministries | Baton Rouge, LA | $7,600 | 2025 | operations |
| Waldheim Church | Covington, LA | $6,000 | 2025 | operations |
| Black Mountain Home | Black Mountain, NC | $5,000 | 2025 | operations |
| Louisiana Conference of the United Methodist Church | Baton Rouge, LA | $583,632 | 2024 | Program Support |
| Tiger Athletic Foundation | Baton Rouge, LA | $35,000 | 2024 | Program Support |
| The Well Community Church | Loveland, CO | $20,000 | 2024 | Program Support |
| YMCA or Northwest LA | Shreveport, LA | $10,000 | 2024 | Program Support |
| Living Waters GMC | Lake Charles, LA | $10,000 | 2024 | Program Support |
| Hope Ministries | Baton Rouge, LA | $8,000 | 2024 | Program Support |
| Brighton Academy Baton Rouge | Baton Rouge, LA | $5,000 | 2024 | Program Support |
| MacDonnels Childrens Home | Houma, LA | $5,000 | 2024 | Program Support |
| North Rampart Community Center | New Orleans, LA | $5,000 | 2024 | Program Support |
| Methodist Hospital Houston | Houston, TX | $1,000,000 | 2023 | Program support |
| LA CONFERENCE OF THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH | BATON ROUGE, LA | $249,750 | 2023 | Program support |
| WESLEY CONFERENCE CENTER | WOODWORTH, LA | $160,000 | 2023 | Program support |
| LA umc CHILDREN & fAMILY | RUSTON, LA | $36,200 | 2023 | Program support |
| THE WELL CHURCH | LOVELAND, CO | $20,000 | 2023 | Program support |
| YMCA OF NORTHWEST LA | Shreveport, LA | $10,000 | 2023 | Program support |
| ALZHEIMERS ASSOC | Chicago, IL | $7,500 | 2023 | Program support |
| DULAC COMMUNITY CENTER | DULAC, LA | $5,000 | 2023 | Program support |
| BRIGHTON ACADEMY | Baton rouge, LA | $5,000 | 2023 | Program support |
| HOPE MINISTRIES | Baton rouge, LA | $5,000 | 2023 | Program support |
| MACDONELLS CHILDRENS HOME | houma, LA | $5,000 | 2023 | Program support |
| NORTH RAMPART COMM CTR | New Orleans, LA | $5,000 | 2023 | Program support |
Louisiana Conference UMC
$390,153Operations
Salvation Army
$50,000Operations
Operations
La Methodist Childrens Home
$36,600Operations
First Methodist Coushatta
$33,100Operations
Trinity Methodist
$27,200Operations
Habitat For Humanity
$10,000Operations
Waldheim Methodist
$9,200Operations
Lousiana Conference of the UMC
$339,430operations
La MethodistChildrens Home
$88,658operations
Our Lady Catholic
$35,000operations
Trinity Methodist
$27,200operations
First Methodist Coushatta
$20,000operations
Ross Lynn Foundation
$11,000operations
Christus Foundation
$10,000operations
Waldheim Church
$6,000operations
Louisiana Conference of the United Methodist Church
$583,632Program Support
The Well Community Church
$20,000Program Support
Living Waters GMC
$10,000Program Support
Brighton Academy Baton Rouge
$5,000Program Support
MacDonnels Childrens Home
$5,000Program Support
North Rampart Community Center
$5,000Program Support
LA CONFERENCE OF THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
$249,750Program support
WESLEY CONFERENCE CENTER
$160,000Program support
LA umc CHILDREN & fAMILY
$36,200Program support
THE WELL CHURCH
$20,000Program support
DULAC COMMUNITY CENTER
$5,000Program support
BRIGHTON ACADEMY
$5,000Program support
MACDONELLS CHILDRENS HOME
$5,000Program support
NORTH RAMPART COMM CTR
$5,000Program support