The Rosey Grier Giant Step Foundation concentrates its charitable giving on faith-based youth education and mentoring in the Los Angeles area, directing the vast majority of funds to a single Christian school for tutoring and student support. It also makes targeted gifts to youth sports and scholarship programs that combine athletic development with mentoring. Overall, the foundation favors direct program support for school-based and sports-based mentoring rather than broad institutional philanthropy.
Rosey Grier Giant Step Foundation’s largest recent grants center on tutoring and mentoring at Lighthouse Christian Academy, including $269,650 in 2025 and $204,405 in 2024. That pattern makes the foundation’s emphasis clear: it funds school-based support where education, sports, and faith-based mentoring overlap. The same recipient also received $170,000 and $150,000 in 2023, showing repeated backing for the same program model over multiple years. Beyond that core relationship, the foundation has supported youth development programs that pair academics with athletics. Game Breakers Academy received grants for academic and athletic mentorship, while University Careers and Sports received multiple grants for mentoring youth, scholarships, and sports. The foundation also funds ministry-oriented work tied to youth pastors and prison ministry, including web-based ministry support and assistance for prison ministries. Across the recent grant list, the common thread is direct program support for youth education, mentoring, athletics, and faith-based service rather than broad institutional giving.
In education support, Rosey Grier Giant Step Foundation gave $269,650 in 2025 and $204,405 in 2024 to Lighthouse Christian Academy for tutoring, mentoring students, and sports program support. That relationship is the clearest example of its school-based giving. In youth mentoring and scholarship work, University Careers and Sports received $60,000 in 2024 and $45,000 in 2025 for mentoring youth, scholarships, and sports. The foundation also backed Game Breakers Academy with $50,000 in 2025 and $25,000 in 2024 for academic, athletic mentorship. Faith-based ministry support appears in smaller but distinct grants. Center for Urban Renewal received $40,000 in 2025 to develop web-based ministry for youth pastors, and Mike Barber Ministries received grants for assistance for prison ministries.
The typical grant size is $12,000 at the 25th percentile, $25,000 at the median, and $43,750 at the 75th percentile. The recent grant list shows repeated multi-year support to the same organizations, especially across 2023, 2024, and 2025, rather than one-off gifts only. The foundation is a regular funder, not a DAF, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. Its grantmaking is national in scope, with a strong pattern of direct program support in recurring relationships.
$524K
$6.9M
$265K
$625K
Most grants fall between $12K and $44K, with a median of $25K.
25th Percentile
$12K
Median
$25K
75th Percentile
$44K
About 42% of grants go to recipients in DC.
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Highly concentrated; most dollars and multiple grants go to one primary grantee (Lighthouse Christian Academy), with a small number of targeted, modest gifts to complementary youth mentoring/sports programs.
Notable grantees: Lighthouse Christian Academy, University Careers and Sports
Grants land most often in Washington, DC, which is the top state by grant count. California also stands out, with 42% of grants going to recipients in the foundation’s HQ state. Recent recipients include Santa Monica, Carson, Hesperia, and Los Angeles-area organizations, alongside grants to Arlington, VA; Fort Worth, TX; Tulsa, OK; Houston, TX; and San Antonio, TX. All recent grants in the data went to US recipients.
Its recent grants support tutoring and mentoring in Christian school settings, academic and athletic mentorship, scholarships for youth, web-based ministry for youth pastors, and prison ministry assistance. The grant list shows a strong emphasis on direct program support that combines education, sports, and faith-based service.
Yes. The same recipients appear across multiple years, including Lighthouse Christian Academy in 2023, 2024, and 2025; University Careers and Sports in 2023, 2024, and 2025; and Harvest Home in 2023, 2024, and 2025. That indicates recurring support rather than isolated awards.
The foundation’s grant-size distribution centers on $12,000 at the 25th percentile, a $25,000 median, and $43,750 at the 75th percentile. Recent grants also include larger awards above that range for school-based tutoring and mentoring support.
No. The foundation gives nationally. While 42% of grants go to recipients in California, its recent grant list also includes organizations in Washington, DC; Virginia; Texas; Oklahoma; and multiple California cities.
Yes. Recent grants include support for web-based ministry for youth pastors, ministry assistance, mission support, and prison ministry assistance. Several recipients in the list are explicitly ministry organizations, showing that faith-based work is part of the foundation’s giving.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LIGHTHOUSE CHRISTIAN ACADEMY | SANTA MONICA, CA | $269,650 | 2025 | TUTORING/MENTORING STUDENTS, SPORTS PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| GAME BREAKERS ACADEMY | CARSON, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | ACADEMIC, ATHLETIC MENTORSHIP |
| UNIVERSITY CAREERS AND SPORTS | HESPERIA, CA | $45,000 | 2025 | MENTORING YOUTH, SCHOLARSHIPS, SPORTS |
| CENTER FOR URBAN RENEWAL | WASHINGTON, DC | $40,000 | 2025 | DEVELOPING WEB-BASED MINISTRY FOR YOUTH PASTORS. |
| KENNETH COPELAND MINISTRIES | FORT WORTH, TX | $25,000 | 2025 | MINISTRY ASSISTANCE |
| ORAL ROBERTS UNIVERSITY | TULSA, OK | $25,000 | 2025 | MENTORING ATHLETES |
| LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE | ARLINGTON, VA | $25,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| HARVEST HOME | SANTA MONICA, CA | $20,000 | 2025 | MENTORING MINISTRY |
| SAN ANTONIO PATRIOTS | SAN ANTONIO, TX | $12,000 | 2025 | VOLLEYBALL ATHLETICS AND MENTORING |
| MIKE BARBER MINISTRIES | HOUSTON, TX | $12,000 | 2025 | ASSISTANCE FOR PRISON MINISTRIES |
| LIGHTHOUSE CHRISTIAN ACADEMY | SANTA MONICA, CA | $204,405 | 2024 | TUTORING/MENTORING STUDENTS, SPORTS PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| UNIVERSITY CAREERS AND SPORTS | HESPERIA, CA | $60,000 | 2024 | MENTORING YOUTH, SCHOLARSHIPS, SPORTS |
| LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE | ARLINGTON, VA | $45,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION |
| MIKE BARBER MINISTRIES | HOUSTON, TX | $25,000 | 2024 | ASSISTANCE FOR PRISON MINISTRIES |
| GAME BREAKERS ACADEMY | CARSON, CA | $25,000 | 2024 | ACADEMIC, ATHLETIC MENTORSHIP |
| ORAL ROBERTS UNIVERSITY | TULSA, OK | $25,000 | 2024 | MENTORING ATHLETES |
| KENNETH COPELAND MINISTRIES | FORT WORTH, TX | $25,000 | 2024 | MINISTRY ASSISTANCE |
| HARVEST HOME | SANTA MONICA, CA | $20,000 | 2024 | MENTORING MINISTRY |
| LIGHTHOUSE CHURCH | SANTA MONICA, CA | $20,000 | 2024 | MISSIONS SUPPORT |
| LIGHTHOUSE CHRISTIAN ACADEMY | SANTA MONICA, CA | $170,000 | 2023 | TUTORING/MENTORING STUDENTS |
| LIGHTHOUSE CHRISTIAN ACADEMY | SANTA MONICA, CA | $150,000 | 2023 | TUTORING/MENTORING STUDENTS |
| UNIVERSITY CAREERS AND SPORTS | HESPERIA, CA | $50,000 | 2023 | MENTORING YOUTH, SCHOLARSHIPS |
| LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE | ARLINGTON, VA | $45,000 | 2023 | EDUCATION |
| KENNETH COPELAND MINISTRIES | FORT WORTH, TX | $34,000 | 2023 | MINISTRY ASSISTANCE |
| LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE | ARLINGTON, VA | $26,000 | 2023 | EDUCATION |
| ORAL ROBERTS UNIVERSITY | TULSA, OK | $25,000 | 2023 | MENTORING ATHLETES |
| ORAL ROBERTS UNIVERSITY | TULSA, OK | $25,000 | 2023 | MENTORING ATHLETES |
| KENNETH COPELAND MINISTRIES | FORT WORTH, TX | $25,000 | 2023 | MINISTRY ASSISTANCE |
| HARVEST HOME | SANTA MONICA, CA | $20,000 | 2023 | MENTORING |
| GAME BREAKERS ACADEMY | CARSON, CA | $12,000 | 2023 | ACADEMIC, ATHLETIC MENTORSHIP |
| JIMMY SWAGGART MINISTRIES | BATON ROUGE, LA | $12,000 | 2023 | MENTORING YOUTH |
| HARVEST HOME | SANTA MONICA, CA | $12,000 | 2023 | MENTORING |
| MIKE BARBER MINISTRIES | HOUSTON, TX | $12,000 | 2023 | ASSISTANCE FOR PRISON MINISTRIES |
| MIKE BARBER MINISTRIES | HOUSTON, TX | $12,000 | 2023 | ASSISTANCE FOR PRISON MINISTRIES |
| GAME BREAKERS ACADEMY | CARSON, CA | $12,000 | 2023 | ACADEMIC, ATHLETIC MENTORSHIP |
| FEAST ATHLETICS | SAN ANTONIO, TX | $10,000 | 2023 | MENTORING YOUTH |
| CENTER FOR URBAN RENEWAL | WASHINGTON, DC | $10,000 | 2023 | EDUCATION IN URBAN COMMUNITIES |
| FEAST ATHLETICS | SAN ANTONIO, TX | $6,500 | 2023 | MENTORING YOUTH |
LIGHTHOUSE CHRISTIAN ACADEMY
$269,650TUTORING/MENTORING STUDENTS, SPORTS PROGRAM SUPPORT
GAME BREAKERS ACADEMY
$50,000ACADEMIC, ATHLETIC MENTORSHIP
UNIVERSITY CAREERS AND SPORTS
$45,000MENTORING YOUTH, SCHOLARSHIPS, SPORTS
CENTER FOR URBAN RENEWAL
$40,000DEVELOPING WEB-BASED MINISTRY FOR YOUTH PASTORS.
KENNETH COPELAND MINISTRIES
$25,000MINISTRY ASSISTANCE
ORAL ROBERTS UNIVERSITY
$25,000MENTORING ATHLETES
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
$25,000EDUCATION
HARVEST HOME
$20,000MENTORING MINISTRY
SAN ANTONIO PATRIOTS
$12,000VOLLEYBALL ATHLETICS AND MENTORING
MIKE BARBER MINISTRIES
$12,000ASSISTANCE FOR PRISON MINISTRIES
LIGHTHOUSE CHRISTIAN ACADEMY
$204,405TUTORING/MENTORING STUDENTS, SPORTS PROGRAM SUPPORT
UNIVERSITY CAREERS AND SPORTS
$60,000MENTORING YOUTH, SCHOLARSHIPS, SPORTS
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
$45,000EDUCATION
MIKE BARBER MINISTRIES
$25,000ASSISTANCE FOR PRISON MINISTRIES
GAME BREAKERS ACADEMY
$25,000ACADEMIC, ATHLETIC MENTORSHIP
ORAL ROBERTS UNIVERSITY
$25,000MENTORING ATHLETES
KENNETH COPELAND MINISTRIES
$25,000MINISTRY ASSISTANCE
HARVEST HOME
$20,000MENTORING MINISTRY
LIGHTHOUSE CHURCH
$20,000MISSIONS SUPPORT
LIGHTHOUSE CHRISTIAN ACADEMY
$170,000TUTORING/MENTORING STUDENTS
LIGHTHOUSE CHRISTIAN ACADEMY
$150,000TUTORING/MENTORING STUDENTS
UNIVERSITY CAREERS AND SPORTS
$50,000MENTORING YOUTH, SCHOLARSHIPS
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
$45,000EDUCATION
KENNETH COPELAND MINISTRIES
$34,000MINISTRY ASSISTANCE
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
$26,000EDUCATION
ORAL ROBERTS UNIVERSITY
$25,000MENTORING ATHLETES
ORAL ROBERTS UNIVERSITY
$25,000MENTORING ATHLETES
KENNETH COPELAND MINISTRIES
$25,000MINISTRY ASSISTANCE
HARVEST HOME
$20,000MENTORING
GAME BREAKERS ACADEMY
$12,000ACADEMIC, ATHLETIC MENTORSHIP
JIMMY SWAGGART MINISTRIES
$12,000MENTORING YOUTH
HARVEST HOME
$12,000MENTORING
MIKE BARBER MINISTRIES
$12,000ASSISTANCE FOR PRISON MINISTRIES
MIKE BARBER MINISTRIES
$12,000ASSISTANCE FOR PRISON MINISTRIES
GAME BREAKERS ACADEMY
$12,000ACADEMIC, ATHLETIC MENTORSHIP
FEAST ATHLETICS
$10,000MENTORING YOUTH
CENTER FOR URBAN RENEWAL
$10,000EDUCATION IN URBAN COMMUNITIES
FEAST ATHLETICS
$6,500MENTORING YOUTH