The Terry & Laurie Ledbetter Foundation gives like a faith-driven investor, with a strong emphasis on evangelical Christian higher education and ministry institutions, especially Dallas Theological Seminary, Concordia University Irvine, Biola, Azusa Pacific, and Regent University. A second major thread is global compassion work, supporting Christian-led efforts in maternal health, disability care, clean water, and community development across underserved regions. Their giving is highly relationship-based and concentrated, with a few core grantees receiving repeated, substantial support rather than broadly distributing many small grants.
A defining feature of The Terry & Laurie Ledbetter Foundation is its repeated seven-figure support for Dallas Theological Seminary: $1,000,000 in 2024 and another $1,000,000 in 2025 for general charitable purpose. That pattern sits alongside a broader portfolio of large, flexible grants that reach evangelical Christian higher education and faith-based humanitarian work. The foundation’s recent giving includes a $681,181 grant to Concordia University Irvine, a $500,000 grant to CURE International, and a $500,000 grant to Plant With Purpose, showing a mix of theological education, Christian universities, and international service organizations. The scale is substantial. Its typical grants fall in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, and the recent record includes a single $3,645,673 grant to See Attachment A in Portland, Oregon. Several grants are unrestricted or broadly designated as general charitable purpose, which points to a funding style that emphasizes institutional support rather than narrow project grants. The recipient list is concentrated in the United States and includes both Texas and California organizations, with Christian higher education appearing as a consistent thread in the portfolio.
Faith-based higher education is a clear priority. The foundation gave $1,000,000 to Dallas Theological Seminary in 2024 and another $180,000 to Biola University in 2024, followed by a second $180,000 grant to Biola University in 2025. Its humanitarian grantmaking includes medical and development work. In 2024, it awarded $342,500 to Fistula Foundation for general charitable purpose, and $500,000 to CURE International. Environmental and livelihoods work also appears in the recent record. The foundation gave $500,000 to Plant With Purpose in 2024, alongside other general-purpose support for organizations operating outside traditional higher-education settings. A smaller set of grants supports Christian universities in California, including $270,000 to Azusa Pacific University in 2025 and $681,181 to Concordia University Irvine in 2024.
The foundation’s grant sizes skew large: the p25 is $301,875, the median is $500,000, and the p75 is $760,886. Recent gifts include both one-time awards and repeat support, most clearly shown by Dallas Theological Seminary and Biola University appearing in multiple years. The grant record also shows flexible funding language, with many awards listed as general charitable purpose. The foundation does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments, which aligns with its nonprofit grantmaking profile.
$1.5M
$36.7M
$4.6M
$2.1M
Most grants fall between $100K and $343K, with a median of $163K.
25th Percentile
$100K
Median
$163K
75th Percentile
$343K
About 25% of grants go to recipients in CA.
Top 2 recipient countries by grant volume for Terry & Laurie Ledbetter Foundation.
| Rank | Country | Grants | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United StatesDomestic | 28 | $8.2M | 96.5% |
| 2 | Australia |
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Highly concentrated giving with a small circle of repeated grantees, featuring several multi-grant relationships and a few very large anchor gifts alongside selective support for aligned ministries.
Notable grantees: Dallas Theological Seminary, Concordia University Irvine, Biola University, Azusa Pacific University, Fistula Foundation
The grant record is entirely U.S.-based, with 11 grants to U.S. recipients. California appears most often as the recipient state, with grants to Irvine, San Diego, San Jose, Azusa, and La Mirada. Texas also receives multiple grants, including Dallas and Texarkana. Outside Texas and California, the recent record includes Portland, Oregon, and Grand Rapids, Michigan. The distribution suggests a regional U.S. footprint rather than national or international recipient geography.
The recent grants show support for evangelical Christian seminaries and universities, plus health and development nonprofits. Examples include Dallas Theological Seminary, Concordia University Irvine, CURE International, Plant With Purpose, and Fistula Foundation, all funded under general charitable purpose.
Its grant sizes are generally large. The p25 is $301,875, the median is $500,000, and the p75 is $760,886. The recent record also includes a $3,645,673 grant, which sits well above the rest of the portfolio.
Yes. Dallas Theological Seminary received $1,000,000 in 2024 and another $1,000,000 in 2025. Biola University also appears twice, with $180,000 in 2024 and $180,000 in 2025.
California is the top state by grant count. Recent California recipients include Concordia University Irvine, Plant With Purpose, Fistula Foundation, Azusa Pacific University, and Biola University. Texas is also a major recipient state, with grants to Dallas Theological Seminary and LifeNet Inc.
No. The foundation’s profile shows that it does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments, indicating a grantmaking-only structure focused on nonprofit recipients.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
| 1 |
| $250K |
3.5% |
Recipient country reflects the grantee's headquarters per IRS 990-PF and Schedule F filings, not the program's implementation country.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas Theological Seminary | Dallas, TX | $1,000,000 | 2025 | General Charitable Purpose |
| AZUSA PACIFIC UNIVERSITY | AZUSA, CA | $270,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| Biola University | La Mirada, CA | $180,000 | 2025 | General Charitable Purpose |
| Dallas Theological Seminary | Dallas, TX | $1,000,000 | 2024 | General Charitable Purpose |
| Concordia University Irvine | Irvine, CA | $681,181 | 2024 | General Charitable Purpose |
| CURE International | Grand Rapids, MI | $500,000 | 2024 | General Charitable Purpose |
| Plant With Purpose | San Diego, CA | $500,000 | 2024 | General Charitable Purpose |
| Fistula Foundation | San Jose, CA | $342,500 | 2024 | General Charitable Purpose |
| Biola University | La Mirada, CA | $180,000 | 2024 | General Charitable Purpose |
| LifeNet Inc | Texarkana, TX | $162,500 | 2024 | General Charitable Purpose |
| Dallas Theological Seminary | Dallas, TX | $1,000,000 | 2023 | General Charitable Purpose |
| Concordia University Irvine | Irvine, CA | $790,173 | 2023 | General Charitable Purpose |
| Barbara May Foundation | Bowral | $250,000 | 2023 | General Charitable Purpose |
| Empart | Denver, CO | $250,000 | 2023 | General Charitable Purpose |
| Refuge Foundation | Billings, MT | $250,000 | 2023 | General Charitable Purpose |
| Healing Hands of Joy | Charlotte, NC | $150,000 | 2023 | General Charitable Purpose |
| Langham Partnership | Cave Creek, AZ | $150,000 | 2023 | General Charitable Purpose |
| Biola University | La Mirada, CA | $120,000 | 2023 | General Charitable Purpose |
| Regent University | Virginia Beach, VA | $108,000 | 2023 | General Charitable Purpose |
| YES | Pittsburgh, PA | $100,000 | 2023 | General Charitable Purpose |
| Tutapona, Inc | New Richmond, WI | $100,000 | 2023 | General Charitable Purpose |
| Lifewater Incorporated | Lithonia, GA | $100,000 | 2023 | General Charitable Purpose |
| The Bible Project | Portland, OR | $100,000 | 2023 | General Charitable Purpose |
| Azusa Pacific University | Azusa, CA | $90,000 | 2023 | General Charitable Purpose |
| Northwest Bible Church | Dallas, TX | $50,000 | 2023 | General Charitable Purpose |
| Cru | Orlando, FL | $25,000 | 2023 | General Charitable Purpose |
| Vickery Trading Company | Dallas, TX | $6,500 | 2023 | General Charitable Purpose |
| £3 Partners Ministry | Plano, TX | $5,000 | 2023 | General Charitable Purpose |
| Glocally Connected | Riverside, CA | $1,000 | 2023 | General Charitable Purpose |
AZUSA PACIFIC UNIVERSITY
$270,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSE
Biola University
$180,000General Charitable Purpose
General Charitable Purpose
Biola University
$180,000General Charitable Purpose
LifeNet Inc
$162,500General Charitable Purpose
Concordia University Irvine
$790,173General Charitable Purpose
Barbara May Foundation
$250,000General Charitable Purpose
Empart
$250,000General Charitable Purpose
Langham Partnership
$150,000General Charitable Purpose
Biola University
$120,000General Charitable Purpose
YES
$100,000General Charitable Purpose
Tutapona, Inc
$100,000General Charitable Purpose
Lifewater Incorporated
$100,000General Charitable Purpose
Azusa Pacific University
$90,000General Charitable Purpose
Northwest Bible Church
$50,000General Charitable Purpose
Cru
$25,000General Charitable Purpose
Vickery Trading Company
$6,500General Charitable Purpose
£3 Partners Ministry
$5,000General Charitable Purpose
Glocally Connected
$1,000General Charitable Purpose