The Word of Life Foundation is an evangelical Christian grantmaker that overwhelmingly supports ministry-focused organizations, with a heavy emphasis on church operations, Bible colleges, church planting, and international missionary work. Its portfolio includes both very large institutional gifts (notably to its affiliated Word of Life Fellowship) and numerous smaller, recurring grants to parachurch ministries, youth/athletic ministries, and Bible translation/teaching organizations. Grants appear mission-driven rather than geographic, funding local outreach programs as well as global missions and training institutions.
Word of Life Foundation Inc gives at a scale that is unusual for a ministry-focused public charity, with annual grants of $50,623,903 and a recent record dominated by large gifts to Word of Life Fellowship Inc. That affiliated organization received three of the biggest grants in the file: $16,915,121 in 2023, $9,976,373 in 2024, and $11,616,893 in 2025, all tied to ministry or ministry outreach. Beyond its own network, the foundation supports a wide Christian ministry ecosystem that includes church planting, Bible colleges, evangelistic outreach, and missionary work. Recent grants also show support for Rock City Church in Hilliard, Ohio, and for Finish Line Ministries International in Columbus, Ohio, indicating that the foundation funds both institutional ministry operations and specific outreach efforts. The pattern is mission-centered rather than programmatically broad, and the largest awards sit alongside many smaller grants in the same ministry orbit. The result is a portfolio built around religious instruction, church work, and evangelistic service, with recurring backing for organizations that train leaders, plant churches, and extend faith-based outreach in the United States.
Church planting is one of the clearest threads in the recent grants list. Word of Life Foundation Inc gave $5,000,000 to Rock City Church in Hilliard, Ohio, and $66,600 to Vision USA Church Planting in West Alexandria, Ohio. The foundation also supports ministry training and theological education: Appalachian Bible College in Mount Hope, West Virginia received $155,000 in 2023, $152,000 in 2024, and $100,000 in 2025, while Malone University in Canton, Ohio received $200,000 in 2025 and $100,000 in 2023 and 2024. Evangelistic and outreach work appears in gifts such as $65,450 to Campus Crusade for Christ in Orlando, Florida and $120,000 to HOPE International Inc in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Faith-based service organizations also appear, including $100,000 to Grief Care Fellowship Inc in Hudson, Florida.
Typical grant size sits at $10,000 at the 25th percentile, $15,000 at the median, and $50,500 at the 75th percentile, which shows a long tail of large ministry awards. The list also includes repeated support for the same recipients across multiple years: Word of Life Fellowship Inc, Appalachian Bible College, Malone University, Serve Syracuse, and Finish Line Ministries International each appear more than once. This is a public charity, not a private foundation, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. The grant record reads as recurring institutional support rather than one-off project funding, with many awards connected to ongoing ministry or outreach work.
$13.6M
$25.8M
$11.3M
$14.1M
Most grants fall between $10K and $51K, with a median of $15K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$15K
75th Percentile
$51K
About 21% of grants go to recipients in PA.
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Highly concentrated, mission-focused giving: a single dominant beneficiary (Word of Life Fellowship) receives the largest share, while many other grants are modest, recurring awards to a stable set of evangelical/parachurch organizations across education, church planting, missions, and youth ministry.
Notable grantees: Word of Life Fellowship Inc, Rock City Church, Finish Line Ministries International, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Wycliffe
Grantmaking is national, with 100% of grants going to U.S. recipients. Pennsylvania is the top state by grant count, and New York recipients account for 21% of grants. Recent recipients include organizations in Syracuse and Cicero, New York; Columbus, Ohio; and Mount Hope, West Virginia. The recipient map also reaches beyond the Northeast and Midwest to places such as Orlando, Florida, Phoenix, Arizona, and Denver, Colorado.
The recent grants point to ministry-centered support: church planting, Bible colleges, evangelistic outreach, missionary work, and faith-based service organizations. Examples in the grant list include church operations, theological training, campus ministry, and grief care work.
Yes. Several recipients appear across multiple years, including Word of Life Fellowship Inc, Appalachian Bible College, Malone University, Serve Syracuse, and Finish Line Ministries International. That pattern suggests ongoing support rather than isolated gifts.
The grant-size distribution is $10,000 at the 25th percentile, $15,000 at the median, and $50,500 at the 75th percentile. The file also includes much larger institutional gifts, showing a wide range between routine support and major awards.
The foundation gives nationally, but Pennsylvania has the highest grant count. New York recipients make up 21% of grants, and the recent list includes recipients in Syracuse, Cicero, Columbus, Mount Hope, Orlando, Phoenix, and Denver.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Word of Life Fellowship Inc | Schroon Lake, NY | $11,616,893 | 2025 | Ministry Outreach |
| Finish Line Ministries International | Columbus, OH | $465,000 | 2025 | Ministry Outreach |
| Serve Syracuse | Syracuse, NY | $200,000 | 2025 | Ministry Outreach |
| Malone University | Canton, OH | $200,000 | 2025 | Ministry Outreach |
| Appalachian Bible College | Mount Hope, WV | $100,000 | 2025 | Ministry Outreach |
| National Christian Foundation | Alpharetta, GA | $72,000 | 2025 | Ministry Outreach |
| Campus Crusade for Christ | Orlando, FL | $65,450 | 2025 | Ministry Outreach |
| Abide International | Miami Gardens, FL | $60,000 | 2025 | Ministry Outreach |
| Local Church Evangelism Inc | Hudson, FL | $53,600 | 2025 | Ministry Outreach |
| Keep Believing Ministries | Elmhurst, IL | $50,000 | 2025 | Ministry Outreach |
| Vision USA Church Planting | West Alexandria, OH | $44,000 | 2025 | Ministry Outreach |
| By The Hand | Chicago, IL | $35,000 | 2025 | Ministry Outreach |
| SCORE International Inc | Chattanooga, TN | $30,995 | 2025 | Ministry Outreach |
| Wycliffe | Orlando, FL | $28,600 | 2025 | Ministry Outreach |
| Faith Heritage School | Syracuse, NY | $27,600 | 2025 | Ministry Outreach |
| This Is My Story Inc | Orlando, FL | $26,000 | 2025 | Ministry Outreach |
| Truth Encounter | Midlothian, TX | $25,000 | 2025 | Ministry Outreach |
| Ecuadorian Harvest Ministries | Everett, WA | $25,000 | 2025 | Ministry Outreach |
| Fellowship of Christian Athletes | Kansas City, MO | $24,400 | 2025 | Ministry Outreach |
| Fellowship of Christian Athletes | Syracuse, NY | $24,400 | 2025 | Ministry Outreach |
| Fellowship of Christian Athletes | Syracuse, NY | $24,400 | 2025 | Ministry Outreach |
| Fellowship of Christian Athletes | Syracuse, NY | $24,400 | 2025 | Ministry Outreach |
| Pioneers Inc | Orlando, FL | $23,000 | 2025 | Ministry Outreach |
| Dominican Advance | Phoenix, AZ | $21,398 | 2025 | Ministry Outreach |
| Discover the Book Ministries | Owasso, OK | $20,000 | 2025 | Ministry Outreach |
| Cedarville University | Cedarville, OH | $20,000 | 2025 | Ministry Outreach |
| Davis College | Bible School Park, NY | $19,000 | 2025 | Ministry Outreach |
| Encompass World Partners | Atlanta, GA | $15,000 | 2025 | Ministry Outreach |
| International Friendship Evangelism | Jamesville, NY | $15,000 | 2025 | Ministry Outreach |
| Liberty University Inc | Lynchburg, VA | $14,500 | 2025 | Ministry Outreach |
| Central Missionary Clearinghouse | Houston, TX | $14,000 | 2025 | Ministry Outreach |
| Christian Culinary Academy | Cannon Beach, OR | $12,759 | 2025 | Ministry Outreach |
| Rome Christian Fellowship Inc | Naples, FL | $12,000 | 2025 | Ministry Outreach |
| Mars Hill Network | Syracuse, NY | $12,000 | 2025 | Ministry Outreach |
| New Hope Family Services | Syracuse, NY | $12,000 | 2025 | Ministry Outreach |
| Moody Church Media | Chicago, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | Ministry Outreach |
| Links Players International | Clovis, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | Ministry Outreach |
| Discipleship Network of America | Signal Mountain, TN | $10,000 | 2025 | Ministry Outreach |
| Mission 316 | Charleston, WV | $10,000 | 2025 | Ministry Outreach |
| SIM | Charlotte, NC | $10,000 | 2025 | Ministry Outreach |
| Crisis Pregnancy of Tidewater | Chesapeake, VA | $10,000 | 2025 | Ministry Outreach |
| DNA Global Network | Tyrone, GA | $10,000 | 2025 | Ministry Outreach |
| Ethnos 360 | Sanford, FL | $9,600 | 2025 | Ministry Outreach |
| Source of Light | Madison, GA | $9,600 | 2025 | Ministry Outreach |
| The Navigators | Colorado Springs, CO | $9,000 | 2025 | Ministry Outreach |
| 20schemes | Bardstown, KY | $9,000 | 2025 | Ministry Outreach |
| One Challenge International | Colorado Springs, CO | $9,000 | 2025 | Ministry Outreach |
| Selahs Heart | Destin, FL | $8,500 | 2025 | Ministry Outreach |
| Mesa Global | Charlotte, NC | $7,700 | 2025 | Ministry Outreach |
| World Baptist Fellowship Mission Agency | Arlington, TX | $7,400 | 2025 | Ministry Outreach |
Word of Life Fellowship Inc
$11,616,893Ministry Outreach
Finish Line Ministries International
$465,000Ministry Outreach
Serve Syracuse
$200,000Ministry Outreach
Malone University
$200,000Ministry Outreach
Appalachian Bible College
$100,000Ministry Outreach
National Christian Foundation
$72,000Ministry Outreach
Campus Crusade for Christ
$65,450Ministry Outreach
Abide International
$60,000Ministry Outreach
Local Church Evangelism Inc
$53,600Ministry Outreach
Keep Believing Ministries
$50,000Ministry Outreach
Vision USA Church Planting
$44,000Ministry Outreach
By The Hand
$35,000Ministry Outreach
SCORE International Inc
$30,995Ministry Outreach
Wycliffe
$28,600Ministry Outreach
Faith Heritage School
$27,600Ministry Outreach
This Is My Story Inc
$26,000Ministry Outreach
Truth Encounter
$25,000Ministry Outreach
Ecuadorian Harvest Ministries
$25,000Ministry Outreach
Fellowship of Christian Athletes
$24,400Ministry Outreach
Fellowship of Christian Athletes
$24,400Ministry Outreach
Fellowship of Christian Athletes
$24,400Ministry Outreach
Fellowship of Christian Athletes
$24,400Ministry Outreach
Pioneers Inc
$23,000Ministry Outreach
Dominican Advance
$21,398Ministry Outreach
Discover the Book Ministries
$20,000Ministry Outreach
Cedarville University
$20,000Ministry Outreach
Davis College
$19,000Ministry Outreach
Encompass World Partners
$15,000Ministry Outreach
International Friendship Evangelism
$15,000Ministry Outreach
Liberty University Inc
$14,500Ministry Outreach
Central Missionary Clearinghouse
$14,000Ministry Outreach
Christian Culinary Academy
$12,759Ministry Outreach
Rome Christian Fellowship Inc
$12,000Ministry Outreach
Mars Hill Network
$12,000Ministry Outreach
New Hope Family Services
$12,000Ministry Outreach
Moody Church Media
$10,000Ministry Outreach
Links Players International
$10,000Ministry Outreach
Discipleship Network of America
$10,000Ministry Outreach
Mission 316
$10,000Ministry Outreach
SIM
$10,000Ministry Outreach
Crisis Pregnancy of Tidewater
$10,000Ministry Outreach
DNA Global Network
$10,000Ministry Outreach
Ethnos 360
$9,600Ministry Outreach
Source of Light
$9,600Ministry Outreach
The Navigators
$9,000Ministry Outreach
20schemes
$9,000Ministry Outreach
One Challenge International
$9,000Ministry Outreach
Selahs Heart
$8,500Ministry Outreach
Mesa Global
$7,700Ministry Outreach
World Baptist Fellowship Mission Agency
$7,400Ministry Outreach