Birtcher Family Foundation
The Birtcher Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Napa, California. Established in 2005 by Joanne and Ron Birtcher, it makes grants to U.S.-based Christian organizations for capital projects and sustainability initiatives serving ministries outside the United States.
Birtcher Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Birtcher Family Foundation gave $300K across 11 grants in 2025 (avg $27K), mostly in California. 70% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $300,149
- +36.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 11
- +22.2% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $27,286
- +11.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $1,836,699
- -10.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 70% first-time grantees (7 of 10, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (57% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Birtcher Family Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation’s website describes a grant request application. Applicants are asked to provide information about their organization and project, including objectives, timelines, metrics, local church or community involvement, and sustainability plans, and to upload relevant planning materials and proof of tax-exempt status. The board reviews requests and contacts applicants when its review is complete. The foundation’s 2025 filing states that awards are limited to Christian organizations and endeavors and that giving is not restricted to preselected organizations.
- Review Cycle
- None stated on the 2025 filing.
- Deadline
- None stated on the 2025 filing.
- Contact
Application contact: Wwwbirtcherfamilyfoundationorg
Mailing address: 2900 Hillcrest Drive, Napa, CA 94558
Phone: (707) 252-7930
Website: HTTP://BIRTCHERFAMILYFOUNDATION.ORG
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Birtcher Family Foundation
Who Birtcher Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Tefthornston Education Fund ($75K across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $300K.
Grant Size Distribution
48 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 44 grants of 48 (92%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s stated focus is on projects outside the United States, while its eligible applicants are U.S.-based organizations. In 2025, grant dollars by recipient state were reported as 57% to California, 12% to Georgia, 10% to Oregon, 8% to Ohio, and 7% to Kentucky.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Birtcher Family Foundation open to new grantees?
70%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 7 of 10 grantees (70%) were first-time recipients. With only 10 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 10 points. First grants averaged $30K; repeat grants $31K. How we count
Medians: $22K first-time, $25K repeat.
- 20% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 121% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 344% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $133K (2023) to $300K (2025). In 2025 it made 11 grants totaling $300K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Tefthornston Education Fund Wrightwood, CA | Emergency Building Repairs | $50,000 |
| Africa New Day Seal Beach, CA | School Expansion | $50,000 |
| Operation Mobilization Tyrone, GA | Classrooms and Security Fence | $35,000 |
| Africa New Life Portland, OR | Land Purchase | $30,000 |
| Life Child Africa Foundation San Jose, CA | Build Primary Classroom | $25,000 |
| Tefthornston Education Fund Wrightwood, CA | Renovate Training Center | $25,000 |
| Milele Int'l Dana Point, CA | Agriculture, Dairy & Poultry Structures | $22,049 |
| Team Expansion Louisville, KY | Build Training Center | $22,000 |
| Transformed for Life Raleigh, NC | Living Security Fence | $18,500 |
| Hope for Haiti's Children Cincinnati, OH | Teacher and Classroom Furnishings | $17,100 |
Ready to take the next step with Birtcher Family Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,836,699 | $78,395 | $368,259 | $300,149 | 11 | $333,582 | $46,448 | $96,849 |
| 2024 | $2,043,344 | $105,523 | $295,882 | $220,176 | 9 | $261,628 | $60,452 | $106,967 |
| 2023 | $2,201,126 | $105,852 | $208,566 | $133,017 | 7 | $133,042 | $56,537 | $107,880 |
| 2022 | $2,240,091 | $-171,682 | $215,689 | $135,637 | 7 | $173,350 | — | $117,435 |
| 2021 | $2,831,563 | $432,186 | $297,356 | $230,733 | 14 | $230,733 | $331,834 | $136,698 |
| 2020 | $2,765,786 | $114,098 | $244,526 | $188,151 | 8 | — | $82,782 | $124,918 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Birtcher Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $97K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s stated mission is to work with churches and other Christian organizations to provide physical assets on foreign mission fields that promote Christian evangelism and discipleship. It funds capital projects—such as buildings, land, and equipment—and sustainability initiatives intended to create income or reduce costs and strengthen a ministry’s financial stability. Seminaries and pastor training schools receive priority; other eligible projects include Christian school facilities, secure infrastructure, ministry spaces, and revenue-producing activities such as crop production or livestock operations.
Applicants must be U.S.-based churches or Christian nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status and at least three years of operational history in the field. Projects must benefit a ministry or community outside the United States, directly support evangelism, leadership development, or Christian education, and include a defined plan for measurable, long-term financial stability.
The supported organizations’ missions illustrate the kinds of work among grantees: Africa New Day says it equips people to become community leaders and spreads faith in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; Life Child Africa Foundation describes its work as supporting children, families, communities, and nations through education, health and nutrition, and social and spiritual development; and Hope for Haiti’s Children says it provides Christian compassion and leadership opportunities for Haitian children and families.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 11 grants totaling $300,149. Grant amounts ranged from $5,500 to $50,000, with a median of $25,000.
Among the largest 2025 awards were $50,000 to Tefthornston Education Fund for emergency building repairs and $50,000 to Africa New Day for school expansion; $35,000 to Operation Mobilization for classrooms and a security fence; $30,000 to Africa New Life for a land purchase; and $25,000 to Life Child Africa Foundation to build a primary classroom. Other reported awards included $25,000 to Tefthornston Education Fund for training-center renovations, $22,049 to Milele Int’l for agriculture, dairy, and poultry structures, and $22,000 to Team Expansion to build a training center.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Baron Birtcher as president; Joanne M. Birtcher as founder and director; Cynthia Jennings as secretary/treasurer; and Brandon Birtcher, Whitney Janisch, Neil Paur, and Chris Yarco as directors.
Birtcher Family Foundation is led by Baron R. Birtcher, President on every filing since 2020; 1 of 7 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Baron R. Birtcher
President
On filings since 2020
7 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Joanne M. Birtcher
Founder & Director
Vice President → Founder & Director, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Brandon Birtcher
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Chris Yarco
Director
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Neil Paur
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Whitney Janisch
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Cynthia Jennings
Secretary & Treasurer
Secretary → Secretary, Treasurer & Executive Director, 2024
Secretary, Treasurer & Executive Director → Secretary & Treasurer, 2025
On filings since 2020
18 hrs/week
$15K (2020) → $20K (2025)
Former officers (2)
- Former: Ron Falstad (2024) — Director
- Former: Brad Jameson (2020–2023) — Treasurer
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $20K, to Cynthia Jennings (Secretary/Treasurer).
Frequently asked questions about Birtcher Family Foundation
How much does Birtcher Family Foundation give each year?
Birtcher Family Foundation gave $300K across 11 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $220K across 9 grants.
What is Birtcher Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Birtcher Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $25,000, and its average grant was $27,286, across 11 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Birtcher Family Foundation that year got $30K on average.
Where does Birtcher Family Foundation give grants?
Birtcher Family Foundation gives mostly in California: 57% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Georgia (12%) and Oregon (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Wrightwood, CA (2 grants).
Does Birtcher Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 11 grants with a stated purpose on Birtcher Family Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are Birtcher Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Birtcher Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Tefthornston Education Fund ($75,000 across 2 grants), Africa New Day ($50,000) and Operation Mobilization ($35,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 53% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Birtcher Family Foundation?
Birtcher Family Foundation reported $1.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $334K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $97K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Birtcher Family Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated mission is to work with churches and other Christian organizations to provide physical assets on foreign mission fields that promote Christian evangelism and discipleship. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Birtcher Family Foundation?
The foundation’s website describes a grant request application. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Birtcher Family Foundation's EIN?
Birtcher Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-1089341. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 6, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Birtcher Family Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Birtcher Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Birtcher Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/birtcher-family-foundation-morg_a1c6ea396c7c45ad8a8cb47dd2307486
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_201089341_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Birtcher Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/birtcher-family-foundation-morg_a1c6ea396c7c45ad8a8cb47dd2307486},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Birtcher Family Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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