Christian Education Charitable Trust CO
Christian Education Charitable Trust Co is a private foundation based in Chattanooga, Tennessee. It was created exclusively for religious, charitable, and educational purposes and describes itself as primarily a grantmaker.
Christian Education Charitable Trust CO at a glance
In short: Christian Education Charitable Trust CO gave $1.1M across 22 grants in 2024 (avg $50K), top state Georgia. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,105,000
- +13.3% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 22
- +22.2% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $50,227
- -7.3% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $50,000
- Total assets
- $19,756,538
- +1.1% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- Georgia (16% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Christian Education Charitable Trust CO
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- Contact
Mailing address: 820 Broad Street Suite 300, Chattanooga, TN 37402
Phone: (423) 755-1366
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Christian Education Charitable Trust CO funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Colson Center ($125K). Together the top 10 received $705K.
Grant Size Distribution
73 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 31 grants of 73 (42%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The largest shares of 2024 grant dollars went to organizations in Georgia (16%), Virginia (14%), Colorado (14%), Massachusetts (14%), and Washington (9%). The listed grants also included recipients in Iowa, Arizona, Minnesota, Florida, Texas, and Indiana.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 22 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Christian Education Charitable Trust CO gives
- 64% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 333% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 108% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $255K (2021) to $1.1M (2024). In 2024 it made 22 grants totaling $1.1M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Colson Center Colorado Springs, CO | For Charitable Leadership Development. | $125,000 |
| Discovery Institute Seattle, WA | For Spiritual Formation and Education. | $100,000 |
| Gordon College Wenham, MA | For Charitable Leadership Development. | $100,000 |
| Covenant College Inc Lookout Mountain, GA | For Leadership Development or Training. | $80,000 |
| Council on Education Standards and Accountability Inc Kennesaw, GA | For Charitable Leadership Development. | $50,000 |
| Des Moines Christian School Urbandale, IA | For Charitable Leadership Development. | $50,000 |
| Gilbert Christian Schools Gilbert, AZ | For Charitable Leadership Development. | $50,000 |
| Greater Atlanta Christian Schools Inc Norcross, GA | For Charitable Leadership Development. | $50,000 |
| Hope Academy Minneapolis, MN | For Charitable Leadership Development. | $50,000 |
| In Media Res Charlottesville, VA | For Charitable Leadership Development. | $50,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $19,756,538 | $2,147,049 | $1,924,459 | $1,105,000 | 22 | $1,536,529 | $1,598,644 | $1,427,531 |
| 2023 | $19,533,426 | $364,143 | $1,843,942 | $975,000 | 18 | $1,419,688 | $66,117 | $1,430,920 |
| 2022 | $21,725,885 | $1,921,887 | $2,135,625 | $1,077,470 | 16 | $1,705,983 | $1,578,996 | $1,410,843 |
| 2021 | $21,948,461 | $3,129,480 | $1,058,271 | $255,000 | 5 | $574,437 | $2,699,668 | $1,477,815 |
| 2020 | $19,868,414 | $1,931,086 | $1,478,209 | $816,000 | 12 | — | $1,724,266 | $1,188,891 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Christian Education Charitable Trust CO reported a distributable amount of $1.4M for 2024 — 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 states that it was created for religious, charitable, and educational purposes. Its 2024 grants included support for schools, colleges, and other organizations whose work includes Christian education, leadership development, and spiritual formation.
Among the 2024 grantees, Hope Academy describes its work as operating a K–12 school in urban Minneapolis that provides a classical Christian education. Regents School of Austin describes its purpose as providing a classical and Christian education informed by a biblical worldview. Covenant College says it seeks to educate Christians to engage culture and cultures, among other aims. Discovery Institute describes a mission of advancing a culture of purpose, creativity, and innovation through education, research, and analysis.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 22 grants totaling $1,105,000. Grants ranged from $20,000 to $125,000, with a median of $50,000. The largest awards included $125,000 to Colson Center for charitable leadership development; $100,000 each to Discovery Institute for spiritual formation and education and Gordon College for charitable leadership development; and $80,000 to Covenant College for leadership development or training.
Other reported 2024 awards included $50,000 each to Council on Education Standards and Accountability, Des Moines Christian School, Gilbert Christian Schools, Greater Atlanta Christian Schools, Hope Academy, In Media Res, International Generosity Foundation Trust, and Regents School of Austin. CS Lewis Institute received $35,000, and Ratio Christi received $25,000.
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Robert H. Maclellan as chairman of the board. Trustees are Reid A. Maclellan, Elizabeth Lindquist, Rodger Piersant, John Zeiser, Jill Hartness, and Chris Maclellan. Charles W. Philips is listed as executive director and secretary pro-tem.
Christian Education Charitable Trust CO is led by Charles W. Philips, Executive Director & Secretary Pro-Tem since 2023 (on filings since 2020); 1 of 8 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Charles W. Philips
Executive Director & Secretary Pro-Tem
Executive Director → Executive Director & Secretary Pro-Tem, 2023
On filings since 2020
30 hrs/week
$129K (2020) → $220K (2024)
Robert H. Maclellan
Chairman of the Board
V.p. & Trustee → Chairman of the Board, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Elizabeth Lindquist
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
John Zeiser
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Reid A. Maclellan
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Rodger Piersant
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Chris Maclellan
Trustee
On filings since 2022
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jill Hartness
Trustee
On filings since 2022
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Hugh O. Maclellan Jr. (2020–2022) — Emeritus
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $220K, to Charles W Philips (Executive Director & Secretary Pro-TEM).
Frequently asked questions about Christian Education Charitable Trust CO
How much does Christian Education Charitable Trust CO give each year?
Christian Education Charitable Trust CO gave $1.1M across 22 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $975K across 18 grants.
What is Christian Education Charitable Trust CO's typical grant size?
Christian Education Charitable Trust CO's median grant in 2024 was $50,000, and its average grant was $50,227, across 22 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Christian Education Charitable Trust CO give grants?
Christian Education Charitable Trust CO's top state is Georgia, with 16% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Virginia (14%) and Colorado (14%). The most frequent recipient cities were Colorado Springs, CO (2 grants), Charlottesville, VA (2 grants) and Springfield, VA (2 grants).
Does Christian Education Charitable Trust CO give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 22 grants with a stated purpose on Christian Education Charitable Trust CO's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "For Charitable Leadership Development." (20 grants).
Who are Christian Education Charitable Trust CO's largest grantees?
Christian Education Charitable Trust CO's largest 2024 grantees include Colson Center ($125,000), Discovery Institute ($100,000) and Gordon College ($100,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 29% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Christian Education Charitable Trust CO?
Christian Education Charitable Trust CO reported $19.8M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.5M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.4M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Christian Education Charitable Trust CO fund?
The foundation states that it was created for religious, charitable, and educational purposes. Its 2024 grants included support for schools, colleges, and other organizations whose work includes Christian education, leadership development, and spiritual formation. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Christian Education Charitable Trust CO?
Christian Education Charitable Trust CO does not accept unsolicited proposals, according to Grantable's research on its published guidelines.
What is Christian Education Charitable Trust CO's EIN?
Christian Education Charitable Trust CO's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-7412895. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Christian Education Charitable Trust CO accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Christian Education Charitable Trust CO funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/christian-education-charitable-trust-co-morg_4ea56d0d69e044dc8c3d6cdd056fed4c
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_237412895_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Christian Education Charitable Trust CO funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/christian-education-charitable-trust-co-morg_4ea56d0d69e044dc8c3d6cdd056fed4c},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 Christian Education Charitable Trust CO'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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