Christian Services Foundation
Christian Services Foundation is a private foundation based in Florence, Alabama. It supports Christian-oriented service projects intended to help people and communities, including work in Tanzania and local service efforts.
Christian Services Foundation at a glance
In short: Christian Services Foundation gave $258K across 13 grants in 2025 (avg $20K), mostly in Alabama. 42% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $257,675
- +3.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 13
- +44.4% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $19,821
- -28.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $1,542,557
- +3.3% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 42% first-time grantees (5 of 12, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Alabama (88% 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 Christian Services Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 6630 County Road 41, Florence, AL 35633
Phone: (256) 349-5896
Website: https://csfoundationinc.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Christian Services Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Cross Point Church of Christ ($146K). Together the top 10 received $257K.
Grant Size Distribution
51 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 45 grants of 51 (88%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s website describes projects serving local and global neighbors and identifies work in Tanzania. In 2025, 88% of grant dollars went to recipients in Alabama and 12% to recipients in Arkansas. The listed grants also included recipients in Nebraska and Tennessee.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Christian Services Foundation open to new grantees?
42%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 5 of 12 grantees (42%) were first-time recipients. With only 12 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $1K; repeat grants $36K. How we count
Medians: $600 first-time, $14K repeat.
- 50% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 43% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 112% 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 $121K (2020) to $797K (2023). In 2025 it made 13 grants totaling $258K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Cross Point Church of Christ Florence, AL | Tanzania missions | $145,500 |
| Outreach Reentry Ministry Muscle Shoals, AL | Life After Prison | $50,275 |
| Mars Hill Bible School Florence, AL | School operations | $20,000 |
| Harding University Searcy, AR | Guffey Musik Scholarship Fund - Ensley Montgomery | $12,500 |
| Cloverdale Church of Christ Searcy, AR | Tanzania missions | $12,000 |
| University of Alabama Birmingham Birmingham, AL | Scholarship for academically accomplished international student - Pelagea Tikhomirova | $5,000 |
| Mission of Mercy Shoals Florence, AL | Substance abuse recovery | $5,000 |
| International Health Care Foundatio Searcy, AR | Medical missions | $4,500 |
| College Counts 529 Plan Lincoln, NE | Savings for future student scholarship for deserving high school graduate | $1,000 |
| Harding University Searcy, AR | Scholarship for Bible teacher at Alpha Omega Secondary School in Tanzania | $1,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Christian Services 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 | $1,542,557 | $305,576 | $261,982 | $257,675 | 13 | $257,675 | $118,898 | $230,835 |
| 2024 | $1,492,916 | $318,309 | $249,830 | $248,900 | 9 | $248,900 | $119,943 | $177,162 |
| 2023 | $1,423,223 | $206,497 | $802,626 | $796,500 | 8 | $796,500 | $79,486 | $152,132 |
| 2022 | $2,018,074 | $461,714 | $189,156 | $180,500 | 9 | $180,500 | $278,846 | $172,584 |
| 2021 | $1,745,522 | $484,897 | $208,722 | $207,420 | 12 | $207,420 | $312,905 | $157,891 |
| 2020 | $1,469,415 | $251,171 | $124,203 | $121,300 | 5 | — | $120,340 | $126,405 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Christian Services Foundation reported a distributable amount of $231K 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 mission is: “By implementing sustainable Christian oriented service projects, CSF will be a catalyst for emancipating individuals and cultures from the poverty cycle.”
Its website says it helps sponsor Tanzania Christian Services, a Tanzanian nonprofit NGO that supports Tanzania Christian Clinic and Alpha Omega Christian Secondary School. Its 2025 grants also supported church missions, reentry ministry, school operations, scholarships, medical missions, substance abuse recovery, and hospital operations.
Harding University, a 2025 grantee, describes its own mission as transforming learners for global impact, with Christ as Lord, by engaging minds and nurturing faith within a connected community.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation gave $257,675 through 13 grants. Grant amounts ranged from $100 to $145,500, with a median grant of $5,000.
The largest 2025 grants included $145,500 to Cross Point Church of Christ for Tanzania missions; $50,275 to Outreach Reentry Ministry for Life After Prison; $20,000 to an individual recipient Bible School for school operations; $12,500 to Harding University for the Guffey Musik Scholarship Fund – Ensley Montgomery; and $12,000 to Cloverdale Church of Christ for Tanzania missions. Other grants included $5,000 to Mission of Mercy Shoals for substance abuse recovery and $4,500 to International Health Care Foundation for medical missions.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Danny N Smelser as president, director, and manager; Nancy B Smelser as vice president and director; and Daniel J Smelser, Lauren S White, and Bryan L Smelser as directors.
Christian Services Foundation is led by Danny N Smelser, President, Director & Manager since 2024 (on filings since 2020); none of the 5 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Danny N Smelser
President, Director & Manager
President → President, Director & Manager, 2024
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Bryan L Smelser
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Daniel J Smelser
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Lauren S White
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Nancy B Smelser
Vice President & Director
Vice President → Vice President & Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
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.
Frequently asked questions about Christian Services Foundation
How much does Christian Services Foundation give each year?
Christian Services Foundation gave $258K across 13 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $249K across 9 grants.
What is Christian Services Foundation's typical grant size?
Christian Services Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $19,821, across 13 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Christian Services Foundation that year got $1K on average.
Where does Christian Services Foundation give grants?
Christian Services Foundation gives mostly in Alabama: 88% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Arkansas (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were Florence, AL (4 grants) and Searcy, AR (4 grants).
Does Christian Services Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 13 grants with a stated purpose on Christian Services Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are Christian Services Foundation's largest grantees?
Christian Services Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Cross Point Church of Christ ($145,500), Outreach Reentry Ministry ($50,275) and Mars Hill Bible School ($20,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 84% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Christian Services Foundation?
Christian Services Foundation reported $1.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $258K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $231K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Christian Services Foundation fund?
The foundation’s mission is: “By implementing sustainable Christian oriented service projects, CSF will be a catalyst for emancipating individuals and cultures from the poverty cycle.” See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Christian Services Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Christian Services Foundation's EIN?
Christian Services Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 63-0921661. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Christian Services Foundation 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
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 21, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Christian Services Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Christian Services Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/christian-services-foundation-morg_fc47268d224941618272e9584d4a4a3c
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_630921661_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Christian Services Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/christian-services-foundation-morg_fc47268d224941618272e9584d4a4a3c},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 Services 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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