Cost of Discipleship Foundation
Cost of Discipleship Foundation is a private foundation based in Omaha, Nebraska. In 2024, it reported giving $349,624 through 27 grants, with its largest listed awards supporting Omaha organizations.
Cost of Discipleship Foundation at a glance
In short: Cost of Discipleship Foundation gave $350K across 27 grants in 2024 (avg $13K), mostly in Nebraska. 48% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $349,624
- +146.8% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 27
- +12.5% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $12,949
- +119.4% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $1,400
- Total assets
- $382,934
- -27.7% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 48% first-time grantees (13 of 27, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Nebraska (93% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Cost of Discipleship Foundation
- How to Apply
-
Contact Dean Hodges. A written request stating the need for assistance and the agency’s work is preferred. The foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Awards have no stated restrictions, but priority is given to youth, community building, and religious activities.
- Contact
Application contact: Dean Hodges
Mailing address: 5059 S 175Th St, Omaha, NE 68135
Phone: (402) 932-0329
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Cost of Discipleship Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Abide Network ($124K). Together the top 10 received $334K.
Grant Size Distribution
128 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 125 grants of 128 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 filing reports that 93% of grant dollars went to recipients in Nebraska, 5% to Idaho, and 1% to New Mexico. It also reports 0% each for South Dakota and Colorado. The listed grants include substantial support for Omaha organizations, as well as grants to recipients in Boise, Idaho, and Las Vegas, New Mexico.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 27 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Cost of Discipleship Foundation open to new grantees?
48%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 13 of 27 grantees (48%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $1K; repeat grants $24K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 48% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 124% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 $129K (2022) to $350K (2024). In 2024 it made 27 grants totaling $350K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Abide Network Omaha, NE | General Support | $124,000 |
| Love Church Omaha, NE | General Support | $121,234 |
| Victory Boxing Club Omaha, NE | General Support | $24,000 |
| Christian Business Men (CMBC) Omaha, NE | General Support | $19,885 |
| St Luke's Cancer Institute Boise, ID | General Support | $15,096 |
| Partnership 4 Kids Omaha, NE | General Support | $10,000 |
| Omaha Street School Omaha, NE | General Support | $5,678 |
| Pillar Seminary Omaha, NE | General Support | $5,000 |
| New Mexico Highlands University Las Vegas, NM | General Support | $5,000 |
| Open Door Mission Omaha, NE | General Support | $4,250 |
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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 | $382,934 | $210,644 | $357,306 | $349,624 | 27 | $349,624 | $14,492 | $8,214 |
| 2023 | $529,596 | $228,772 | $158,094 | $141,655 | 24 | $141,655 | $32,209 | $6,246 |
| 2022 | $458,918 | $116,752 | $135,494 | $128,779 | 20 | $128,779 | $16,012 | $4,539 |
| 2021 | $477,660 | $239,971 | $170,031 | $155,787 | 29 | $155,787 | $3,524 | $8,659 |
| 2020 | $407,720 | $364,579 | $157,788 | $146,522 | 28 | — | — | $7,765 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Cost of Discipleship Foundation reported a distributable amount of $8K 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’s filing describes direct support for Love Church programs and ministries; Abide Network’s neighborhood, family-support, housing, and community-partnership work; and Christian Businessmen’s Ministries’ promotion of the Christian gospel in the marketplace.
Its grants also went to organizations working in areas including youth services, education, ministry training, homelessness and poverty relief, and health care. These are grantees’ activities, rather than stated foundation priorities. For example, Victory Boxing Club describes its work as providing South Omaha youth a safe refuge through boxing and Christian principles. Partnership 4 Kids says it supports students from preschool through graduation with individualized support, career exploration, and scholarships. Omaha Street School describes its work as providing personalized education and tools for self-sufficiency to at-risk youth.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation awarded 27 grants totaling $349,624. Grant amounts ranged from $100 to $124,000, with a median of $1,400. The largest awards included Abide Network ($124,000), Love Church ($121,234), Victory Boxing Club ($24,000), Christian Business Men (CMBC) ($19,885), and St Luke’s Cancer Institute ($15,096). Other listed recipients included Partnership 4 Kids ($10,000), Omaha Street School ($5,678), Pillar Seminary ($5,000), New Mexico Highlands University ($5,000), and Open Door Mission ($4,250).
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Dean Hodges as president, Bob Smithhisler as secretary, Mike Quinn as treasurer, and Matthew Hodges as director.
Cost of Discipleship Foundation is led by Dean Hodges, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Dean Hodges
President
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Matthew Hodges
Director
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Bob Smithhisler
Secretary
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mike Quinn
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
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.
Frequently asked questions about Cost of Discipleship Foundation
How much does Cost of Discipleship Foundation give each year?
Cost of Discipleship Foundation gave $350K across 27 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $142K across 24 grants.
What is Cost of Discipleship Foundation's typical grant size?
Cost of Discipleship Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $1,400, and its average grant was $12,949, across 27 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Cost of Discipleship Foundation that year got $1K on average.
Where does Cost of Discipleship Foundation give grants?
Cost of Discipleship Foundation gives mostly in Nebraska: 93% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Omaha, NE (18 grants), Boise, ID (2 grants) and Bellevue, NE (2 grants).
Does Cost of Discipleship Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Cost of Discipleship Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (27 of 27) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Cost of Discipleship Foundation's largest grantees?
Cost of Discipleship Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Abide Network ($124,000), Love Church ($121,234) and Victory Boxing Club ($24,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 77% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Cost of Discipleship Foundation?
Cost of Discipleship Foundation reported $383K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $350K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $8K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Cost of Discipleship Foundation fund?
The foundation’s filing describes direct support for Love Church programs and ministries; Abide Network’s neighborhood, family-support, housing, and community-partnership work; and Christian Businessmen’s Ministries’ promotion of the Christian gospel in the marketplace. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Cost of Discipleship Foundation?
Contact Dean Hodges. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Cost of Discipleship Foundation's EIN?
Cost of Discipleship Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 27-4864434. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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). Cost of Discipleship Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/cost-of-discipleship-foundation-morg_4cd7e2e5b7fe4a47b6655c6c985f1c6e
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_274864434_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Cost of Discipleship Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/cost-of-discipleship-foundation-morg_4cd7e2e5b7fe4a47b6655c6c985f1c6e},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Cost of Discipleship 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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