Gospel Growth Fund
Gospel Growth Fund is a private foundation based in Wilmington, Delaware. Its 2025 grants supported church planting, church operations, community outreach, and building projects at churches and other charitable organizations.
Gospel Growth Fund at a glance
In short: Gospel Growth Fund gave $850K across 20 grants in 2025 (avg $43K), top state North Carolina. 35% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $850,000
- +2.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 20
- -9.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $42,500
- +13.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $15,000
- Total assets
- $18,327,348
- +7.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 35% first-time grantees (7 of 20, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- North Carolina (47% 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 Gospel Growth Fund
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1901 Millers Road, Wilmington, DE 19810
Phone: (302) 598-8840
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Gospel Growth Fund funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Mission to North America Presbyterian Church in America ($399K). Together the top 10 received $729K.
Grant Size Distribution
126 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 113 grants of 126 (90%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 47% of grant dollars went to recipients in North Carolina and 22% to recipients in Delaware. Other listed recipient-state shares were Ohio (5%), Pennsylvania (4%), and New Jersey (3%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 20 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Gospel Growth Fund open to new grantees?
35%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 7 of 20 grantees (35%) were first-time recipients. With only 20 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $16K; repeat grants $57K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $20K repeat.
- 65% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−10%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 96% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. 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 $817K (2020) to $949K (2022). In 2025 it made 20 grants totaling $850K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Mission to North America Presbyterian Church in America Charlotte, NC | Church Planting | $399,000 |
| Urban Promise Wilmington Wilmington, DE | Operating Support | $100,000 |
| Faith Presbyterian Church Presbyterian Church in America Wilmington, DE | Community Outreach | $55,000 |
| Kings Cross Community Church Springboro, OH | Building Purchase | $45,000 |
| City Church Wilmington Presbyterian Church in America Wilmington, DE | Operating Support | $30,000 |
| New Springs Presbyterian Church Presbyterian Church in America Coral Springs, FL | Church Planting | $25,000 |
| Grace Presbyterian Church Presbyterian Church in America Worcester, MA | Operating Support | $20,000 |
| Hope Presbyterian Church Presbyterian Church in America Landenbeerg, PA | Outreach and Operational Support | $20,000 |
| Redeemer Longmont Presbyterian Church in America Longmont, CO | Church Planting | $20,000 |
| Christ Presbyterian Church Wallingford Presbyterian Church in America Wallingford, CT | Church Planting | $15,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $18,327,348 | $2,201,510 | $1,006,831 | $850,000 | 20 | $852,750 | $2,101,237 | $891,636 |
| 2024 | $17,134,568 | $1,800,693 | $934,366 | $827,500 | 22 | $830,000 | $1,704,024 | $862,713 |
| 2023 | $16,504,919 | $304,222 | $965,551 | $861,000 | 30 | $863,148 | $211,100 | $829,185 |
| 2022 | $17,199,437 | $470,921 | $1,096,902 | $948,500 | 29 | $948,500 | $364,230 | $865,732 |
| 2021 | $17,669,754 | $2,573,368 | $971,932 | $848,900 | 25 | $848,900 | $2,445,336 | $954,525 |
| 2020 | $16,121,287 | $1,241,017 | $921,028 | $817,400 | 18 | — | $1,134,089 | $836,518 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Gospel Growth Fund reported a distributable amount of $892K 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
No mission statement is provided. Grant purposes listed in 2025 include church planting, operating support, community outreach, building purchase, and building renovation. Recipients include Presbyterian Church in America congregations and other churches.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation made 20 grants totaling $850,000. Grants ranged from $6,000 to $399,000, with a median of $15,000. Notable grants included $399,000 to Mission to North America Presbyterian Church in America for church planting; $100,000 to Urban Promise Wilmington for operating support; and $55,000 to Faith Presbyterian Church Presbyterian Church in America for community outreach.
In 2024, it reported 22 grants totaling $827,500. In 2023, it reported 30 grants totaling $861,000. Its 2025 filing, the latest on this page, reports 20 grants totaling $850,000.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists John W Scheflen as president and trustee; Rev James O Brown Jr and Marcia W Scheflen as vice presidents and trustees; Janna E Scheflen as secretary and trustee; Frank Barlow as treasurer and trustee; and Darrell Negley, Rev Jason Sica, and William Stern as trustees.
Gospel Growth Fund is led by John W. Scheflen, President & Trustee since 2024 (on filings since 2020); none of the 8 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
John W. Scheflen
President & Trustee
President, Trustee & Treasurer → President & Trustee, 2024
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Frank Barlow
Treasurer & Trustee
Trustee → Treasurer & Trustee, 2024
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
James O. Brown Jr.
Vice President & Trustee
Trustee → Vice President & Trustee, 2024
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Janna E. Scheflen
Secretary & Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jason Sica
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Marcia W. Scheflen
Vice President & Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
William Stern
Trustee
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Darrell Negley
Trustee
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Gregg Noll (2020–2023) — Trustee
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 Gospel Growth Fund
How much does Gospel Growth Fund give each year?
Gospel Growth Fund gave $850K across 20 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $828K across 22 grants.
What is Gospel Growth Fund's typical grant size?
Gospel Growth Fund's median grant in 2025 was $15,000, and its average grant was $42,500, across 20 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Gospel Growth Fund that year got $16K on average.
Where does Gospel Growth Fund give grants?
Gospel Growth Fund's top state is North Carolina, with 47% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Delaware (22%) and Ohio (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were Wilmington, DE (3 grants).
Does Gospel Growth Fund give general operating support?
Yes: 25% of Gospel Growth Fund's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (5 of 20) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Church Planting" (7 grants).
Who are Gospel Growth Fund's largest grantees?
Gospel Growth Fund's largest 2025 grantees include Mission to North America Presbyterian Church in America ($399,000), Urban Promise Wilmington ($100,000) and Faith Presbyterian Church Presbyterian Church in America ($55,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 65% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Gospel Growth Fund?
Gospel Growth Fund reported $18.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $853K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $892K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Gospel Growth Fund fund?
No mission statement is provided. Grant purposes listed in 2025 include church planting, operating support, community outreach, building purchase, and building renovation. Recipients include Presbyterian Church in America congregations and other churches. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Gospel Growth Fund?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Gospel Growth Fund's EIN?
Gospel Growth Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 84-1696604. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Gospel Growth Fund 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 8, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Gospel Growth Fund funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Gospel Growth Fund's focus areas in our free grants database
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