In His Steps Foundation
In His Steps Foundation is a public charity based in Independence, Ohio. It supports Christian ministries and other charitable purposes through donor-advised funds, endowment management, planned giving services, and grants, including a General Fund Grant program for Northeast Ohio ministries sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ.
In His Steps Foundation at a glance
In short: In His Steps Foundation gave $6.5M across 139 grants in 2024 (avg $47K), mostly in Ohio. 35% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $6,495,172
- -29.0% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 139
- -7.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $46,728
- -23.4% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $15,000
- Total assets
- $45,389,579
- +2.8% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 35% first-time grantees (48 of 139, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Ohio (57% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to In His Steps Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation provides a 2026 Collaboration Award application for its General Fund Grants for Missions, Churches, Schools. Applicants are asked to submit a completed application by email. The program is described as serving Northeast Ohio ministries.
- Review Cycle
- May 25, 2026, for the 2026 collaboration application.
- Deadline
- May 25, 2026, for the 2026 collaboration application.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 31750, Independence, OH 44131
Phone: (330) 528-1785
Website: https://ihsfound.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who In His Steps Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Global Media Outreach ($600K). Together the top 10 received $3.8M.
Grant Size Distribution
626 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 525 grants of 626 (84%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The General Fund Grant program is for Northeast Ohio ministries. The foundation describes its community foundation work as supporting nonprofits locally in Northeast Ohio and around the world. Its listed 2022 grantees include organizations based in Ohio and other states.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 139 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is In His Steps Foundation open to new grantees?
35%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 48 of 139 grantees (35%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $17K; repeat grants $62K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $16K repeat.
- 59% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+8%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 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 $3.3M (2020) to $9.2M (2023). In 2024 it made 139 grants totaling $6.5M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Global Media Outreach Dallas, TX | General Support | $600,000 |
| Open Door Christian School Elyria, OH | General Support | $582,078 |
| Cornerstone of Hope Inc Independence, OH | General Support | $503,210 |
| Mission Increase Portland, OR | General Support | $459,500 |
| Harvest Ridge Church North Ridgeville, OH | General Support | $400,000 |
| Providence Evangelical Free Church Avon, OH | General Support | $368,885 |
| CRU Orlando, FL | General Support | $306,000 |
| Youth for Christ Greater Cleveland Cleveland, OH | General Support | $279,220 |
| Christian Missionary Alliance Colorado SPGS, CO | General Support | $204,000 |
| Parkside Church Chagrin Falls, OH | General Support | $111,000 |
Ready to take the next step with In His Steps Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $45,389,579 | $7,875,353 | $8,515,378 | $6,495,172 | 139 | $2,910,505 |
| 2023 | $44,171,063 | $8,319,605 | $19,846,145 | $9,153,500 | 150 | $1,312,408 |
| 2022 | $51,823,951 | $16,754,413 | $9,868,047 | $5,282,833 | 97 | $187,129 |
| 2021 | $50,060,382 | $15,341,092 | $7,186,120 | $5,991,120 | 119 | $4,779,798 |
| 2020 | $40,099,765 | $9,073,711 | $5,958,717 | $3,271,039 | 121 | $791,382 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s stated mission is “to encourage and teach Christlike stewardship” as a basis for personal giving and estate planning, and to provide a prudently managed repository for capital invested for distribution to ministries proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ and for other charitable purposes.
Its stated activities include teaching biblical stewardship, helping families use funds for Christian philanthropy, supporting churches and ministries as they start or grow endowments, administering planned gifts, and making grants to selected Northeast Ohio Christian ministries. The foundation also manages endowment funds for schools, churches, ministries, and nonprofit organizations.
Organizations listed among its 2022 grantees illustrate some of the causes it has supported. For example, Ambassadors Football describes its mission as communicating the gospel through football; Global Media Outreach describes its work as using technology to invite people to know Jesus Christ; and Cornerstone of Hope describes itself as a bereavement support center serving people experiencing loss.
Grantmaking
The foundation’s General Fund Grant program supports Northeast Ohio ministries that share the gospel evangelistically. In 2025, 68 Northeast Ohio ministries received more than $500,000 in evangelism grants, made possible by foundation fundholders and the General Fund Grant committee.
In 2022, the foundation reported 97 grants totaling $5,282,833. Among the grantees identified for that year were National Christian Foundation Inc. ($945,050), Ambassadors Football ($918,442), Global Media Outreach ($701,000), and Operation Exodus USA ($230,000). The grantees’ own descriptions identify work including charitable distribution, evangelism through sports and technology, and humanitarian aid and education. Its 2024 filing, the latest on this page, reports 139 grants totaling $6.5 million.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Benjamin Lee as president; John Warner as board chair; Carolyn Beckett as secretary; John Duross as treasurer; and Mark Alder, Robert Davis, Tim Geisse, and Jerry Petek as trustees. The foundation’s website also identifies Grace Meade as office and grants manager.
In His Steps Foundation is led by Benjamin Lee, President since 2021 (on filings since 2020); 1 of 8 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Benjamin Lee
President
Executive Di → President, 2021
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$117K (2020) → $140K (2024)
John Warner
Board Chair
Trustee → Board Chair, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jerry Petek
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Robert Davis
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tim Geisse
Trustee
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mark Alder
Trustee
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Carolyn Beckett
Secretary
Trustee → Secretary, 2021
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John Duross
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Alice Hitchcock (2020–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Robert S. Cathcart (2020) — Executive Di · Filing note: Retired
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 $140K, to Benjamin Lee (President).
Frequently asked questions about In His Steps Foundation
How much does In His Steps Foundation give each year?
In His Steps Foundation gave $6.5M across 139 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $9.2M across 150 grants.
What is In His Steps Foundation's typical grant size?
In His Steps Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $15,000, and its average grant was $46,728, across 139 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from In His Steps Foundation that year got $17K on average.
Where does In His Steps Foundation give grants?
In His Steps Foundation gives mostly in Ohio: 57% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest states were Texas (10%) and Oregon (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Cleveland, OH (21 grants), Akron, OH (9 grants), Elyria, OH (6 grants) and Westlake, OH (3 grants).
Does In His Steps Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of In His Steps Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (139 of 139) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990.
Who are In His Steps Foundation's largest grantees?
In His Steps Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Global Media Outreach ($600,000), Open Door Christian School ($582,078) and Cornerstone of Hope Inc ($503,210), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 26% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is In His Steps Foundation?
In His Steps Foundation reported $45.4M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $7.9M.
What does In His Steps Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated mission is “to encourage and teach Christlike stewardship” as a basis for personal giving and estate planning, and to provide a prudently managed repository for capital invested for distribution to ministries proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ and for other charitable purposes. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from In His Steps Foundation?
The foundation provides a 2026 Collaboration Award application for its General Fund Grants for Missions, Churches, Schools. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is In His Steps Foundation's EIN?
In His Steps Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 31-1512682. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 14, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 6, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS October 30, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in In His Steps Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). In His Steps Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/in-his-steps-foundation-morg_dcee0117f4cb403d905be5dd1e00a205
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_311512682_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{In His Steps Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/in-his-steps-foundation-morg_dcee0117f4cb403d905be5dd1e00a205},
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 In His Steps 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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