Sowing Circle
Sowing Circle is a private foundation based in Greenville, South Carolina, whose stated ministry is dedicated to sowing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Its primary operational focus is providing the Blue Letter Bible website as a Scripture-study resource; it also supports Bible courses through the Blue Letter Bible Institute and helps other ministries with operational needs and web exposure.
Sowing Circle at a glance
In short: Sowing Circle gave $623K across 19 grants in 2024 (avg $33K), mostly in California. 32% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $622,609
- -26.7% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 19
- +35.7% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $32,769
- -46.0% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $7,000
- Total assets
- $10,075,852
- +1.7% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 32% first-time grantees (6 of 19, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (52% 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 Sowing Circle
- 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: 3539 Pelham Road, Greenville, SC 29615
Phone: (864) 652-3035
Website: https://sowingcircle.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Sowing Circle funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Blue Letter Bible ($267K). Together the top 10 received $587K.
Grant Size Distribution
76 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 62 grants of 76 (82%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 52% of grant dollars went to recipients in California and 44% to recipients in South Carolina. Pennsylvania, Iowa, and Florida each accounted for 1%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 19 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Sowing Circle open to new grantees?
32%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 6 of 19 grantees (32%) were first-time recipients. With only 19 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $8K; repeat grants $44K. How we count
Medians: $6K first-time, $8K repeat.
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 $623K (2024) to $984K (2022). In 2024 it made 19 grants totaling $623K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Blue Letter Bible Greenville, SC | Missions | $267,000 |
| Reverence Bible Church Misison Viejo, CA | Pastoral Support/Ministry | $200,449 |
| Enduring Word Santa Barbara, CA | Theological Education | $25,000 |
| According to Prophecy Lemon Grove, CA | Theological Education | $25,000 |
| Redeemer OC Newport Beach, CA | Missions | $20,000 |
| Understand the Times Santa Ana, CA | Missions | $15,960 |
| Safe Harbor International Rancho Sta Margarita, CA | Missions | $12,000 |
| Hope For Today Tustin, CA | Missions | $7,500 |
| Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa Santa Ana, CA | Missions | $7,200 |
| U-Turn for Christ Perris, CA | Missions | $7,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Sowing Circle?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $10,075,852 | $463,542 | $1,628,487 | $622,609 | 19 | $1,163,847 | $366,891 |
| 2023 | $9,908,427 | $2,482,639 | $1,872,375 | $848,960 | 14 | $1,586,369 | $2,434,642 |
| 2022 | $7,976,490 | $187,208 | $4,272,734 | $983,758 | 19 | $1,375,415 | $89,165 |
| 2021 | $11,355,154 | $330,454 | $1,378,229 | $940,381 | 13 | $1,142,180 | $268,464 |
| 2020 | $11,244,852 | $253,348 | $1,364,810 | $789,500 | 11 | — | $94,461 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
Sowing Circle says it seeks to spread the Gospel by working with ministries in evangelism, teaching Scripture, and ministry in the name of Jesus Christ. Its website identifies the Blue Letter Bible and the Blue Letter Bible Institute as central to its work, alongside assistance to other ministries.
Its 2024 grants included Christian organizations working in missions, pastoral support and ministry, and theological education. Grantees describe their own work in varied terms: Blue Letter Bible says it presents a Christian ministry of the Gospel, hope, and encouragement; Enduring Word says it promotes Christian discipleship and evangelism through Bible teaching; and Understand the Times says it seeks to strengthen Christians’ faith and present a biblical Christian worldview. U-Turn for Christ describes helping men seeking recovery from drug and alcohol addiction through Jesus Christ. Piedmont Women’s Center says it supports women experiencing unplanned pregnancies by educating them about spiritual and physical health, while Miracle Hill Ministries describes its work as life transformation for people experiencing homelessness.
Grantmaking
In 2024, Sowing Circle reported 19 grants totaling $622,609. Grants ranged from $2,000 to $267,000, with a median of $7,000. Its largest listed grants were $267,000 to Blue Letter Bible for missions and $200,449 to Reverence Bible Church for pastoral support/ministry. Other notable awards included $25,000 each to Enduring Word and According to Prophecy for theological education, and $20,000 to Redeemer OC for missions.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists James P. Milligan as Chairman; Stephen M. Greenberg as Secretary; Kenneth Buckley and Frank B. Rabinovitch as Board Members; and Andrew J. Guastaferro as CFO/COO.
Sowing Circle is led by James P Milligan, Chairman on every filing since 2020; 4 of 5 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
James P Milligan
Chairman
On filings since 2020
20 hrs/week
$74K (2020) → $389K (2024)
Andrew J Guastaferro
CFO & COO
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$7K (2020) → $9K (2024)
Kenneth Buckley
Board Member
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
$2K (2020) → $2K (2024)
Stephen M Greenberg
Secretary
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
$2K (2020) → $2K (2024)
Frank B Rabinovitch
Board Member
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/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.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $389K, to James P Milligan (Chairman). 4 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Sowing Circle
How much does Sowing Circle give each year?
Sowing Circle gave $623K across 19 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $849K across 14 grants.
What is Sowing Circle's typical grant size?
Sowing Circle's median grant in 2024 was $7,000, and its average grant was $32,769, across 19 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Sowing Circle that year got $8K on average.
Where does Sowing Circle give grants?
Sowing Circle gives mostly in California: 52% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was South Carolina (44%). The most frequent recipient cities were Greenville, SC (2 grants) and Santa Ana, CA (2 grants).
Does Sowing Circle give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 19 grants with a stated purpose on Sowing Circle's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Missions" (16 grants).
Who are Sowing Circle's largest grantees?
Sowing Circle's largest 2024 grantees include Blue Letter Bible ($267,000), Reverence Bible Church ($200,449) and Enduring Word ($25,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 79% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Sowing Circle?
Sowing Circle reported $10.1M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Its revenue that year was $464K.
What does Sowing Circle fund?
Sowing Circle says it seeks to spread the Gospel by working with ministries in evangelism, teaching Scripture, and ministry in the name of Jesus Christ. Its website identifies the Blue Letter Bible and the Blue Letter Bible Institute as central to its work, alongside assistance to other ministries. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Sowing Circle?
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 Sowing Circle's EIN?
Sowing Circle's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 33-0754078. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Sowing Circle 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). Sowing Circle funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/sowing-circle-morg_eee74964b5534bd8a7fcdc1ea2258c20
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_330754078_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Sowing Circle funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/sowing-circle-morg_eee74964b5534bd8a7fcdc1ea2258c20},
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 Sowing Circle'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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