The Fund for Theological Education Inc
The Fund for Theological Education Inc (FTE), which uses the name Forum for Theological Exploration, is a public charity based in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1954, it supports leadership development for young adults, students, scholars, and partner organizations connected to Christian communities, the church, and theological education.
Key facts about The Fund for Theological Education Inc
In short: The Fund for Theological Education Inc gave $1.3M across 55 grants in 2024 (avg $24K), top state Tennessee. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990 filing.
- EIN
- 21-0725643
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990 filing, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,344,000
- Grants made (2024)
- 55
- Average grant
- $24,436
- Median grant
- $12,000
- Total assets
- $39,615,127
- Primary geography
- Tennessee (12% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Deadline
- The doctoral fellowship deadline is February 16, 2027.
- Next open deadline
- November 2, 2026 (Ministry Exploration and Mentoring Projects for Young Adults)
Data from IRS Form 990 filing, 2024; updated September 2026. Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990 filing · View filing
Total Assets
$39.6M
+11.5% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.3M
+211.1% YoY
Grant Count
55
+57.1% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$24K
+98.0% YoY
How The Fund for Theological Education Inc gives
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
FTE’s stated mission is to cultivate diverse young adults as faithful, wise, and courageous leaders for the church and academy, and to help gifted young people in the Christian community explore and respond to God’s calling. Its programs include doctoral fellowships for underrepresented and underserved scholars, ministry exploration and mentoring for young adults, and support for youth theology initiatives and partner organizations.
The 2024 filing describes work with congregations and church-related organizations to help young adults explore ministry and teaching through grants, conferences, leadership development, and community support. FTE also describes programs that support candidates exploring Christian ministry, youth theology institutes, and early-stage Christian social entrepreneurs.
Among its 2024 grantees, Augsburg University describes its mission as educating students to be informed citizens, thoughtful stewards, critical thinkers, and responsible leaders, with an emphasis on intentional diversity and its Lutheran faith and values. Barclay College says it prepares students in a Bible-centered environment for Christian life, service, and leadership. Trevecca Nazarene University says it carries out the educational mission of the church through academic programs and preparation for lives of service. These are grantee descriptions, not statements of FTE’s own mission.
Grantmaking
In 2024, FTE reported 55 grants totaling $1,344,000. Grants ranged from $12,000 to $50,000, with a median of $12,000. In 2023, it reported 35 grants totaling $432,000; in 2022, it reported 11 grants totaling $400,000.
Review Cycle
** The doctoral fellowship deadline is February 16, 2027. The Ministry Exploration and Mentoring Projects deadline is November 2, 2026.
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from The Fund for Theological Education Inc
Doctoral Fellowship for Ph.D. and Th.D. Students
The Fund for Theological Education Inc
Amount
Up to $35,000
Deadline
February 16, 2027
Ministry Exploration and Mentoring Projects for Young Adults
The Fund for Theological Education Inc
Amount
$1,000
Deadline
November 2, 2026
Ready to take the next step with The Fund for Theological Education Inc?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
FTE’s doctoral fellowship serves eligible students at U.S. and Canadian institutions, and its Ministry Exploration and Mentoring Projects opportunity is available in the United States and Canada. In 2024, grant dollars went to recipients in multiple states; the largest reported recipient-state shares were Tennessee (12%), California (9%), Kansas (8%), Massachusetts (8%), and Minnesota (8%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 55 itemized 2024 grant dollars.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
165 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| AZUSA PACIFIC UNIVERSITY Azusa, CA | DISCERNMENT LAB GRANT | $50,000 |
| HUNTINGTON UNIVERSITY INC Huntington, IN | DISCERNMENT LAB GRANTDISCERNMENT LAB GRANT | $50,000 |
| GORDON COLLEGE Wenham, MA | DISCERNMENT LAB GRANT | $50,000 |
| CENTER FOR YOUTH MINISTRY TRAINING Brentwood, TN | DISCERNMENT LAB GRANT | $50,000 |
| CATAWBA COLLEGE Salisbury, NC | DISCERNMENT LAB GRANT | $50,000 |
| AUGSBURG UNIVERSITY Minneapolis, MN | DISCERNMENT LAB GRANT | $50,000 |
| BOSTON COLLEGE Newton, MA | DISCERNMENT LAB GRANT | $50,000 |
| GRAND VIEW UNIVERSITY Des Moines, IA | DISCERNMENT LAB GRANT | $50,000 |
| GEORGETOWN COLLEGE United States, KY | DISCERNMENT LAB GRANT | $50,000 |
| BARCLAY COLLEGE Haviland, KS | DISCERNMENT LAB GRANT | $50,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $39,615,127 | $8,347,006 | $5,526,947 | $1,344,000 |
| 2023 | $35,537,023 | $5,752,139 | $5,572,732 | $432,000 |
| 2022 | $32,218,252 | $7,187,666 | $5,327,664 | $400,000 |
FTE’s 2024 filing states that program account endowment funds are intended to fund current Lilly grant activities. It says its board-designated endowment is primarily intended to fund operations and overhead, and doctoral fellowships, if Lilly stops funding them.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $39,615,127 | $35,537,023 | $32,218,252 |
| Revenue | $8,347,006 | $5,752,139 | $7,187,666 |
| Expenses | $5,526,947 | $5,572,732 | $5,327,664 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $1,792,209 | $1,005,403 | $640,856 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Donald Stephen Lewis Jr. as president; Andrea Perrett as chair; Rev. Ernest A. Brooks III as vice chair; and Matt Bloom, Ph.D., as secretary/treasurer. Trustees listed are Rev. Aisha Brooks-Johnson, Rev. John Helmiere, Soon Mee Kim, Dr. Shively T.J. Smith, J. Larry Stine, and Rev. Dr. Starksky D. Wilson.
The Fund for Theological Education Inc is led by Donald Stephen Lewis Jr., President on every filing since 2020; 4 of 13 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Donald Stephen Lewis Jr.
President
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$152K (2020) → $211K (2024)
Andrea Perrett
Chair
Trustee → Chair, 2024
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Chrishaun Hoopes
Director of Communications
New on the 2024 filing
40 hrs/week
$107K (2024)
J. Larry Stine
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Shively Tj Smith
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Soon Mee Kim
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Starksky D. Wilson
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Aisha Brooks-Johnson
Trustee
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
John Helmiere
Trustee
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Paul Bois
Vice President of Administration
Vice President of Administration → Vice President of Adminstration, 2021
Vice President of Adminstration → Vice President of Administration, 2024
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$140K (2020) → $152K (2024)
Christina Repoley
Vice President of Program
New on the 2024 filing
40 hrs/week
$132K (2024)
Ernest A. Brooks III
Vice Chair
Trustee → Vice Chair, 2024
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Matt Bloom PhD
Secretary & Treasurer
Trustee → Secretary & Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (6)
- Former: Elizabeth Condefrazier (2020–2021) — Trustee
- Former: Frank Yamada (2020–2021) — Trustee
- Former: Aracelis Vazquez Haye (2021) — Trustee
- Former: Gregory C Ellison (2020) — Trustee
- Former: Linda Kay Klein (2020) — Trustee
- Former: Ross A Lockhart (2020) — Trustee
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
Contact
Mailing address: 2870 Peachtree Rd Nw 915-7080, Atlanta, GA 30305
Phone: (678) 369-6755
Website: https://fteleaders.org
Frequently asked questions about The Fund for Theological Education Inc
How much does The Fund for Theological Education Inc give each year?
The Fund for Theological Education Inc gave $1.3M across 55 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990 filing. In 2023 it gave $432K across 35 grants.
What is The Fund for Theological Education Inc's typical grant size?
The Fund for Theological Education Inc's median grant in 2024 was $12,000, and its average grant was $24,436, across 55 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990 filing.
Where does The Fund for Theological Education Inc give grants?
The Fund for Theological Education Inc's top state is Tennessee, with 12% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 filing. The next largest states were California (9%) and Kansas (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Atlanta, GA (3 grants), Nashville, TN (2 grants), Shreveport, LA (2 grants) and Chicago, IL (2 grants).
Does The Fund for Theological Education Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 55 grants with a stated purpose on The Fund for Theological Education Inc's 2024 IRS Form 990 filing were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Discernment Lab Grant" (54 grants).
Who are The Fund for Theological Education Inc's largest grantees?
The Fund for Theological Education Inc's largest 2024 grantees include Azusa Pacific University ($50,000), Huntington University Inc ($50,000) and Gordon College ($50,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990 filing. Together they received 11% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Fund for Theological Education Inc?
The Fund for Theological Education Inc reported $39.6M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990 filing. Its revenue that year was $8.3M.
What does The Fund for Theological Education Inc fund?
FTE’s stated mission is to cultivate diverse young adults as faithful, wise, and courageous leaders for the church and academy, and to help gifted young people in the Christian community explore and respond to God’s calling. Its programs include doctoral fellowships for underrepresented and underserved scholars, ministry exploration and mentoring for young adults, and support for youth theology initiatives and partner organizations. The 2024 filing describes work with congregations and church-r…
How do I apply for a grant from The Fund for Theological Education Inc?
In 2024, FTE reported 55 grants totaling $1,344,000. Grants ranged from $12,000 to $50,000, with a median of $12,000. In 2023, it reported 35 grants totaling $432,000; in 2022, it reported 11 grants totaling $400,000. Among the largest 2024 grants were $50,000 each to Azusa Pacific University for a Discernment Lab Grant; Huntington University, Gordon College, Center for Youth Ministry Training, Catawba College, Augsburg University, Boston College, Grand View University, Georgetown College, Barc…
What is The Fund for Theological Education Inc's EIN?
The Fund for Theological Education Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 21-0725643. 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.
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