United Methodist Foundation of Louisiana Inc
United Methodist Foundation of Louisiana Inc is a public charity based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Founded in 1975, it provides financial services for churches and individuals and promotes generosity among Methodist donors and churches throughout Louisiana. Its services include investments, planned-giving education and counsel, and estate-planning resources.
United Methodist Foundation of Louisiana Inc at a glance
In short: United Methodist Foundation of Louisiana Inc gave $963K across 12 grants in 2025 (avg $80K), mostly in Louisiana. 58% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $962,753
- +52.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 12
- -7.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $80,229
- +65.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $39,050
- Total assets
- $59,958,603
- +13.6% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 58% first-time grantees (7 of 12, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Louisiana (69% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to United Methodist Foundation of Louisiana Inc
- How to Apply
-
Follow the Foundation’s guidelines and complete its online application, signature form, and post-grant summary report.
- Review Cycle
- The Foundation lists March 1, July 1, and November 1 as grant deadlines. A separately listed deadline of July 1, 2026, has passed.
- Deadline
- The Foundation lists March 1, July 1, and November 1 as grant deadlines.
- Contact
Mailing address: 8337 Jefferson Hwy, Baton Rouge, LA 70809
Phone: (225) 936-9210
Website: https://umf.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who United Methodist Foundation of Louisiana Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Louisiana Conference UMC ($390K). Together the top 10 received $949K.
Grant Size Distribution
46 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 35 grants of 46 (76%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation’s grants program focuses on United Methodist churches and ministries within the Louisiana Conference, with eligible applicants described as primarily in Louisiana. Its program information also describes the geographic scope as the Louisiana Conference and beyond. In the 2025 filing, grant dollars went to recipients in Louisiana (69%), Arizona (26%), Texas (4%), and North Carolina (1%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 12 itemized grants.
Cities
Is United Methodist Foundation of Louisiana Inc open to new grantees?
58%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 7 of 12 grantees (58%) were first-time recipients. With only 12 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $112K; repeat grants $35K. How we count
Medians: $42K first-time, $33K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2022–2025). 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 2022 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $630K (2024) to $1.5M (2022). In 2025 it made 12 grants totaling $963K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Louisiana Conference UMC Baton Rouge, LA | Operations | $390,153 |
| Turning Point USA Phoenix, AZ | Operations | $250,000 |
| Hope MInistries Baton Rouge, LA | Operations | $60,000 |
| Tiger Athletic Foundation Baton Rouge, LA | Operations | $50,000 |
| Salvation Army Lake Charles, LA | Operations | $50,000 |
| Texas Hill Country Comm Church Kerrville, TX | Operations | $41,500 |
| La Methodist Childrens Home Ruston, LA | Operations | $36,600 |
| First Methodist Coushatta Coushatta, LA | Operations | $33,100 |
| Trinity Methodist Ruston, LA | Operations | $27,200 |
| Habitat For Humanity Baton Rouge, LA | Operations | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with United Methodist Foundation of Louisiana Inc?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $59,958,603 | $8,232,248 | $4,684,979 | $962,753 | 12 | $2,609,533 |
| 2024 | $52,782,188 | $4,577,434 | $3,452,246 | $629,728 | 13 | $2,331,110 |
| 2023 | $48,536,375 | $5,805,133 | $4,542,171 | $681,632 | 9 | $1,412,805 |
| 2022 | $43,538,841 | $6,112,777 | $5,312,568 | $1,508,450 | 12 | $2,299,901 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Foundation states that its mission is to support Methodist church ministries through planned-giving services, including trusts and endowments. It also acts as trustee for endowments and planned gifts benefiting Methodist ministries in Louisiana.
The grants program identifies four outreach areas: equipping clergy and laity for ministry; developing innovative ministries; fostering connections with the church, community, and Louisiana Conference; and responding to or preparing for natural disasters. Eligible applicants are described as churches and ministries affiliated with the United Methodist Church, primarily in Louisiana.
Among the organizations supported in 2025, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Baton Rouge says it builds and renovates houses with community partners and helps families purchase homes. The Tiger Athletic Foundation says it supports Louisiana State University and its athletic programs.
Grantmaking
The Foundation’s grants program began in 1992. The Foundation says it has awarded more than $8 million through the program; its grant page reports more than $8.4 million awarded to strengthen United Methodist churches and ministries within the Louisiana Conference. Separately, the Foundation’s 2024 filing states that it distributed $1,619,840 in income earned on endowments during 2024.
The 2025 filing lists 12 grants totaling $962,753. Grant amounts ranged from $5,000 to $390,153, with a median of $39,050. The largest listed awards were $390,153 to Louisiana Conference UMC for operations, $250,000 to Turning Point USA for operations, $60,000 to Hope MInistries for operations, $50,000 to Tiger Athletic Foundation for operations, and $50,000 to the Salvation Army for operations. The filing labels the purposes of all 12 listed grants as operations.
The Foundation’s grant-program information separately reports more than $374,000 awarded in 2024 and $279,418 in 2025. It also reports a July 2025 cycle awarding $99,393 to 12 churches and ministries, and a summer 2024 cycle awarding more than $150,000 to 18 churches and ministries. These program figures are distinct from the totals in the filing.
The grant application process includes reading the guidelines, completing an online application that can be saved and resumed, obtaining the appropriate signatures on a signature form, and submitting a post-grant summary report. The Foundation also provides a pre-application scorecard. The listed program examples include therapy for children, senior wellness, youth retreats, housing assistance, food pantry expansion, tuition assistance, after-school programs, community arts, computer classes for elderly people, and public-health and disaster-preparedness initiatives.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Christopher Spencer as president; Tracie Wharton as controller; Rev JoAnn Cooper as chair; Rev Drew Sutton as vice chair; Eunice Lavigne as secretary; Robert Kimbro as treasurer; MiMi McDowell as grants chair; and Rev Clifton Conrad, Joe Crouch, and Drew Kennedy as at-large directors. The Foundation’s grant information identifies Britney Winn Lee as Grants Outreach Coordinator.
United Methodist Foundation of Louisiana Inc is led by Christopher Spencer, President on every filing since 2022; 2 of 17 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Christopher Spencer
President
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$192K (2022) → $222K (2025)
JoAnn Cooper
Chair
At Large → Vice Chair, 2023
Vice Chair → Chair, 2025
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
MiMi McDowell
Grants Chair
At Large → Grants Chair, 2025
On filings since 2024
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Tracie Wharton
Controller
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$147K (2022) → $160K (2025)
Drew Kennedy
At Large
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Drew Sutton
Vice Chair
At Large → Grants Chair, 2023
Grants Chair → Vice Chair, 2025
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Eunice Lavigne
Secretary
At Large → Secretary, 2025
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Richard Lewis
At Large
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Troy Searles
At Large
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Clifton Conrad
At Large
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Joe Crouch
At Large
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Robert Kimbro
Treasurer
At Large → Treasurer, 2025
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Abby Cochran
At Large
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Willie Mount
At Large
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Brent Graham
At Large
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Katie Black
At Large
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Van Stinson
At Large
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (11)
- Former: Dianne Wilkinson (2022–2024) — At Large
- Former: Omer Davis (2022–2024) — Treasurer
- Former: Robert Fahey (2022–2024) — Chair
- Former: Sandra Kuykendall (2022–2024) — Secretary
- Former: Doug DeGraffenried (2022–2023) — At Large
- Former: John Robert Black (2022–2023) — At Large
- Former: Nettles Brown (2022–2023) — At Large
- Former: Dean Harvey (2022) — At Large
- Former: Debra Davis (2022) — Grants Chair
- Former: Irwin Felps (2022) — At Large
- Former: Mike DeHart (2022) — Treasurer
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2022–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $222K, to Christopher Spencer (President). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about United Methodist Foundation of Louisiana Inc
How much does United Methodist Foundation of Louisiana Inc give each year?
United Methodist Foundation of Louisiana Inc gave $963K across 12 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $630K across 13 grants.
What is United Methodist Foundation of Louisiana Inc's typical grant size?
United Methodist Foundation of Louisiana Inc's median grant in 2025 was $39,050, and its average grant was $80,229, across 12 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from United Methodist Foundation of Louisiana Inc that year got $112K on average.
Where does United Methodist Foundation of Louisiana Inc give grants?
United Methodist Foundation of Louisiana Inc gives mostly in Louisiana: 69% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest state was Arizona (26%). The most frequent recipient cities were Baton Rouge, LA (4 grants) and Ruston, LA (2 grants).
Does United Methodist Foundation of Louisiana Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 12 grants with a stated purpose on United Methodist Foundation of Louisiana Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Operations" (12 grants).
Who are United Methodist Foundation of Louisiana Inc's largest grantees?
United Methodist Foundation of Louisiana Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Louisiana Conference UMC ($390,153), Turning Point USA ($250,000) and Hope MInistries ($60,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 73% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is United Methodist Foundation of Louisiana Inc?
United Methodist Foundation of Louisiana Inc reported $60.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $8.2M.
What does United Methodist Foundation of Louisiana Inc fund?
The Foundation states that its mission is to support Methodist church ministries through planned-giving services, including trusts and endowments. It also acts as trustee for endowments and planned gifts benefiting Methodist ministries in Louisiana. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from United Methodist Foundation of Louisiana Inc?
Follow the Foundation’s guidelines and complete its online application, signature form, and post-grant summary report. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is United Methodist Foundation of Louisiana Inc's EIN?
United Methodist Foundation of Louisiana Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 72-0779104. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2022–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(4)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 18, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 27, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 11, 2025)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS February 24, 2026)
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in United Methodist Foundation of Louisiana Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). United Methodist Foundation of Louisiana Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/united-methodist-foundation-of-louisiana-inc-morg_45d33ef9204747658bf0e91f9f0e9e3a
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_720779104_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{United Methodist Foundation of Louisiana Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/united-methodist-foundation-of-louisiana-inc-morg_45d33ef9204747658bf0e91f9f0e9e3a},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 United Methodist Foundation of Louisiana Inc'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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