For Churches and Other Faith Organizations

In 2023, two faith communities—St. Peter’s United Church of Christ in Ferguson, Missouri and Bethel United Church of Christ in Arlington, Virginia—chose to make significant gifts to Invested Faith, anchoring our Fund for the future. These communities represent the full spectrum of those who invest in this vision—from congregations reaching the end of their institutional lives together to those who are today faithfully stewarding endowments given by those who came before.

Invested Faith is a non-profit fund created to allow churches and other institutions to send their witness forward in a spirit of abundance, whether the institution is at the end of its life cycle or is seeking to participate in mission-driven, faithful work in its own community and across the country. By contributing their assets to be grown and distributed in small, unrestricted grants to faith-rooted leaders dreaming up new models of faith in action and new models of belonging throughout the country, the legacy of their communities lives on, honoring the past, celebrating the present, all while seeding the future.

Through Invested Faith, churches in all stages of life, both thriving churches and churches in decline, can find new ways to send their mission forward.

Invested Faith Thriving Church Partners are active and vital congregations participating in the work of Invested Faith because they are excited about the vision of Invested Faith and want to join efforts supporting future-looking and faithful work across the country. These gifts are grown and distributed as small, unrestricted grants to faith-rooted entrepreneurs dreaming up new models of community, and justice-making across the country.

Thriving Churches contribute at all levels. With these gifts, churches and other faith institutions participate in the resurrection work God is doing in our world through their support of Invested Faith Fellows. Thriving Churches understand that their gifts have impact long beyond an initial investment.

To find out how your church can be involved as a Thriving Church partner, click here.

Legacy Churches: Congregations who are nearing the end of their life together face countless hurdles while grappling with the reality that their community will not continue on as it has been. At Invested Faith, we believe the work of healing the world continues, even as the institutions we’ve known and loved for so many years face the reality of ending a traditional institutional life. Through Invested Faith, the legacy of these communities lives on, honoring the past while seeding the future.

To find out how your church can be involved as a Legacy Church, click here.

FAQs for Churches and other Organizations

  • We’re looking for churches to partner with us to support individual Invested Faith Fellows and to continue to build the work of Invested Faith. Your church can become a Thriving Church Partner or can leave a legacy gift to allow the ministry of your church to extend far beyond the life of the church itself.

    Invested Faith offers churches and religious organizations an opportunity to send their witness forward in a spirit of abundance. If your church or organization would like to learn more about Invested Faith, please send us a note.

  • Your church or faith organization can partner with Invested Faith to match a grant with a set gift amount, assuring that your gift funds a specific Invested Faith Fellow and also builds the continuing work of Invested Faith. If your church or institution is interested in becoming an Invested Faith Partner, please reach out for a conversation. We welcome all partnerships and would love to talk.

  • Financial donations to Invested Faith are used to support our Fellows, faith-based entrepreneurs who are working to directly change unjust systems, as well as to support the ongoing work and development of our Invested Faith program.

  • Invested Faith Fellows are selected by a vote of our Invested Faith Advisors and are selected based on these criteria, that each one is:

    -rooted in faith,

    -working to change unjust systems, and

    -building a sustainable financial model.

    Depending on funds available, Fellows will be selected at regular intervals each year. Read more about our selection process here.

  • A community must have the legal authority to place its assets with Invested Faith. However, denominations can partner with Invested Faith too! We’d love to have conversations with anyone who has an interest in living out faith in this new way. Invite and encourage your denominational leaders to learn more about Invested Faith.

  • Invested Faith has received generous gifts from thriving churches and legacy gifts from churches who have closed their doors. We have also received significant grants from the Baugh Family Foundation, American Baptist Home Mission Societies,, Texas Methodist Foundation, and others. We’re always looking for donors with an expansive imagination for what God is doing in the world. Interested in giving? We’d love to talk.

  • Invested Faith Fellows are selected based on these criteria: that each one is: rooted in faith, working to change unjust systems, and building a sustainable financial model.

    Check out our Fellows page to read about individuals who have received grants from Invested Faith.

  • Yes. By contributing your assets to the Invested Faith Fund, your church or institution is leading the way, modeling for others a new way to live out your faith. Regular social media postings will highlight donors, and your church or institution will be featured prominently on the Invested Faith website. The wishes of institutions or donors who choose to remain anonymous will be honored.

  • Absolutely. Several generous individuals continue to make significant donations to Invested Faith. Invested Faith will be glad to accept and acknowledge gifts from individuals and other organizations.

    All donations are tax-deductible and gifts can be given online. In addition, donors can now set up recurring monthly donations to Invested Faith.