Faith Foundation

Faith Foundation is a family private foundation bearing the surname of its founder-president, Richard Faith. Incorporated in Salem, Oregon in November 1993, this non-operating private foundation holds assets of $62.95 million as of fiscal year 2024 — a substantial endowment that generates $1.5–2.5 million in annual net investment income, supplemented by significant outside contributions ($3.4M in FY2023; $1.9M in FY2024). The foundation maintains zero paid employees outside of Secretary/Treasurer Daniel Kerr, who earns $60,000 annually and serves as the primary operational contact.

All identifiable grantees are faith-affiliated Oregon institutions: two Catholic schools, an evangelical children's ministry, a faith-based senior care endowment, a Lutheran church, and a Christian outreach ministry. This establishes a clear denominationally-broad but distinctly Christian giving identity. Faith Foundation is not a cause-agnostic philanthropic vehicle; it is a values-driven family foundation supporting the Faith family's religious and community commitments in the Willamette Valley.

There is no public application portal, no published grant guidelines, and no listed RFPs. The foundation's website (faithfoundation.com) is not publicly accessible to external visitors. This architecture is intentional: Faith Foundation awards grants through direct relationships, not open competitions. First-time applicants should not attempt cold outreach via generic contact forms or email. The path in is through personal connection — to Richard Faith, the Faith family network, or Daniel Kerr as operational gatekeeper.

Organizations that have received support share these traits: they are Oregon-based, they carry an explicitly Christian institutional identity, and they serve direct-service roles in education, elder care, child outreach, or worship. The typical grant lifecycle appears to involve multi-year relationship cultivation before any dollars flow, followed by a single, meaningful gift that resolves a specific institutional challenge — capital need, endowment funding, or loan retirement. First-time applicants should enter with patience and relationship-building as the primary objective, not an immediate grant outcome.

Faith Foundation's annual giving is highly variable — a hallmark of family private foundations where grantmaking reflects discretionary decisions rather than a systematic payout schedule. Total giving ranged from $74,532 (FY2021) to $4,966,967 (FY2014), with recent years (FY2019–FY2024) settling into a $175,000–$831,586 band.

From the five identified grantee records totaling $913,981, the per-grant median is $50,000, the mean is approximately $182,800, and the range spans $10,000 to $716,700. In practice, annual totals are dominated by single large commitments: FY2020 saw $716,700 to Grace Village Care Foundation for an endowment; FY2024 saw $400,000 to Trinity Lutheran Church in Dallas, OR, to retire a loan debt.

By program area (inferred from grantee types and stated purposes): - Faith-based senior care: $716,700 — 78% of identified grantee dollars (Grace Village Care Foundation endowment) - Catholic/Christian K-12 education: $175,281 — 19% (Blanchett School $125,281; Queen of Peace School $50,000) - Faith-based ministry and outreach: $22,000 — 2.4% (Isaac's Room $12,000; Child Evangelism Fellowship $10,000)

By geography: 100% Oregon. All five identified grantees are located in Marion or Polk counties (Salem, Dallas), the foundation's home region.

Asset trajectory has been consistently upward: $34.3M (2011) → $46.2M (2019) → $57.6M (2022) → $62.95M (2024). The foundation's net investment income alone — $1.39M in FY2022, $1.59M in FY2023, $1.78M in FY2024 — well exceeds its annual grantmaking in most years. The IRS 5% minimum distribution requirement on a $63M base implies approximately $3.15M in required annual distributions, meaning the foundation may be directing a portion of its required distributions through program-related expenditures or other charitable activities beyond direct grants. Grant seekers should understand that large, relationship-anchored gifts are on-strategy even in apparent quiet years.

Faith Foundation stands out among Oregon private foundations for the extreme concentration of its giving — typically one to two grants per year against a $63M asset base, while peers of similar scale award 30–200 grants annually. Its low annual payout relative to assets reflects a capital-preservation ethos and a preference for deep, singular institutional commitments over broad distribution. Peer foundations with comparable Christian or values-based orientations (Templeton, Lamb) share the invitation-only model and Oregon geographic focus, reinforcing that relationship access is the norm in this philanthropic peer group. Applicants who cannot secure a warm introduction to Faith Foundation should explore Carpenter Foundation or Collins Foundation as more accessible Oregon alternatives with open LOI processes, while continuing longer-term cultivation efforts with Faith Foundation.

No public announcements, press releases, or media coverage specific to Faith Foundation were identified for 2025 or 2026, consistent with the foundation's private operating posture. The following reflects the most recent documented activity from IRS Form 990-PF filings and third-party grant databases:

FY2024: A single grant of $400,000 to Trinity Lutheran Church in Dallas, Oregon, designated to pay off a church loan. This represents the foundation's largest single award since FY2020 and a 128% year-over-year increase in total giving (from $175,281 in FY2023). It also marks the first documented grant to a Protestant church, signaling the foundation's giving extends across Christian denominations.

FY2023: Two grants totaling $175,281 — Blanchett School received $125,281 and Queen of Peace School received $50,000, both for general operating support. These Catholic schools in the greater Salem area represent a recurring interest in faith-based K-12 education.

Asset trajectory: Total assets rose from $57.6M (FY2022) to $62.4M (FY2023) to $62.95M (FY2024), reflecting strong investment performance. Net investment income was $1.78M in FY2024. External contributions of $1.9M received in FY2024 indicate continued family or donor contributions into the foundation's corpus.

Leadership stability: Richard Faith has served as President since at least 2011 with no compensation; Daniel Kerr has held the Secretary/Treasurer role throughout the same period at $60,000 annually. No leadership transitions were identified in available records.

Given Faith Foundation's entirely private grantmaking posture — no published guidelines, no grants portal, no RFPs, and a website inaccessible to the public — applicants must treat this as a relationship-first, documentation-second opportunity.

Secure a warm introduction before any written outreach. All known grantees are Christian institutions with roots in the Willamette Valley. The most effective entry point is an introduction through the Faith family's networks: Catholic or Protestant church leadership in Marion and Polk counties, administrators at Blanchett/Blanchet Catholic School or Queen of Peace School, or board-level connections at Grace Village Care Foundation.

Match the institutional profile precisely. Every identified grantee carries an explicitly Christian institutional identity — not a secular nonprofit, not a national organization with a local Oregon chapter. Emphasize your organization's faith identity directly; this is not a funder where religious language should be bracketed or softened.

Target capital and institutional-stability needs. Three of five identified grants went to capital purposes: endowment ($716,700), loan payoff ($400,000), and Catholic school operations representing institutional sustainability ($175,281 combined). Frame your request around a specific, named need that permanently strengthens your institution — capital campaign, building fund, endowment drive, or debt retirement — rather than year-over-year program costs.

Contact Daniel Kerr directly if no introduction is available. As the foundation's only compensated staff member, Kerr is the operational gatekeeper. Phone: (503) 949-4769. Address: 2746 Front St NE, Salem, OR 97301. A concise written letter of inquiry — one page, formal tone, specific dollar ask tied to a named capital need — is the appropriate first contact.

Be patient with timing. The foundation awards one to two grants per year with no published deadlines. Grant decisions appear rolling and relationship-driven. A cultivation timeline of 12–24 months before a first grant is realistic. Do not interpret silence as rejection; follow up by phone within 30 days of any written contact.