Ten Talents Foundation

## How to Approach the Ten Talents Foundation

The Ten Talents Foundation is a faith-driven private foundation based in Saint Louis, Missouri, with $147 million in assets. Founded in 1996, its core purpose is to "develop, manage, and distribute financial resources to benefit Christian faith-based ministries and other mission-compatible nonprofit groups." The foundation tagline — "Helping Christian families leverage generosity for Kingdom impact" — clearly signals its identity as a Christian philanthropic institution.

Key alignment signals:

1. Christ-centered mission: The foundation explicitly supports Christian faith-based ministries. Organizations must demonstrate alignment with Christian values and mission. This is not a secular funder.

2. Tangible human impact: The foundation's largest grants go to organizations with direct service delivery — homeless outreach (Matthews Hope Ministries), orphan care (Hope for Orphans USA, Hands at Work), and community revitalization (Life Remodeled). Abstract or purely advocacy-oriented proposals are less likely to resonate.

3. Strategic partnership model: The foundation describes its work as "partnering with change agents" rather than simply funding programs. This suggests they value deep, ongoing relationships over one-time transactional grants.

4. Entrepreneurial approach: Executive Director Paul Thonnard comes from a marketing strategy and portfolio management background (including Eli Lilly), and is active in the Praxis community, which focuses on "redemptive entrepreneurship." The foundation likely values innovative, scalable, and sustainable ministry models over traditional charitable approaches.

Approach pathway: While the foundation has historically been described as making contributions to "preselected charitable organizations," Grantable reports they are open to new applicants with approximately 12% receiving funding. The Ministry Engagement page on their website is the appropriate entry point. Building relationships through shared networks (Praxis, National Christian Foundation, Generous Giving) and demonstrating measurable Kingdom impact will be more effective than cold proposals.

## Funding Patterns

Total Assets (2024): $147 million Total Giving (2024): $5.57 million (approximately 3.8% payout rate) Revenue (2024): $9.4 million (57.7% dividends, 37.1% asset sales, 2.3% interest, 2.0% contributions)

Unlike many private foundations that are consolidating their grantee portfolios, Ten Talents has been expanding — from 24 grants in 2015 to 60 in 2024, with a peak of 71 in 2021.

### Grant Size Distribution - Median grant: $10,000–$25,000 - Typical range: $750–$1.35 million - Largest grants (2024): Servant Foundation/Signatry ($1.35M donor-advised fund), Matthews Hope Ministries ($916K homeless outreach), Northland Church ($563K religious ministry) - Average grant: ~$61,800 (heavily skewed by a few large grants)

### Top Recipients by Category - Homeless services: Matthews Hope Ministries ($3.1M in 2024 across multiple grants) - Donor-advised/intermediary: Servant Foundation/Signatry Charitable Trust ($930K–$1.35M) - Churches: Northland Church ($562K–$1.1M) - International orphan care: Hands at Work ($198K–$405K), Hope for Orphans USA ($178K) - Community revitalization: Life Remodeled ($250K)

### Geographic Distribution The foundation funds across 22+ states, with heaviest concentration in: - Florida (Matthews Hope, Northland Church) - Missouri (headquarters region) - Illinois, Texas, Michigan (secondary markets) - International: Africa (orphan and widow support via Hands at Work), Ukraine (Hope for Orphans USA)

## Peer Comparison

The Ten Talents Foundation occupies a distinctive niche: a mid-size Christian family foundation ($147M assets) with an unusually active and growing grantmaking program. Its NTEE classification is T20 (Private Foundations).

### Peer Foundation Comparison

### Key Differentiators

• Growing grantee base: While many peer foundations are consolidating, Ten Talents grew from 24 to 60 grantees over the past decade. This signals openness to new partnerships.
• Hands-on partnership model: The foundation employs a Ministry Engagement model that goes beyond check-writing, providing strategic guidance to grantees. This is more typical of venture philanthropy than traditional grantmaking.
• Family office integration: Paul Thonnard serves as both Foundation Executive Director and President of the family office, suggesting tight integration between the family's investment strategy and philanthropic mission — consistent with the Praxis "redemptive enterprise" philosophy.
• Moderate payout (3.8%): Below the IRS 5% minimum for private foundations, though qualifying distributions may include administrative costs. The foundation appears to be balancing current giving with long-term endowment growth.
• Lean operations: Only 3 employees manage $147M in assets and 60 grants, indicating efficient operations with low overhead relative to peers.

## Recent Activity

### Growing Grant Portfolio (2021–2024) The Ten Talents Foundation has experienced significant growth in its grantmaking activity over the past several years. After peaking at 71 grants in 2021, the foundation has maintained an elevated level of activity with 49 grants in 2022, 52 in 2023, and 60 in 2024. This upward trajectory from 24 grants in 2015 represents a 150% increase in the number of funded organizations over the past decade.

### Increased Focus on Homeless Services Matthews Hope Ministries, a Central Florida-based homeless outreach organization, has emerged as the foundation's largest single grantee, receiving $3.1 million across multiple grants in 2024 alone ($916K in 2023). This escalating commitment suggests homeless services and direct human impact have become a top strategic priority.

### International Engagement The foundation has maintained and expanded its international grantmaking, with Hands at Work (supporting orphans and widows in Africa) receiving $405K in 2024 (up from $199K in 2023) and Hope for Orphans USA continuing its Ukraine-focused work. This reflects growing attention to global Christian ministry.

### Leadership Continuity with Professional Management Paul Thonnard continues as Executive Director, bringing his marketing strategy and pharmaceutical industry background to the role. His engagement with the Praxis community (a network focused on redemptive entrepreneurship and cultural renewal) suggests the foundation is increasingly influenced by innovative, market-oriented approaches to philanthropy.

### Asset Fluctuations Foundation assets have fluctuated between $144M and $163M in recent years, with the 2024 figure at $147M. Revenue increased to $9.4M in 2024 (from $5.4M in 2023), driven primarily by strong investment returns. The foundation received $185K in contributions in 2024, indicating some external donor support beyond the founding family.

### Praxis Community Involvement Paul Thonnard's active participation in the Praxis community, which brings together Christian leaders focused on cultural renewal, suggests the foundation may be increasingly interested in creative, entrepreneurial approaches to social problems — including social enterprise, cultural institutions, and innovative ministry models.

## Application Tips

### Understanding the Gatekeepers Ten Talents Foundation operates with a small team: Executive Director Paul Thonnard makes strategic decisions, Investment Director Richard Grote manages the portfolio, and Trustee Larry D. Vander Maten provides governance oversight. With only 3 employees managing 60 grants, personal relationships matter enormously. This is not a foundation where you submit a form and wait — it is one where relational trust drives funding decisions.

### What Makes a Strong Proposal for Ten Talents

1. Demonstrate Christ-centered mission alignment This is non-negotiable. Your organization must have an explicitly Christian mission and demonstrate how your work advances Kingdom purposes. Secular organizations, even those doing excellent work, are unlikely to receive funding.

2. Show direct, measurable human impact The foundation's largest grants go to organizations with tangible, hands-on service delivery: feeding the homeless, caring for orphans, building community. Lead with stories and data about lives changed, not organizational capacity or institutional prestige.

3. Present a sustainable, scalable model Given Thonnard's background in marketing strategy and his Praxis community involvement, the foundation values innovation and sustainability. Articulate how your model can grow, replicate, or become financially sustainable over time. Traditional "we need ongoing operational support" narratives are less compelling than "here is how your investment will multiply impact."

4. Demonstrate financial stewardship The foundation name references the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30), which emphasizes faithful stewardship and multiplication of resources. Show that you manage resources wisely, have low overhead, and maximize programmatic impact per dollar.

5. Geographic sweet spots While the foundation funds across 22+ states, the heaviest concentration is in Florida, Missouri, Illinois, and Texas. Organizations in these states may have a natural advantage, though the foundation clearly funds nationally and internationally.

### Practical Steps to Engage

1. Visit the Ministry Engagement page at tentalentsfoundation.org/ministry-engagement/ for the most current information on how the foundation evaluates potential partners. 2. Build network connections through Praxis, National Christian Foundation, Generous Giving, or other faith-based philanthropic networks where Ten Talents leadership is active. 3. Start with a modest ask. The median grant is $10,000–$25,000. Many grantees begin with smaller grants that grow over time as the relationship deepens. Matthews Hope, now receiving $3M+, likely started much smaller. 4. Prepare a concise, impact-focused case. With 3 staff managing 60 grants, the team values clarity and brevity. Lead with impact, not institutional history. 5. Connect through LinkedIn — the foundation maintains a LinkedIn presence where you can follow their activity and build awareness.