April 18, 2018
North Newton, KS — The total grants from The Schowalter Foundation since its inception in 1954 now exceed $20 million! At the recent Schowalter Foundation Board meeting in April 2018 grants of more than $500,000 were approved, which brings the cumulative total of Schowalter Foundation charitable grants to more than $20 million since the Foundation was established from the estate of J. A. Schowalter in 1954.
Significant funding for projects of Mennonite Church USA, Church of God in Christ, Mennonite, and numerous other Mennonite church-wide agencies, conferences and organizations is provided by The Schowalter Foundation. It provides significant support to the Colleges of Mennonite Church USA for international scholarships. The continuing strategy of The Schowalter Foundation is to make grants of its income to challenge, encourage and stimulate further outreach and witness.
The Schowalter Foundation, headquartered in North Newton, KS, is distinctive among foundations because its assets consist primarily of farm real estate. Current farmland holdings are in five Kansas counties in central and western Kansas. Funds are generated from farm operations, oil & gas royalty income and investment income.
The operating model of The Schowalter Foundation is to utilize profits from its farmland to support Mennonite charitable projects and to maintain the farmland for long-term ongoing ownership and operation. The Schowalter Foundation is growing and is seeking additional contributions of farmland in Kansas and other states.
The Schowalter Foundation invites farmland owners to be a part of their ongoing legacy. The donation of farmland provides significant and unique benefits to the donor. A farmer donating land could continue to farm it as tenant, or if the land is being farmed by family or friend, they would likely remain as tenant farmer. The farmland will continue to be productive and the donor is assured that the landowner’s share of income will go to charitable causes within and beyond the greater Mennonite church. The donor receives an immediate tax deduction based on the current value of the real estate.
The Board of The Schowalter Foundation prudently and prayerfully consider many worthy opportunities presented in the form of grant requests, twice each year. Appeals come from charitable 501(c)(3) organizations for specific projects and uses they have defined in their grant requests. The grant requests are processed by the Mennonite Foundation in response to the recommendation of the Board of The Schowalter Foundation.
The Schowalter Foundation is a supporting organization of Mennonite Foundation, an affiliate of Everence, which is the stewardship agency of Mennonite Church USA. Everence offers banking, insurance and financial services with community benefits and stewardship education. Through Everence Asset Management they provide individual and institutional investment and charitable giving services that build confidence, security, and a more generous future in a way that reflects clients’ faith and values.
The Schowalter Foundation Board consists of eight persons, at least two of whom are congregational members of Church of God in Christ, Mennonite and all are members of Mennonite or Anabaptist denominations that have current or historical affiliation with the three Mennonite denominations specified by Mr. Schowalter in 1954, the Mennonite Church, General Conference Mennonite Church and Church of God in Christ, Mennonite.
Additional information about The Schowalter Foundation is available at schowalterfoundation.org or from Arlan Yoder, President and General Manager of The Schowalter Foundation.