Mission and Funding Policies
The Schowalter Foundation (Schowalter) began in 1954 upon the implementation of J. A. Schowalter’s will. His desire was to create a foundation to support programs developed by three Mennonite denominations: General Conference Mennonite Church, Mennonite Church, and Church of God in Christ, Mennonite. The Schowalter Foundation board members are chosen from members of Mennonite churches or Anabaptist denominations that have current or historical affiliation with those three denominations. In 2017 Schowalter Foundation became a supporting organization of Mennonite Foundation.
Mission Statement
The Schowalter Foundation is committed to generating income within the bounds of Christian ethics as defined by Mennonite Church USA and Church of God in Christ, Mennonite. Schowalter strives to maintain low overhead and to grow its assets to build gifting capacity. The Schowalter strategy is to make grants of its income to challenge, encourage and stimulate further outreach and witness.
Funding Policies
Priority consideration is given to requests originating from Mennonite Church USA and Church of God in Christ, Mennonite and their institutions. These include relief organizations, overseas and home missionary endeavors, peace and social concerns, programs to alleviate hunger, and such other programs as are initiated and carried on by boards, committees, and agencies directly or indirectly related to the two denominations. Also, significantly funded are Mennonite colleges and seminaries to support international and ministerial students.
The Schowalter Foundation is interested in projects that need seed money for start-up costs related to new programs which have broad application.
The Schowalter Board of Directors will not make multi-year commitments. It may, in its discretion, offer matching or challenge funding. It may also fund causes which are initiated by board members.
Fund requests that originate outside the two Mennonite denominations may qualify. However, in those instances, Mennonite related projects and local requests with geographical proximity to North Newton, Kansas and Schowalter properties are taken into account.
Only entities with IRS tax-exempt status may receive Schowalter Foundation funding. Documentation must be submitted.
Funding requests are due March 1 and September 1 of each year
Funding requests not received by those deadlines may not be considered. If the deadline is missed, an applicant may be asked to resubmit the request for the next upcoming deadline.
- Funding application via email is preferred and applications via USPS are also accepted.
- Schowalter will reply with an acknowledgment via email. If an acknowledgment is not received within a reasonable amount of time, it is the applicant’s responsibility to notify Schowalter and resubmit.
- The funding application must be in the Schowalter Foundation’s format. Applications not using the Schowalter format will be asked to resubmit or may not be considered.
- Only one copy of the application is required.
- Funding applications should not exceed two pages and should not be numbered, stapled or hole-punched.
All recipients of Schowalter Foundation funding distributions are required to submit a report of the use of funds within one year.
Note: The Schowalter Foundation does not fund the following:
- Endowments
- Fellowships, travel, loans or scholarship assistance to individuals
- Organizations outside the United States and its possessions
- Elementary or secondary schools or equipment for such schools
- Retirement centers or equipment relating to such centers