John C. Lasko Foundation Trust

Private foundation · EIN 27-6173297 · since 2009bankofamerica.com/philanthropic/foundation/?fnId=8·United States·Updated 13 October 2026

At a glance

$7M

Annual giving, 2023 tax year

From the Form 990-PF filing

Up to $500k

Grant range

From the funder's website

$274k

Typical grant (median)

18 grants in the latest filing

Open to applications

Fixed application deadlines · unsolicited applications welcome

Key takeaways

This foundation funds church construction nationally, but only the sanctuary portion of a building, so a request must be framed as worship-space construction rather than fellowship halls, classrooms, office areas, kitchens, baptisteries or debt repayment, all of which are excluded.
Applicants need to already own the land for the project and be able to fund at least 50% of the project costs themselves, so smaller congregations without land in hand or with a smaller cash share should hold off until those conditions are met.
For size of request, note that half of its 33 grants to organisations across its two most recent filings were about $260,000 or less, so a modest sanctuary-construction request in that range is a realistic starting point, even though its stated grant range runs up to $500,000.
The process is a two-stage one: start with the free-standing online Phase 1 application, open 1 July to 30 September, and only invited organisations then submit a hard-copy Phase 2 proposal by 30 November, so timing your approach to that window matters and the invitation step suggests some competitive selection rather than an open-door relationship.
With 18% of its grant dollars in its most recent filing going to organisations it had also funded the year before, most of its funding by value goes to new recipients, so a first-time applicant that meets the land and cost-share rules should not be put off simply because the foundation has not funded them before.

Overview

John C. Lasko Foundation Trust is a US private foundation administered by its trustee, Bank of America, in Pennington, NJ.

What they fund

Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2023, TY2022) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.

Priority Areas

John C. Lasko Foundation Trust supports church construction nationally, with grants restricted to worship space: the sanctuary portion of a church building. It describes its aim as building churches that will last forever and will never deviate or change from God’s mission. Funding excludes fellowship halls, classrooms, office areas, kitchens, baptisteries and debt repayment. Applicants must own the land on which the church will be constructed, and the church must fund at least half of project costs. Organisations begin with an online application; trustees invite selected organisations to submit a full proposal in a second phase.

Themes

Church sanctuaries

Geographic Focus

National.

What They Don't Fund

Fellowship hall
Classroom
Office area
Kitchen
Baptistery
Debt repayment
Applicants who do not own the land on which the church will be constructed
Churches unable to fund at least 50% of the project costs

How to apply

Submit a Phase 1 application online through the Apply now button. The trustees review submissions and invite selected organisations to submit a full Phase 2 application.

Deadlines:

Phase 1 online applications open July 1 and close September 30.
Invited Phase 2 applicants must submit a hard-copy proposal by November 30.

Application success factors

Repeat giving: In its TY2023 filing, 18% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 filing.
Grant size: Across its TY2022 and TY2023 filings, half of its 33 grants to organisations were about $260,000 or less.

What the foundation says:

Applicants must own the land on which the church will be constructed.
The church must fund at least 50% of project costs.

Where grants go

From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2023.

Grant dollars by state

Georgia15%

Alabama13%

California12%

Florida10%

Tennessee10%

Indiana9%

6 other states: 25%

Outside the US or with no state on the filing: 7%

The largest single recipient received 13% of grant dollars to organisations.
In tax year 2023, 18% of grant dollars went to organisations John C. Lasko Foundation Trust had funded in earlier filings.
No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.

Grants

18 grants in the latest filing analysed · median $274k

How much do they typically give?

Share of 18 grants in tax year 2023 by size

$25k–$50k6%

$50k–$100k0%

$100k–$250k39%

$250k–$500k33%

$500k–$1M11%

$1M and over11%

Median $274k (tax year 2023)

The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:

Embrace Church · General operating
$1,541,4712023 tax year
Bethel Baptist Church · General operating
$1,296,0912023 tax year
Hope Fellowship · General operating
$521,8452023 tax year
Christian Life Center · General operating
$520,0002023 tax year
Sovereign Grace Community Church · General operating
$453,3332023 tax year
Basswood Church · General operating
$400,0802023 tax year
Gulf Gate Baptist Church · General operating
$333,4002023 tax year
Heritage Baptist Church · General operating
$300,0602023 tax year

Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.

Officers and directors

Sean H Cook — Co-Trustee

From the latest Form 990-PF filing

2 years of tax filings

Year	Total expenses	Grants paid	Assets	Filing document
2022 tax year	$6,972,588	$5,298,364	$129,250,642	Filing for 2022 tax year
2023 tax year	$8,420,402	$6,997,196	$139,696,928	Filing for 2023 tax year

Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.