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Beloved In Christ Foundation

Annual Giving
$3.0M
Grant Range
$1K - $3.0M

Beloved In Christ Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $3,000,000 - $20,000,000 (varies significantly year to year)
  • Success Rate: N/A (invitation only)
  • Decision Time: N/A (trustee discretion)
  • Grant Range: $500 - $3,000,000
  • Geographic Focus: Primarily Texas and U.S., with some international support
  • Total Assets: $136 million - $148 million

Contact Details

Overview

Beloved In Christ Foundation was established in 2012 by Kirsten Vliet and Lewis Cirne, founder and former CEO of New Relic, a software analytics company. The family resides in Horseshoe Bay, Texas. As of 2024, the foundation holds approximately $136-148 million in assets and has distributed between $3 million and $20 million annually in recent years (with significant year-to-year variation). The foundation's mission is to serve those in need through investment in food, shelter, education, transportation, and healthcare, striving to "be the hands and feet of Jesus in our communities." This is a private grantmaking foundation that supports preselected ministries, schools, camps, and churches both domestically and internationally.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation does not operate formal grant programs. Instead, it makes discretionary grants to preselected charitable organizations. Recent grants have ranged from $500 to nearly $3 million, with a median grant size of approximately $11,000 in some years, though the foundation also makes very large grants through donor-advised fund arrangements.

Notable: A significant portion of the foundation's grantmaking (approximately $3 million in 2023) flows through National Philanthropic Trust, suggesting the use of donor-advised funds for strategic charitable giving.

Priority Areas

Based on their stated mission and partner organizations listed on their website, the foundation focuses on:

  • Faith-based ministries: Religious organizations and missionary work
  • Education: Faith-based schools, camps, and educational programs (e.g., Faith Academy, Pine Cove)
  • International development: Organizations working in developing countries (e.g., Africa New Life Ministries, CURE International)
  • Basic human needs: Food, shelter, transportation, and healthcare
  • Community development: Churches and community-serving organizations (e.g., Bright City Ministries, Groundwire Ministries)
  • Geographic reach: Supports organizations across the U.S. and Canada, including cities such as Austin, Burnet, Marble Falls, San Diego, San Francisco, Tucson, Jenkintown, Mississauga, and Mundelein

Partner Organizations

The foundation's website lists 30+ charitable partners, including:

  • CURE International, Inc.
  • Messianic Vision Inc.
  • Mountain Metro Church, Inc.
  • Part of the Solution, Inc.
  • Pine Cove Inc.
  • Latin American Fellowship
  • Ukrainian Mission Possible
  • Red Autismo Foundation
  • Iglesia Libre Por Cristo
  • Camp Agape

Governance and Leadership

The foundation is led by four directors/officers, all of whom serve without compensation:

  • Kirsten Vliet: Director and President
  • Lewis Cirne: Director/Officer - Founder and former CEO of New Relic
  • Brett Rodgers: Director
  • Donna Wilcox: Officer

Lewis and Kirsten Cirne reside with their daughter in Horseshoe Bay, Texas, and in 2023 also launched Belóved Gallery, a private operating foundation dedicated to sharing a fine art collection featuring religious artwork.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process.

According to publicly available information, the foundation "only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds." This means:

  • Organizations cannot submit applications unless specifically invited
  • The foundation identifies and selects grant recipients through trustee discretion
  • Grants are awarded to organizations with which the founders have pre-existing relationships or knowledge
  • Unsolicited proposals are not reviewed

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - grants are made at the discretion of the trustees/directors to preselected organizations.

Success Rates

Not applicable for unsolicited applications (0% acceptance rate for unsolicited requests).

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - no public application process exists.

Application Success Factors

Since the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, there are no traditional "success factors" for grant applications. However, organizations that receive funding from Beloved In Christ Foundation typically share these characteristics:

  • Faith-based mission: Strong Christian identity and mission alignment
  • Address fundamental needs: Focus on food, shelter, education, transportation, and healthcare
  • Personal connection: Relationship with the foundation's trustees or connection through their network
  • Geographic relevance: Organizations in Texas or areas where the founders have connections
  • Established track record: The foundation appears to support established organizations rather than startup initiatives
  • International impact: Many partners work in developing countries or support international missionary work

The foundation's grantmaking pattern suggests support for organizations personally meaningful to the founders, with a strong emphasis on faith-based work and meeting basic human needs both locally and internationally.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No public application process: This foundation does not accept unsolicited grant proposals, making it unsuitable for proactive grant seeking
  • Invitation-only grantmaking: Only preselected organizations receive funding based on trustee discretion
  • Faith-based focus: Strong emphasis on Christian ministry and faith-based service organizations
  • Wide grant range: Grants range from $500 to $3 million, indicating flexibility based on organizational needs and relationships
  • Strategic giving through DAFs: Large grants through National Philanthropic Trust suggest sophisticated philanthropic planning
  • Personal philanthropy: This is a family foundation reflecting the personal charitable interests of Lewis and Kirsten Cirne
  • Not a prospect for cold outreach: Organizations should not invest time developing proposals for this funder unless specifically invited

References

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