Maclellan Foundation Inc - Funder Overview

Quick Stats

Annual Giving: $21,546,081 (2023)
Total Assets: $183 million (2024)
Decision Time: 2 months (for complete proposals)
Grant Range: $11,000 - $70,000 (average $62,817)
Geographic Focus: Local (Chattanooga), National (USA), International
Application Method: Invitation only

Contact Details

Address: 820 Broad Street, Suite 300, Chattanooga, TN 37402

Phone: (423) 755-1366 (main) | (423) 755-3202 (Grants Manager)

Grants Portal: maclellan.my.site.com

Overview

The Maclellan Foundation, Inc., incorporated in 1945 by Robert J. Maclellan, his sister Dora Maclellan Brown, and his son Robert L. Maclellan, is the largest and oldest of the Maclellan Family Foundations. With total assets of $183 million and annual grant distributions exceeding $21.5 million across 330+ awards, the foundation has reached a historic milestone of $1 billion in cumulative, inflation-adjusted grants since inception. The foundation's mission is rooted in the covenant made by Thomas Maclellan in 1857 to dedicate his life and earnings to God's purposes. Today, the foundation provides financial and leadership resources to faith-based ministries worldwide, focusing on discipleship and leadership development, community transformation, promoting prayer, and advancing generosity. Under third-generation leadership (Hugh O. Maclellan, Jr., who passed in 2025), the foundation pioneered innovative approaches to Christian philanthropy, including launching Generous Giving, Inc. in 2000 to inspire wealthy Christians toward greater generosity.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Maclellan Foundation operates through three geographic frameworks:

Local (Chattanooga): Provides financial and leadership resources to foster biblical Christian values in the community and meet practical and spiritual needs through faith-based ministries.

National (USA): Supports nationwide strategies delivering faith-based solutions with a vision to see strong families worshipping in healthy churches, influencing culture, and serving God.

International: Focuses on establishing and strengthening churches, discipleship and leadership development, community transformation, and increasing access to Scripture.

Special Initiatives:

Technical assistance and capacity building ($866,300 in 2023)
Promoting generosity and philanthropy ($415,513 in 2023)
Generous Giving program (launched 2000) - educates and inspires wealthy Christians through "Celebrations of Generosity" and "Journeys of Generosity" retreats
Generosity Path - international expansion of generosity initiatives

Priority Areas

Discipleship and leadership development
Community transformation initiatives
Promotion of prayer's power
Advancing Christian generosity
Faith-based solutions to social problems
Christian education innovation
Healthy churches and strong families
Children and youth programs
Indigenous peoples and Hispanic/Latino communities
Scripture access and distribution

What They Don't Fund

Capital campaigns or building projects
Individual field workers
Specific churches or schools (as individual institutions)
Scholarships
Narrowly-focused geographic projects without broader strategic impact
Political projects or lobbying activities
Supporting organizations or private foundations (only 501(c)(3) public charities 509(a)(1) or 509(a)(2))
501(c)(4) organizations
For-profit entities
Individual applicants

Governance and Leadership

Key Leadership:

Thomas Lowe - Chief Investment Officer
Ethan Spivey - Grants Manager and Grants Coordinator
Randy Kennedy - Senior Director of Strategy
Thomas H. McCallie III - Executive Vice President of Strategic Initiatives
Tyler Haar - Director of Strategy
Daryl Heald - Trustee (Hugh Maclellan's son-in-law)

Leadership Philosophy:

Hugh Maclellan Jr. (1939-2025), who led the foundation's third generation, embodied a sacrificial approach to grantmaking. As he stated: "Any middle-class Christian giving 10 percent to his church is more sacrificial than we are. Nevertheless, giving that 70 percent broke the power of money in our lives."

The foundation learned that "giving organizations money isn't necessarily the best thing to do," noting "we have sunk ministries by giving them money when they needed to do something else." This philosophy led to a holistic approach emphasizing capacity building, technical assistance, and promoting organizational "hunger and relying on God to provide" as what "makes a ministry worth its salt."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

IMPORTANT: The Maclellan Foundation does NOT accept unsolicited grant proposals, requests, or letters of inquiry.

Organizations may only apply if they receive a formal email invitation from the foundation. The foundation focuses on existing partnerships, collaboration with other funders, and proactive research on areas of strategic interest.

For Invited Organizations:

Applications must be submitted through the online Grants Portal at maclellan.my.site.com
Each invitation email contains a unique direct link to begin a new request (use only once)
Required information includes: organization details, leadership information, project description, financials, and objectives
Required attachments include a Project Budget template with project-related income and expenses
Organizations must have 501(c)(3) public charity status (509(a)(1) or 509(a)(2) classifications)
Foreign organizations must have equivalency determination status certificate
U.S.-based churches and qualified fiscal sponsors are also eligible

Invitation Likelihood

The foundation states: "We are only able to fund a small portion of the proposals we receive from new organizations." The likelihood of receiving an invitation is based on:

How closely your organization aligns with their strategic granting priorities
Availability of grant funds
Fit with current values and focus areas

Past grants do not guarantee future funding, as each partnership is evaluated against current priorities.

Decision Timeline

Typical Timeline:

2 months from submission to decision (for complete proposals with minimal questions)
Timeline varies significantly based on:
- Completeness of the request
- Program staff's satisfaction with the project
- Time required to reach final decision
Email notification sent shortly after final determination
4-6 weeks for payment processing after approval notification (longer for matching grants with special requirements)
Foundation endeavors to respond to change requests within 1 week of submission

Success Rates

330 awards made in 2023 from an invitation-only pool
343 awards made in 2024
Foundation only funds "a small portion" of proposals from new organizations
Average grant: $62,817
Focus on existing partnerships limits opportunities for new applicants

Reapplication Policy

Not explicitly stated due to invitation-only process. However, past grants do not ensure future grants, as each partnership is reconsidered according to alignment with current priorities, values, and available funds.

Application Success Factors

Alignment with Faith-Based Mission is Critical: The foundation has an explicitly Christian mission. Organizations must demonstrate how their work fosters biblical Christian values, strengthens churches, promotes discipleship, or advances Christian generosity.

Strategic Scope and Reach Matter: The foundation states it funds "a wide variety of projects worldwide, leveraging projects with a strategic scope and reach." Narrowly-focused geographic projects without broader impact are excluded. Projects should demonstrate how they scale beyond local impact or connect to wider strategic initiatives.

Beyond Financial Needs: The foundation learned "giving organizations money isn't necessarily the best thing to do." Successful applicants demonstrate they need more than just funding—they show readiness for growth, strategic thinking, and organizational health. The foundation values organizations that maintain "hunger and relying on God to provide."

Capacity Building Receptiveness: With $866,300 dedicated to technical assistance in 2023, the foundation values organizations open to governance support, leadership development, and capacity building. They teach nonprofit managers fundraising skills and provide holistic organizational development.

Generosity Culture: Organizations that demonstrate or promote a culture of generosity align well with the foundation's focus. Since 2000, the foundation has distributed over $40 million toward generosity-focused projects.

Partnership and Collaboration: The foundation explicitly focuses on "existing partnerships" and "collaboration with other funders." Organizations with demonstrated ability to build partnerships and leverage multiple funding sources are favored.

Complete, Clear Applications: The foundation notes that decision timelines depend heavily on "the completeness of your request." Thorough, well-documented applications with minimal questions move through the process in approximately two months.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

Invitation-only means relationship building is essential - there is no public application process, so getting on the foundation's radar requires networking within Christian ministry circles and demonstrating alignment with their strategic priorities
Explicitly Christian mission required - secular organizations or those without clear faith-based approaches will not be considered; the foundation seeks to "glorify God" through all grantmaking
Think strategic, not local - projects must demonstrate "strategic scope and reach" beyond narrow geographic or programmatic focus; show how your work scales or connects to broader movements
Holistic organizational health matters - the foundation values capacity building and learned that money alone can "sink ministries"; demonstrate organizational readiness and openness to technical assistance
Generosity culture is valued - organizations that promote generosity, stewardship, and dependence on God align with foundation priorities established through Generous Giving initiatives
Complete applications move faster - thorough, well-documented proposals with minimal questions receive decisions in approximately 2 months versus significantly longer timelines for incomplete requests
Average grants around $63,000 - while the range is $11,000-$70,000, most grants cluster around the average; larger strategic initiatives may receive more through multi-year commitments

References

Maclellan Foundation Official Website - https://maclellan.net/ - Accessed December 27, 2024
Maclellan Foundation History - https://maclellan.net/history/ - Accessed December 27, 2024
Maclellan Foundation FAQ - https://maclellan.net/faq/ - Accessed December 27, 2024
Maclellan Foundation "Our Foundations" - https://maclellan.net/our-foundations/ - Accessed December 27, 2024
Instrumentl 990 Report - Maclellan Family Foundations - https://www.instrumentl.com/990-report/maclellan-foundation-inc - Accessed December 27, 2024
GuideStar Profile - The Maclellan Foundation Inc - https://www.guidestar.org/profile/62-6041468 - Accessed December 27, 2024
Grantable Foundation Profile - The Maclellan Foundation Inc - https://www.grantable.co/search/funders/profile/the-maclellan-foundation-inc-us-foundation-626041468 - Accessed December 27, 2024
Philanthropy Roundtable - Generous Giving - https://www.philanthropyroundtable.org/almanac/generous-giving/ - Accessed December 27, 2024
Philanthropy Roundtable - Maclellan Foundation - https://www.philanthropyroundtable.org/magazine/maclellan-foundation/ - Accessed December 27, 2024
Reformed Theological Seminary - Scott Maclellan and the Family Business of Generosity - https://rts.edu/resources/scott-maclellan-and-the-family-business-of-generosity/ - Accessed December 27, 2024
City Vision University - The Maclellan Foundation, Inc. - https://library.cityvision.edu/orgs/maclellan-foundation-inc - Accessed December 27, 2024
ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer - Maclellan Foundation Inc - https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/626041468 - Accessed December 27, 2024
Grantmakers.io Profile - Maclellan Foundation Inc. - https://www.grantmakers.io/profiles/v0/626041468-maclellan-foundation-inc/ - Accessed December 27, 2024