Status: 🔴 The largest Christian donor-advised fund provider in the United States, the National Christian Foundation (NCF) has served as a pass-through vehicle channeling tens of millions of dollars to anti-LGBTQ+ organizations — including tens of millions to Alliance Defending Freedom and the Family Research Council, both SPLC-designated hate groups. NCF is a key node in the fossil fuel-to-anti-trans funding pipeline.
The National Christian Foundation (NCF) is a nonprofit organization headquartered in Alpharetta, Georgia that operates as the nation’s largest provider of Christian-centric donor-advised funds.[1][2] Founded in 1982, NCF facilitates charitable giving by accepting cash and non-cash assets (such as real estate, business interests, and stock), processing them through its “Giving Fund,” and distributing grants to charitable organizations chosen by the donor.[2:1]
NCF’s structure as a donor-advised fund allows donors to give anonymously — the IRS receives no information about where donors choose to send their money, and the general public cannot easily trace the flow of funds from source to recipient.[3]
Since its founding, NCF has granted over $14.5 billion to charities and causes, making it the 6th largest nonprofit organization in the United States as of 2021.[1:1][4]
The Anschutz Family Foundation — controlled by fossil fuel billionaire Phil Anschutz — donated $50,000 to the National Christian Foundation between 2011 and 2013.[5] This donation was part of a larger pattern of Anschutz funding to anti-LGBTQ+ organizations that also includes direct grants of $110,000 to Alliance Defending Freedom and $30,000 to the Family Research Council.[5:1]
The significance of the NCF donation lies not in its size but in its purpose: NCF functions as a pass-through vehicle, and Anschutz’s $50,000 grant to NCF served to amplify Anschutz’s giving to other anti-LGBTQ+ groups through NCF’s grant-making infrastructure. From 2015 to 2017 alone, NCF channeled $56.1 million to 23 organizations designated as hate groups by the Southern Poverty Law Center — most of which opposed LGBTQ+ rights, and several of which were also funded directly by Anschutz.[3:1][6]
The National Christian Foundation plays a critical infrastructure role in the fossil fuel-to-anti-trans funding pipeline. As a donor-advised fund provider, NCF enables donors to:
Between 2015 and 2017, NCF distributed $56.1 million to 23 SPLC-designated hate groups.[3:2][6:1] The largest recipients among anti-LGBTQ+ organizations included:
| Organization | Funding Amount | Designation |
|---|---|---|
| Alliance Defending Freedom | Tens of millions | SPLC hate group |
| Family Research Council | Significant funding | SPLC hate group |
| Other anti-LGBTQ+ groups | Portion of $56.1M | SPLC hate group varied |
In total, most of the 23 hate groups that received NCF funding opposed LGBTQ+ rights, with additional recipients being anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant organizations.[3:3]
NCF was founded in 1982 by evangelical Christian author and entrepreneur Larry Burkett, financial author and advisor Ron Blue, and tax attorney Terry Parker.[2:2][7]
The organization began adding local offices throughout the United States in 2000 and now operates 28 affiliate offices in cities including Dallas, Orlando, Chicago, and Seattle.[8] These local offices serve as community-based liaisons between donors and the national organization.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Total grants since 1982 | $14.5+ billion |
| Ranking among US nonprofits | 6th largest (2021) |
| Staff | ~200 |
| Affiliates | 28 nationwide |
| Charities supported | 71,000+ |
| Complex gifts received | $6 billion+ |
| Headquarters | Alpharetta, Georgia |
Beyond the anti-LGBTQ+ funding pipeline, NCF has been involved in other controversial giving:
The National Christian Foundation is a force multiplier in the fossil fuel-to-anti-trans funding ecosystem. Unlike organizations that directly litigate or lobby against trans rights, NCF’s role is infrastructural — it provides the financial plumbing that allows wealthy donors like Phil Anschutz to direct money to anti-trans organizations while maintaining anonymity.[3:4][5:2]
The combination of Anschutz’s direct donations to ADF ($110,000) and FRC ($30,000) alongside his donation to NCF ($50,000) that was then funneled to the same groups creates a layered funding structure that makes it difficult to quantify the full extent of any single donor’s support for anti-trans activism.
National Christian Foundation — Welcome Kendra VanderMeulen ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎
Newsweek — U.S.'s Biggest Christian Charity Reportedly Channeled $56.1 Million to Purported Hate Groups (2019) ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎
Inside Philanthropy — Big Money, Quiet Power: A Look at the National Christian Foundation (2016) ↩︎
Business Insider — Coachella owner Phil Anschutz donates to anti-LGBT groups (2017) ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎
Sludge — America’s Biggest Christian Charity Funnels Tens of Millions to Hate Groups (2019) ↩︎ ↩︎
Christian Post — 20 Biggest Grant Making Foundations for Christian Organizations (2010) ↩︎
Rolling Stone — America’s Biggest Charities Bankrolled RFK Jr.'s Anti-Vax Outfit (2023) ↩︎