By Shauw Chin Capps

CBF Foundation began in 1994 with the goals of stewarding funds for CBF Global, CBF state and regional organizations, CBF partner churches and partner organizations. Presently, we are proud to have more than $62 million under management. Both CBF and CBF Foundation exist out of a deep desire to partner with local congregations for mission and ministries. 

Our partnership with congregations includes supporting churches in any way possible as they seek to be financially strong and healthy. Knowing that these are challenging times for churches, we are constantly considering new ways that we can add value to congregations and support their work. With these goals and convictions in mind, I, along with the CBF Foundation’s Board of Trustees, in collaboration with CBF’s Executive Coordinator, Paul Baxley, have been visioning new ways to support our partner churches.  

I am excited to be able to announce that the CBF Foundation Board of Trustees has voted as of June 1, 2022, to waive management fees of 50 basis points for all current church clients and new ones moving forward.  

Thanks to the generous support of the Eula Mae and John Baugh Foundation, we have been able to dream a new strategic direction that paves the way for the future sustainability of the CBF Foundation without having to charge additional management fees for our churches.  

For years now, our fund management partner has been HighGround Advisors located in Dallas, Texas.  We could not have a better fund manager! HighGround is a faith-based and nonprofit fund manager whose expertise is in nonprofit organizations including churches. They manage over $2 billion in nonprofit funds and have been doing this type of work for over 90 years. The value that the CBF Foundation can offer to churches in partnership with HighGround is remarkable. 

Regardless of how small or large your church funds are, CBF Foundation uses our total assets of $62 million-plus to provide our churches access to the highest-level fee share class (Apex level, which provides the lowest fees) available through HighGround. With the elimination of our management fees of 50 basis points, coupled with access to the highest-level fee share class available through our partnership, we believe that CBF Foundation can tangibly contribute to the strengthening of the financial well-being of our partner churches. 

The historic decision of the CBF Foundation to waive its fees, coupled with the opportunity that we offer to churches through our strategic relationship with HighGround, leads me to invite all of our congregations to consider a conversation with us about how we can help your church. Honestly, there has never been a better time for your church to take advantage of our services.  

Did you know that CBF Foundation offers assistance with gift planning for individual members of your congregation who may want to create an endowment fund to benefit your church, assistance with developing a legacy program for your church, assistance with endowment education/promotion, consultation on fund development strategies, best practices in church budgeting, stewardship Bible studies, tools to receive non-cash gifts for your congregation such as stocks/appreciated assets and QCD, and training for ministers and lay leaders on growing generous congregations? You can find more information about our resources at cbf.net/church-finance-resources. 

Does your church have excess funds that are earning little to no interest that you would like to see gain a greater return? Has your church thought about establishing an endowment fund and promoting legacy giving? Do you already have funds invested but have not researched other investing partners who might offer you lower fees and potentially higher returns? Answering yes to any of these questions makes this a great opportunity to reach out to us. 

We would welcome the chance to have an introductory conversation with interested pastors or church leaders by phone.  We would also be happy to set up a call via Zoom or a meeting in person with church finance committees to make a presentation. Further, we would be delighted to review a church’s current investment portfolio for any of their long-term funds and offer honest fee and investment return comparisons as to how we might be able to enhance the level of service you are receiving. 

Please reach out to me at scapps@cbf.net or to my colleague, Rickey Letson, CBF’s Congregational Stewardship Officer, at rletson@cbf.net. Rickey regularly represents the Foundation to our partner churches. Either of us would be honored to work with your church. We understand how critical a strong church financial footing is to our congregations and their ability to reach their goals for mission and ministry. We are eager to partner with you. 

Shauw Chin Capps serves as CBF Foundation President & CBF Chief Development Officer.