About Us

We bring together faith and community to create better impact on the ministries that you care about. We work directly with generous givers like you to multiply the power of your giving and the passion of your heart. As an independent faith-based organization, we can simplify your giving to any Christian charity.

Our Mission

Although a separate entity, E91 Foundation provides a new view of ministry opportunities for the East 91st Street Christian Church. E91 Foundation’s unique structure provides for a long-term Christian charitable legacy. This is separate from the Church’s ongoing business and operating budget. E91 Foundation provides grants to Christian ministries with a special concentration on funding new or expanding Christian ministries.

E91 Foundation adheres to Christian beliefs and principles, affirming that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, who died and was resurrected, and who provides individuals with their only hope of salvation. Based on these beliefs, E91 Foundation:

  • assists God’s people seeking advice in designing their estate plans;
  • stands as an instrument of continuous stewardship to God, by providing God’s people the opportunity to leave a lasting legacy for the support of Christian service through bequests, gifts, and memorial donations;
  • invests donations into an Investment Fund; and
  • donates the Investment Fund’s income to Christian organizations through grants.

E91 Foundation provides a vehicle for the broader Christian community to remember Christ and give a portion of their family’s final assets or unexpected proceeds back to God.

We encourage all grant seekers to review our FAQ for guidelines before contact is made via our Contact Us page.

Grantmaking

While a board maintains the endowment and grants funds to qualifying entities, donors can make a contribution for specific purposes or create an endowed fund, and then the board uses the interest each year within the donor’s guidelines to fund missions and ministries.

Grants are expected to:

  • fulfill Christ’s directive – going into the world, teaching, and making disciples (Mathew 28:18-20);
  • meet the physical needs of hurting people (Mathew 25: 35-40);
  • go to Christian organizations adhering to Christian beliefs and principles;
  • be directed primarily to local Christian organizations for new and expanding ministries in the field of evangelism, church planting, benevolence, medical care, education, and missions;
  • be in the $1,000 to $5,000 range;
  • go to only tax-exempt organizations; and
  • not support East 91st St. Christian Church’s day-to-day operating expenses.

The E91 Foundation has invested bequests, memorials, and gifts and has granted more than $1.2 million to evangelical nonprofit ministries in Indianapolis and across the world.

Our History

In 1994, the East 91st Street Christian Church plowed new ground with formation of the East 91st Street Christian Church Foundation (E91 Foundation), an independent trust fund that gathers the seeds of bequests and donations from church members and friends and grows long-lasting legacies that nourish evangelical nonprofit charities and ministries locally and throughout the world.

The idea sprouted through the desire to grow a deeper understanding of faith-based giving and the need to encourage giving among the church membership. The nondenominational, independent, and evangelical foundation fertilizes social and spiritual change by allowing donors to directly choose the charities and projects they want to impact. This empowers the donors and cultivates fruitful investments to meet the physical and emotional needs of hurting people.

While the Church and E91 Foundation are separate entities, they complement each other by allowing congregants of any church to provide seed money for new and expanding ministries and give lasting gifts to help people and projects develop over time. Donors can grow their contributions for greater impact in the world and choose where their support goes, alongside their regular tithing to the church.

While a board maintains the endowment and grants funds to qualifying entities, donors can contribute for specific purposes or create an endowed fund, and then the board uses the interest each year within the donor’s guidelines to fund missions and ministries.

E91 Foundation provides a new view of ministry opportunities for the East 91st Street Christian Church, allowing the church to enhance outreach and better live out the life of the congregation in service to the Lord. E91 Foundation’s structure provides a long-term Christian charitable entity separate from the Church’s day-to-day business and budget that offers support to Christian organizations both in and outside the church.

E91 Foundation provides a vehicle for congregants to remember Christ and give a portion of their assets back to God, provide seed money for new and expanding ministries that will offer lasting gifts to help people and projects develop and grow over time.

The E91 Foundation has invested bequests, memorials, and gifts and has granted more than $1.2 million to evangelical nonprofit
ministries in Indianapolis and across the world.

E91 Foundation operates as a 501(c)3 not-for-profit corporation chartered by the State of Indiana and is registered and recognized as a private foundation by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.

E91 Foundation Board

Tom Brinkerhoff
Bob Klinger
Dr. David Schlueter
John Samples
Lynette Chivington
Derek Wallace

Scott Read
Blair Austin
Beth Austin
Ron Costlow (Elder representative)
David Faust (Staff representative)
Dr. John Seybert

E91 Foundation Board

  • Blair Austin Co-President, Board Member

    Blair currently is founder, president, and CEO of ABA Properties, LLC, also DBA Austin Properties and Investments.  Prior to founding ABA Properties in 2004, Blair worked in marketing/corporate communications at Eli Lilly and Co.; served as vice president of communications at the Indiana Chamber of Commerce; worked as vice president of communications for UN Communications; served as associate editor of Kiwanis International magazine; and worked in media/public relations for the American Red Cross.

  • Beth Austin Co-President, Board Member

    Beth is an Adjunct Professor of Nursing at University of Indianapolis and Ivy Tech Community College.  She earned both her M.S. in Nursing and her B.S. in Nursing from Indiana University.  Her area of expertise is Pediatrics.  She is a lifelong member of E91 and has also been very involved in Young Life.

     

  • Tom Brinkerhoff Board Member

    Tom J. Brinkerhoff has been a certified public accountant with Brinkerhoff and Associates for more than 40 years. Before that, he worked at Arthur Andersen and Company, St. Paul Companies, Ernst & Ernst, and Filbey, Andrews & Filbey. He received a bachelor’s degree with high honors and master’s from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. While there, he was involved in Alpha Kappa Psi and Sigma Tau Gamma.

  • David Schlueter, M.D. Board Member

    I grew up in Louisville KY where my father was a pastor. After high school I attended and graduated from Elmhurst College. I then spent four years at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, graduating in 1961. All senior med students were drafted and I spent three years in the navy with submarine squadron 16. I returned to The medical center here in Indianapolis completing a four year residency in urology.

  • Derek Wallace Board Member

    Derek was born in Scotland and raised in Zimbabwe, Africa. He has a B.A. degree from Kentucky Christian University, with additional studies at Indiana University and Fuller Theological Seminary.

     

  • Rachel Hunter Secretary, Board Member, Church Historian
    Rachel graduated from Ball State University with a BS in education and has a Master’s degree in Education from Butler University.  She has taught Family and Consumer Science in the Avon (Indiana) Community School Corporation. She is a former Corporate Home Economist for Marsh Supermarkets and has also worked as a Closer for First Bankers Corporation.  She has served as a state officer for the Masonic Youth Organization and has served on the Advisory Board for Area Youth Ministry.  Rachel is a long-time member of E91 Church.
  • Bob Klinger
    Bob Klinger Board Member
  • Pat Solenberg Board Member

    Patricia Solenberg is a graduate of Iowa State University.  After a career as a research scientist at Eli Lilly and Co. she also contributed to research initiatives and leadership at two biotech start-up companies in the Indianapolis area. Pat has been involved in E91 mission trips and local ministries that focus on outreach, mentoring, and financial stewardship.

  • Adrian Fehl
    Adrian Fehl Staff Representative

    Adrian is the Executive Pastor at East 91st Street Christian Church. He has a Master of Divinity from Emmanuel Christian Seminary, and a B.S. in General Engineering from United States Military Academy, West Point. Adrian has experience in leading missionary teams through Africa and has been an Adjunct Professor at Cincinnati Christian University.

  • Kristen Hodge Board Member

    Kristen serves nonprofit clients at The National Bank of Indianapolis. She has a B.S. Degree in Finance from Ball State University, and has served a number of boards in the community, including: CMF International, East 91 St. Christian Church, The Wellness Community of Central Indiana, and The Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre.

  • John Fencl Treasurer, Board Member

    Mr. Fencl has a broad business background. He manages diverse business and financial functions for smaller and middle-market companies. His experience includes cash flow management, cost containment, managing the financial function, financial reporting, interacting with all levels of stakeholders, litigation support, establishing internal controls, and working with entrepreneurs to increase profitability. He works with both start-up and established organizations.

  • Mark Rogers

    Mark and his wife, Bridget met at Indiana University and married in 1986.  They soon began attending E91 and became members in 1987.  Mark retired in the spring of 2022 following over 30 years in the employee benefits industry, with the last 25 of those years at Delta Dental’s Indiana affiliate.  Bridget also recently retired from her role as Chief Development Officer for The Kings College, and they both are excited to follow God’s leading in their new chapter!