Our Story

Since our founding in 1997, we have partnered with over 100 nonprofit organizations and churches

Our Mission

The mission of the Charis Foundation is to participate in God’s work in the world by offering financial, strategic and operational support in collaboration with Christian organizations and their leaders.

Our History

The foundation was founded in 1997 by Joe Cook Jr. and his wife, Judy. Following a successful career as a pharmaceutical executive with Eli Lilly & Co., Joe had more recently moved to consulting with small biotech companies. Joe’s investments in some of these companies proved quite successful and generated wealth that formed the original asset base of the foundation. Over time additional assets have been contributed, and this is expected to continue for the foreseeable future.