The Idaho Episcopal Foundation was established in 1984 with a gift and a vision from Dr. John F. Moser of Cascade.
Dr. Moser dedicated his life to helping others and he supported many projects within the Diocese of Idaho, most of which few people knew about. He recognized that smaller congregations working with shoestring budgets often struggled to pay the bills let alone have enough funding to support outreach ministries.
Dr. Moser felt strongly that every congregation member share his or her talents to support the larger family that is The Episcopal Church in Idaho. It was his dream that his bequest finance outreach projects sponsored by Diocesan congregations. With his financial gift the Moser Fund was born.
The Rt. Rev. David Bell Birney IV helped launch the Idaho Episcopal Foundation guided by a mission that still aligns with Dr. Moser’s original wishes to support congregation ministries through our annual Grants Program.
The IEF awarded its first grants in 1985 totaling $73,300. These grants funded projects in Idaho, California, and several foreign countries. Today grants are limited to ministries within the Diocese of Idaho. Since its creation, the IEF has awarded $1.3 million to many invaluable ministries in the honor of Dr. Moser’s legacy.
The IEF expanded its charter in 1997 to include the oversight of investments for other diocesan entities. Currently the IEF manages approximately $5 million in investment assets for 20 parishes, The Episcopal Church in Idaho, and the Foundation as well as investments for a few other Diocesan organizations.