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Who We Are
Covered by Chukwu Ministries is a private trust that supports faith-centered research, publishing, and evidence-based resources for vulnerable families. Research is conducted through The Spear of Zion Academy—a private academy founded by Covered by Chukwu Ministries, and led by Tiphani N. Montgomery and Terrica Lynn Smith.
We primarily fund our own internal projects and, at times, invite partners to collaborate through microgrants aligned with our mission. We are not a 501(c)(3), and we do not run open calls.
What sets us apart from public funders
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We are privately governed (not taxpayer-funded) and operate mission-first with agile decision-making.
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We prioritize pastoral impact and family outcomes alongside academic quality.
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We publish books, reports, and open resources, and we selectively release data when appropriate.
How we fund
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Primary model: Trust-funded internal projects.
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Invited microgrants: By invitation only to aligned partners (no unsolicited proposals).
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Acknowledgement required: “This work was funded by Covered by Chukwu Ministries Trust (Grant ID if assigned).”
We do not accept general applications. If invited, partners receive a brief template and timeline for review.
Policies, standards, and data
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Ethics & COI: Screened for integrity and conflicts; IRB via partners when applicable.
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Open Access: We encourage OA for publications and deposit preprints/datasets when safe to do so.
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Data management: Follows FAIR principles with strict privacy for minors and vulnerable populations.
Our mission
To resource rigorous, faith-centered research in theology, family well-being, foster care and reunification, and to publish hope-giving tools for children, caregivers, and communities.
How we’re structured
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We operate in two parts:
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Research & Publishing (The Spear of Zion Academy)
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Ministry operations (separate)
Oversight & ethics
Our Trustees provide oversight. They review projects for ethics and conflicts of interest so our work stays responsible and trustworthy.
Intellectual property & sharing
The Trust owns and stewards the research IP. We publish selected books, reports, and datasets openly when it’s safe and appropriate, while keeping sensitive information private.
What we support
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Theology and practical ministry research
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Foster care, reunification, and child well-being
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Open educational resources for children and caregivers
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Data curation and repositories for reproducibility
We do not run open calls for funding. If your work strongly aligns with our mission and purpose, we may extend an invitation to collaborate or to apply for an invitation-only microgrant through The Spear of Zion Academy (TSOZA), the research and data & analytics department of CBCM. If you’re interested in being considered for an invitation, please send a brief message describing your relevant experience and how you could contribute to TSOZA’s research, data, or analytics efforts.