irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $1.19MRESIDENTIAL INITIATIVE - TO HELP STUDENTS THINK CAREFULLY AND TO "THINK CHRISTIANLY" ABOUT ALL AREAS OF LIFE AND LEARNING. THERE IS A LIBRARY ON-SITE WITH THOUSANDS OF VOLUMES OF CHRISTIAN SCHOLARSHIP AND PERIODICALS. THE COMMUNITY INTERACTS TOGETHER, INCLUDING INFORMAL DISCUSSIONS, DAILY DEVOTIONS, WEEKLY HOUSE DINNERS, SERVICE PROJECTS, ANNUAL RETREATS, AND A LARGE AMOUNT OF HOSPITALITY WELCOMING IN THE LARGER CAMPUS TO VARIOUS EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES ON OUR MINI-CAMPUS.
named programs · 4 · from sources
What they call their work
Grad & Faculty Development
Programs and resources supporting graduate students and faculty in integrating Christian faith with academic vocation
Lecture Series
Semesterly events featuring scholars and professionals who discuss their work and Christian faith; draws hundreds of attendees annually
Logos Seminar
Christian liberal arts course designed to help students integrate faith and intellectual life, open to all Cornell undergraduates
Residential Initiative
Living-learning community for Cornell students offering intentional Christian formation through shared living, weekly dinners, devotions, service projects, and retreats
activities · 7 groups
What they do
-
Religious Education and Instruction 1 activity
- Biweekly noncredit seminars in classical Christian thoughtHosts biweekly, noncredit seminars for students to explore the classical Christian tradition and its critics through guided discussions and lectures by Christian scholars.
-
-
Archival Digitization and Preservation 1 activity
- Event archive and digital content preservationMaintains an audio and video archive of past lectures, panel discussions, and other events to preserve and extend access to its programming.
-
-
Specialized Research Library Access 1 activity
- Library and resource center for Christian scholarshipMaintains a library and resource rooms with collections of Christian scholarship and subscriptions to approximately 15 periodicals, providing students and participants access to curated academic and theological resources.
-
-
Interfaith and Spiritual Dialogue Programs 1 activity
- Public lectures and panel discussions on faith, science, and theologyHosts public events including the Chesterton Perspectives series and panel discussions featuring scholars from institutions such as Notre Dame, Cornell, and the Catholic University of America, covering topics like wonder in scientific inquiry, Scripture and land care, and the role of faith in professional life. Events include speaker presentations followed by Q&A and community dinners.
-
-
Youth and Young Adult Spiritual Engagement 1 activity
- Residential program for Cornell students integrating Christian faith and intellectual lifeOperates a residential initiative for Cornell students that fosters spiritual formation and engagement with Christian scholarship through daily devotions, weekly house dinners, service projects, annual retreats, and access to a dedicated library. The program includes separate housing facilities for men (up to 20 residents) and women (up to 18 residents) on a 2-acre campus.
-
-
Student Club and Organization Support 1 activity
- Support for student organizationsProvides incubation and advising support to registered student organizations at Cornell University, helping them develop programming and leadership capacity.
-
-
Uncategorized 5 activities
- Accredited and online courses in biblical studies and Christian thoughtOffers accredited courses in biblical studies for Cornell students and public online courses, including a January 2024 course on Dante's Purgatorio and moral transformation taught by a visiting philosophy professor. Since 2014, the organization has facilitated 414 course enrollments.
- Faculty and graduate student gatherings in biblical and theological studiesOrganizes regular gatherings for Cornell faculty and graduate students to discuss major themes in biblical and theological studies, fostering interdisciplinary dialogue grounded in both ancient texts and contemporary research.
- One-year Bible reading pilot programRuns a pilot initiative launched in February to guide participants in reading the entire Bible in one year, supported by monthly reading rhythms and incentives such as $5 gift cards to Gimme Coffee upon reaching milestones.
- Pre-orientation programs for incoming Cornell studentsFacilitates pre-orientation programs for incoming first-year and transfer students at Cornell University to introduce them to faith-based community and intellectual formation opportunities.
- Public Reading of Scripture programOrganizes weekly Public Reading of Scripture gatherings at Sage Chapel three times per week, where participants listen to the Bible read aloud while progressing toward reading the entire Bible in one year. Free meals are provided, and attendance contributes to cumulative reading milestones. The program served 7,039 meals and accumulated 3,822 person-hours of reading during 2024–2025.
-
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$2.10M
Contributions & grants$1.79M85%
Program service revenue$316K15%
Investment income$210%
Other revenue$25
expenses
Total expenses$1.42M
Program expenses90%
Admin / overhead0%
Fundraising10%
Salaries & benefits$576K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$4.01M
Cash$759K
Investments$0
Liabilities$68K
Net assets$3.95M
Liquid reserves6.4 mo
5 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue +84.2%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| VIVEK MATHEW | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/PRESIDE | 40 | $142K |
board members · 10
- ADRIENNE HEIN NYSTROM — SECRETARY
- ANDREA LODGE — DIRECTOR
- CLIFTON CHANG — CHAIR
- DAVID HORN — DIRECTOR
- DAVID WILLIAMSON — DIRECTOR
- ESTHER JIANG — TREASURER
- FRED BARBER — DIRECTOR
- GARY THOMPSON — DIRECTOR
- JONATHAN BUTCHER — DIRECTOR
- LINDEL SMITH — DIRECTOR
relationships · 15
Who they work with
- American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) Government — Recognized Chesterton House as an Oases of Excellence for maintaining high academic standards and promoting free inquiry in education for informed citizenship.
- COLLIS Institute Partner — Co-presents events with Chesterton House, including panel discussions on science and meaning.
- COLLIS Institute for Thought and Culture Partner — Co-hosted an interview-style event with Mary Eberstadt on campus.
- Cornell University Partner — Collaborates with Chesterton House on events featuring faculty from Physics and Philosophy departments.
- Cornell University Partner — Collaborates with Cornell University to serve undergraduate and graduate students through programs and residence facilities.
- Cornell University Partner — Hosts Public Reading of Scripture events on campus for students, staff, and faculty.
- Cornell University Partner — Provides residential and programming context for Christian study and community life for students.
- Cornell University Partner — Provides residential and spiritual formation programming for Cornell students.
- Duke Divinity School Partner — Hosts Ellen Davis, a professor at Duke Divinity School, as a speaker for Theological Society events.
- Gimme Coffee Partner — Provides gift cards awarded to participants upon reaching Bible reading milestones.
- InterVarsity Christian Fellowship Partner — Hannah Eagleson serves as Assistant Director of InterVarsity’s Emerging Scholars Network while also holding a leadership role at Chesterton House, indicating an organizational partnership.
- Local churches in Ithaca Partner — Connects students with local churches in Ithaca as part of its faith-based programming.
- MIT Media Lab Partner — Collaborates with MIT researchers through public events and dialogue on technology and society.
- Professional organizations Network — Lists professional organizations that support and connect Christians in various fields.
- University of Notre Dame Partner — Collaborates with scholars from the University of Notre Dame for theological discussions.
strategies · 5
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Communal and Embodied Spiritual Practicesmethodology: embodied_spiritual_practicesBy practicing shared spiritual disciplines and everyday embodied rhythms—such as communal prayer, meals, and listening to scripture—the organization cultivates spiritual formation, because these practices foster receptivity, belonging, and transformative engagement with faith in daily life.
- Faith-Integrated Engagement with Technology and Sciencemethodology: faith-integrated_technology_ethicsBy integrating Christian faith with critical inquiry into technology and science, the organization guides ethical engagement and deeper reflection, because framing technological and scientific practice within a theological and human-centered context fosters responsible and wonder-filled participation.
- Intellectual Hospitality through Christian Dialoguemethodology: intellectual_hospitalityBy creating structured, hospitable spaces for respectful and rigorous dialogue among scholars, the organization fosters Christian intellectual engagement that bridges faith and academic life, because such dialogue enables deeper reflection and integration of Christian thought in academic contexts.
- Residential Formation for Faith-Intellectual Integrationmethodology: residential_intellectual_formationBy immersing students in intentional Christian living-learning communities, the organization strengthens the integration of faith with intellectual and daily life, because communal residential life provides a transformative context for holistic spiritual and intellectual formation.
- Structured Bible Engagement through Communal Readingmethodology: communal-scripture_engagementBy guiding participants through a full, sequential, and communal reading of scripture with structured pacing and milestone tracking, the organization fosters consistent engagement, because a shared, incentivized, and immersive approach increases accessibility and transformative impact of biblical texts.