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The Thirteen Foundation

Annual Giving
$7.1M
Grant Range
$90K - $3.3M

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $7,122,413 (2023)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly available
  • Decision Time: Not publicly available
  • Grant Range: Varies significantly (from $90,000 to $3,250,000 documented)
  • Geographic Focus: Primarily Texas and national US organizations

Contact Details

No website, phone, or email publicly available.

Physical Location: Cisco, TX

Note: This is a private foundation that does not appear to have public contact information or a formal application process.

Overview

The Thirteen Foundation was established in 2011 by Farris and JoAnn Wilks following the sale of their fracking company for $3.5 billion. The foundation manages approximately $45.6 million in assets and operates as a private grantmaking foundation focused on religious conservative causes. In 2011, Farris and JoAnn each contributed $50 million to establish the foundation. The foundation has been described as "one of the biggest and quietest anti-abortion donors in the United States" and operates with minimal public profile, though tax filings are publicly available. The foundation operates through a wholly owned disregarded entity called Reach for Yahweh International, established as a Missouri limited liability company.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation does not have formal grant programs with defined funding tiers. Grants are made through trustee discretion.

Priority Areas

Based on documented grant recipients, the foundation prioritizes:

  • Anti-abortion advocacy and crisis pregnancy centers: Major focus area with significant funding
  • Religious right organizations: Including conservative policy and advocacy groups
  • Christian media and education: Including organizations promoting Christian values in public discourse
  • Conservative family values organizations: Groups advocating traditional family structures
  • State-level conservative policy organizations: Groups working on conservative policy at state and national levels

Documented Grant Recipients Include:

  • Media Revolution Ministries/Online for Life: $2.2 million (connects with abortion-determined women and directs them to pregnancy centers)
  • PragerU: $3.25 million (conservative digital media organization)
  • Focus on the Family: $1.9 million over three years (Christian values and crisis pregnancy centers)
  • Family Research Council: $1.9 million over three years
  • Life Dynamics: $725,000 (challenges reproductive health clinics and assists anti-abortion legal efforts)
  • Liberty Counsel: Amount not disclosed
  • Texas Right to Life Committee: Amount not disclosed
  • 40 Days for Life: Amount not disclosed
  • American Majority: $2.1 million over three years
  • State Policy Network: $1.5 million over three years
  • Open Door (local crisis pregnancy center): $90,000+ in 2012

What They Don't Fund

While explicit exclusions are not publicly documented, the foundation's giving pattern indicates they do not fund:

  • Secular organizations
  • Progressive or liberal causes
  • Reproductive rights organizations
  • LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations
  • Organizations that do not align with fundamentalist Christian values

Governance and Leadership

Trustees: Farris Wilks and JoAnn Wilks

About Farris Wilks: A 62-year-old pastor who became a billionaire through the fracking industry. He is known for his fundamentalist Christian beliefs and stated goal of bringing "the Bible back into the school." Along with his brother Dan, Farris joined the hydraulic fracturing industry in the early 2000s and later sold their company for $3.5 billion.

The foundation has no employees, with all grant-making decisions made directly by the trustees.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process.

The Thirteen Foundation operates as a private family foundation without a website, public contact information, or formal application procedures. Grants appear to be made through trustee discretion to organizations that align with the Wilks family's religious conservative values. The foundation maintains a very low public profile and does not solicit applications from the general public.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - grants are made through trustee discretion without a formal application cycle.

Success Rates

Not applicable - no public application process exists.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - no public application process exists.

Application Success Factors

Since this foundation does not accept public applications, these factors are not applicable. Organizations that have received funding appear to share the following characteristics:

  • Strong alignment with fundamentalist Christian values
  • Focus on anti-abortion advocacy or crisis pregnancy support
  • Conservative political or policy orientation
  • Promotion of traditional family values
  • Opposition to secular education or LGBTQ+ rights

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No public application process: This foundation does not accept unsolicited applications and operates entirely through trustee discretion
  • Invitation-only model: Grants appear to be made to organizations already known to or identified by the trustees
  • Strong ideological alignment required: All documented grants reflect fundamentalist Christian conservative values
  • Anti-abortion focus: This is a primary funding priority with significant grant amounts
  • Low public profile: The foundation maintains minimal public presence with no website or public communications
  • Large grant capacity: Individual grants have ranged from $90,000 to over $3 million, indicating capacity for substantial funding
  • Texas connection: While they fund national organizations, local Texas organizations also receive support

References

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