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Heavenly Fathers Foundation

Annual Giving
$9.9M
Grant Range
$2K - $6.0M

Heavenly Fathers Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $9,900,000 (2023)
  • Total Assets: $199,501,965 (2023)
  • Grant Range: $2,000 - $6,000,000+ (varies significantly)
  • Number of Grants: Approximately 48 awards (2022)
  • Geographic Focus: National (recipients across multiple states including TX, CA, AZ, CO, FL, GA, IN, MO, MT)
  • Application Method: Invitation only - no public application process

Contact Details

Location: Cisco, TX

Note: This foundation does not maintain a public website or provide contact information for grant inquiries. They do not accept unsolicited applications.

Overview

The Heavenly Fathers Foundation was established in 2010 by billionaire couple Dan and Staci Wilks, who serve as trustees. The foundation was created following the sale of the Wilks brothers' hydraulic fracking company, Frac Tech, which they sold for $3.5 billion in 2011. As of December 2023, the foundation reported total assets of $199,501,965 and provided $9,900,000 in grants. The foundation maintains a deliberately low public profile and does not operate a website or provide public contact information. Their philanthropic approach emphasizes initiatives that foster religious education, family integrity, and moral reform through support of conservative Christian institutions and related organizations rather than secular or government-reliant welfare systems.

Funding Priorities

Priority Areas

The Heavenly Father's Foundation primarily funds:

  • Christian Religious Institutions: Churches and ministries, with particular focus on conservative evangelical organizations
  • Conservative Policy Organizations: Think tanks and advocacy groups aligned with religious right priorities including Focus on the Family, Liberty Counsel, Family Research Council, and Heritage Foundation
  • Christian Media and Education: Organizations like PragerU promoting conservative Christian values
  • Faith-Based Human Services: Anti-addiction programs, pregnancy centers, food pantries, and domestic violence crisis centers
  • Health: Faith-based health initiatives and medical facilities

Known Grant Recipients

Past and recent recipients include:

  • Mountain Top Church (Cisco, TX): Over $6 million for building and operations
  • Serenity House (Abilene, TX): Nearly $3 million for anti-addiction programs
  • Open Door Pregnancy Center: $20,000
  • Crestwood Baptist Church: General support
  • Cisco Food Pantry: Community support
  • Eastland County District Attorney's Office: $100,000 for budget support
  • PragerU: At least $120,000
  • Godspeak Calvary Chapel (California): $2.85 million property purchase
  • American Diabetes Association: $2,000

What They Don't Fund

The foundation explicitly states it only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Based on their giving patterns, they do not fund:

  • Secular organizations unconnected to Christian values
  • Progressive or liberal causes
  • Organizations that conflict with conservative Christian values
  • General unsolicited applications from unknown organizations

Governance and Leadership

Trustees:

  • Dan Wilks: Co-founder and trustee, billionaire businessman who co-founded Frac Tech
  • Staci Wilks: Co-founder and trustee

The Wilks family maintains direct control over all grantmaking decisions through their role as trustees. The foundation operates as a private family foundation with grantmaking decisions made at the discretion of the trustees.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. The foundation explicitly states it "only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds."

Grants are awarded through trustee discretion to organizations that are already known to the foundation or have been identified through the trustees' networks and interests. Organizations cannot submit applications, letters of inquiry, or funding requests.

Getting on Their Radar

The foundation's extremely private nature and explicit policy against unsolicited applications makes it nearly impossible for unknown organizations to receive funding. Based on available information about grant recipients, the foundation appears to identify organizations through:

  • Direct connections to the Wilks family: Organizations in their hometown of Cisco, Texas, or communities where they have personal connections
  • Conservative Christian networks: Churches, ministries, and policy organizations within evangelical and religious right circles
  • Strategic initiatives aligned with trustees' values: Organizations specifically advancing conservative Christian causes in areas of interest to Dan and Staci Wilks

This foundation represents one of the most restrictive grantmakers in terms of accessibility. Organizations should not spend resources attempting to solicit funding from this source unless they have a direct personal connection to the Wilks family or are specifically approached by the foundation.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - no public application process exists. Grants appear to be made on a rolling basis throughout the year based on trustee discretion.

Application Success Factors

Given the foundation's closed application process, traditional application success factors do not apply. However, analysis of successful grant recipients reveals:

Organizations most likely to receive support:

  • Have existing relationships with the Wilks family or move within conservative evangelical circles
  • Align strongly with conservative Christian theology and values
  • Focus on moral reform, religious education, and family integrity
  • Operate within or serve communities where the Wilks family has personal connections
  • Support conservative policy positions on issues important to the religious right
  • Demonstrate commitment to faith-based (rather than secular or government-based) solutions to social problems

Mission alignment is absolute: The foundation exclusively funds organizations that advance conservative Christian values. Organizations with secular missions, progressive values, or moderate theological positions are not considered.

Geographic considerations: While the foundation makes grants nationally, there is strong preference for organizations in Texas, particularly the Cisco/Abilene area where the Wilks family resides.

Scale varies dramatically: The foundation has made grants ranging from $2,000 to over $6 million, suggesting they support both large strategic initiatives and smaller local organizations within their interest areas.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Do not pursue unless you have direct connections: This foundation explicitly does not accept unsolicited applications and maintains no public-facing operations
  • Conservative Christian alignment is essential: All funded organizations advance evangelical Christian values and conservative theological positions
  • Family foundation with complete trustee discretion: Dan and Staci Wilks personally select all grant recipients based on their values and interests
  • Focus on religious right priorities: Major support goes to organizations advancing conservative Christian positions on policy, education, and social issues
  • Local Texas organizations receive significant support: The Cisco/Abilene area and Texas more broadly receive considerable attention
  • Grant sizes vary widely: From small gifts of a few thousand dollars to multi-million dollar commitments for major initiatives
  • Relationship-driven grantmaking: All evidence suggests grants flow through personal networks, church connections, and ideological circles rather than open competition

References

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