Hildebrand Foundation

Quick Stats

Annual Giving: $13,954,890 (2024)
Assets: $130,412,750
Success Rate: Not publicly available
Decision Time: Quarterly board meetings (historically)
Grant Range: $5,000 - $10,000,000
Geographic Focus: Primarily Texas (especially Houston area), also Missouri and Arkansas
Awards in 2024: 122 grants

Contact Details

Mailing Address:
Hildebrand Foundation
P.O. Box 1308
Houston, TX 77251

Physical Address:
1111 Travis St
Houston, TX 77002

Phone: 713-655-6319
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.hildebrandfoundation.com

Executive Director: Beatrice S. Dickson

Overview

The Hildebrand Foundation was established in 2002 by billionaire couple Jeffery and Melinda "Mindy" Hildebrand. Jeffery Hildebrand is the CEO of Hilcorp Energy, and both he and Mindy are deeply committed to faith-based philanthropy. With assets of approximately $130.4 million, the foundation distributed nearly $14 million in grants in 2024, representing a steady growth from 81 awards in 2021 to 122 awards in 2024. The foundation's mission is to "provide for the poor and needy through faith-based organizations," with a strong preference for Christian organizations operating in the Houston area and throughout Texas. The Hildebrands' giving extends beyond the foundation to major educational initiatives, including over $100 million to The University of Texas, recognized with the lighting of the UT Tower in their honor in April 2025.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Hildebrand Foundation operates a discretionary grantmaking program with grants ranging from $5,000 to $10 million. CRITICAL UPDATE: Beginning November 2025, the foundation transitioned to an invitation-only model and no longer accepts unsolicited applications.

Historical Application Process (Prior to November 2025):

Rolling applications with no fixed deadlines
Quarterly board review of requests
Initial letter of inquiry required

Priority Areas

Primary Focus:

Faith-based organizations serving the poor and needy
Strong preference for Christian organizations
Organizations addressing poverty and human services needs

Program Areas Funded:

Human Services
Education
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
Religious organizations and ministries
Community development projects (occasionally)

Geographic Priorities:

Texas (particularly Houston area) - PRIMARY
Missouri
Arkansas

What They Don't Fund

Although the foundation prefers faith-based organizations, they have made occasional exceptions for secular organizations with strong community impact (e.g., Houston Parks Board's Bayou Greenways 2020 project)
Equipment needs are rarely supported, though construction funding is considered
Organizations outside their geographic focus areas are unlikely to receive funding

Governance and Leadership

Key Leadership:

Jeffery D. Hildebrand - CEO, Vice President, and Secretary
Founder and CEO of Hilcorp Energy Company, Jeff Hildebrand is a devout Catholic who has contributed millions to Christian organizations, charities, and ministries. He rarely gives interviews and prefers to let his work speak for itself. Regarding the foundation's $20 million gift to UT Austin's McCombs School of Business, Hildebrand stated: "We have the utmost confidence that Dean Mills and her team will use this grant to arm the leaders of tomorrow with the same gifts of entrepreneurship, free markets, and capitalism that have allowed us to not only build our company, but to give back to this great school."

Melinda "Mindy" B. Hildebrand - President and Treasurer
Mindy Hildebrand is an accomplished business leader and philanthropist who serves as President of the Hildebrand Foundation and owner of River Oaks Donuts, LLC. She serves on numerous boards including MD Anderson (President's Executive Council and Board of Visitors), University of Texas at Austin (Executive Committee, Development Board, and McCombs Advisory Council), University of St. Thomas Advisory Board, and chairs the Memorial Park Conservancy Endowment. In 2025, she was confirmed as the United States Ambassador to Costa Rica. Mindy has been directly involved with the Houston Parks Board for many years, which led to the foundation's $10 million grant for the Bayou Greenways 2020 project.

Beatrice S. Dickson - Executive Director
Responsible for day-to-day operations and managing the grant application process.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

CRITICAL UPDATE: Beginning November 2025, the Hildebrand Foundation accepts grant applications by invitation only. The foundation no longer reviews unsolicited requests, choosing instead to focus on existing partnerships and relationships.

Historical Process (Prior to November 2025): Organizations submitted a letter of inquiry on organizational letterhead including:

The charity's mission
The amount of funding requested
The specific purpose the donation would serve

Applications were accepted on a rolling basis with no fixed deadlines, and the board reviewed requests quarterly.

Current Status:

Applicants with in-progress applications can access their work through the online portal
For questions about the invitation-only process, contact Executive Director Beatrice S. Dickson at 713-655-6319 or [email protected]

Getting on Their Radar

The Hildebrand Foundation's transition to invitation-only grantmaking reflects their strategic focus on deepening existing partnerships. While specific methods for getting on their radar are not publicly documented, the foundation's history suggests:

Mindy Hildebrand's Personal Involvement:
The Houston Parks Board grant demonstrates that Mindy Hildebrand's direct involvement with organizations can influence funding decisions. Her extensive board service (MD Anderson, UT Austin, University of St. Thomas, Memorial Park Conservancy) suggests that organizations where trustees have direct engagement may receive consideration.

Faith-Based Networks:
As devout Catholics who support Christian organizations broadly, the Hildebrands likely identify potential grantees through religious networks and faith-based community connections in Houston.

Major Institutional Relationships:
The foundation has given over $100 million to The University of Texas, suggesting that major institutional partnerships can evolve over time through consistent engagement.

Decision Timeline

Historical Timeline:

Board met quarterly to review grant requests
Specific decision timeframes were not publicly disclosed
No published information on notification methods

Current Timeline: With the invitation-only model, decision timelines are likely determined on a case-by-case basis for invited organizations.

Success Rates

Specific success rates are not publicly available. However, the foundation made:

122 awards in 2024
105 awards in 2023
92 awards in 2022
81 awards in 2021

This represents steady growth in grant activity, though the total number of applications received is not disclosed.

Reapplication Policy

Information on reapplication policies for unsuccessful applicants is not publicly available. With the shift to invitation-only applications in November 2025, traditional reapplication processes are no longer applicable.

Application Success Factors

Faith-Based Mission Alignment:
The foundation's core mission is to "provide for the poor and needy through Christian faith-based organizations." Organizations must demonstrate clear commitment to serving disadvantaged populations through a faith-based approach. The Hildebrands are devout Catholics who have contributed millions to Christian organizations, charities, and ministries.

Houston-Area Focus:
While the foundation considers grants in Texas, Missouri, and Arkansas, there is a strong preference for Houston-area organizations. Geographic proximity appears to matter significantly, particularly for faith-based human services organizations.

Serving the Poor and Needy:
All funded organizations must demonstrate that they serve the poor and needy. This is the foundation's explicit purpose. Organizations should clearly articulate how their work addresses poverty and helps disadvantaged populations.

Construction Over Equipment:
The foundation considers requests for construction funding but rarely supports equipment needs. Organizations should frame capital requests around building projects rather than equipment purchases.

Personal Connection Matters:
The Houston Parks Board grant—an exception to the faith-based focus—occurred because of Mindy Hildebrand's long-standing involvement with the organization. While organizations cannot manufacture such connections, existing relationships with the Hildebrand family or trustees appear influential.

Scale of Impact:
With grants ranging from $5,000 to $10 million, the foundation supports both smaller community organizations and major institutional initiatives. Recent mega-gifts ($20 million to UT Austin McCombs, $25 million to UT Petroleum Engineering, $10 million to Houston Parks Board) suggest capacity for transformative investments in aligned priorities.

Entrepreneurship and Capitalism:
Jeff Hildebrand's quote about their UT Austin gift reveals values alignment: "the gifts of entrepreneurship, free markets, and capitalism that have allowed us to not only build our company, but to give back to this great school." Organizations demonstrating entrepreneurial approaches to solving social problems may resonate with the funders' worldview.

Examples of Recent Funding:

UT Austin McCombs School of Business - $20 million (Hildebrand MBA Excellence Fund, 2025)
Houston Parks Board - $10 million (Bayou Greenways 2020 project)
UT Austin Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering - $25 million (2017)
Northwest Assistance Ministries (Houston-area faith-based human services)
Monarch School (education for homeless children)

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

Invitation-Only as of November 2025: The foundation no longer accepts unsolicited applications. Focus on building relationships within Houston's faith-based nonprofit community and through trustees' networks rather than cold applications.
Faith-Based Is Essential: Unless you have extraordinary personal connections like Mindy Hildebrand's involvement with Houston Parks Board, your organization must be faith-based and explicitly Christian in mission to align with the foundation's core purpose.
Serve the Poor and Needy: This is non-negotiable. Every funded organization must demonstrate clear commitment to serving disadvantaged populations. Articulate poverty alleviation impact explicitly.
Houston Geography Matters: While Texas, Missouri, and Arkansas are in scope, Houston-area organizations receive clear priority. Geographic proximity significantly increases funding likelihood.
Wide Grant Range, Strategic Focus: With grants from $5,000 to $10 million, the foundation supports both grassroots community organizations and major institutional initiatives. However, mega-gifts have concentrated on education (UT Austin) and Houston community infrastructure.
Growing Grantmaking: The foundation increased from 81 grants in 2021 to 122 in 2024, suggesting expanding capacity and interest in supporting more organizations, though now through invitation only.
Trustee Engagement Is Key: Mindy Hildebrand's board service and personal involvement drive funding decisions. Organizations where trustees have direct engagement may receive consideration for invitation to apply.

References

Information accessed December 2025