Heavenly Father's Foundation
/OVERVIEW: The Heavenly Father's Foundation primarily funds grantmaking related to Christian causes, policy, human services, and health.
IP TAKE: The foundation keeps a low public profile, which limits information available on its grantmaking priorities and activities. The couple strongly supports conservative Christian causes and rarely funds interests beyond this scope. Since the it does not provide a clear means of contact for grantseekers, networking is the best way to get on this funder’s radar. It is not accessible or transparent, which means unsolicited applications are not accepted.
PROFILE: Established in 2010, the Heavenly Father's Foundation was founded by billionaire couple Dan and Staci Wilks. Dan and his older brother Farris made a fortune in the fracking business. Dan Wilks founded Wilks Masonry with his brother Farris in the 1990s. They later launched Frac Tech, growing it into an oil and natural gas giant and later selling it for a combined $3.5 billion (pretax) in 2011.
The foundation does not maintain a website, which makes it difficult to locate further information on its priority areas and grantmaking strategies. Tax filings suggest that the Heavenly Father's Foundation primarily funds grantmaking related to Christian causes, policy, human services, and health.
Grants for Fait-Based and Health
The foundation typically makes grants for general operations. The foundation’s religious grantmaking heavily focuses on conservative Christian institutions, including Mountain Top Church in the couple’s local town of Cisco, Texas. Unlike his older brother Farris’ charity, Dan Wilks’ Heavenly Father's Foundation also supports more conventional health and human services organizations.
Past grantees include Crestwood Baptist Church; Serenity House, which deals with addiction rehabilitation; Cisco Food Pantry; and Eastside Memorial Hospital.
Grants for Education and Democracy
The couple also support right-of center policy and educational organizations like PragerU and Liberty Counsel, "a nonprofit litigation, education and policy organization dedicated to advancing religious freedom, the sanctity of human life and the traditional family. Wilks contributed $15 million to a Super PAC supporting U.S. Senator Ted Cruz’s unsuccessful run for president in 2016.
Important Grant Details:
In a recent year, the foundation gave away around $8 million. Grants range from $1,000 to over $1 million; however, the most common amount is $5,000.
The foundation keeps a low profile and does not accept unsolicited proposals.
PEOPLE:
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CONTACT:
Heavenly Father’s Foundation
425 County Road 168
Cisco, TX 76437
