Rhema Foundation Inc.

Rhema Life Foundation operates as a family-directed private foundation led by the Kruse family (William R. Kruse as President, Deborah L. Kruse as Secretary, and William T. Kruse as Director), all serving without compensation. The foundation's grantmaking strategy is relationship-driven rather than application-driven, with the board preselecting recipient organizations that align with their evangelical Christian mission. The foundation concentrates its giving on established, nationally recognized Christian organizations with proven track records in global outreach, missions, education, and disaster relief. This approach allows the Kruse family to maintain close oversight of how funds are deployed while supporting organizations whose missions they personally vet. The foundation's asset base has grown dramatically from approximately $161,000 in 2011 to over $16.6 million by 2024, reflecting substantial contributions and investment returns that have significantly expanded its grantmaking capacity. With zero liabilities and a lean operating structure (no compensated officers), virtually all expenses flow directly to charitable disbursements, demonstrating a high-efficiency philanthropic model.

The foundation's grantmaking shows clear concentration patterns. In 2024, total grants were approximately $1.04 million across 29 awards, with a median grant of $24,000 and a range spanning $1,000 to $800,000. The distribution is heavily top-weighted: Samaritan's Purse received the single largest grant at $800,000, followed by Christ for the Nations at $100,000-$325,000 and International Cooperating Ministries at $305,025. This indicates a strategy of making a few large anchor grants to trusted partners supplemented by smaller grants ($4,000-$60,000) to a broader set of ministries. Historically, total annual giving has fluctuated between $150,000 (2019) and $4 million (peak year), correlating with the foundation's asset growth trajectory. Revenue sources are diversified: 61% from contributions, 21% from asset sales, 13% from dividends, and 5% from other income. The foundation's giving focuses overwhelmingly on Christian outreach (missions organizations, evangelism), faith-based education (Bible colleges and training centers), youth development (residential care facilities), and disaster relief — with "Outreach" and "General Support" as the two most common grant purpose designations.

Compared to peer Texas-based private family foundations in the $10-25 million asset range, Rhema Life Foundation exhibits several distinctive characteristics. The table below summarizes key comparisons:

Rhema's payout rate of approximately 6.2% exceeds the IRS minimum of 5% for private foundations, indicating active grantmaking. Its geographic reach across 13 states is notably broader than typical family foundations of similar size, which tend to concentrate in their home state or region. The $800,000 single grant to Samaritan's Purse is unusually large for this asset class, representing roughly 77% of total annual giving in a single award — a concentration level that suggests deep relational commitment to select partners rather than broad diversification.

The foundation has demonstrated remarkable growth over the past decade. Assets surged from under $1 million in 2020 ($947,773) to $16.66 million by 2024, driven primarily by a major infusion in 2022 when revenue peaked at $14.8 million. This transformative growth has repositioned the foundation from a small family fund to a mid-sized private foundation with meaningful grantmaking capacity. In the most recent filing year (2024), the foundation reported revenue of $3.18 million, expenses of $1.27 million, and zero liabilities, indicating financial health and conservative fiscal management. The grant portfolio in 2024 included 29 awards totaling $1.044 million, directed to organizations such as Samaritan's Purse (international disaster relief and evangelism), Christ for the Nations (Dallas-based Bible college), Youth With a Mission (global missions), International Cooperating Ministries (church construction worldwide), World Compassion, Global Advance, and Wears Valley Ranch (youth residential care in Tennessee). The foundation continues to operate from its Grapevine, Texas headquarters and maintains its focus on evangelical Christian organizations with demonstrated impact.

Prospective grant-seekers should understand that Rhema Life Foundation primarily makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and has historically stated it does not accept unsolicited requests. However, data from Grantable.co indicates the foundation is open to new applicants with approximately a 12% funding rate for first-time recipients. Organizations seeking funding should align closely with the foundation's evangelical Christian mission and demonstrate tangible outreach impact. The strongest alignment exists for organizations working in global missions, Bible-based education, youth development, and disaster relief. Given the family-directed governance structure, relationship-building with the Kruse family is likely essential — attending shared conferences, obtaining introductions through current grantees, and demonstrating shared theological alignment. Organizations based in or serving communities in Texas, Colorado, Florida, and the broader Southern/Midwestern United States have the strongest geographic fit. Grant requests in the $10,000-$60,000 range appear most likely to succeed for new applicants, as the largest grants go to long-established relationships. Organizations should prepare clear impact reports showing lives reached, communities served, and ministry effectiveness metrics rather than purely financial documentation.