Stoller Foundation

The Stoller Foundation operates as a Houston-based private foundation with an explicitly evangelical mission: "empower ministries and collaborate with partners to evangelize the world." Under CEO Eddy Hallock—a 48-year ministry veteran who spent 15 years as a missionary in Brazil—the foundation follows a selective, relationship-driven grantmaking model rooted in three non-negotiable pillars: gospel proclamation, volunteer mobilization, and organizational sustainability.

The giving philosophy draws a firm line applicants must understand before submitting anything: funded programs must clearly and verbally present the Gospel of Jesus Christ to those they serve. Faith-affiliated social service organizations that do not include explicit gospel sharing as a core program element are categorically ineligible, regardless of organizational strength or budget. This theological screen is the primary criterion—before geography, budget review, or program evaluation.

As of 2025–2026, the foundation's grants page states it is "accepting applications by invitation only." However, its documented application process historically begins with a Letter of Inquiry, followed by six formal stages: mission alignment review, LOI evaluation, due diligence, full application, trustee decision, and partnership launch. New organizations should treat the LOI as their primary entry pathway and craft it to immediately demonstrate theological alignment, not organizational capacity.

The grantee list reveals preferred partner archetypes: major national evangelical organizations (Billy Graham Evangelistic Association at $1.55M, Campus Crusade for Christ across five grants totaling $250K, International Mission Board at $276K), digital gospel tools (YouVersion $1M, Groundwire $750K), hunger-relief and community development ministries with explicit evangelism components (Food for the Cities $700K, Living Water International $400K, Nabor House Community $500K), and Texas-based community programs (TX Arms of Love $1.3M, Houston Legal Aid Center $220K across three grants).

Repeat grantees across multiple grant cycles—including The Bucket Ministry, World Hope Ministries, and Campus Crusade for Christ—signal that the foundation values long-term partnerships over transactional one-time awards. Budget size is not a barrier to entry: the foundation funds ministries from sub-$10,000 relationship grants up to $5M anchor investments, and first-time applicants should expect a cultivation timeline measured in months, not weeks.

The Stoller Foundation's financial history falls into two distinct eras. From founding through FY2022, it was a modestly-scaled private foundation with assets between $5M and $62M, disbursing $1.4M–$3.4M in annual grants. FY2024 marked a dramatic inflection: contributions received totaled $263.5M—driven almost certainly by a major gift from founder Jerry Stoller and the Stoller Group—expanding total assets to $1.133B and pushing grant disbursements to $32.6M paid ($34.1M total giving). This represents asset growth of roughly 1,900% in two fiscal years.

Grant sizing follows a bimodal distribution. Foundation-reported data across 76 tracked grants shows a median of $17,650 (range: $800–$175,750, average $25,616)—accessible amounts for small and mid-sized ministries. However, aggregate data across all 457 recorded awards shows a blended average of $87,377 ($39.9M total), pulled sharply upward by seven mega-grants exceeding $1M: Trustbridge Global Team ($5M, general support), National Christian Foundation ($2.4M), Strategic Resource Group ($2M), Billy Graham Evangelistic Association ($1.55M), TX Arms of Love ($1.3M), Global Ahead Inc ($1.1M), and YouVersion ($1M).

The foundation operates a de facto three-tier grant strategy: small relationship grants of $5K–$50K for new or developing ministry partners; mid-tier program grants of $50K–$300K for established partnerships (Prison Fellowship $300K, Living Water International $400K, Eyes on Me Inc $368K); and lead gifts of $500K–$5M for anchor ministry relationships and major national organizations. "Discretionary grant" appears frequently as a grant purpose, suggesting trustees retain direct control over significant allocations outside structured programs.

Geographic concentration is pronounced: 255 of 457 recorded grants (55.8%) went to Texas-based organizations. Florida received 23 grants (5%), Tennessee 16 (3.5%), Virginia 14 (3.1%), and Oklahoma and Illinois 10 each (2.2%). The foundation also funds international work through U.S.-headquartered mission organizations. Net investment income of $108.7M in FY2024 provides stable grantmaking capacity independent of annual contribution cycles, and total revenue of $376.7M that year far exceeded total giving of $34.1M—leaving significant capital for continued growth.

Among foundations with comparable asset bases ($1.1B–$1.15B), Stoller stands apart for the singular theological focus of its grantmaking. Peer-sized foundations in the Philanthropy & Grantmaking sector typically span broader issue areas and maintain higher payout rates relative to assets.

Three observations stand out. First, Stoller's $34.1M annual giving represents a payout rate of approximately 3% of assets—notably low for a foundation this size, suggesting the institution is still building programming infrastructure post-capitalization and that grant volume will likely grow substantially over the next three to five years. Second, Stoller is the only foundation among these peers with an explicitly theological screening requirement; organizations outside the evangelical Christian sector have no pathway to funding regardless of other alignment. Third, Stoller's Texas geographic concentration is unique at this asset level: most billion-dollar foundations operate nationally or internationally by design, while Stoller places more than half its grants within a single state—a meaningful structural advantage for Texas-based ministries.

The defining recent development at the Stoller Foundation is its historic capitalization. Total assets grew from $58.9M (FY2022) to $1.133B (FY2024), driven by $263.5M in contributions received during FY2024 and $108.7M in net investment income. Total revenues for FY2024 reached $376.7M. The foundation filed its primary FY2024 tax return in February 2025, documenting $34.1M in total giving—nearly ten times FY2022 levels.

The foundation is actively expanding staff and operational infrastructure to match its new scale. Reports from early 2025 indicate new hiring across the Houston headquarters at 10750 Hammerly Blvd. CEO Eddy Hallock (48 years of ministry experience, 15 years as a missionary in Brazil), Grant Strategy Director Maday Redd/Gonzalez Redd, CFO/CIO Yul Yoon, and Grant Manager Xochilt Cruz continue in leadership roles. Dan Vazquez chairs the Board of Trustees.

No specific press releases, new program announcements, or leadership changes were found in public sources as of March 2026. The foundation maintains active social media presence on YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram (@stollerfoundation), regularly featuring grantee spotlights and ministry transformation stories. Its YouTube channel—notable for a foundation of this type—offers direct visibility into the kinds of ministry impact the foundation prioritizes. Organizations prospecting for funding should monitor these channels, as featured partners signal current priority areas before any formal inquiry.

Lead with explicit gospel proclamation. The foundation's first and non-negotiable criterion is that programs must verbally share the Christian gospel. Use specific language from the grants page in your LOI: programs must "clearly present the gospel" and "mobilize volunteers who share the gospel." Generic faith-based descriptors ("faith-informed," "values-driven," "serving in Christ's name") will not satisfy this requirement and will likely result in immediate rejection.

Quantify your volunteer program specifically. Stoller places significant weight on volunteer mobilization—not just program volunteers, but people trained and deployed to share the Gospel. Your LOI should include: total volunteer count, average annual hours, recruitment pipeline, training curriculum, and any data on gospel conversations or decisions for Christ facilitated by volunteers.

Demonstrate a sustainability pathway. Unlike many faith-based funders who support programs indefinitely, Stoller explicitly evaluates whether grantees are building toward financial independence. Include earned revenue streams, diversified funding sources, and a narrative that shows the organization maturing beyond grant dependency.

Leverage Texas geography aggressively. More than 55% of the foundation's grants go to Texas organizations. If your organization operates in the Houston metro area, specifically mention potential for site visits, staff engagement, and collaborative programming with Stoller's team—they value direct relationship and proximity.

Match the foundation's specific vocabulary. Use their exact register: "gospel proclamation," "Great Commission," "life transformation," "volunteer mobilization," "evangelism impact." Review grantee spotlights on their YouTube and Instagram for additional language cues before drafting anything.

Build quarterly reporting infrastructure before applying. Grantees submit quarterly reports covering narrative updates, financial summaries, outcome metrics, individual transformation stories (specific salvation accounts or life-change testimonials), and volunteer engagement data. Build your tracking systems before funds arrive—inability to report at this cadence is a relationship risk.

Set realistic timeline expectations. The rolling LOI process, six-stage pipeline, and relationship-oriented approach mean the path from first contact to funding can span 6–12 months. Do not approach Stoller for emergency, rapid-response, or bridge funding needs.

International organizations face an additional bar. The foundation notes international partnerships are "selective and limited." Foreign-registered entities must obtain a current equivalency determination. U.S.-based organizations operating international ministry programs through a domestic 501(c)(3) are significantly better positioned.