Thirteen Foundation

## How to Approach the Thirteen Foundation

The Thirteen Foundation is a private family foundation controlled by Farris and JoAnn Wilks, who made their fortune in the hydraulic fracturing industry before selling their company for $3.5 billion. The foundation operates with an explicitly faith-based mission through its subsidiary Reach for Yahweh International, signaling deep alignment with conservative Christian values and causes.

Critical caveat: The Thirteen Foundation does not accept unsolicited grant applications. All grants are made through trustee discretion to preselected organizations. This means traditional application strategies do not apply. Instead, organizations seeking support should focus on building personal relationships with the Wilks family and demonstrating strong alignment with their faith-based priorities.

Organizations that share the foundation's religious conservative orientation and operate in Texas may have the strongest alignment. The foundation's theory of change centers on direct support for faith-based institutions and causes that reflect the trustees' personal convictions. Any approach should emphasize shared values, demonstrated impact in faith communities, and a track record of fiscal responsibility.

## Funding Patterns

The Thirteen Foundation manages approximately $48 million in assets (2024) and distributes between $3.7 million and $7.1 million annually in charitable disbursements. The foundation's assets have declined from a peak of approximately $105 million in 2013, reflecting sustained grantmaking that exceeds investment returns.

Grant size: Individual grants have ranged from $90,000 to $3.3 million, with the foundation often concentrating its annual giving into a small number of large grants. In 2024, the foundation made a single grant of $3,655,865.

Revenue sources: The foundation receives minimal outside contributions ($180,000 in 2024). Revenue is primarily generated from investment returns — interest ($592K), dividends ($675K), and asset sales ($4.9M) — indicating the foundation is spending down its endowment over time rather than operating as a perpetual institution.

Operating costs: Extremely lean. Both trustees serve without compensation, contributing approximately 5 hours per week each. Officer compensation is $0. Nearly all expenses (99.3%) go directly to charitable disbursements.

Geographic focus: Primarily Texas-based grantmaking, though specific recipient details require examination of individual 990-PF filings.

## Peer Comparison

The Thirteen Foundation operates in a distinct niche: high-net-worth family foundations with conservative religious grantmaking mandates. Here is how it compares to similar Texas-based private foundations:

The Thirteen Foundation's ratio of annual giving to total assets (approximately 7.7%) is notably high compared to the 5% minimum distribution requirement for private foundations. This suggests the trustees prioritize immediate impact over long-term endowment preservation. The foundation's zero-overhead model (no staff compensation) is unusual even among lean family foundations, reflecting the Wilks family's hands-on approach to philanthropy.

## Recent Activity

Financial trajectory: The foundation's assets have declined steadily from $105 million (2013 peak) to approximately $48 million (2024), indicating the Wilks family has been spending down the endowment rather than maintaining it in perpetuity. Annual giving peaked at approximately $17 million in some years before settling to the $3.7–7.1 million range in recent filings.

2024 filing: The most recent 990-PF was filed in November 2025, showing $47.9 million in assets, $6.5 million in revenue, and $3.9 million in total expenses. The foundation received $180,000 in contributions and distributed $3,655,865 in grants.

Reach for Yahweh International: The foundation's wholly-owned subsidiary continues to operate with approximately $228,000 in direct charitable expenses. This entity (EIN 80-0768642) conducts faith-based programs distinct from the foundation's grantmaking activities.

Leadership continuity: Farris and JoAnn Wilks remain the sole trustees with no indication of succession planning or governance changes. The foundation maintains its pattern of concentrated, high-value grants to a small number of recipients each year.

## Application Tips

The most important thing to understand about the Thirteen Foundation is that it does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation explicitly states that it makes grants to "preselected charitable organizations" and "does not accept unsolicited requests for funds." This fundamentally limits the typical application strategy.

For organizations hoping to receive support, consider these approaches:

1. Relationship-first strategy: The Wilks family operates from Cisco, Texas and is active in conservative Christian communities. Building authentic relationships through shared community involvement, church networks, or faith-based conferences is the only realistic pathway.

2. Demonstrate faith alignment: The foundation's subsidiary is literally named "Reach for Yahweh International." Organizations should have an explicit, demonstrable faith-based mission that aligns with conservative Christian values.

3. Show lean operations: The Wilks trustees serve without compensation and run the foundation with zero overhead. They are likely to value grantee organizations that similarly demonstrate fiscal discipline and low administrative costs.

4. Texas presence matters: While the foundation may fund nationally, its geographic base and the Wilks family's Texas roots suggest local organizations may have an advantage.

5. Scale your ask appropriately: Grants typically range from $90K to $3.3M. The foundation makes very few grants per year (sometimes just one), so it prefers large, concentrated gifts over many small ones.

6. Monitor 990 filings: Since the foundation does not publicize its grantees, reviewing annual 990-PF filings on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer is the best way to identify the types of organizations that receive support.