· Private foundation
The Hefner Family Foundation
Its FY2024 filing reports that it funds preselected organizations and did not take unsolicited requests; check the foundation's own site before ruling it out.
What it funded, over time
Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2017 to 2024.
Where the money goes
Grants by size, and the largest recipients.
By grant size · FY2024
- Under $10k4 grants · $22k
- $10k–50k3 grants · $57k
- $50k–250k1 grant · $100k
| Recipient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Dallas Baptist University | $100,000 |
| Penobscot Bay YMCA | $25,000 |
| University of Oklahoma | $20,000 |
| St Mary's Catholic Church | $12,100 |
| Freed-Hardeman University | $9,000 |
| Mississippi College | $5,000 |
| University of North Texas | $5,000 |
| University of Arkansas Foundation | $3,000 |
Does the money reach high-need areas?
Each grant placed by the hardship in its grantee’s ZIP, against the area’s typical level.
Its human-services grants (FY19–24, $63k) land where the poverty rate runs at 7%, against an area that typically sits at 10%. 40% of those dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Its grants skew toward lower-need ZIPs.
How this is measured
How this is measured
Who it funds again
Organizations funded in more than one year, against those funded once.
6 repeat relationships: 3 still active in FY2024, 3 since wound down; 5 grantees were first funded in FY2024 (too recent to call).
How the two cohorts compare
Organizations
Total granted
Median revenue growth · since first grant
Still filing today
New vs renewed · share of each year
In FY2024, 69% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $56k went to new ones.
Where new relationships form · theme of each grantee’s first grant
How this is measured
Backed again, and grew
- DBDALLAS BAPTIST UNIVERSITY4× · 2021–2024 · $400k · revenue +28%
- BUBaylor University Foundation4× · 2018–2021 · $325k
- UOUniversity of Oklahoma2× · 2023–2024 · $30k
Funded once
BAYLOR UNIVERSITYgraduatedone grant, 2017 · $100k · revenue +57%- BEBOTH ENDS BELIEVING INCgraduatedone grant, 2019 · $38k · revenue +266%
- CFCenter for Integrative Counselingone grant, 2020 · $10k
How this is measured
Repeat means funded in two or more distinct years. Growth and survival are read from each grantee’s own subsequent IRS filings.
Closest unfunded matches
The nonprofits that most resemble its grantees but are not funded by it, scored along the direction from the rest of the field toward the portfolio. A resemblance in what they say they do, not a recommendation.
John brown university (jbu) provides christ-centered education that prepares students to honor god and serve others by developing their intellectual, spiritual, and professional lives. (continued on schedule o)jbu serves traditional…
The bac is committed to provide excellence in design education grounded in practice and accessible to diverse communities.
East texas baptist university (etbu) was founded in 1912 as a fully accredited institution of higher education. affiliated with the baptist general convention of texas, etbu educates students by integrating biblical faith and learning to…
Greenville college d/b/a greenville university empowers students for lives of character and service through a transforming christ-centered education in the liberal arts, sciences, and professional studies.
Rooted in the liberal arts & sciences & lutheran expression of the christian faith, & is committed to offering a challenging education that develops qualities of mind, spirit, & body necessary for a rewarding life of leadership & service…
Evangel is a comprehensive christian university that is committed to excellence in educating and equipping students to become spirit empowered servants of god who will impact the church and society globally.
Howard payne university is a christ-centered academic community dedicated to excellence by developing and equipping the whole person for intellectual inquiry, personal and professional integrity, and service to god and humanity.
The mission of eckerd college is to provide excellent innovative undergraduate liberal arts education and lifelong learning programs in the unique florida environment, within the context of a covenant relationship with the presbyterian…
A private institution of higher education, offering both undergraduate and graduate courses to students.
The university's goal in the coming decade is to advance learning through the integration of teaching, research and service to others. the core of this goal is to prepare graduates to engage with the world and lead lives of meaning. to do…
The university statement of values consists of christian heritage, baptist heritage, academic excellence, liberal arts, teamwork, a student-centered focus, community engagement and diversity.
North greenville university exists to glorify god by cultivating graduates who are equipped to serve as transformational leaders for church and society.
How this is measured
9 grantees tracked through their own filings, 2017–2025.
Each grant beside the grantee’s revenue from every source, year by year.
How this is measured
Counted here: distinct organizations funded across 2017 to 2025, not grant rows in a single year, so this will not match the grant count on the cover. 9 of the 21 grantees resolved in that span have returns of their own we could reconcile.
Each grantee is resolved to its own IRS returns. Association, dated; never a causal claim.
Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee
Each grantee by its size and the funder’s share of it; top left is load-bearing
Grantee by grantee: a decade per organization, before and after funding
A decade per grantee: revenue shaded, grants as bars, all rows on one timeline.
- Who funds DALLAS BAPTIST UNIVERSITY ↗
- Who funds BAYLOR UNIVERSITY ↗
- Who funds BOTH ENDS BELIEVING INC ↗
- Who funds PENOBSCOT BAY YMCA ↗
- Who funds UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS FOUNDATION INC ↗
- Who funds GORDON COLLEGE ↗
- Who funds FREED-HARDEMAN UNIVERSITY ↗
- Who funds Mississippi College ↗
- Who funds ELNAC PROCLAIM CUBA ↗
Co-funders
Grantmakers whose grantees overlap with this funder’s far more than size alone predicts. Closer means stronger alignment; arcs show where they also fund each other. Here they form a tightly interlocked group: most of these funders back each other's grantees too.
Open a dossier: National Philanthropic Trust · Natl Christian Charitable Fdn Inc · The Bank of America Charitable Foundation Inc · Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program · Donor Advised Charitable Giving Inc · Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund · Amazonsmile Foundation
How this is measured
How much its grantees rely on government
Each dot is one organization The Hefner Family Foundation funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from The Hefner Family Foundation. Bigger dots raise more.
- Gordon College: 1% of income from government
How this is measured
Play a game based on Hefner Family’s filings →