The Hills Bank Donor Advised Gift Fund primarily supports conservative Christian ministry, education, and local faith communities, with the bulk of dollars going to evangelistic ministries, Bible colleges, and church partners. Grants are a mix of large, multi-hundred-thousand dollar gifts to national ministries and substantial support for Iowa-based schools, churches, and community organizations. While faith-based organizations dominate, the fund also makes targeted gifts to local civic and child-focused causes (e.g., public library, Make-A-Wish Iowa). Repeated, multi-year or repeat grants to the same organizations are common, indicating sustained relationships.
Hills Bank Donor Advised Gift Fund’s recent giving is shaped by large general-support grants to evangelical media ministries and Christian education, with five- and six-figure awards appearing alongside repeated support for Iowa faith communities and schools. In 2024, the fund made its largest listed grant of $1,090,000 to Living on the Edge, followed by $655,000 to Make a Wish Foundation of Iowa and $505,000 to Emmaus Bible College. That mix shows a funder comfortable backing both national ministry platforms and institutions closer to home. The pattern is not limited to one type of recipient. The fund has given $500,000 to Revive Our Hearts, $407,200 to Avant Ministries, and $310,000 to Turning Point Ministries, while also supporting Iowa churches, schools, and local nonprofits such as St Mark’s Lutheran Church, Parkview Evangelical Free Church, and Iowa City Public Library Friends Foundation. Christian higher education appears repeatedly through Emmaus Bible College and Faith Baptist College, and faith-based service work shows up in grants to Samaritan’s Purse and Mary’s Meals USA. Across the recent list, the fund favors unrestricted general support over tightly earmarked project grants.
Christian media and Bible teaching ministries are a major theme. The fund gave $1,090,000 to Living on the Edge for general support, $500,000 to Revive Our Hearts for general support, and $195,000 to Focus on the Family for general support. Christian higher education is another clear lane. Grants include $505,000 to Emmaus Bible College for general support and $100,000 to Faith Baptist College for general support, with a follow-up $375,000 award to Emmaus Bible College in 2025. Local church and school support is also prominent in Iowa. The fund gave $240,950 to Isaac Newton Christian Academy, $200,000 to St Mark’s Lutheran Church, and $135,076 to Parkview Evangelical Free Church, all for general support. Selective civic and child-focused giving appears as well, including $655,000 to Make a Wish Foundation of Iowa and $250,000 to Iowa City Public Library Friends Foundation.
Typical grant size sits at $7,500 at the 25th percentile, $15,800 at the median, and $36,000 at the 75th percentile, even though the recent list also includes much larger awards. The fund shows repeat support over multiple years for several recipients: Avant Ministries, Emmaus Bible College, Revive Our Hearts, Turning Point Ministries, Samaritan’s Purse, Parkview Evangelical Free Church, St Mark’s Lutheran Church, Focus on the Family, and Living on the Edge all appear more than once. The structure is a donor advised gift fund, and the grants are listed as general support. No application process is indicated in the provided data.
$5.5M
$25.1M
$11M
$6.2M
Most grants fall between $8K and $36K, with a median of $16K.
25th Percentile
$8K
Median
$16K
75th Percentile
$36K
Jeffrey Ritchie
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Concentrated giving with large gifts directed to a relatively small set of recurrent grantees; many organizations receive multiple grants (often two) and the top recipients account for a large share of total dollars. Mix of national ministry partners and hometown institutions, with both operational and program support.
Notable grantees: Living on the Edge, Emmaus Bible College, Revive Our Hearts, Make‑A‑Wish Foundation of Iowa, Samaritan's Purse
Giving is regional and heavily concentrated in Iowa, which accounts for 62% of grants. Recent Iowa recipients include Urbandale, Dubuque, Cedar Rapids, Marion, West Des Moines, Iowa City, Des Moines, and Ankeny. Outside Iowa, grants also reach Suwanee, Niles, Kansas City, San Diego, Boone, Colorado Springs, Lake Charles, Bloomfield, La Crosse, Goshen, and Plano. The recipient-country distribution is entirely U.S.-based, with 210 grants going to U.S. organizations.
The recent grants lean toward conservative Christian ministries, Christian higher education, and Iowa faith communities. Examples include Living on the Edge, Emmaus Bible College, Revive Our Hearts, Avant Ministries, and several local churches and Christian schools in Iowa.
The grant-size distribution shows a 25th percentile of $7,500, a median of $15,800, and a 75th percentile of $36,000. Recent awards also include much larger gifts, including seven-figure and high six-figure grants.
Yes. Several recipients appear in more than one year, including Avant Ministries, Emmaus Bible College, Revive Our Hearts, Turning Point Ministries, Samaritan’s Purse, Parkview Evangelical Free Church, St Mark’s Lutheran Church, Focus on the Family, and Living on the Edge.
Iowa is the top state by grant count, with 62% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state. Recent Iowa recipients include organizations in Dubuque, Cedar Rapids, Marion, Iowa City, West Des Moines, Des Moines, Urbandale, and Ankeny.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avant Ministries | Kansas City, MO | $407,200 | 2025 | General support |
| Emmaus Bible College | Dubuque, IA | $375,000 | 2025 | General support |
| Revive Our Hearts | Niles, MI | $350,000 | 2025 | General support |
| Turning Point Ministries | San Diego, CA | $310,000 | 2025 | General support |
| Samaritan's Purse | Boone, NC | $262,000 | 2025 | General support |
| Iowa City Public Library Friends Foundatio | Iowa City, IA | $250,000 | 2025 | General support |
| Living on the Edge | Suwanee, GA | $250,000 | 2025 | General support |
| Isaac Newton Christian Academy | Cedar Rapids, IA | $240,950 | 2025 | General support |
| Episcopal Day School | Lake Charles, LA | $205,000 | 2025 | General support |
| St Mark's Lutheran Church | Marion, IA | $200,000 | 2025 | General support |
| Good Shepherd Episcopal Church | Lake Charles, LA | $200,000 | 2025 | General support |
| Focus on the Family | Colorado Springs, CO | $195,000 | 2025 | General support |
| Soteria Des Moines | West Des Moines, IA | $151,050 | 2025 | General support |
| Parkview Evangelical Free Church | Iowa City, IA | $135,076 | 2025 | General support |
| Mary's Meals USA | Bloomfield, NJ | $124,000 | 2025 | General support |
| Shrine of Our Lady Guadalupe | LaCrosse, WI | $100,000 | 2025 | General support |
| Everence Foundation | Goshen, IN | $99,010 | 2025 | General support |
| Grandview Christian School Association | Des Moines, IA | $75,000 | 2025 | General support |
| Iowa State University Foundation | Ames, IA | $70,010 | 2025 | General support |
| Insight For Living | Plano, TX | $65,000 | 2025 | General support |
| Cedar Hills Community Church | Cedar Rapids, IA | $60,000 | 2025 | General support |
| Relevant Radio Inc | Green Bay, WI | $58,000 | 2025 | General support |
| Brooklyn Org | Brooklyn, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | General support |
| Veritas Church | Tiffin, IA | $45,000 | 2025 | General support |
| Kingdom Life Network of Christian Ministries | Elizabethtown, PA | $45,000 | 2025 | General support |
| First Lutheran Church | Cedar Rapids, IA | $43,650 | 2025 | General support |
| St Paul's Classical School | Melbourne, FL | $40,000 | 2025 | General support |
| Brotherhood Prison Ministries | Kalona, IA | $36,000 | 2025 | General support |
| Joni and Friends | Agoura Hills, CA | $36,000 | 2025 | General support |
| Grace Community Church | North Liberty, IA | $36,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Camp Appanoose | Plano, IA | $36,000 | 2025 | General support |
| Warriors for Good | Chicago, IL | $34,751 | 2025 | General support |
| St Luke's Health Care Foundation | Cedar Rapids, IA | $34,000 | 2025 | General support |
| University of Iowa Center for Advancement | Iowa City, IA | $30,500 | 2025 | General support |
| Midwest Theological Forum | Downers Grove, IL | $30,000 | 2025 | General support |
| St Paul's United Methodist | Williamsburg, IA | $28,000 | 2025 | General support |
| Trinity Episcopal Church Muscatine Iowa | Muscatine, IA | $25,745 | 2025 | General support |
| Trinity Episcopal Church Iowa City Iowa | Iowa City, IA | $25,500 | 2025 | General support |
| Stand to Reason | Signal Hill, CA | $25,000 | 2025 | General support |
| KSKB | Brooklyn, IA | $25,000 | 2025 | General support |
| First United Methodist Church | Iowa City, IA | $25,000 | 2025 | General support |
| Moody Bible Institute | Chicago, IL | $25,000 | 2025 | General support |
| Herbert Hoover Presidential Foundation | West Branch, IA | $21,750 | 2025 | General support |
| ConnectHer | Austin, TX | $21,400 | 2025 | General support |
| East Iowa Bible Camp | Deep River, IA | $20,000 | 2025 | General support |
| Summitt Ministries | Manitou Springs, CO | $20,000 | 2025 | General support |
| PreBorn | Indianapolis, IN | $20,000 | 2025 | General support |
| Clarity Clinic | Dubuque, IA | $20,000 | 2025 | General support |
| Informed Choice of Iowa Corporation | Iowa City, IA | $18,000 | 2025 | General support |
| Campus Crusade for Christ | Orlando, FL | $17,000 | 2025 | General support |
Avant Ministries
$407,200General support
Revive Our Hearts
$350,000General support
Iowa City Public Library Friends Foundatio
$250,000General support
Isaac Newton Christian Academy
$240,950General support
Episcopal Day School
$205,000General support
St Mark's Lutheran Church
$200,000General support
Good Shepherd Episcopal Church
$200,000General support
Focus on the Family
$195,000General support
Soteria Des Moines
$151,050General support
Parkview Evangelical Free Church
$135,076General support
Shrine of Our Lady Guadalupe
$100,000General support
Everence Foundation
$99,010General support
Grandview Christian School Association
$75,000General support
Cedar Hills Community Church
$60,000General support
Relevant Radio Inc
$58,000General support
Brooklyn Org
$50,000General support
Veritas Church
$45,000General support
Kingdom Life Network of Christian Ministries
$45,000General support
First Lutheran Church
$43,650General support
St Paul's Classical School
$40,000General support
Grace Community Church
$36,000General Support
Camp Appanoose
$36,000General support
Warriors for Good
$34,751General support
Midwest Theological Forum
$30,000General support
St Paul's United Methodist
$28,000General support
Trinity Episcopal Church Muscatine Iowa
$25,745General support
Trinity Episcopal Church Iowa City Iowa
$25,500General support
KSKB
$25,000General support
First United Methodist Church
$25,000General support
Moody Bible Institute
$25,000General support
East Iowa Bible Camp
$20,000General support
Clarity Clinic
$20,000General support
Informed Choice of Iowa Corporation
$18,000General support
Campus Crusade for Christ
$17,000General support