The Stanley M. Herzog Foundation

What The Stanley M. Herzog Foundation does

The Stanley M. Herzog Foundation is a private charitable foundation established in December 2020 with a several-hundred-million-dollar endowment from the estate of Stanley M. Herzog, the late chairman and CEO of Herzog Contracting Corp. Headquartered in an 18,000-square-foot facility in Smithville, Missouri (greater Kansas City area), the foundation operates with 40-50 staff and a sole mission: to catalyze and accelerate the development of quality Christ-centered K-12 education nationwide. Its programmatic reach spans 49 states and includes direct grants and matching gifts to Christian schools (cumulatively $14.6M awarded across more than 30 disclosed grants since 2021), scholarships (e.g., $2.5M through the MOScholars program), and a diversified program portfolio.

The foundation's core product surface is built around three pillars: (1) startup and growth resources for schools and homeschool co-ops, including the SchoolBox platform (an 8-step guide plus mentorship that has supported the launch of 60+ new Christian schools), the HF Homeschool platform for parent-led co-ops, and direct grants; (2) training and events, via the Herzog Foundation Institute (monthly in-person training in Kansas City and Nashville), the Faith & Nation Student Forum, the American Dream Speaker Series, the Excellence in Christian Education Awards at the Museum of the Bible, and the Ambassadorship program for recent graduates; and (3) media and content, including The Lion (an award-winning digital news publication covering families, faith, education, and culture), the HF Podcast Network (Finding Your Spine, Teach 4 the Heart, Moms for America, Making The Leap, The Lion Week In Review), the annual Bill of Rights Essay Contest (600+ submissions from 36 states in 2025), and the Faith & Freedom 250 weekly video series running through July 2026. Adjacent advocacy includes an amicus brief in Carson v. Makin and a permanent injunction win against the EEOC's Pregnant Workers Fairness Act rule.

Economically, the foundation is endowment-funded and operates as a free-to-end-user provider: every program, grant, training event, and digital resource is fully funded by the foundation for Christian educators, administrators, and homeschool families of all denominations. Additional donations are solicited through the website and email newsletters. It maintains strategic partnerships with Young America's Foundation, Bill of Rights Institute, Heritage Foundation, Hillsdale College K-12 Education, Home Educators Association of Virginia, Texas Home School Coalition, Answers in Genesis, Center for Christian Virtue, and the Colson Center. Leadership is led by Chairman Todd Graves (founding partner of Graves Garrett, LLC, former U.S. Attorney), Vice-Chairman John Elliott, President Darrell Jones, and newly appointed CEO Frank Kruse (effective May 14, 2026).

Name

The Stanley M. Herzog Foundation

Legal name

The Stanley M. Herzog Foundation

Website

https://herzogfoundation.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Stanley M. Herzog Foundation is a Smithville, Missouri-based private charitable foundation endowed with several hundred million dollars from the estate of Stanley M. Herzog. It funds, trains, and advocates for Christ-centered K-12 schools, homeschool co-ops, and educators nationwide through free programs, grants, and media.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Christian Education Nonprofit Foundation

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

Keywords

• Christian education advancement
• Educational grants and scholarships
• Teacher training programs
• Homeschool co-op resources
• Christian school startup support

Headquarters

HQ city

Smithville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Foundation Endowment & Donations: The foundation was established with a several-hundred-million-dollar endowment from Stanley M. Herzog upon his passing in 2019. Additional donations are solicited from supporters who share the mission of advancing Christian education.
2. Grant Programs to Christian Schools: Foundation awards grants to Christian schools to propel their growth and increase enrollment. Programs include direct grants, matching grants, and scholarship funding.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Stanley M. Herzog Foundation is a nonprofit charitable foundation that catalyzes and accelerates the development of quality Christ-centered K-12 education. It delivers a portfolio of free programs and resources—including grants to Christian schools, the SchoolBox and HF Homeschool resource platforms, training events through the Herzog Foundation Institute, a podcast network, a digital news publication, and recognition programs—fully funded by a several-hundred-million-dollar endowment.

Product overview

The Stanley M. Herzog Foundation operates as a multi-initiative charitable organization focused on advancing quality Christ-centered K-12 education. The foundation offers a portfolio of programs including: The Lion (news publication), SchoolBox and HF Homeschool (resource platforms for starting schools and homeschool groups), the Herzog Foundation Institute (training and events), the Ambassadorship program (professional development for graduates), American Dream Speaker Series (speaker events), Faith & Nation Student Forum (student retreat), Teacher of the Year Awards and Bill of Rights Essay Contest (recognition/competition programs), HF Podcast Network (media network), Faith & Freedom 250 (video series), and the Excellence in Christian Education Awards (annual ceremony). These programs collectively aim to launch, promote, and strengthen Christian education settings nationwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Lion: Christian Education News publication covering issues facing American families and culture related to education of children.
• SchoolBox
• HF Homeschool
• Herzog Foundation Institute
• HF Podcast Network
• Faith & Nation Student Forum
• American Dream Speaker Series

Products and services

• The Lion Digital news publication covering Christian education, families, culture, faith, government, and topics related to children's education; produces daily articles for families, educators, and leaders.
• SchoolBox Online resource platform for Christian education entrepreneurs providing an 8-step guide, lessons, resources, and mentorship to catalyze creation of new Christian schools, micro schools, and cooperatives.
• HF Homeschool Free online resource equipping homeschooling parents with an 8-step guide to starting homeschool groups or co-ops, one-to-one mentorship, and access to best practices, policies, and resources.
• Herzog Foundation Institute Training program providing events, conferences, and workshops for Christian educators and administrators led by national thought leaders on topics including marketing, donor development, and culture building.
• Herzog Foundation Ambassadorship Year-long professional development program for recent college graduates seeking leadership opportunities in K-12 education, providing immersion in foundation programs and national networking.
• Faith & Nation Student Forum Four-day retreat held each fall for top high school seniors from Christian schools and homeschool co-ops nationwide, equipping students to defend conservative Christian values and engage with government leaders.
• American Dream Speaker Series Conversations with national thought leaders on pressing issues facing Americans, from education to national security, featuring distinguished speakers such as Betsy DeVos, Mike Pompeo, and Dr. Ben Carson.
• Teacher of the Year Awards Annual recognition program honoring individuals who embody excellence in Christian education, including Innovative Teacher of the Year and Math Teacher of the Year categories.
• Bill of Rights Essay Contest Annual essay contest for middle and high school students in Christian schools or homeschools, inviting students to engage with America's founding principles and the Bill of Rights.
• HF Podcast Network Podcast network featuring personality-driven shows including Finding Your Spine, Teach 4 the Heart, Moms for America, Making The Leap, and The Lion Week In Review, distributed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other platforms.
• Faith & Freedom 250 Yearlong video series releasing every Friday from July 4, 2025 through July 3, 2026, exploring the connection between faith and liberty throughout American history in honor of America's 250th birthday.

Quantifiable outcome

• $14.6M awarded to Christian schools
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Young America's FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to host the Faith & Nation Student Forum for high school seniors from Christian schools and homeschool co-ops nationwide. The inaugural forum was hosted in partnership bringing together conservative thought leaders and students for a four-day retreat.
• Bill of Rights InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to offer civics teacher training events throughout Missouri. Series of training events for public and private school teachers focused on civics education.
• Home Educators Association of VirginiamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration to select 2025 Homeschool Co-ops of the Year. The foundation selected honorees in collaboration with HEAV, an organization instrumental in supporting parent-directed education.
• Texas Home School CoalitionmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration to select 2025 Homeschool Co-ops of the Year. Selected honorees in partnership with Texas Home School Coalition for their region.
• Answers in GenesisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to bring science teacher training to the Creation Museum and Ark Encounter. Two-day training opportunity for science teachers.
• Center for Christian VirtuemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConvention collaboration at America250: National Convention for Christian Education in Philadelphia. Voice from leading organization committed to strengthening Christian education.
• Hillsdale College K-12 EducationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConvention collaboration at America250: National Convention for Christian Education. Partner in the initiative to explore vital role of Christian education in shaping the nation's future.
• The Colson CentermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConvention collaboration at America250: National Convention for Christian Education. Partner organization in the gathering of voices committed to Christian education.
• Turning Point EducationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConvention collaboration at America250: National Convention for Christian Education. Speaker from Turning Point Education Association emphasized scripture as foundation of all education.
• America 250 Civics Education CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of the America 250 Civics Education Coalition contributing to the History Rocks! Trail to Independence Tour, a 50-state initiative commemorating America's 250th anniversary.
• Johnny Morris Institute of Fisheries, Wetlands and Aquatic Systems at University of MissouriminorOthersFrank Kruse, CEO, serves on the Advisory Board for the Institute dedicated to developing talent for careers in conservation.
• Graves Garrett, LLCcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTodd Graves, Chairman of the Board, is founding partner of this Kansas City, Missouri law firm. The firm has represented the foundation in legal matters including religious liberty cases.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cardus: Cardus is a nonpartisan Christian research and policy organization that conducts social research on faith, education, and civil society, with a particular focus on K-12 faith-based schooling and parent-directed education. It is the closest comparable to the Herzog Foundation's research and thought-leadership function within the Christian K-12 space.
• American Federation for Children: American Federation for Children is a school-choice advocacy organization that advances voucher, scholarship, and Education Savings Account programs. It complements the Herzog Foundation's grantmaking and MOScholars-funded scholarship work, and shares the same conservative Christian-aligned policy orientation.
• Kern Family Foundation: The Kern Family Foundation is a private foundation focused on K-12 education reform, character formation, and teacher development. It operates parallel programming in teacher training, school leader support, and grants that overlap directly with the Herzog Foundation Institute, Ambassadorship, and school-grant work.
• National Christian Foundation (NCF): NCF is the largest Christian grantmaking organization in the U.S., managing donor-advised funds and directing more than $3 billion annually to faith-based nonprofits. It is structurally analogous as a Christian grantmaking intermediary and serves many of the same Christian schools that receive Herzog Foundation grants.
• Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI): ACSI is a membership organization serving Christian K-12 schools worldwide through accreditation, professional development, legal support, and advocacy. It serves the same customer base (Christian K-12 administrators and educators) that the Herzog Foundation targets with grants, training, and the SchoolBox startup platform.
• DeVos Family Foundation: The Dick and Betsy DeVos Family Foundation is a private foundation that directs significant resources toward K-12 education choice, Christian schools, and parental rights in education. It is one of the most prominent parallel faith-aligned education funders to the Herzog Foundation and shares a similar school-choice and Christian-education mission.

Broad incumbents

• Walton Family Foundation: The Walton Family Foundation is a large private foundation with a substantial K-12 education grantmaking portfolio focused on school choice, charter schools, and public-system reform. It is a broad incumbent in education philanthropy with overlapping K-12 grantmaking interests.
• Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation: The Gates Foundation is the largest private foundation in the U.S. with a long-standing K-12 education grantmaking program. It is a broad incumbent comparable in scale and grantmaking model, but with a public-school orientation rather than the Herzog Foundation's Christian-school focus.

Others

• Council for American Private Education (CAPE): CAPE is a coalition of national private school associations that advocates for private K-12 education, including Christian schools, in federal policy. It is adjacent to the Herzog Foundation's advocacy and training programming for private Christian schools.
• EdChoice: EdChoice is a research and advocacy organization promoting educational choice through vouchers, ESAs, and tax-credit scholarships. It is thematically adjacent to the Herzog Foundation's school-choice and MOScholars scholarship work but operates in the policy/advocacy lane rather than direct grantmaking.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/103010033/admin/dashboard
• Xx.com/HerzogEducation
• Facebookfacebook.com/HerzogFoundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Stanley M. Herzog Foundation