Three Key Things to Know about the Houston Endowment

Editor's note: This article was revised and updated on 6/22/2021.

With assets over $1.8 billion, the Houston Endowment is one of the most powerful grantmakers in Texas. This foundation has well-defined, yet broad program focus areas and hands out around $70 million in grants each year. 

Here are three key things to know about the Houston Endowment.

Grants Stay in the Houston Area

Houston Endowment is almost exclusively focused on grantmaking in Texas’ Harris County and the contiguous counties of Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Liberty, Montgomery and Waller. Jessie H. and Mary Gibbs Jones established Houston Endowment in 1937 to improve the lives of people in the Greater Houston area, and with just a few exceptions, all grantmaking stays local.

Education and Human Services are Top Priorities

Out of the around $70 million to $75 million in total grantmaking that goes out the door each year, over $20 million typically goes to the categories of both education and human services. These have been the top two grantmaking categories for several years now.

The foundation’s education program has traditionally supported initiatives in early childhood education all the way up to higher education, with an emphasis on the Houston-area students attending public school. Past education grants have often ranged from around $30,000 to $6 million. The funder has also awarded millions of dollars in scholarships through the Jesse H. and Mary Gibbs Jones Scholars Program. Past human services grants have generally fallen in the $20,000 to $300,000 range. Basic human needs and community-building programs tend to see the most grant money.

However, these days, there are four focus areas at the Houston Endowment: Strong Civic Assets, Thriving Residents, Post-Secondary Success and Stronger Region. Therefore, grantmaking is getting a bit more diverse and varied now than in the past.

Unsolicited Inquires Are Accepted All Year

The Houston Endowment makes grants through proposals invited by program staff and self-initiated inquiries. Interested grantseekers can submit a pre-application online to tell the staff about a program team, which will evaluate the idea and possibly extend an invitation to complete a full application. Check out the Frequently Asked Questions page on the funder’s website to learn more about the funder’s grantmaking process.

Related - Houston Endowment: Texas Grants