Effie and Wofford Cain Foundation
Austin, TX · EIN 75-6030774. Reported 287 grants totalling $28.0M to 120 recipients across tax years 2020-2024. This foundation did not tell the IRS it funds only preselected organizations.
Does this foundation accept applications?
Yes -- on its own tax return. Form 990-PF asks every private foundation whether it makes grants only to organizations it selects itself. Of the 91,758 foundations in our data that made a grant and answered, 78% said yes -- and applying to those is wasted effort. Effie and Wofford Cain Foundation did not check that box on its most recent filing, which puts it in the minority that is at least open to being approached.
How big are its grants?
The median grant is $15,000. Half of everything it gave fell between $5,000 and $25,000; the smallest was $1,000 and the largest $4,100,000. If you are asking for materially more than the top of that range, you are asking the wrong foundation.
Every organization it funded
This is the complete list from its filings, largest first. Recipients are grouped by name and state as they were written on the returns, so an organization entered under two different names appears twice. Years funded is the number of separate tax years in which that name received money.
| Organization | Location | Total received | Grants | Years funded | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Texas at Austin | Austin, TX | $16.1M | 23 | 5 | 2024 |
| City of Athens Texas | Athens, TX | $2,520,000 | 6 | 4 | 2023 |
| Ut Southwestern Medical Center | Dallas, TX | $2,500,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Southern Methodist University | Dallas, TX | $1,150,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Trinity Valley Community College Foundation | Athens, TX | $300,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Texas Parks & Wildlife Foundation | Austin, TX | $250,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Texas Scottish Rite Hospital | Dallas, TX | $231,088 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Salvation Army of Greater Austin | Austin, TX | $227,000 | 5 | 3 | 2024 |
| Sonic Guild | Austin, TX | $219,000 | 4 | 3 | 2024 |
| East Texas Arboretum & Botanical Society | Athens, TX | $210,000 | 5 | 4 | 2023 |
| MD Anderson Cancer Center | Houston, TX | $202,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Good Shepherd Episcopal Church | Austin, TX | $200,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Word of Honor Fund | Bellevue, ID | $185,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Health Alliance for Austin Musicians | Austin, TX | $150,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Seal Future Foundation | New York, NY | $130,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Salvation Army-Austin | Austin, TX | $125,000 | 3 | 2 | 2021 |
| Seton Funddaughters of Charity | Austin, TX | $120,000 | 5 | 4 | 2023 |
| Austin Classical Guitar | Austin, TX | $115,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Henderson County Food Pantry | Athens, TX | $115,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| CASA of Trinity Valley | Athens, TX | $113,000 | 6 | 5 | 2024 |
| Black Fret | Austin, TX | $108,498 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Disciples Clinic | Athens, TX | $100,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Trinity Valley Community College | Athens, TX | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Texans for Greater Mental Health | Garland, TX | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Heroic Hearts Project | New York, NY | $90,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Lila Lane Outreach | Athens, TX | $90,000 | 6 | 5 | 2024 |
| First Presbyterian Church | Athens, TX | $85,000 | 5 | 4 | 2023 |
| Public Library Fund | Athens, TX | $82,000 | 6 | 5 | 2024 |
| Westminster Presbyterian Church | Austin, TX | $80,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Americans for Ibogaine | Tyler, TX | $75,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Athens Christian Preparatory Academy | Athens, TX | $70,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Swan Songs | Austin, TX | $67,500 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Van Cliburn Foundation | Fort Worth, TX | $62,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Cafe Momentum | Dallas, TX | $60,000 | 3 | 2 | 2022 |
| Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country | Kerrville, TX | $60,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Visitation Academy of St Louis County | St Louis, MO | $60,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Children's Burn Foundation | Sherman Oaks, CA | $59,500 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| University of Texas System | Austin, TX | $57,000 | 5 | 4 | 2024 |
| City of Athens Tx | Athens, TX | $55,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Children's Medical Center Foundation | Dallas, TX | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Stanford University | Stanford, CA | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children | Dallas, TX | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Hospice Austin | Austin, TX | $46,000 | 6 | 5 | 2024 |
| Keep Athens Beautiful | Athens, TX | $42,500 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Abundant Life Pregnancy Center | Athens, TX | $40,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| California State University Northridge Trust Fund | Northridge, CA | $40,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Life Fellowship | Athens, TX | $40,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Austin Speech Labs | Austin, TX | $37,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| National Football Foundation | Austin, TX | $36,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Athens Animal Rescue Shelter | Athens, TX | $35,000 | 3 | 3 | 2022 |
| Center for Child Protection | Austin, TX | $35,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Athens High School | Athens, TX | $32,500 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Austin Police Operation Blue Santa | Austin, TX | $31,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Swan Songs Musical Last Wishes | Austin, TX | $30,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Special Forces Charitable Fund | Southern Pines, NC | $28,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| The Cliburn | Fort Worth, TX | $27,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Austin History Center Association | Austin, TX | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Austin Music Foundation | Austin, TX | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Austin Theatre Alliance | Austin, TX | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Henderson County Homeless Ministry | Athens, TX | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Kappa Alpha Theta Foundation | Indianapolis, IN | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Navy Seal Foundation | Virginia Beach, VA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Sustainable Food Center | Austin, TX | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Athens First Methodist Church | Athens, TX | $22,500 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| West Austin Care Givers | Austin, TX | $22,000 | 3 | 3 | 2022 |
| Austin Community Foundatiaon | Austin, TX | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| First Presbyterian Church of Athens | Athens, TX | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Henderson County Performing Arts Center | Athens, TX | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Meals on Wheels Ministries | Tyler, TX | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Mt Dearborn Methodist Church | Great Falls, SC | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Texas State History Museum | Austin, TX | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Texas State Music Office | Austin, TX | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| University of Texas Foundation | Austin, TX | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Building Athens Together | Athens, TX | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| BABY2BABY | Log Angeles, CA | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Bookspring | Austin, TX | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| California State Universitynorthridge Trust Fund | Northridge, CA | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Cedar Creek Veterans Foundation | Mabank, TX | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Eastern Hills Church of Christ | Athens, TX | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Henderson County Young Life | Athens, TX | $15,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Radiant Hearts Collective | Austin, TX | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| American Heart Association | Dallas, TX | $12,500 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Colleagues the | Santa Monica, CA | $11,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Athens Samaritans | Athens, TX | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Austin Community Foundation | Austin, TX | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Community Parks of Gainesville Texas | Gainesville, TX | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Dell Children's Foundation | Austin, TX | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Drive-a-Senior Austin | Austin, TX | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Eastern Hills Community Church | Athens, TX | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Give a Beat Foundation | Austin, TX | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| House of Songs | Austin, TX | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Meals on Wheels Ministry | Tyler, TX | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Mt Dearborn United Methodist Church | Great Falls, SC | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| St Vincent Meals on Wheels Program | Los Angeles, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Athens Independent School District | Athens, TX | $9,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| City of Hope | Los Angeles, CA | $8,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Driveasenior Austin | Austin, TX | $8,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Helping Hand Home for Children | Austin, TX | $7,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Ronald Mcdonald House Charities | Dallas, TX | $7,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Give a Beat Foundation | Laguna Beach, CA | $5,500 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Alzheimer's Texas | Austin, TX | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Camp Allen and Conference Center | Navasota, TX | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Central Texas Public Safety Commission | Austin, TX | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Dallas Children's Advocacy Center | Dallas, TX | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Stage Notes Performing Arts Center | Athens, TX | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Young Life - Athens | Colorado Springs, CO | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Psychedelic Medicine Coalition | Washington, DC | $4,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Caritas of Austin | Austin, TX | $3,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Assurance Home | Austin, TX | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Central Vermont Community Radio | Plainfield, VT | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| St Barnabas Episcopal Church | Fredericksburg, TX | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Athens Old Fiddlers' Foundation | Athens, TX | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Austin Pets Alive | Austin, TX | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Crowe's Nest Farm | Manor, TX | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Make-a-Wish Foundation - Central & South Texas | Austin, TX | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Tlsn Inc | Austin, TX | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Cystic Fibrosis Foundation | Austin, TX | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Henderson County Historical Society | Athens, TX | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Boy Scouts of America Capitol Area Council | Austin, TX | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Leukemia & Lymphoma Society | Washington, DC | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
58 of 120 (48%) received money in more than one year over the 5 years we hold.
Measured the way we measure every foundation -- what share of one year's grantees are funded again the next -- this one retains 64%, across 4 year-to-year transitions. The median foundation retains about 67%, so this one is about typical. This measures how often it paid the same organizations again. It says nothing about whether it would consider a new one.
What the money was for
Taken verbatim from the purpose field of its filings. This is the closest thing to a statement of what this foundation cares about, in its own words.
- The University of Texas at Austin
Clinical research and endowment - City of Athens Texas
FACILITIES CONSTRUCTION AND REFURBISHMENT - University of Texas at Austin
DELL MEDICAL SCHOOL RESEARCH - Southern Methodist University
LAW SCHOOL FINANCIAL COURSE - Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country
General support; flood relief - City of Athens Tx
Municipal park improvements
What kind of organizations it funds
By the activity category the IRS assigns each recipient, for the 128 grants where we could match the recipient to a registered organization. The categories are the IRS's. The match, made from the name and address on the return, is ours.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants | Total | Median grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 55 | $5,248,977 | $10,000 |
| 2021 | 64 | $6,069,164 | $10,500 |
| 2022 | 57 | $5,521,500 | $20,000 |
| 2023 | 53 | $5,178,279 | $20,000 |
| 2024 | 58 | $6,027,910 | $15,000 |
Tax years, not calendar years, and the most recent year is usually incomplete -- filings arrive about a year late, so a low final year means late paperwork rather than a foundation winding down.
Already committed for future years
Form 990-PF has a separate schedule for grants approved but not yet paid. Effie and Wofford Cain Foundation has 12 of them, worth $66.2M. This is the one part of the filing that looks forward rather than back.
| Organization | Location | Approved |
|---|---|---|
| University of Texas at Austin | Austin, TX | $15.9M |
| University of Texas at Austin | Austin, TX | $14.3M |
| The University of Texas at Austin | Austin, TX | $12.7M |
| University of Texas at Austin | Austin, TX | $8,750,000 |
| The University of Texas at Austin | Austin, TX | $6,450,000 |
| Ut Southwestern Medical Center | Dallas, TX | $5,500,000 |
| Trinity Valley Community College Foundation | Athens, TX | $1,200,000 |
| Southern Methodist University | Dallas, TX | $383,334 |
| Southern Methodist University | Dallas, TX | $383,334 |
| University of Texas at Austin | Austin, TX | $250,000 |
| City of Athens Texas | Athens, TX | $250,000 |
| University of Texas at Austin | Austin, TX | $150,000 |
Where its money goes
97% of its giving went to organizations in Texas. If your organization is based elsewhere, look in the recipient list for grants to your area before writing.
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Funders that support the same organizations
These funders gave to organizations this one also funded -- some private foundations, some community foundations and other grantmaking charities. Shared grantees are a sign of overlapping priorities and nothing more: they do not show that any of these funders would consider a new organization. Each page says what its filings show.
How to approach this foundation
- Check you are its size. The median grant is $15,000. A request many times that size asks for something it has rarely or never given.
- Check you are in its geography. Its giving is concentrated in Texas.
- Read the recipient list above for organizations like yours. If nothing on it resembles your work, that is a real answer, and a cheap one to get.
- Look up the current filing before writing. The 990-PF names the foundation's officers and, where one exists, its application procedure. We link it below.
Related guides
Where these numbers come from
Everything above is taken from Effie and Wofford Cain Foundation's own Form 990-PF filings, which the IRS publishes in bulk. We used 5 returns (tax years 2020-2024). Grant figures are from its returns. Matching recipients to registered organizations, their IRS classifications, the retention rate and the funders that support the same organizations are our own calculations, described in how we build this.
Address of record on the latest return: 4131 Spicewood Springs Rd a 1, Austin, TX, 78759. This is the address the foundation gave the IRS; many small foundations file through an accountant or a bank trust department, so it may not be where post to a programme officer should go.
EIN 75-6030774 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
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