The West Endowment
Houston, TX · EIN 76-0481204. Reported 89 grants totalling $2,891,600 to 69 recipients across tax years 2021-2025. 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. The West Endowment 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 $25,000. Half of everything it gave fell between $15,000 and $45,000; the smallest was $5,600 and the largest $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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston Methodist Hospital Foundation | Houston, TX | $145,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Inc | Houston, TX | $130,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Annunciation Orthodox School | Houston, TX | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Camp for All Foundation | Houston, TX | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Lone Star Flight Museum | Houston, TX | $100,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Houston's Amazing Place Inc | Houston, TX | $95,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Trinity School of Midland Texas | Midland, TX | $90,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Brookwood Community | Brookshire, TX | $85,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Coastal Prairie Conservancy | Houston, TX | $75,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Covenant House Texas | Houston, TX | $75,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Episcopal High School | Houston, TX | $75,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Institute for Rehabilitation & Rsch Fnd (tirr) | Houston, TX | $75,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Joy Development School | Houston, TX | $75,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Houston Hospice | Houston, TX | $70,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Brookwood Community (fka Briarwood-Brkwd) | Brookshire, TX | $60,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Parks and Wildlife Fdn of Texas Inc | Dallas, TX | $55,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Battleship Texas Foundation Inc | Houston, TX | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Epilepsy Foundation of Texas | Houston, TX | $50,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Heart of Texas Foundation Inc | Bellville, TX | $50,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Houston Area Women's Center Inc | Dallas, TX | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Institute for Rehabilitation & Rsch Fnd | Houston, TX | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Make-a-Wish Fndof the Tx Gulf Coast & La | Stafford, TX | $50,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Manned Space Flight Education Fdn Inc | Houston, TX | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Memorial Park Conservancy Inc | Houston, TX | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Trinity University | San Antonio, NY | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Ronald Mcdonald House of Houston Inc | Houston, TX | $46,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Palacios Medical Foundation | Palacios, TX | $45,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| The American Red Cross | Houston, TX | $45,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Christus Foundation for Healthcare | Houston, TX | $40,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Chinquapin Preparatory School | Highlands, TX | $35,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Outreach Center of West Houston | Houston, TX | $35,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Pearl Fincher Museum of Fine Arts | Spring, TX | $35,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Bolivar Point Lighthouse Fdn Inc | Port Bolivar, TX | $33,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Communities in Schools of Houston Inc | Houston, TX | $30,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Gracewood Inc | Houston, TX | $30,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| The Matagorda Bay Foundation | Brazoria, TX | $30,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Remind | Houston, TX | $29,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Archway Academy | Houston, TX | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Bellville Medical Center | Bellville, TX | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Cypress Creek Fine Art Association | Spring, TX | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Glenwood Cemetery Historic Preservation Foundation | Houston, TX | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Harris County Hospital District Fdn | Houston, TX | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Homemade Hope for Homeless Children | Houston, TX | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Hope and Healing Center & Institute | Houston, TX | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Houston Area Parkinson Society | Houston, TX | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Houston Christian High School | Houston, TX | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Houston Eye Associates Foundation | Houston, TX | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Jdrf International | Houston, TX | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Ronald Mcdonald House Charities Houston | Houston, TX | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| St Andrews Church and School Inc | San Antonio, TX | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Star of Hope Mission | Houston, TX | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| The Nature Discovery Center Inc | Bellaire, TX | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| CASA De Esperanza De Los Ninos Inc | Houston, TX | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Cypress Woodlands Junior Forum | Tomball, TX | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Making It Better | Houston, TX | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Texas Rice | Pierce, TX | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Texas Rice Industry Coalition for the Environment | Pierce, TX | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Marc Lustgarten Pancreatic Cancer Fdn | Woodbury, NY | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Museum of Health & Medical Science | Houston, TX | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| P4L Dba Lemonade Day | Houston, TX | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Cherish Our Children Inc | Houston, TX | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Cinco Charities Inc (dba the Ballard House) | Katy, TX | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Da Camera Society of Texas | Houston, TX | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| KIPP Texas Inc | Houston, TX | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Neuro Assistance Foundation | Keller, TX | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| University of Houston Clear Lake | Houston, TX | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Will Erwin Headache Research Foundation | Houston, TX | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Cinco Charities Inc | Katy, TX | $8,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Volunteer Interfaith Caregivers-Southwest | Houston, TX | $5,600 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
16 of 69 (23%) 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 3%, across 4 year-to-year transitions. The median foundation retains about 67%, so this one is less consistent than most. 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.
- Annunciation Orthodox School
LIGHT THE WAY CAPITAL CAMPAIGN - Camp for All Foundation
FUNDING A SECOND CAMP AND THE BLAZING NEW TRAILS CAMPAIGN. - Brookwood Community
PHASE IX TYPE B GROUP HOMES - Episcopal High School
FUNDING THE INSTALLATION OF THE SKINNER PIPE ORGAN IN THE NEW BENITEZ CHAPEL SPACE. - Memorial Park Conservancy Inc
PRESERVE AND MAINTAIN THE PARK FOR PUBLIC USE, ENJOYMENT AND EDUCATION. - Coastal Prairie Conservancy
LAND STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM FOR 2025, AN EFFORT TO CONTINUE RESTORATION OF THE INDIANGRASS PRESERVE.
What kind of organizations it funds
By the activity category the IRS assigns each recipient, for the 60 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 21 | $581,000 | $25,000 |
| 2022 | 19 | $619,000 | $20,000 |
| 2023 | 20 | $565,600 | $25,000 |
| 2024 | 13 | $548,000 | $35,000 |
| 2025 | 16 | $578,000 | $25,000 |
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.
Where its money goes
98% 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 $25,000. 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 The West Endowment's own Form 990-PF filings, which the IRS publishes in bulk. We used 5 returns (tax years 2021-2025). 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: Po Box 491, Houston, TX, 77001. 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 76-0481204 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
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