OVERVIEW: The Brown Foundation broadly supports education, the arts, civic affairs, healthcare and human services in Texas and across the U.S.
IP TAKE: This funder’s higher education grants tend to support specific projects and programs rather than general operating costs. The foundation prioritizes organizations based in Texas, but funds public and private institutions of higher education in other areas as well.
This funder is accessible and accepts applications through its online portal on an ongoing basis.
PROFILE: Herman Brown, Margarett Root Brown, George R. Brown and Alice Pratt Brown founded the Brown Foundation in 1951. The Browns made their fortune in the construction industry in Texas. The foundation aims to “support organizations dedicated to ambitious goals, excellence, and exceptional impact.” Its stated areas of focus are arts and culture, education, civic assets, healthcare and human services. The foundation mainly makes grants in Houston, Texas and nearby communities.
Grants for Education
Education is by far the Brown Foundation’s largest giving area. Grants support programs and schools ranging from early childhood through college, supporting “a diverse ecosystem of school models.”
- Priorities include high quality K-12 programs, access to postsecondary opportunities and teacher development.
- Grants tend to stay in Houston, where the foundation has made grants to St. John’s School, Harmony Public Schools, the University of St. Thomas, Teach for America Houston and Communities in Schools.
Grants for Arts and Culture
Arts and culture represent another substantial area of giving for the Brown Foundation. Giving supports a broad range of arts organizations across the visual, performing literary arts and participatory programs.
- The foundation emphasizes programs that “bring passion, energy, and creativity to life in Houston and beyond.”
- Grantees include the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, Houston’s Museum of Fine Arts, the Houston Ballet, the Houston Grand Opera and the Houston Symphony.
- Note that some smaller organizations also receive support including the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, DiverseWorks, the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra and the Ballroom Cultural Arts Foundation.
Grants for Community Development and Environment
The civic assets grantmaking area supports Houston-area “parks, gardens, nature conservancies, places for children, and efforts to preserve and protect ecologically sensitive areas. Grants from this program have gone to the Houston Parks Board, the Memorial Park Conservancy, the Nature Conservancy of Houston and the Houston Botanic Garden, among others.
Grants for Public Health
The foundation’s healthcare giving is comprehensive, with grantees ranging from “large academic medical centers [to] small, community-based clinics.”
- A portion of this grantmaking is also earmarked for mental health and substance misuse recover programs.
- Grantees include Baylor College of Medicine, the Institute for Rehabilitation and Research, the University of Texas Health Science Center and Vecino Health Centers, among others.
Grants for Mental Health, Housing, Homelessness and Violence Prevention
Grants stemming from Brown’s human services giving area target organizations with “demonstrated ability to accomplish ambitious goals.”
- The foundation prioritizes services for vulnerable people, including housing, basic needs, children’s services and domestic violence prevention.
- Recipients include Memorial Assistance Ministries, the Brookwood Community, New Hope Housing and the Beacon of Downtown Houston.
Important Grant Details:
Brown Foundation grants have been as large as $20 million, but most grants stay below $500,000.
- Most of this funder’s grants stay in Houston, where organizations of every size receive support.
- This funder often provides multi-year support to its grantees.
- The Brown Foundation accepts applications from Houston-area nonprofits for four annual grantmaking cycles. Complete a pre-application to establish eligibility and begin the process. Full proposals are accepted by invitation only. See full guidelines and due dates here.
- Find information about Brown’s past grantmaking at the foundation’s past grants database.
Contact the Brown Foundation via email at grants@brownfoundation.org or by telephone at (713) 523-6867.
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