Advocare Foundation
AdvoCare Foundation is a private foundation based in Richardson, Texas, that supports organizations working to improve the health and safety of children in need. Its stated aim is to help children and families lead happy, healthy, and safe lives.
Advocare Foundation at a glance
In short: Advocare Foundation gave $344K across 17 grants in 2024 (avg $20K), top state Texas. 12% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $343,627
- +4.1% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 17
- +13.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $20,213
- -8.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $4,115,206
- +0.4% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 12% first-time grantees (2 of 17, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Texas (32% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Advocare Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation has one annual grant process and encourages program-support requests. It may consider capital requests and sometimes operational support when an organization’s entire mission aligns with its priorities. Applicants are asked for the grant application, a description of the organization’s mission and need, information about program beneficiaries, a project timeline and desired impact, evaluation methods, other significant funding requests, organizational and project budgets, the most recent audited financial statement, a board list, and a tax-status letter. The foundation does not consider endowment requests. Its website also says it does not fund individual schools, sports teams, camps, or national organizations without a strong track record of local community engagement.
- Review Cycle
- The website lists June 5, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. as the application deadline for the July 2026–June 2027 grant cycle. That deadline has passed.
- Deadline
- The website lists June 5, 2026, at 5:00 p.m.
- Contact
Application contact: Whitney Strauss
Mailing address: 2801 Summit Ave, Plano, TX 75074
Phone: (972) 665-5812
Website: https://www.advocarefoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Advocare Foundation
Who Advocare Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was La's Best ($25K). Together the top 10 received $250K.
Grant Size Distribution
72 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 72 grants of 72 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation says it supports communities where AdvoCare distributors are located and engaged. Its 2024 grant dollars went to recipients in multiple states, with the largest shares going to Texas (32%), California (10%), and Colorado, Pennsylvania, and Ohio (7% each).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 17 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Advocare Foundation open to new grantees?
12%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 2 of 17 grantees (12%) were first-time recipients. With only 17 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $7K; repeat grants $22K. How we count
Medians: $7K first-time, $25K repeat.
- 88% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+16%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 177% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2018–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2018 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $205K (2018) to $344K (2024). In 2024 it made 17 grants totaling $344K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| La's Best Los Angeles, CA | To Increase Awareness of Childhood Obesity | $25,000 |
| Servicios De La Raza Denver, CO | TO INCREASE AWARENESS of CHILDHOOD OBESITY | $25,000 |
| United Way of Metro Dallas Dallas, TX | To Increase Awareness of Childhood Obesity | $25,000 |
| YMCA of Metro Dallas Dallas, TX | To Increase Awareness of Childhood Obesity | $25,000 |
| Vetri Community Partnership Philadelphia, PA | To Increase Awareness of Childhood Obesity | $25,000 |
| MISSION2MOVE Cincinnati, OH | To Increase Awareness of Childhood Obesity | $25,000 |
| Choices Atlanta, GA | To Increase Awareness in Childhood Obesity | $25,000 |
| Iowa Healthiest State Initiative Desmoines, IA | To Increase Awareness of Childhood Obesity | $25,000 |
| Alliance for a Healthier Generation Portland, OR | To Increase Awareness of Childhood Obesity | $25,000 |
| Partnership for a Healthy Mississip Flowood, MS | To Increase Awareness of Childhood Obestiy | $25,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Advocare Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $4,115,206 | $172,658 | $501,875 | $343,627 | 17 | $366,738 | $42,826 | $207,499 |
| 2023 | $4,097,712 | $160,589 | $495,052 | $330,000 | 15 | $352,555 | $23,518 | $197,922 |
| 2022 | $4,059,495 | $518,962 | $494,548 | $330,000 | 15 | $354,138 | $17,750 | $204,555 |
| 2021 | $4,909,647 | $563,900 | $446,925 | $295,000 | 13 | $320,814 | $164,255 | $225,038 |
| 2020 | $4,279,002 | $108,951 | $470,450 | $285,000 | 12 | — | — | $177,129 |
| 2018 | $3,192,755 | $2,349,757 | $582,204 | $205,000 | 8 | — | — | $139,661 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Advocare Foundation reported a distributable amount of $207K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s mission is to help children and families in need lead happy, healthy, and safe lives. Its website and grant applications identify three focus areas: physical activity, nutrition education, and access to healthy food. It favors year-round programs that promote positive changes in children’s and families’ health and wellness habits, and says it focuses on long-term solutions for children in communities facing elevated risk factors.
Its 2024 grantees illustrate the range of organizations it supports. For example, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas says it helps young people reach their full potential, while LA’s BEST says it provides supervised before- and after-school activities. North Texas Food Bank describes its mission as closing the hunger gap by providing access to nutritious food, and The Family Place says it provides safe housing, counseling, and skills to people affected by family violence.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation awarded 17 grants totaling $343,627. The median grant was $25,000; its website describes the average grant as $25,000 and says most awards are for one year. The filing states that grant amounts range from $10,000 to $250,000, with multi-year payment possible.
Among the 2024 awards, the foundation gave $25,000 each to LA’s BEST, Servicios de la Raza, United Way of Metro Dallas, YMCA of Metro Dallas, Vetri Community Partnership, Mission2Move, C.H.O.I.C.E.S., Iowa Healthiest State Initiative, Alliance for a Healthier Generation, Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi, Urban Youth Impact, and Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas. The filing lists childhood-obesity awareness as the purpose for these grants. Other reported 2024 awards included $10,000 each to North Texas Food Bank and The Concilio, and $3,627 to The Family Place.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Debbie Cook as president, Whitney Strauss as executive director, Stacey Cernicky as secretary, and Jenni McGaha as treasurer.
Advocare Foundation is led by Debbie Cook, President on every filing since 2018; none of the 4 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Debbie Cook
President
On filings since 2018
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Whitney Strauss
Executive Director
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jenni McGaha
Treasurer
Board Member → Director, 2020
Director → Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2018
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Stacey Cernicky
Secretary
Secretary → Secretary & Treasurer, 2020
Secretary & Treasurer → Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2018
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2018–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Advocare Foundation
How much does Advocare Foundation give each year?
Advocare Foundation gave $344K across 17 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $330K across 15 grants.
What is Advocare Foundation's typical grant size?
Advocare Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $25,000, and its average grant was $20,213, across 17 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Advocare Foundation that year got $7K on average.
Where does Advocare Foundation give grants?
Advocare Foundation's top state is Texas, with 32% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were California (10%) and Colorado (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Dallas, TX (6 grants) and Los Angeles, CA (2 grants).
Does Advocare Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 17 grants with a stated purpose on Advocare Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "To Increase Awareness of Childhood Obesity" (15 grants).
Who are Advocare Foundation's largest grantees?
Advocare Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include La's Best ($25,000), Servicios De La Raza ($25,000) and United Way of Metro Dallas ($25,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 22% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Advocare Foundation?
Advocare Foundation reported $4.1M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $367K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $207K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Advocare Foundation fund?
The foundation’s mission is to help children and families in need lead happy, healthy, and safe lives. Its website and grant applications identify three focus areas: physical activity, nutrition education, and access to healthy food. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Advocare Foundation?
The foundation has one annual grant process and encourages program-support requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Advocare Foundation's EIN?
Advocare Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 47-4090375. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2018–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2018 (received by the IRS March 30, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 10, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS September 2, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS August 10, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS September 17, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 14, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2018–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Advocare Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Advocare Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/advocare-foundation-morg_4d317064e4514877bfdc8c3925b0f071
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_474090375_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Advocare Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/advocare-foundation-morg_4d317064e4514877bfdc8c3925b0f071},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Advocare Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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