Cooper Foundation
The Cooper Foundation is a Form 990 public charity based in Waco, Texas, formed in 1943. It makes grants to qualifying organizations for projects intended to improve life in Waco, including work in education, health, arts and culture, community building, social services, and services for senior citizens.
Cooper Foundation at a glance
In short: Cooper Foundation gave $2.1M across 24 grants in 2025 (avg $87K), mostly in Texas. 39% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $2,096,251
- +4.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 24
- -4.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $87,344
- +9.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $44,780
- Total assets
- $102,640,611
- +3.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 39% first-time grantees (9 of 23, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Texas (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Cooper Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- Yes
- How to Apply
-
The Foundation accepts unsolicited requests through an online grant inquiry. Applicants are encouraged to complete the organizational readiness checklist and discuss the project with staff. If invited, they submit a full proposal through the online system. The Foundation says inquiries are accepted without deadlines; full-proposal deadlines are provided to invited applicants.
- Review Cycle
- The listed May 2, 2026 deadline for full proposals is past. Grant inquiries are accepted on an ongoing basis.
- Deadline
- The listed May 2, 2026 deadline for full proposals is past.
- Next open deadline
- November 2, 2026 (Cooper Foundation Grants (Waco, Texas))
- Contact
Mailing address: Attn Felicia Goodman, Waco, TX 76701
Phone: (254) 754-0315
Website: https://cooperfdn.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from Cooper Foundation
Who Cooper Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Salvation Army Waco ($317K). Together the top 10 received $1.7M.
Grant Size Distribution
133 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 64 grants of 133 (48%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation funds projects taking place in Waco, Texas. Its grant guidelines say applicants must have programming and staff in Waco and that it does not fund projects in nearby communities.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 24 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Cooper Foundation open to new grantees?
39%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 9 of 23 grantees (39%) were first-time recipients. With only 23 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 4 points. First grants averaged $100K; repeat grants $85K. How we count
Medians: $47K first-time, $55K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $1.4M (2020) to $2.7M (2022). In 2025 it made 24 grants totaling $2.1M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Salvation Army Waco Waco, TX | Support the capital campaign for the welcome center at the new center of hope. | $316,978 |
| Texas Tribune Waco, TX | Support a New Nonprofit Newsroom in Waco. | $250,000 |
| Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas Waco, TX | Provide patients with no- or low-cost reproductive healthcare and to reduce unintended pregnacies and stis in waco. | $200,000 |
| Transformation Waco Waco, TX | Support Infrastructive Costs During Transition to Independent Nonprofit. | $200,000 |
| Grassroots Community Development Waco, TX | Support community development work and school-based organizing to strengthen neighborhoods. | $170,000 |
| Waco Civic Theatre Waco, TX | Installation of a new roof and to support stage redesign. | $150,000 |
| American Gateways Austin, TX | Provide high quality immigration legal education and services to the waco immigrant community. | $150,000 |
| United Way of Waco-McLennan County Waco, TX | Support the Salary for a New Development Director. | $90,000 |
| Waco Habitat for Humanity Waco, TX | A challenge grant to leverage funding to build a habitat home in 2025. | $70,000 |
| Stilwell Retirement Residence Waco, TX | Renovate the Kitchen Facility. | $60,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Cooper Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $102,640,611 | $12,992,344 | $2,964,276 | $2,096,251 | 24 | $12,908,917 |
| 2024 | $99,474,302 | $9,281,321 | $2,750,444 | $2,002,732 | 25 | $9,259,684 |
| 2023 | $86,534,551 | $1,652,034 | $2,792,777 | $2,128,308 | 29 | $1,625,864 |
| 2022 | $95,346,340 | $6,777,740 | $3,317,267 | $2,711,506 | 23 | $6,756,227 |
| 2021 | $91,861,634 | $6,626,085 | $1,888,923 | $1,422,647 | 32 | $6,607,319 |
| 2020 | $66,588,570 | $2,979,449 | $1,914,895 | $1,410,551 | 23 | $2,958,677 |
| 2019 | $70,849,105 | $3,568,686 | $2,428,425 | $1,901,240 | 30 | $3,541,275 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Foundation’s mission is to make Waco a better or more desirable city in which to live through grants to local nonprofit organizations. Its website identifies education, health, arts and culture, community building and social services, and senior citizens as areas its grants can support.
Examples of grantees’ work include Transformation Waco, whose mission is to improve and support five struggling Waco elementary and middle school campuses; Waco Community Development Corporation, which says it works to cultivate healthy neighborhoods; and Waco Civic Theatre, whose mission includes providing live theatre and community education and participation. Community Doulas of Waco says it works to improve maternal health outcomes by increasing access to doula services and the doula profession in McLennan County.
The Foundation says it funds project support, capital projects, capacity building, challenge or matching grants, and innovation grants. Eligible applicants include 501(c)(3) public charities with a 509(a)(1) or (2) designation and governmental agencies. It does not fund churches, religious activities, individuals, scholarship programs, fundraising drives, or event sponsorships.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the Foundation awarded 24 grants totaling $2,096,251. Grants ranged from $10,000 to $316,978, with a median of $44,780. Notable awards included $316,978 to the Salvation Army Waco for the capital campaign for the Welcome Center at the new Center of Hope; $250,000 to the Texas Tribune to support a nonprofit newsroom in Waco; $200,000 each to Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas for reproductive healthcare and to Transformation Waco for infrastructure costs; and $170,000 to Grassroots Community Development for community development work and school-based organizing.
The Foundation accepts grant inquiries on an ongoing basis. Applicants are encouraged to discuss a proposed project with staff; inquiries are submitted online, and staff review them to determine whether an organization will be invited to submit a full proposal. An invitation is not a promise of funding. The Foundation says organizations may apply once a year, and does not commit funds in advance for continued funding beyond a project grant. It funds programs that take place in Waco and requires applicants to have programming and staff there.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Felicia Chase Goodman as executive director; David Lacy as chairman; Sharon Shields as secretary-treasurer; and Dr. Roland Goertz, Dale Fisseler, Michael Morrison, Reverend Leslie King, and Joseph W. Nesbitt as trustees. Virginia Dupuy and William Nesbitt are listed as trustees emeritus.
Cooper Foundation is led by Felicia Chase Goodman, Executive Director on every filing since 2019; 1 of 10 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Felicia Chase Goodman
Executive Director
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$109K (2019) → $156K (2025)
David Lacy
Chairman
Vice Chair → Chairman, 2024
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Dale Fisseler
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael Morrison
Trustee
Trustee → Secretary & Treasurer, 2024
Secretary & Treasurer → Trustee, 2025
On filings since 2019
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Roland Goertz
Trustee
Chairman → Trustee, 2024
On filings since 2019
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Joseph W. Nesbitt
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Reverend Leslie King
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sharon Shields
Secretary-Treasurer
Secretary & Treasurer → Vice Chair, 2024
Vice Chair → Secretary-Treasurer, 2025
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Virginia Dupuy
Trustee Emeritus
Trustee → Trustee Emeritus, 2025
On filings since 2019
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
William Nesbitt
Trustee Emeritus
Trustee → Trustee Emeritus, 2025
On filings since 2019
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Leslie King (2024) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $156K, to Felicia Chase Goodman (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about Cooper Foundation
How much does Cooper Foundation give each year?
Cooper Foundation gave $2.1M across 24 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $2.0M across 25 grants.
What is Cooper Foundation's typical grant size?
Cooper Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $44,780, and its average grant was $87,344, across 24 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Cooper Foundation that year got $100K on average.
Where does Cooper Foundation give grants?
Cooper Foundation gives mostly in Texas: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Waco, TX (20 grants) and Austin, TX (2 grants).
Does Cooper Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 24 grants with a stated purpose on Cooper Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support.
Who are Cooper Foundation's largest grantees?
Cooper Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Salvation Army Waco ($316,978), Texas Tribune ($250,000) and Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas ($200,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 37% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Cooper Foundation?
Cooper Foundation reported $102.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $13.0M.
What does Cooper Foundation fund?
The Foundation’s mission is to make Waco a better or more desirable city in which to live through grants to local nonprofit organizations. Its website identifies education, health, arts and culture, community building and social services, and senior citizens as areas its grants can support. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Cooper Foundation?
The Foundation accepts unsolicited requests through an online grant inquiry. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Cooper Foundation's EIN?
Cooper Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 74-1272389. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Cooper Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
Yes, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS January 28, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS January 11, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS February 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS February 6, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS January 17, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS February 19, 2025)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS January 21, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Cooper Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Cooper Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/cooper-foundation-morg_4a960e5e80524535b235e10b2ded64df
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_741272389_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Cooper Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/cooper-foundation-morg_4a960e5e80524535b235e10b2ded64df},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. 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 Cooper 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.
Cooper Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?