The Alkek and Williams Foundation
The Alkek and Williams Foundation is a private foundation based in Houston, Texas. It supports charitable, religious, scientific, cultural, and educational organizations and programs in Texas, with its filing describing a particular emphasis on research and education-related projects and community involvement.
The Alkek and Williams Foundation at a glance
In short: The Alkek and Williams Foundation gave $1.2M across 34 grants in 2024 (avg $35K), mostly in Texas. 29% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,173,525
- +15.7% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 34
- -5.6% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $34,515
- +22.5% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $3,750
- Total assets
- $2,715,584
- -28.8% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 29% first-time grantees (10 of 34, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Texas (91% 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 The Alkek and Williams Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The filing says the foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Application guidelines and information about required materials are available upon request. The filing names Charles Williams as the contact for applications and states that awards are restricted to the State of Texas.
- Review Cycle
- Application guidelines are available upon request; the filing does not provide a specific deadline.
- Deadline
- Application guidelines are available upon request; the filing does not provide a specific deadline.
- Contact
Application contact: Charles Williams
Mailing address: 1100 Louisiana Suite 5250, Houston, TX 77002
Phone: (713) 652-6600
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Alkek and Williams Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Houston Ballet Foundation ($500K). Together the top 10 received $1.1M.
Grant Size Distribution
201 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 179 grants of 201 (89%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The filing lists the State of Texas as the restriction on awards. In 2024, 91% of grant dollars went to recipients in Texas, 9% to recipients in New York, and less than 1% to recipients in Georgia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 34 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Alkek and Williams Foundation open to new grantees?
29%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 10 of 34 grantees (29%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $48K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 65% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 27% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $927K (2021) to $1.4M (2022). In 2024 it made 34 grants totaling $1.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Houston Ballet Foundation Houston, TX | Program Support | $500,000 |
| Houston Grand Opera Houston, TX | Program Support | $200,000 |
| Museum of Fine Arts Houston Houston, TX | Program Support | $167,000 |
| UNICEF USA New York, NY | Program Support | $100,000 |
| Theatre Under the Stars Houston, TX | Program Support | $53,825 |
| Alley Theatre Houston, TX | Program Support | $25,000 |
| Performing Arts Houston Houston, TX | Program Support | $25,000 |
| Greater Houston Women's Chamber of Commerce Houston, TX | Program Support | $22,000 |
| Gaston Lenotre Culinary Endowment and Scholarship Inc Houston, TX | Program Support | $13,500 |
| Avenue 360 Health and Wellness Houston, TX | Program Support | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Alkek and Williams 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 | $2,715,584 | $84,377 | $1,183,383 | $1,173,525 | 34 | $1,151,525 | $74,519 | $102,070 |
| 2023 | $3,814,636 | $1,049,876 | $1,017,493 | $1,014,255 | 36 | $1,014,255 | $59,435 | $110,867 |
| 2022 | $3,782,253 | $10,644 | $1,444,886 | $1,434,050 | 45 | $1,434,050 | $3,008 | $1,919,810 |
| 2021 | $3,417,442 | $2,233,642 | $937,213 | $926,750 | 47 | $926,750 | $226,376 | $110,261 |
| 2020 | $2,120,066 | $-37,669 | $1,046,618 | $1,038,550 | 39 | — | $41,525 | $67,785 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Alkek and Williams Foundation reported a distributable amount of $102K 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 filing states that it was established through the will of Albert B. Alkek to provide philanthropic support to organizations in Texas. Its stated areas of support include charitable, religious, scientific—particularly medical—cultural, and educational organizations and programs.
Its 2024 grants included program support for arts and cultural organizations such as Houston Ballet Foundation, Houston Grand Opera, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and Theatre Under The Stars. The grantees describe their work in their own terms: Houston Ballet Foundation says it aims to inspire appreciation for dance through performances and educational programs; the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston describes connecting Houston communities with art through collections, exhibitions, learning programs, and research; and Theatre Under The Stars says it enriches lives through musical theatre, artist development, new works, education, and outreach. Other 2024 recipients included health and community organizations. For example, Memorial Hermann Foundation describes its mission as improving health and creating healthier communities, while KnowAutism Foundation says it promotes autism awareness and provides education and resources.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 34 grants totaling $1,173,525. Grant amounts ranged from $200 to $500,000, with a median grant of $3,750. The largest reported awards were $500,000 to Houston Ballet Foundation, $200,000 to Houston Grand Opera, $167,000 to the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and $100,000 to UNICEF USA. Other notable awards included $53,825 to Theatre Under The Stars, $25,000 each to Alley Theatre and Performing Arts Houston, and $6,000 to Memorial Hermann Foundation.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Margaret Williams, Charles Williams, and Randa Williams as trustees.
The Alkek and Williams Foundation's 2024 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Charles Williams
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Margaret Williams
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Randa Williams
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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 The Alkek and Williams Foundation
How much does The Alkek and Williams Foundation give each year?
The Alkek and Williams Foundation gave $1.2M across 34 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.0M across 36 grants.
What is The Alkek and Williams Foundation's typical grant size?
The Alkek and Williams Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $3,750, and its average grant was $34,515, across 34 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Alkek and Williams Foundation that year got $3K on average.
Where does The Alkek and Williams Foundation give grants?
The Alkek and Williams Foundation gives mostly in Texas: 91% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New York (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were Houston, TX (32 grants).
Does The Alkek and Williams Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 34 grants with a stated purpose on The Alkek and Williams Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Program Support" (34 grants).
Who are The Alkek and Williams Foundation's largest grantees?
The Alkek and Williams Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Houston Ballet Foundation ($500,000), Houston Grand Opera ($200,000) and Museum of Fine Arts Houston ($167,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 74% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Alkek and Williams Foundation?
The Alkek and Williams Foundation reported $2.7M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.2M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $102K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Alkek and Williams Foundation fund?
The foundation’s filing states that it was established through the will of Albert B. Alkek to provide philanthropic support to organizations in Texas. Its stated areas of support include charitable, religious, scientific—particularly medical—cultural, and educational organizations and programs. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Alkek and Williams Foundation?
The filing says the foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Alkek and Williams Foundation's EIN?
The Alkek and Williams Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 76-6122587. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Alkek and Williams Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-alkek-and-williams-foundation-morg_aa87dfb9123e430ea5d0be5a1fe91d07
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_766122587_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Alkek and Williams Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-alkek-and-williams-foundation-morg_aa87dfb9123e430ea5d0be5a1fe91d07},
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 The Alkek and Williams 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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