The Cockrell Foundation
The Cockrell Foundation is a private charitable corporation based in Houston, Texas, established to provide financial support to nonprofit organizations. The foundation was created in 1957 as the Cockrell Trust by Ernest Cockrell, Jr., an oilman, investor, and Houston civic leader whose primary business involved drilling for and producing oil in the Gulf of Mexico and onshore and offshore Texas and Louisiana. The trust was converted into a charitable corporation in 1966. The foundation's major endowment came through a bequest in Ernest Cockrell, Jr.'s will in 1972.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$176.7M
+13.3% YoY
Annual Giving
$10.8M
+2.8% YoY
Grant Count
18
-25.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$600K
+37.0% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Cockrell Foundation reported a distributable amount of $11.8M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Cockrell Foundation provides financial support for charitable organizations, primarily in the Houston area, with focus on:
- Higher education
- Health care and medical research
- Youth activities
- Cultural institutions
- Arts
- Civic and human services
The foundation specifically supports scholarships and professorial and academic chairs through an annual endowment grant to The University of Texas at Austin Cockrell School of Engineering. The foundation focuses its gifts on groups and institutions that have been important to the Cockrell family in its history as well as important to the history of Houston and Texas.
Grantmaking
The foundation makes grants for:
Grant Range
$500 to $4,400,000
Average Grant
$103–$4,373,405
Review Cycle
; requests accepted throughout the year
Grant Types
How to Apply
**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grants are made primarily in Houston, Texas. No grants are made to organizations outside of the United States or outside of Texas unless the purpose of the grant is to benefit a Houston, Texas project. Limited funds are available for grants outside of Houston, and such grant requests are discouraged.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets:
- Total assets: $176,651,747 (2024)
- Total assets: $155,936,932 (2023)
Annual Activity:
- Total giving: $10,808,776 (2024)
- Total giving: $10,617,553 (2023)
- Total revenues: $10,617,553 (2023)
- Total expenses: $13,060,173 (2023)
Number of Employees: 0
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $176,651,747 | $155,936,932 | $157,115,540 |
| Revenue | $34,000,894 | $10,617,553 | $13,267,048 |
| Expenses | $13,286,079 | $13,060,173 | $14,650,843 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $10,991,211 | $10,667,388 | $11,623,307 |
| Net Investment Income | $31,923,920 | $8,709,048 | $9,933,665 |
| Distributable Amount | $11,821,945 | $10,958,332 | $10,649,787 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
119 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include University of Texas Foundation ($4,016,163), MD Anderson Cancer Center ($3,193,232), Methodist Hospital Foundation ($1,693,232).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Grace Bible Church Houston, TX | General support | $20,000 |
| Hermann Park Conservancy Houston, TX | Support art installation and education programs with HMNS | $20,000 |
| Houston Food Bank Houston, TX | General support - matching program | $103 |
| Houston Museum of Natural Science Houston, TX | Support the Virginia and Ernest Cockrell, Jr. Permanently Restricted Endowment | $10,000 |
| Houston Museum of Natural Science Houston, TX | Support the Virginia and Ernest Cockrell, Jr. Permanently Restricted Endowment | $1,683,232 |
| Houston's Amazing Place Inc Houston, TX | Amazing Together Campaign, grow scholarship fund, build endowment | $20,000 |
| Kids' Meals Inc Houston, TX | General support - matching program | $4,050 |
| Kids' Meals Inc Houston, TX | General support | $30,000 |
| Kinkaid School Inc Houston, TX | Support the All-In Campaign | $20,000 |
| MD Anderson Cancer Center Houston, TX | Support the Virginia Harris Cockrell Presidential Initiative Fund Endowment | $3,193,232 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The foundation is governed by trustees including Ernest H. Cockrell, M. Nancy Williams, and Sherrie J. Reinhackel.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ernest H Cockrell | President/Dir | 2 | — |
| David A Cockrell | Director | 1 | — |
| Ernest D Cockrell | Director | 1 | — |
| Janet S Cockrell | Director | 1 | — |
| Stephanie Cockrell | Executive Director | 1 | $120,000 |
| Frederick W Brazelton | Director | 1 | — |
| W McComb Dunwoody | Director | 1 | — |
| J Webb Jennings III | Director | 1 | — |
| Ronald T Nixon | Director | 1 | — |
| Sherrie J Reinhackel | Vice President/Dir | 1 | $20,000 |
| Tracy K Payne | Treasurer/Dir | 1 | $20,000 |
| Margaret N Baker | Secretary | 1 | $20,000 |
Recent Grant Recipients
Recent developments and announcements
Recent grants have included support for:
The University of Texas Foundation: $3,908,058 for endowment grant for scholarships and chairs (2023)
MD Anderson Cancer Center: $2,130,936 to support the Physician-Scientist Program (2023)
Houston Museum of Natural Science: $2,130,936 to support the Virginia and Ernest Cockrell, Jr. Permanently Restricted Endowment (2023)
Houston Methodist Research Institute
Visionary Gifts - Houston MethodistUniversity of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Various Houston-area organizations including churches, food banks, youth organizations, and cultural institutions
Contact Information
Address: 3737 Buffalo Speedway, Suite 1100, Houston, TX 77098
Phone: 713-209-7500
Website: www.cockrellfoundation.org
EIN: 74-6076993
Frequently Asked Questions
What does The Cockrell Foundation fund?
The Cockrell Foundation provides financial support for charitable organizations, primarily in the Houston area, with focus on: • Higher education • Health care and medical research • Youth activities • Cultural institutions • Arts • Civic and human services The foundation specifically supports scholarships and professorial and academic chairs through an annual endowment grant to The University of Texas at Austin Cockrell School of Engineering. The foundation focuses its gifts on groups and inst…
How do I apply for a grant from The Cockrell Foundation?
**Grant Characteristics:** • Grant range: $500 to $4,400,000 • Median grant: $9,000 • Average grant: $103–$4,373,405 • Annual giving: Approximately $10.5–$11.5 million • Number of grants annually: 24–28 grants **Grant Types:** The foundation makes grants for: • Endowment funds • Annual campaigns • Building funds • Capital campaigns • General purposes • Special projects **Application Process:** • Online applications only through the foundation website • No deadlines; requests accepted throughout…
Where does The Cockrell Foundation make grants?
Grants are made primarily in Houston, Texas. No grants are made to organizations outside of the United States or outside of Texas unless the purpose of the grant is to benefit a Houston, Texas project. Limited funds are available for grants outside of Houston, and such grant requests are discouraged.
What size grants does The Cockrell Foundation award?
In 2024, The Cockrell Foundation awarded 18 grants totaling $10.8M — an average of about $600K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is The Cockrell Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Cockrell Foundation reported a distributable amount of $11.8M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is The Cockrell Foundation's EIN?
The Cockrell Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 74-6076993. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Cockrell Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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