The Ellwood Foundation

HOUSTON, TX EIN: 74-6039237

The Ellwood Foundation is a private foundation based in Houston, Texas, established as a trust in 1958 and designated as a 501(c)(3) organization in 1962. The foundation operates as an independent grantmaking organization supporting charitable causes primarily in Texas.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$42.1M

+5.9% YoY

Annual Giving

$2.7M

-5.3% YoY

Grant Count

66

-1.5% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$41K

-3.9% YoY

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation's primary areas of interest are medical research and education, with particular emphasis on mental health. Types of support provided include research, project support, general support, equipment funding, and building funds.

Grantmaking

The foundation is an active grantmaker with significant annual giving activity:

Grant Range

**: $10,000 to $160,000

Average Grant

Amount**: $41,000

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation primarily funds organizations in Texas, with particular concentration in the Houston area. Of 66 grants awarded in 2024, 58 were to Houston-based organizations, with additional grants to organizations in Bellaire, Brookshire, Fort Worth, Hockley, Manchaca, Navasota, and Richmond, Texas, as well as one grant to an organization in University, Mississippi.

Grant Distribution by State

2states

Cities

BellaireBrookshireFt WorthHockleyHoustonKatyManchacaNavasotaRichmondUniversity

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Assets: $42,121,644 (as of 2024)

Revenue (Fiscal Year 2024):

  • Total revenues: $5,428,294
  • Investment income and dividends: $1,338,411
  • Net gain from sale of non-inventory assets: $3,888,944

Expenses: $3,091,748 (2024)

Liabilities: $0

The foundation maintains a strong financial position with no outstanding liabilities and generates revenue primarily through investment income and asset sales.

Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$1M$3M$4M$6M20202021202220232024
Metric202420232022
Total Assets$42,121,644$39,785,098$39,772,151
Revenue$5,428,294$3,263,944$4,416,715
Expenses$3,091,748$3,185,130$3,056,071
Qualifying Distributions$2,675,000$2,825,000$2,675,000
Net Investment Income$5,196,962$3,053,853$4,416,715
Distributable Amount$2,868,402$2,665,286$2,829,539

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$706K$1M$2M$3M67 grants202068 grants202167 grants202267 grants202366 grants2024

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

MD ANDERSON CANCER CENTER$160KMD ANDERSON CANCER CENTER$160KRONALD MCDONALD HOUSE$100KBRIARWOOD SCHOOL$80KMARBRIDGE FOUNDATION$80KAWARE ALZHEIMER'S ASSOCI…$75KHUB HOUSTON$75KSTRAKE JESUIT LEARNING R…$75KBOYS GIRLS COUNTRY$70KCHILD ADVOCATES$60K

Grant Size Distribution

250 grants across all recorded years

185<$50K46$50–100K19$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

No grants recorded for .

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The foundation is governed by three trustees:

  • Raymond L Brown
  • M Lee Hightower
  • HW Hightower Jr

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

NameTitleHoursCompensation
RAYMOND L BROWNTRUSTEE
M LEE HIGHTOWERTRUSTEE
HW HIGHTOWER JRTRUSTEE

Related Funders

Similar funders by location and focus area

Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.

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