The Ellwood Foundation
The Ellwood Foundation is a private foundation based in Houston, Texas. Its 2024 filing describes its giving as mainly focused on the Houston area, medical research, and mental health; its 2025 grants also show support for organizations addressing disability services, education, and family needs.
The Ellwood Foundation at a glance
In short: The Ellwood Foundation gave $2.9M across 68 grants in 2025 (avg $42K), mostly in Texas. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $2,850,000
- +6.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 68
- +3.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $41,912
- +3.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $30,000
- Total assets
- $44,182,670
- +4.9% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Texas (99% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to The Ellwood Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation’s 2024 filing says it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. It instructs applicants to submit a letter explaining the nature of the request. The filing lists the foundation’s restrictions as mainly the Houston area, medical research, and mental health.
- Review Cycle
- None listed on the 2024 filing.
- Deadline
- None listed on the 2024 filing.
- Contact
Application contact: Hw Hightower Jr
Mailing address: PO Box 550049, Houston, TX 77255
Phone: (713) 785-5507
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Ellwood Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was MD Anderson Cancer Center ($400K across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $1.2M.
Organizations only. It also paid 15 grants to individuals ($530,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
336 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 234 grants of 336 (70%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s 2024 filing describes its giving as mainly focused on the Houston area. In 2025, 99% of grant dollars went to recipients in Texas and 1% to recipients in Mississippi.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 68 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How The Ellwood Foundation gives
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+7%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 96% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $2.4M (2020) to $2.9M (2025). In 2025 it made 68 grants totaling $2.9M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| MD Anderson Cancer Center Houston, TX | Support of Programs | $200,000 |
| MD Anderson Cancer Center Houston, TX | Lymphoma/Myeloma Research | $200,000 |
| The Brookwood Community Brookshire, TX | Support of Facilities | $165,000 |
| University of Texas Medical School Houston, TX | Neuroscience Center | $135,000 |
| 10 grants to individuals Recipients not named | — | $480,000 |
| The Center Foundation Houston, TX | Support of Programs | $90,000 |
| Marbridge Foundation Manchaca, TX | Support of Programs | $85,000 |
| Aware Alzheimer's Association Houston, TX | Support of Programs | $80,000 |
| Briarwood School Houston, TX | Special Education Needs | $80,000 |
| Strake Jesuit Learning Resource Houston, TX | Support of Programs | $75,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $44,182,670 | $5,419,665 | $3,239,639 | $2,850,000 | 68 | $2,850,000 | $5,170,802 | $2,983,789 |
| 2024 | $42,121,644 | $5,428,294 | $3,091,748 | $2,675,000 | 66 | $2,675,000 | $5,196,962 | $2,868,402 |
| 2023 | $39,785,098 | $3,263,944 | $3,185,130 | $2,825,000 | 67 | $2,825,000 | $3,053,853 | $2,665,286 |
| 2022 | $39,772,151 | $4,416,715 | $3,056,071 | $2,675,000 | 67 | $2,675,000 | $4,416,715 | $2,829,539 |
| 2021 | $38,134,332 | $4,094,747 | $2,819,995 | $2,460,000 | 68 | — | $4,094,747 | $2,705,187 |
| 2020 | $37,268,991 | $2,769,243 | $2,731,766 | $2,400,000 | 67 | — | $2,769,243 | $2,414,009 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Ellwood Foundation reported a distributable amount of $3.0M for 2025 — 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 available information does not state a separate mission for the foundation. Its 2024 filing lists medical research and mental health among its main areas of giving. In 2025, it also supported organizations whose missions include services for adults with disabilities, students with learning differences, families seeking healthcare for children, and people affected by neurological conditions. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not the foundation’s.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 68 grants totaling $2,850,000. Grants ranged from $10,000 to $200,000, with a median of $30,000. Notable grants included two awards of $200,000 each to MD Anderson Cancer Center for program support and lymphoma/myeloma research; $165,000 to The Brookwood Community for facilities support; $135,000 to the University of Texas Medical School for its neuroscience center; and $110,000 to an individual recipient for facilities support.
Other 2025 grants included $85,000 to Marbridge Foundation for program support, $80,000 to Briarwood School for special education needs, and $60,000 each to Child Advocates Inc., TIRR Foundation, and Houston Area Parkinson Society. The Brookwood Community describes its mission as providing meaningful work and a sense of belonging for adults with disabilities. Briarwood School says it supports students with diagnosed learning differences or developmental disorders through structured academic instruction. Houston Area Parkinson Society describes its mission as reducing the fear and isolation associated with a Parkinson’s diagnosis.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Raymond L Brown, M Lee Hightower, and HW Hightower Jr as trustees.
The Ellwood Foundation's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Hw Hightower Jr.
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
M. Lee Hightower
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Raymond L. Brown
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 Ellwood Foundation
How much does The Ellwood Foundation give each year?
The Ellwood Foundation gave $2.9M across 68 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $2.7M across 66 grants.
What is The Ellwood Foundation's typical grant size?
The Ellwood Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $30,000, and its average grant was $41,912, across 68 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Ellwood Foundation give grants?
The Ellwood Foundation gives mostly in Texas: 99% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Houston, TX (45 grants).
Does The Ellwood Foundation give general operating support?
Occasionally: 3% of The Ellwood Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (2 of 68) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Support of Programs" (35 grants) and "Support of Facilities" (4 grants).
Who are The Ellwood Foundation's largest grantees?
The Ellwood Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include MD Anderson Cancer Center ($400,000 across 2 grants), The Brookwood Community ($165,000) and University of Texas Medical School ($135,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 15 grants to individuals ($530,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 25% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Ellwood Foundation?
The Ellwood Foundation reported $44.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.9M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $3.0M (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does The Ellwood Foundation fund?
The available information does not state a separate mission for the foundation. Its 2024 filing lists medical research and mental health among its main areas of giving. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Ellwood Foundation?
The foundation’s 2024 filing says it 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 Ellwood Foundation's EIN?
The Ellwood Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 74-6039237. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 12, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Ellwood Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 22, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-ellwood-foundation-morg_cc3348448411405cacbaf99034dc9021
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_746039237_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Ellwood Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-ellwood-foundation-morg_cc3348448411405cacbaf99034dc9021},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-22. 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 Ellwood 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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