Valley Baptist Legacy Foundation

HARLINGEN, TX EIN: 74-1936869

Valley Baptist Legacy Foundation (VBLF) is a private foundation based in Harlingen, Texas, established in 1976. The Foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization with a primary focus on improving health and well-being in the Rio Grande Valley region. The Foundation serves as a catalyst for ideas, partnerships, medical education, research, and programs that advance community health.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$453.3M

+5.6% YoY

Annual Giving

$23.7M

+31.9% YoY

Grant Count

57

-10.9% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$416K

+48.1% YoY

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

Mission & Focus Areas

Mission Statement: The Foundation's mission is to improve the health and well-being of all communities in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas by investing and serving as a catalyst for ideas, partnerships, medical education, research and programs. The Foundation defines health as a state of complete physical, mental, spiritual and social well-being.

Vision Statement: The Foundation envisions a Rio Grande Valley where every individual has access to the resources and opportunities needed to achieve holistic well-being – across physical, mental, spiritual, and social dimensions of health.

Primary Funding Areas:

  • Education
  • Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
  • Human Services
  • Obesity and diabetes prevention
  • Healthy lifestyles, including health fairs and screenings
  • Immunizations
  • Community gardens
  • Fitness, exercise, and movement programs

Grantmaking

Typical awards range from $750 to $10,750,000, with a grant median of approximately $50,000.

Grant Range

& Range:**

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The Foundation primarily funds organizations in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, specifically serving Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr, and Willacy counties. The Foundation also has grantmaking activity in Wisconsin and Tennessee.

Grant Distribution by State

11states
+3 more states

Cities

AlamoAlexandriaAltonArlingtonAtlantaAustinBeevilleBoyes Hot SpringsBrownsvilleCorpus ChristiDallasEdinburgElsaHarlingenHoustonHutchinsonLa FeriaLos FresnosMadisonMcallen

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Assets & Revenue (2024):

  • Total Assets: $453,330,670
  • Total Revenues: $35,892,803
  • Total Expenses: $40,452,682

Assets & Revenue (2023):

  • Total Assets: $429,000,000
  • Total Distributions: $19,000,000
  • Total Contributions: $381,000
Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$13M$27M$40M$53M20202021202220232024
Metric202420232022
Total Assets$453,330,670$429,107,497$397,099,740
Revenue$35,892,803$29,760,174$20,708,094
Expenses$40,452,682$26,165,574$11,363,602
Qualifying Distributions$24,957,128$19,273,871$16,450,472
Net Investment Income$31,830,879$27,956,700$18,952,848
Distributable Amount$21,671,085$19,908,236$20,234,509

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$6M$12M$18M$24M54 grants202055 grants202160 grants202264 grants202357 grants2024

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Driscoll Children's Hosp…$6.3MMoody Clinic (Brownsvill…$1.3MMeadows Mental Health Po…$700KCity of Rio Hondo$446KChildren's Bereavement C…$399KIDEA Public Schools$366KIt's Time Texas$345KPlaza Amistad$300KHarlingen Neighborhood F…$250KHarlingen CISD$226K

Grant Size Distribution

250 grants across all recorded years

82<$50K71$50–100K56$100–250K27$250–500K9$500K–1M1$1–5M4$5M+

Open Grants

4 open opportunities from Valley Baptist Legacy Foundation

Show all 4 →

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

No grants recorded for .

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Board members include:

  • Julio Cavazos (Chairperson)
  • Rebekah Batot (Vice Chairperson)
  • Stephanie Jackson, DDS (Secretary)
  • Denise Almon (Director)
  • James Castillo, MD (Director)
  • Bob Duncan (Director)
  • Elsa Cardenas Hagan, Ed.D. (Director)
  • Alicia Noyola, Ed.D. (Director)
  • Carlos Muniz, CPA (Director)
  • Beth Pace (Director)
  • Adela Valdez, MD (Director)
  • Carlos Varela (Director)

The Foundation maintains a staff of 6 employees.

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

No officer/director data available.

Recent News & Activity

Recent developments and announcements

The Foundation awarded a transformational $30 million grant to the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) to establish a Diabetes Center of Excellence. The Foundation also established an endowed scholarship to benefit UTRGV School of Medicine students.

UTRGV receives transformational $30 million grant to establish ...

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

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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