R.F. and Jessie Shaw Foundation Grant

R.F. and Jessie Shaw Foundation Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: East Texas Communities Foundation
Last Updated: August 05, 2025

Summary

The R.F. and Jessie Shaw Foundation Grant, administered by the East Texas Communities Foundation, supports charities primarily in Rusk County, Texas, focusing on wellness, healthcare, and education. Established in memory of Dr. Shaw and Jessie Lewis, the grant aims to continue their legacy of community support. Applications are by invitation only, with the application link sent out on October 1, 2025, and the deadline for submissions is October 31, 2025, at 5:00 p.m.

Overview

Note: Application for this grant is by invitation only. The link to the application will be emailed on October 1, 2025. The grant deadline is October 31, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. East Texas Communities Foundation East Texas Communities Foundation was founded in 1989 by visionary leaders who saw the need for a community foundation to serve the people and communities of East Texas. The strong leadership of early organizers like Isadore Roosth, Norman Shtofman, “Dub” Riter, and an investment of the United Way of Tyler/Smith County launched the Foundation. By 1994, the Foundation’s assets had grown to more than one million dollars. We are a giving people-and supporting the charitable needs of our communities, our region and our world is important to our daily lives. R.F. and Jessie Shaw Foundation Grant After Dr. Shaw married Jessie Lewis in 1920, they moved to Henderson, Texas, in 1923 where Dr. Shaw began practicing medicine. There was no hospital in Rusk County at the time, and after four years of office practice and making house calls in his Model T Ford, Dr. Shaw decided the practice of modern medicine needed a hospital. He and Jessie borrowed the money from a local businessman and purchased a large house in town known as Wettermark Place. Henderson Hospital opened with eight beds soon after. Open to all physicians, the hospital ultimately transitioned to a nonprofit hospital and today is part of the UT Health East Texas System. In 1985, Dr. and Jessie Shaw’s daughters, Reube Gene Shaw Richardson and Marilyn Shaw Bonner, established a nonprofit private foundation in their parents’ memory. The foundation’s purpose is to promote, foster, and enhance charities primarily in Rusk County, Texas, which focus on wellness, healthcare, and education. In April 2010, East Texas Communities Foundation began administering the Foundation to ensure its mission will continue for generations to come.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Charities primarily in Rusk County, Texas, which focus on wellness, healthcare, and education.