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Prentice Farrar Brown and Alline Ford Foundation

Annual Giving
$4.8M
Grant Range
$250K - $2.5M

Prentice Farrar Brown and Alline Ford Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $4,806,666 (2024)
  • Total Assets: $99.6 million
  • Grant Range: Varies widely; examples from $250,000 to $2.5 million
  • Average Grant Size: $228,889
  • Number of Grants: 21 awards in 2024
  • Geographic Focus: Primarily West Texas (with some funding in Georgia and Pennsylvania)
  • Decision-Making: Bank of America N.A. serves as trustee

Contact Details

Mailing Address:
PO Box 653067
Dallas, TX 75265-3067

Management:
Bank of America N.A., Trustee
Kelly Garlock, Senior Vice President of Philanthropic Client Management

Note: The foundation does not have a publicly listed website, email, or phone number. Inquiries should be directed through Bank of America's philanthropic services.

Overview

Established in 2020, the Prentice Farrar Brown and Alline Ford Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation managed by Bank of America N.A. as trustee. With assets totaling approximately $99.6 million and annual charitable disbursements of nearly $6 million, the foundation was created to support the advancement of education throughout West Texas. As a founding donor of the West Texas Rural Education Partnership, the foundation demonstrates a strategic commitment to addressing educational challenges in rural communities. The foundation primarily focuses on Texas-based educational initiatives, with particular emphasis on West Texas communities including Lubbock, Abilene, San Angelo, Midland-Odessa, Alpine, El Paso, and the surrounding regions, though it also funds select projects in Georgia and Pennsylvania.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation does not operate formal grant programs with defined funding tiers. Instead, grants are awarded through a trustee-discretion model managed by Bank of America. Grant sizes vary significantly based on project scope and strategic alignment:

  • Major Endowments: Multi-million dollar endowments for institutional capacity building (e.g., $2.5 million for Texas Tech's Chair of Rural Education)
  • Multi-Year Initiatives: $500,000 - $1.76 million for sustained programmatic support (e.g., West Texas Rural Education Partnership funding)
  • Capital and Programmatic Grants: $250,000 - $800,000 for specific projects and capital improvements
  • Application Method: Invitation only / trustee discretion (no public application process)

Priority Areas

Education - Primary Focus:

  • Rural education initiatives and teacher preparation
  • Higher education access and student support services
  • Emergency aid for college students' basic needs
  • Capital improvements for educational facilities
  • Teacher recruitment, training, and mentoring programs
  • Rural teacher shortage solutions

Geographic Priorities:

  • West Texas communities (Abilene, Alpine, Dallas, El Paso, Lubbock, Midland-Odessa, San Angelo, and surrounding areas)
  • Limited funding in Georgia and Pennsylvania

Target Beneficiaries:

  • K-12 school districts in rural areas
  • Community colleges and universities serving West Texas
  • Educational partnerships addressing systemic challenges
  • Organizations supporting students' basic needs

What They Don't Fund

While the foundation does not publish explicit exclusions, their demonstrated focus is almost exclusively on formal education initiatives. Based on their grantmaking patterns:

  • Organizations outside their geographic focus areas
  • Non-educational causes
  • Individual scholarships (focus is on institutional and programmatic support)
  • Unsolicited proposals from organizations without established relationships

Governance and Leadership

Bank of America N.A., Trustee
The foundation is managed by Bank of America's philanthropic services division, which receives approximately $643,000-$700,000 annually in trustee compensation.

Kelly Garlock, Senior Vice President of Philanthropic Client Management
Garlock represents the foundation in public announcements and grant ceremonies. In announcing the $2.5 million endowment to Texas Tech, Garlock stated: "Texas Tech's College of Education is uniquely situated geographically to serve the educational needs of West Texas."

Decision-Making Structure:
Bank of America's trustee services carefully evaluate grant proposals through their internal distribution committees, working in conjunction with review committees to make final funding decisions. The process includes due diligence, staff review and recommendations, and final approval by the appropriate Board of Trustees or review committee.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. Grants are awarded at the discretion of Bank of America N.A. as trustee. The foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals through a formal application portal.

How Grants Are Awarded:

  • Grants are made through trustee discretion and strategic initiative identification
  • Bank of America's Philanthropic Client Management team identifies opportunities aligned with the foundation's mission
  • Many grants appear to result from established relationships with major educational institutions and intermediaries
  • The foundation often works through community foundations and educational partnerships

Contact for Inquiries: Organizations interested in the foundation's work may contact Bank of America's philanthropic services division, though there is no guarantee of consideration for funding.

Decision Timeline

No public information is available regarding decision timelines, as the foundation operates on a trustee-discretion model rather than a cyclical application review process.

Success Rates

Not applicable - the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications or operate competitive grant rounds.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - the foundation does not have a formal application process.

Application Success Factors

Since this foundation operates through trustee discretion rather than a competitive application process, traditional application success factors do not apply. However, analysis of their grantmaking patterns reveals the following characteristics of funded organizations:

Funded Projects Share These Characteristics:

  1. Scale and Strategic Impact: The foundation favors initiatives that address systemic challenges affecting large populations. Their $1.76 million grant to four community colleges impacts approximately 60,000 students, and their support for the West Texas Rural Education Partnership prepares over 200 teachers annually.

  2. Rural Education Focus: All documented grants prioritize rural communities and rural education infrastructure. One source notes the foundation's mission is specifically "to support the advancement of education throughout West Texas."

  3. Institutional Credibility: Grant recipients include established institutions (Texas Tech University, major ISDs, community colleges) and reputable intermediaries (El Paso Community Foundation, Council on Regional Economic Expansion and Educational Development).

  4. Teacher Pipeline and Workforce Development: Multiple grants address teacher shortages, teacher preparation, and educator support - suggesting this is a core strategic priority.

  5. Basic Needs and Student Success: The foundation invested $1.76 million to "nearly double the amount of [emergency] aid available" to students at four colleges, recognizing that "often it's a small dollar shortfall... that affects a student's ability to continue their higher education journey."

  6. Long-term Relationship Building: As a founding donor of WTREP and through multi-year commitments ($500,000 initial grant followed by $1.5 million continuation), the foundation demonstrates preference for sustained engagement rather than one-time grants.

  7. Collaborative Approaches: Many grants involve partnerships between multiple institutions (e.g., CREEED, El Paso Community Foundation, University of Texas at El Paso, and local ISDs working together).

For Organizations Seeking to Get on Their Radar:

Since the foundation works through Bank of America's trustee services, organizations should:

  • Build relationships with Bank of America's Philanthropic Client Management team
  • Demonstrate clear alignment with West Texas rural education priorities
  • Consider partnership approaches that amplify impact across multiple institutions
  • Focus on systemic solutions to educational challenges rather than isolated programs

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No Public Application Process: This foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals. Grants are awarded through trustee discretion managed by Bank of America N.A.

  • Geographic Focus is Critical: West Texas is the overwhelming priority, particularly rural communities in the Lubbock, Abilene, San Angelo, Midland-Odessa, Alpine, and El Paso regions.

  • Education is the Exclusive Focus: All documented grants support formal education initiatives, with special emphasis on rural education and teacher pipeline development.

  • Think Big and Strategic: Recent grants range from $250,000 to $2.5 million, with an average grant size of nearly $229,000. The foundation favors initiatives addressing systemic challenges at scale.

  • Multi-Year Commitments Preferred: The foundation has demonstrated willingness to provide sustained support, including initial grants followed by larger continuation funding for successful initiatives.

  • Relationship-Driven Grantmaking: As a founding donor of WTREP and through its work with established institutions, the foundation appears to prioritize long-term partnerships over transactional funding.

  • Bank of America as Gatekeeper: Building relationships with Bank of America's philanthropic services team, particularly Kelly Garlock (Senior Vice President of Philanthropic Client Management), may provide the only path to consideration.

References

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