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Jerold B Katz Foundation

Annual Giving
$18.0M
Grant Range
$50K - $6.5M

Jerold B Katz Foundation - Funder Overview

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $18,000,000
  • Assets: $470,000,000
  • Grant Range: $50,000 - $6,500,000
  • Median Grant: $580,000
  • Total Grants (2023): 13
  • Geographic Focus: Texas (primarily Houston), New York, California
  • Application Method: Invitation only/relationship-based

Contact Details

Address: 5847 San Felipe Street, Suite 2375, Houston, TX 77057
Phone: (713) 953-7700
Alternative Phone: (713) 778-3500
EIN: 74-2164970

The foundation does not maintain a public website or email address for general inquiries.

Overview

The Jerold B Katz Foundation was established in 1981 by Jerold Burton Katz (1932-2022), founder of GC Services (originally Gulf Coast Collection Services), who built one of the pioneering companies in the modern bill collection industry. With assets of $470 million and annual distributions of approximately $18 million, the foundation represents one of Houston's significant philanthropic forces. The foundation focuses primarily on medical research, education, and Jewish organizations, with particular emphasis on translational research that accelerates medical discoveries from laboratory to patient care. The foundation made headlines in 2017 with a landmark $21 million gift to Houston Methodist—the largest non-estate gift in the institution's nearly 100-year history. The foundation is currently led by Jerold's son, Evan H. Katz, as President/Trustee.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation operates through trustee-directed grantmaking rather than formal grant programs. Recent grants demonstrate substantial multi-year commitments:

  • Major Medical Research Grants: $1,500,000 - $6,500,000 (supporting translational research, brain injury, metabolic disorders, healthcare quality)
  • Educational Institutions: $50,000 - $2,100,000 (supporting K-12 independent schools and universities)
  • Jewish Organizations: $550,000 - $2,000,000 (synagogues, federations, community organizations)
  • Employee Scholarship Program: Scholarships for children of Katz Controlled Group employees (administered through Citizens' Scholarship Foundation of America)
  • Georgia State Employee Scholarships: Scholarships for employees of the State of Georgia Department of Family and Children's Services

Priority Areas

Healthcare & Medical Research (49% of giving)

  • Translational research (moving discoveries from lab to patient care)
  • Brain injury research
  • Metabolic disorders
  • Nursing research
  • Healthcare quality and outcomes research
  • Major academic medical centers

Education (30% of giving)

  • Independent K-12 schools (particularly in New York and Texas)
  • Medical education and research institutions
  • Scholarship programs for employee families

Religion (5% of giving)

  • Jewish federations and community organizations
  • Synagogues and Jewish educational institutions

Geographic Focus

  • Texas (particularly Houston metropolitan area)
  • New York
  • California

What They Don't Fund

Based on grant history, the foundation does not typically fund:

  • General operating support for small organizations
  • Organizations outside their core geographic areas (Texas, New York, California)
  • Organizations without established relationships with trustees
  • Projects outside healthcare, education, or Jewish causes

Governance and Leadership

Trustees

  • Evan H. Katz - President/Trustee (son of founder; Vice Chairman of GC Services; member of Houston Methodist Research Institute Board of Directors)
  • Lissy Katz Bank - Trustee
  • Duncan Lamme - Vice President
  • Nicolas Garcia - Secretary/Treasurer
  • Michael Helfer - Trustee

Foundation Philosophy

Evan H. Katz articulated the foundation's approach in announcing the Houston Methodist gift: "Our family believes in Houston Methodist – and in the promise of medical research." This statement reflects the foundation's focus on institutional partnerships and long-term relationships with organizations they trust.

The foundation's legacy reflects founder Jerold B. Katz's personal history as a child of the Great Depression who built a successful business and committed to giving back generously. His philanthropic generosity extended to "brain injury and cancer research, metabolic disorders, health care quality and outcomes" across major Houston institutions.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Jerold B Katz Foundation does not have a public application process. Grants are made through trustee discretion based on the board's priorities and existing relationships with recipient organizations.

For scholarship inquiries related to Katz Controlled Group employee families, applicants must use the Citizens' Scholarship Foundation of America form. Direct contact with the foundation is required for scholarship eligibility confirmation.

Standard grant applications are accepted "in standard format" according to foundation records, but this appears limited to organizations with existing trustee relationships or direct invitations to apply.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly disclosed. Grant decisions are made at trustee meetings throughout the year, with no fixed application deadlines or decision schedules.

Success Rates

With only 13 grants awarded in 2023 from assets of $470 million, the foundation operates as a highly selective grantmaker focused on significant gifts to a small number of organizations. The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications from organizations without existing relationships.

Reapplication Policy

Not publicly disclosed. Given the relationship-based nature of grantmaking, continuing support appears dependent on ongoing institutional relationships and project outcomes.

Application Success Factors

Since this foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, the following factors are relevant for organizations seeking to understand the foundation's priorities:

Institutional Scale and Impact

The foundation's recent grants demonstrate a clear preference for major institutions with significant research or educational capacity. Recent recipients include Houston Methodist ($6.5 million), NYU Langone Health ($3.5 million), and Texas Children's Hospital ($1.5 million).

Translational Research Focus

The foundation's signature $21 million Houston Methodist gift specifically established the "Jerold B. Katz Academy of Translational Research," designed to "accelerate medical discoveries" and "reduce time between research and patient treatment." This reflects a priority for research with direct patient care applications rather than basic science.

Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration

The Houston Methodist gift included $5 million as a matching fund specifically for "collaborative research projects between researchers and clinicians," indicating the foundation values team-based, interdisciplinary approaches.

Long-Term Institutional Commitment

The foundation's largest grants establish endowed programs (like the Katz Academy and Katz Investigators positions) rather than project-specific funding, suggesting preference for sustained institutional capacity-building over time-limited projects.

Geographic and Personal Connections

Grant patterns show strong Houston focus (Methodist Hospital, Texas Children's Hospital, Congregation Emanu El, Jewish Federation of Greater Houston) combined with New York connections (NYU Langone, Nightingale-Bamford School, Riverdale Country School), likely reflecting family ties and trustee relationships.

Equipment and Infrastructure Support

The Houston Methodist gift included $4 million specifically for laboratory equipment, demonstrating willingness to fund capital and infrastructure needs alongside programmatic support.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Relationship-based grantmaking: This foundation does not accept unsolicited applications. Grants flow from trustee relationships and institutional partnerships, not competitive application processes.

  • Major institutional giving: With a median grant of $580,000 and recent grants ranging up to $6.5 million, this foundation focuses on significant investments in major institutions rather than broad distribution to many organizations.

  • Translational research priority: For medical research organizations, the foundation's stated priority is research that "accelerates medical discoveries" to patient care, not basic science without clear clinical applications.

  • Multi-year strategic partnerships: The foundation's largest commitments establish endowed positions and academies, indicating preference for transformational gifts that create lasting institutional capacity.

  • Geographic concentration: Despite national giving, the foundation shows strong preference for Houston-area healthcare and Jewish organizations, with secondary focus on New York educational institutions.

  • Family foundation continuity: Under second-generation leadership (Evan H. Katz), the foundation continues founder Jerold B. Katz's priorities in medical research, education, and Jewish causes.

  • High selectivity: With only 13 grants from $470 million in assets, this is among the most selective foundations, making grants to less than a dozen organizations annually.

References

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