← Back to US Funders Directory

Bernard & Audre Rapoport Foundation

Annual Giving
$1.9M
Grant Range
$5K - $0.5M
Decision Time
3w

Bernard & Audre Rapoport Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $1,941,495 (2023)
  • Foundation Assets: $62 million (2024)
  • Grant Range: $5,000 - $500,000
  • Decision Time: 3 weeks following board meetings
  • Geographic Focus: Waco/McLennan County (TX), Texas-wide, and national/international
  • Grant Cycles: Two per year (Spring and Fall)

Contact Details

Bernard & Audre Rapoport Foundation 5400 Bosque Blvd, Suite 302 Waco, TX 76710

Phone: (254) 741-0510 Website: www.rapoportfdn.org Email: grants@rapoportfdn.org Grant Portal: grantinterface.com/Home/Logon?urlkey=rapoportfdn

Overview

Established in 1987, the Bernard & Audre Rapoport Foundation has dedicated over $70 million in grants to improve the social fabric of life. Founded by Bernard Rapoport (1917-2012), who built American Income Life Insurance Company from modest beginnings into a $560 million corporation, and his wife Audre, the foundation reflects values shaped by the founders' experiences as children of Jewish Russian immigrants who overcame poverty, discrimination, and adversity. With assets of approximately $62 million, the foundation awarded 39 grants totaling nearly $2 million in 2023. The foundation's mission centers on meeting basic human needs while building individual and social resiliency, with particular emphasis on serving disadvantaged members of society. In 2023, the foundation received the Thomas G. Salome, Jr. Legacy Award from the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce. The entire Rapoport family remains actively involved in the foundation's operations, ensuring continuity with the founders' values of social justice, education, and service to underserved populations.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs & Distribution Model

The foundation operates under a unique three-part allocation policy:

Waco/McLennan County (One-Third of Annual Budget)

  • Focus areas: Education, Health, Community Building & Social Services, Arts & Culture
  • Grants typically support programs benefiting children and youth in the local area
  • Recent awards include $400,000 to Heart of Texas Behavioral Health Network and $18,104 to Special Olympics Texas

Discretionary: Texas & National (One-Third of Annual Budget)

  • Primary focus: Democracy & Civic Participation
  • Supports organizations throughout Texas and the United States
  • Recent grantees include Every Texan, Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, Vote Riders, Sandra Day O'Connor Institute for American Democracy, and Pennsylvania Youth Vote

Standing Commitments (One-Third of Annual Budget)

  • University of Texas at Austin Rapoport Service Scholarship program
  • First Gen Rapoport Scholarship program at McLennan Community College
  • Jerusalem Foundation
  • Jewish Federations of North America

Priority Areas

Arts & Culture Artistic and cultural programs that encourage participation of children and disadvantaged members of the community. Past grantees include Waco Civic Theatre, Dr. Pepper Museum, Wild Imaginings, Creative Waco, and Waco Cultural Arts Festival.

Education

  • Early learning through elementary years
  • Adult education and training initiatives
  • College and career readiness programs
  • Teacher development and enhancement programs
  • Past grantees include Baylor University, Tufts University, Towson University, and Talitha Koum Institute (faith-based therapeutic early childhood intervention)

Health

  • Healthcare delivery improvements
  • Special focus on services for women, children, and underserved populations
  • Community-based healthcare outreach programs

Community Building & Social Services

  • Grassroots community networks
  • Job training and workforce development
  • Comprehensive social safety net programs
  • Past grantees include Greater Waco Legal Services, Prosper Waco, Lone Star Justice Alliance, Working America Education Fund, Waco Foundation, Texas Rural Funders, and Casa of McLennan County

Democracy & Civic Participation

  • Government responsiveness initiatives
  • Civic engagement programs
  • Leadership development
  • Voter education and access

What They Don't Fund

  • Direct service programs outside Waco/McLennan County (unless they have broader regional or national impact)
  • Programs serving narrow geographic areas or limited audiences (outside Waco)
  • Israeli or Jewish causes (except through designated commitments to Jerusalem Foundation and Jewish Federations of North America)
  • Capital campaigns (except rarely in Waco)
  • Religious proselytizing
  • Individual grants or scholarships (except through designated programs)

Governance and Leadership

Board of Trustees

Dr. Ron Rapoport - Chairman

Patricia Rapoport - Board Member

Abby Rapoport-Baker - Board Member

Emily Rapoport - Board Member

Bill Nesbitt - Secretary/Treasurer

Dr. Samuel Baker - Board Member

Dr. Rick Battistoni - Board Member

Ambassador Lyndon Olson, Jr. - Board Member

Dr. Joel Schwartz - Board Member

Executive Leadership

Mark C. Hobbs - Executive Director (since January 2022) Attorney and law firm founder; previously Managing Partner of Johnson Hobbs & Squires LLP. Board director for Waco Family Medicine and Central National Bank. Leadership Waco alumnus (Class 23).

Jenny Howe Peel - Program Officer (since 2018) Manages grants in Texas/US (Discretionary) and Israel portfolios. Over 20 years of nonprofit experience spanning foundation, fundraising, and stewardship roles. Leadership Waco alumna (Class 29).

Casey Sadler - Program Officer Oversees Waco partner grants, First Gen Rapoport Scholarship program at McLennan Community College, and Rapoport Scholars program at UT Austin. Transitioned from banking to foundation work in 2010.

Foundation Philosophy

The foundation's values are rooted in Bernard and Audre Rapoport's lived experiences. Bernard's father fled Siberian exile for distributing anti-czar propaganda; the family lived in poverty during the Great Depression and experienced discrimination firsthand. These formative experiences shaped the foundation's commitment to social justice, equality, education, and support for the least advantaged members of society.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The foundation uses a two-phase application process through an online grant portal:

Phase One: Letter of Inquiry (LOI)

  • Submit LOI through the online grant portal at grantinterface.com/Home/Logon?urlkey=rapoportfdn
  • Include project and/or operating budgets
  • Foundation reviews all LOIs and invites selected applicants to Phase Two
  • Applicants notified of status (decline, defer, or invitation to full application)

Phase Two: Full Application (By Invitation Only)

  • Invited applicants submit full application through the portal
  • Required supporting documents:
    • Itemized budgets with narratives
    • Financial audits
    • Statements of activities and financial position
    • Budget comparisons
  • Foundation staff may conduct site visits or request additional information via phone, mail, or email

Eligibility: Only qualified public entities or 501(c)(3) charities are eligible

Important Application Guidance:

  • Submit only ONE LOI per cycle; do not submit multiple competing proposals
  • Thoroughly review the foundation's website, FAQ section, and recent grants before applying
  • Verify alignment with Waco/McLennan County priorities OR discretionary/national categories
  • Review recent grants to understand the foundation's grant capacity (no minimum or maximum published)

Grant Cycles & Deadlines

Fall 2025 Cycle:

  • August 1, 2025: Portal opens for LOI submissions
  • September 5, 2025: LOI deadline (11:59 PM CT)
  • October 6, 2025: Status notifications sent
  • November 7, 2025: Full applications due (invited applicants only, 11:59 PM CT)
  • December 2025: Board meeting and grant decisions announced by mid-December

Spring 2026 Cycle: Dates to be announced (typically February LOI deadline, May board meeting)

The Board of Trustees considers grant requests twice per year through these open cycles.

Decision Timeline

  • Grant decisions are emailed within 3 weeks following board meetings
  • Applicants receive status notifications at each phase
  • Portal dashboard provides real-time status updates
  • Foundation staff communicate with potential grantees through phone, mail, and/or email as needed

Success Rates

The foundation awarded 39 grants in 2023 from their annual budget of approximately $2 million. Specific application-to-award ratios are not publicly disclosed.

Reapplication Policy

  • Organizations may reapply in subsequent years
  • The foundation discourages resubmitting declined requests unless there is significant material change to the project/request
  • No guarantee is made regarding the likelihood of being awarded for a second or third year in a row, even for previous grantees
  • Declined applicants should wait for material project changes before reapplying

Application Success Factors

Foundation-Specific Insights

Alignment with Geographic Priorities The foundation's three-part allocation model means applicants must clearly demonstrate fit within one of three categories: Waco/McLennan County focus, Texas/national discretionary (particularly Democracy & Civic Participation), or one of the standing commitments. Waco-area applications should emphasize benefits to children, youth, and disadvantaged populations.

Emphasis on Systemic Impact The foundation targets "innovative approaches to longstanding societal challenges" and supports "emerging talent and promising new models." Applications should demonstrate how the project addresses root causes rather than providing only direct services, especially for non-Waco applicants.

Foundation Values Matter Given the founders' experiences with poverty, discrimination, and adversity, applications serving the "least advantaged members of society" resonate with the foundation's core mission. Programs that promote social justice, equality, and educational opportunity align closely with Bernard and Audre Rapoport's legacy.

Review Recent Grants The foundation explicitly advises applicants to review their recent grants page to understand grant capacity and priorities. This demonstrates due diligence and helps applicants gauge appropriate request amounts and program fit.

Quality Over Quantity The foundation specifically instructs applicants to submit only one LOI per cycle rather than multiple proposals, signaling that they value focused, well-developed requests over scattered applications.

Local Commitment for Waco Applicants One-third of all foundation dollars support Waco programs, reflecting Bernard and Audre's deep roots in the community where they married and built their lives. Waco applicants should emphasize local impact and community connections.

Democracy & Civic Participation for Discretionary Applicants Non-Waco applicants should note that the discretionary portfolio particularly emphasizes democracy and civic participation. Recent discretionary grantees include organizations focused on investigative journalism, voter access, civic education, and government accountability.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Understand the three-part allocation: Determine whether your organization fits within the Waco/McLennan County portfolio, the discretionary Texas/national portfolio (especially Democracy & Civic Participation), or neither—this is critical for success
  • Focus on the disadvantaged: The foundation's core mission centers on serving the least advantaged members of society; applications should clearly demonstrate benefit to underserved populations
  • Emphasize innovation and systemic change: Especially for non-Waco applicants, demonstrate how your program offers innovative approaches to longstanding challenges rather than traditional direct services
  • Do your homework: Review recent grants, the FAQ section, and all website materials before applying—the foundation expects applicants to demonstrate familiarity with their priorities and past funding
  • Submit one strong LOI: Focus on quality over quantity; the foundation discourages multiple competing proposals in a single cycle
  • Plan for the two-phase process: Advancing from LOI to full application is competitive; invest time in a compelling LOI that clearly articulates fit and impact
  • Be patient but informed: Decisions come within 3 weeks of board meetings, and the portal provides status updates throughout the process—no need for follow-up calls unless specifically requested

References

← Back to US Funders Directory