Bernard & Audre Rapoport Foundation

Private foundation · EIN 74-2479712 · since 1989rapoportfdn.org·Texas, United States, Waco·Updated 13 October 2026

At a glance

$2M

Annual giving, 2025 tax year

From the Form 990-PF filing

$20,000 to $100k

Grant range

From grants in the 990-PF filings

$26,477

Typical grant (median)

41 grants in the latest filing

Open to applications

Fixed application deadlines · unsolicited applications welcome

Key takeaways

If your work is in Waco, or in Texas or the United States more broadly, and it touches arts and culture, community building, democracy and civic participation, education or health, it fits the Foundation's stated focus; a third of its grant funds is required for projects in Waco.
Its typical grants fall between $20,000 and $100,000, and half of its grants to organisations were $30,000 or less, so a request around $30,000 is realistic, though its largest grant was about $505,000 and that band is not a ceiling.
Submit one letter of intent through the online portal in the spring or fall cycle, presenting your greatest need and strongest case; the Foundation may move it to a full application or decline it, and its staff may contact you or arrange a site visit.
The filing shows 61% of its grant dollars to organisations went to groups it had funded before, which is a share of grant dollars rather than of grants, so repeat support is common but new applicants should still apply.
Do not apply if you deliver direct social services outside Waco or McLennan County, run a programme with a narrow benefit outside them, seek capital funding outside Waco or McLennan County, are an individual, serve religious purposes exclusively, seek unsolicited international funding, fund political campaigns or lobbying, or are resubmitting a request that was recently denied.

Overview

Bernard & Audre Rapoport Foundation is a US private foundation based in Waco, TX.

What they fund

Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2025, TY2024, TY2023) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.

Priority Areas

The Foundation concentrates on arts and culture, community building and social services, democracy and civic participation, education, and health. It supports arts and cultural programmes that engage children and disadvantaged community members, and education from early learning through elementary years, as well as adult education, training, college and career readiness, and stronger capabilities among public-school professionals. Its community work builds grassroots neighbourhood networks, employment opportunities and social-service safety nets for least-advantaged citizens. In health, it seeks better healthcare for all, especially women, children and people without access to conventional medical resources, and supports community outreach. Its democracy work promotes responsive government and active civic participation. A third of its grant funds is required for projects in Waco, with discretionary funding available for projects throughout Texas and the United States.

Themes

Arts & Culture
Community Building
Democracy & Civic Participation
Education
Health

Geographic Focus

Waco; Texas; United States.

What They Don't Fund

Direct social services outside of Waco/McLennan County
Programs with a narrow audience/geographic benefit (outside of Waco/McLennan County)
Capital campaigns (In limited instances, capital requests may be considered in Waco/McLennan County only)
Repeat of recently denied request
Projects that exclusively serve religious purposes and/or involve proselytizing
Direct donations or grants to individuals
Unsolicited international funding requests
Political campaigns and legislative lobbying efforts

How to apply

Organisations submit an LOI through the online portal. After the cycle deadline, the Foundation may move the LOI forward to a full application or decline it.

Deadlines: Two open cycles per year, in spring and fall.

Application success factors

Repeat giving: In its TY2025 filing, 61% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2023 or TY2024 filing.
Grant size: Across its TY2023, TY2024 and TY2025 filings, half of its 115 grants to organisations were $30,000 or less.

What the foundation says:

Applicants are encouraged to review the Foundation’s preferred areas of focus before submitting an LOI.
The Foundation considers the quality of the request, available funds and how it ranks alongside other requests in a cycle.
The Foundation recommends one LOI per cycle, presenting the organisation’s greatest need and strongest case.
Foundation staff contact organisations if more information is needed or a site visit is to be scheduled.
Grantees submit an interim report at six months and a final report at the end of a typical 12-month award period.

Where grants go

From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2023–2025.

Grant dollars by state

Texas65%

New York21%

District of Columbia5%

California3%

Massachusetts2%

Kentucky1%

6 other states: 3%

The largest single recipient received 19% of grant dollars to organisations.
In tax year 2025, 61% of grant dollars went to organisations Bernard & Audre Rapoport Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
22% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.

Grants

41 grants in the latest filing analysed · median $26,477

How much do they typically give?

Share of 41 grants in tax year 2025 by size

$10k–$25k15%

$25k–$50k54%

$50k–$100k20%

$100k–$250k10%

$250k–$500k2%

Median $26,477 (tax year 2025)

The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:

University of Texas at Austin · Cola rapoport service scholarship
$336,7332025 tax year
Jewish Federations of North America · Support for projects in israel
$168,3672025 tax year
Jerusalem Foundation · Support for projects in israel
$168,3672025 tax year
Central Texas Food Bank · Support for commercial kitchen in waco facility
$100,0002025 tax year
Civic Nation · Support for electoral engagement reserach project
$100,0002025 tax year
La Vega Pirates Education Foundation · Support for teacher preparation program
$60,0002025 tax year
Waco Family Medicine · Support for wisd on-campus behavioral health initiative
$55,0002025 tax year
Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas · Support for health equity fund - waco clinic
$50,6052025 tax year

Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.

Officers and directors

Mr Mark Hobbs — Executive Director
Samuel Baker — Trustee
Mrs Rebecca A Rapoport-Baker — Trustee
Ms Emily Rapoport — Trustee
Dr Rick Battistoni — Trustee
Dr James Chesney — Trustee
Dr Joel Schwartz — Trustee
Mr William A Nesbitt — Secretary, Treasurer, Trustee
Ambassador Lyndon Olson Jr — Trustee
Mrs Patricia Rapoport — Trustee
Dr Ronald Rapoport — Chairman, Trustee

From the latest Form 990-PF filing

3 years of tax filings

Year	Total expenses	Grants paid	Assets	Filing document
2023 tax year	$3,334,053	$1,941,495	$58,428,774	Filing for 2023 tax year
2024 tax year	$3,377,588	$2,226,986	$62,428,919	Filing for 2024 tax year
2025 tax year	$3,356,363	$1,974,271	$64,857,565	Filing for 2025 tax year

Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.