The Ellwood Foundation
At a glance
Key takeaways
- If your work is in medical research or mental health and based in the Houston area, it fits the foundation's stated priorities, and the foundation says requests focused on those areas match its interests.
- Most grants fall between $10,000 and $90,000, with a median of $30,000, so a modest request in that range is typical, though its largest grant has been $160,000.
- Begin with a letter explaining the nature of your request; its filing gives no deadlines and says it accepts applications.
- Most of its grant dollars go to organisations it had also funded the year before, so expect a relationship-led process and consider how you will build contact before or alongside a first approach.
Overview
The Ellwood Foundation is a US private foundation based in Houston, TX.
What they fund
Profile based on the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2023, TY2022) only: no website or other web source for the foundation was found. Every statement is checked against the filings. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The foundation’s stated priorities are medical research and mental health, with giving mainly in the Houston area. Its filings show a varied charitable portfolio: grants support programmes and facilities, alongside research and rehabilitation. Recipients include medical and research institutions; specialist schools; and charities serving people with disabilities, children and families, people facing mental-health or substance-use needs, and terminally ill patients. Purposes also include special education, support for children with learning difficulties, care for people who are terminally ill, and programmes addressing substance-use recovery. The evidence points to support for health, human services and education, with an expressly local emphasis, rather than a single narrow beneficiary group.
Themes
- Medical research
- Mental health
Geographic Focus
Priority: Houston area.
How to apply
A request should include a letter explaining its nature.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2023 filing, 99% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 filing.
- Grant size: Across its TY2022 and TY2023 filings, half of its 133 grants to organisations were $30,000 or less.
What the foundation says:
- Requests focused on medical research and mental health match the foundation’s stated areas of interest.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2023.
Grant dollars by state
- The largest single recipient received 12% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2023, 99% of grant dollars went to organisations The Ellwood Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 66 grants in tax year 2023 by size
Median $30,000 (tax year 2023)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- MD Anderson Cancer Center · Lymphoma/myeloma research$160,0002023 tax year
- Brookwood Community · Support of facilities$160,0002023 tax year
- MD Anderson Cancer Center · Support of programs$160,0002023 tax year
- University of Texas Medical School · Neuroscience center$130,0002023 tax year
- Ronald McDonald House · Support of facilities$100,0002023 tax year
- Center Foundation · Support of programs$90,0002023 tax year
- Briarwood School · Special education needs$80,0002023 tax year
- Marbridge Foundation · Support of programs$80,0002023 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- HW Hightower JR — Trustee
- M Lee Hightower — Trustee
- Raymond L Brown — Trustee
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
2 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $3,185,130 | $2,825,000 | $53,071,498 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $3,091,748 | $2,675,000 | $63,178,046 | Filing for 2023 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.
Sources
Registers and filings
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At a glance
Applying to The Ellwood Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (713) 785-5507
- Houston, TX
Applying to The Ellwood Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (713) 785-5507
- Houston, TX