The Elkins Foundation

Private foundation · EIN 74-6051746 · since 1958theelkinsfoundation.org·Alabama, Florida, Houston, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas·Updated 13 October 2026

At a glance

$17.3M
Annual giving, 2024 tax year
From the Form 990-PF filing
$20,000 to $500k
Grant range
From grants in the 990-PF filings
$100k
Typical grant (median)
76 grants in the latest filing
Open to applications
Fixed application deadlines · unsolicited applications welcome

Key takeaways

  • The Elkins Foundation, based in Houston, TX, gives priority to Houston and the Greater Gulf Coast, so it suits organisations serving those areas.
  • It supports a wide variety of educational, healthcare, cultural, community and religious organisations, with trustees preferring specific capital needs and projects.
  • It does not fund annual giving campaigns, endowment funds, operating budgets, special events or individuals, except for a limited number of appeals.
  • Grants to organisations typically range from $20,000 to $500,000, with a median of $100,000, so a mid-sized capital request is realistic.
  • Applications are made online stating the purpose of the request, with a fixed window running from February through June 30 each year; while most of its grant dollars go to organisations it has already funded, trustees say they aim to fund a wide variety of organisations and projects rather than giving to the same ones every year.

Overview

The Elkins Foundation is a US private foundation based in Houston, TX.

What they fund

Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.

Priority Areas

The Elkins Foundation supports a wide variety of educational, healthcare, cultural, community and religious organisations located in and serving Houston and the Greater Gulf Coast. Its trustees primarily focus on organisations serving those communities and prefer specific capital needs and projects, while also supporting other needs across a wide variety of endeavours. Requests are reviewed individually by the trustees and Associate Board, guided by the belief that a community’s strength lies in the vision of its people and the health of its institutions. To support a wide variety of organisations and projects, trustees typically do not give to the same organisations year after year.

Themes

  • Educational organizations
  • Healthcare organizations
  • Cultural organizations
  • Community organizations
  • Religious organizations

Geographic Focus

Priority: Houston; Greater Gulf Coast.

What They Don't Fund

  • Annual giving campaigns (with the exception of a limited number of appeals)
  • Endowment funds (with the exception of a limited number of appeals)
  • Operating budgets (with the exception of a limited number of appeals)
  • Special events (with the exception of a limited number of appeals)
  • Individuals

How to apply

Applicants submit requests online, stating the purpose of the request.

Deadlines: Applications may be submitted from February through June 30 each year.

Application success factors

  • Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 61% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 or TY2023 filing.
  • Grant size: Across its TY2022, TY2023 and TY2024 filings, half of its 265 grants to organisations were $100,000 or less.

What the foundation says:

  • The trustees prefer to support specific capital needs and projects.
  • The trustees typically do not give to the same organisations year after year, aiming to fund a wide variety of organisations and projects.
  • The trustees and Associate Board review each grant request individually.
  • Applications that meet the foundation’s guidelines are given every consideration during review.

Where grants go

From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.

Grant dollars by state

Texas98%
Virginia1%
New York<1%
  • The largest single recipient received 5% of grant dollars to organisations.
  • In tax year 2024, 61% of grant dollars went to organisations The Elkins Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
  • No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
  • <1% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.

Grants

76 grants in the latest filing analysed · median $100k

How much do they typically give?

Share of 76 grants in tax year 2024 by size

$10k–$25k8%
$25k–$50k14%
$50k–$100k18%
$100k–$250k32%
$250k–$500k5%
$500k–$1M18%
$1M and over4%

Median $100k (tax year 2024)

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

  • Depelchin Children's Center · In support of transitioning region 6 to community based care
    $1,500,0002024 tax year
  • Harris Health Strategic Fund · In support of investing in a healthier harris county
    $1,000,0002024 tax year
  • Saint John's School · In support of the campaign for a new lower school
    $1,000,0002024 tax year
  • Baylor College of Medicine · In support of the new health sciences education building
    $765,0002024 tax year
  • Texas Children's Hospital · In support of expanding the texas children's pavilion for women
    $750,0002024 tax year
  • University of Texas McCombs School · In support of the mulva hall facilities project
    $750,0002024 tax year
  • Friends of Pumpkin Park · In support of the opening doors to children's dreams campaign
    $750,0002024 tax year
  • MD Anderson Cancer Center · In support of the allison institute
    $750,0002024 tax year

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

Officers and directors

  • Kira C Elbert — Executive Director
  • Larry Medford — Secretary & Treasurer
  • Leslie E Sasser — President & Trustee
  • Elise E Joseph — Vice President & Trustee
  • Virginia A Elkins — Vice President & Trustee

From the latest Form 990-PF filing

3 years of tax filings

YearTotal expensesGrants paidAssetsFiling document
2022 tax year$16,784,708$14,744,000$304,951,572Filing for 2022 tax year
2023 tax year$17,921,978$15,607,057$367,583,836Filing for 2023 tax year
2024 tax year$19,821,493$17,256,822$395,368,259Filing for 2024 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

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