The Powell Foundation
At a glance
Key takeaways
- The Powell Foundation funds education, arts, conservation and human services, prioritising Harris, Travis and Walker Counties, Texas, so check your work fits both the themes and that geography.
- Most grants are modest - about 8 in 10 fall between $2,500 and $150,000, with half at $30,000 or less, so pitch a request in that range even though the largest grant was about $1,200,000.
- Applications run on fixed deadlines via an online pre-application (30 November for the Spring cycle, 31 May for the Fall cycle), with a full application through the Grant Portal only if the pre-application is advanced; the foundation suggests submitting a pre-application before asking for a meeting with staff.
- With 82% of grant dollars going to organisations already funded in the two previous filings, this looks like a relationship-led funder, so new applicants should be patient and persistent.
- Do not apply if you are an individual, an endowment or endowment campaign, a scholarship fund, another private foundation, a fundraising or marketing event such as a gala, seeking debt retirement or cover for past operating deficits, a political candidate or lobbying effort, or an organisation with a religious or doctrinal purpose.
Overview
The Powell 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 Powell Foundation supports nonprofit organisations in education, the arts, conservation and human services, with funding focused on Harris, Travis and Walker Counties, Texas. Education is its primary area of focus: it seeks to ensure that children and youth, especially those furthest from opportunity, receive an excellent cradle-to-career education that prepares them for meaningful employment and lifelong success. Its education work includes early childhood development and education, quality public K-12 schools, post-secondary pathways and an aligned cradle-to-career education system. In supportive communities, it invests in the arts, conservation and human services to help residents, particularly children and youth, thrive. It considers operating costs, agency programmes and specific projects within its areas of interest; capital projects are considered case by case.
Themes
- Early Childhood Education
- Public K-12 Schools
- Postsecondary Pathways
- Cradle-to-Career Education
- Arts
- Conservation
- Human Services
Geographic Focus
Priority: Harris County; Travis County; Walker County.
What They Don't Fund
- Individuals
- Endowments or endowment campaigns
- Scholarship funds
- Other private foundations
- Fundraising and marketing events (e.g. galas)
- Debt retirement or to cover past operating deficits
- Candidates for political office or to influence specific legislation (lobbying)
- Organizations for realizing religious or doctrinal purpose¹
How to apply
Organisations submit an online pre-application first. If it is advanced, the organisation is invited to submit a full application through the Powell Foundation’s online Grant Portal.
Deadlines:
- Spring-cycle pre-applications: 30 November.
- Fall-cycle pre-applications: 31 May.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 82% 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 833 grants to organisations were $30,000 or less.
What the foundation says:
- The pre-application helps assess the organisation’s eligibility and fit with the Foundation’s mission, geographic focus and priorities.
- The full application gives organisations the opportunity to explain the proposed work, intended outcomes and organisational impact.
- Staff review requests and conduct due diligence, which may include conversations and site visits.
- The Foundation recommends submitting a pre-application before requesting a meeting with staff.
- The Foundation reviews requests against its grant guidelines, priority issue areas, geographic focus areas and available funding for each cycle.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
6 other states: 2%
- The largest single recipient received 3% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 82% of grant dollars went to organisations The Powell Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- 4% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 276 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $30,000 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Austin Ed Fund · Post-Secondary Pathways: Post-Secondary Access and Success$1,207,7792024 tax year
- MINDPOP · Early Childhood Development and Education: High-Quality Providers and Educators$798,0322024 tax year
- CollegeSpring · Post-Secondary Pathways: Post-Secondary Access and Success$752,1152024 tax year
- Bridgespan Group · Post-Secondary Pathways: Post-Secondary Access and Success$717,8952024 tax year
- Breakthrough Houston · Post-Secondary Pathways: Post-Secondary Access and Success$703,1512024 tax year
- Center for First-generation Student Success (FirstGen Forward) · Post-Secondary Pathways: Post-Secondary Policies and Systems$497,5412024 tax year
- Children's Museum Houston · Early Childhood Development and Education: Supportive Caregivers$400,0002024 tax year
- Texas Children's Hospital · Early Childhood Development and Education: Supportive Caregivers$300,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Ben H Powell VI — Director
- Elizabeth K Moore — Director
- Katherine P Hill — Director
- E Inez Hill — Director
- Thao Costis — Director
- Marian M Casey — Director
- Christopher D Casey II — Director
- Terry Bruner — Director
- Harvin C Moore IV — Treasurer
- Charles F Caldwell — Secretary / Director
- Ben H Powell V — VP / Assistant Treasurer / Director
- Katherine Osborne Valdez — Board President / Director
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $22,644,566 | $19,614,422 | $372,755,906 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $20,167,254 | $17,526,704 | $421,222,742 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $21,700,630 | $18,465,732 | $451,534,153 | Filing 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
Registers and filings
Other sources
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At a glance
Applying to The Powell Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (713) 523-7557
- info@powellfoundation.org
- Houston, TX
- powellfoundation.org
Applying to The Powell Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (713) 523-7557
- info@powellfoundation.org
- Houston, TX
- powellfoundation.org