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Wayne Duddlesten Foundation

Annual Giving
$7.4M
Grant Range
$5K - $5.0M

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $7,418,000 (2024)
  • Total Assets: $12,121,132
  • Success Rate: Not publicly available
  • Decision Time: Not publicly available
  • Grant Range: $5,000 - $5,000,000
  • Geographic Focus: Primarily Texas, Pennsylvania, and Florida
  • Historic Giving: Over $45 million awarded in the past 10 years

Contact Details

Address: 24 Greenway Plaza, Suite 1115, Houston, TX 77046

Phone: 713-532-7063

Website: www.duddlesten.org

Important Notice: The foundation will be closing its doors on December 31, 2026, and is no longer accepting new inquiries or grant applications.

Overview

The Wayne Duddlesten Foundation was established in 1983 by Wayne Duddlesten, a Houston native and University of Houston graduate who was a pioneer in commercial real estate across the United States. His general contracting firm was featured in Fortune Magazine's prestigious list of the top 200 construction companies in the country. Notably, Duddlesten led a group of Houston investors to purchase the NBA's San Diego Rockets and relocate them to Houston in 1971. Following his death in 2010, the foundation has been led by his daughter, Karen Duddlesten, a 2001 UH graduate who serves as Director and President. With total assets of approximately $12.1 million, the foundation awarded $7,418,000 to 36 nonprofit organizations in 2024 alone, with over $45 million distributed in the past decade. The foundation has been a consistent supporter of education, human services, and programs serving underserved populations, particularly in Texas.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation's grant-making operated on a rolling application basis through an online portal on their website. Recent grant activity includes:

  • Major Education Grants: $5,000,000 to University of Houston to establish the Wayne B. Duddlesten Free Enterprise Institute
  • Healthcare: $600,000 to The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
  • Youth Education: $150,000 to Communities in Schools Houston
  • Career and Technical Education: $100,000 annually to Blinn College District for scholarships (multi-year commitment)
  • Tier One Scholarship: $100,000 to University of Houston to create The Wayne B. Duddlesten, Sr., Tier One Scholarship (matched dollar-for-dollar by the university)

The foundation awarded between 34-44 grants annually in recent years, with typical awards ranging from $5,000 to $5,000,000.

Priority Areas

Education: The foundation viewed education as "a key to society's ills" and prioritized funding for education programs that demonstrate effectiveness. This includes:

  • Higher education scholarships and endowments
  • Career and technical education programs
  • Entrepreneurship and business education
  • Real estate education programs

Human Services: Programs serving people with serious needs, limited resources, and few alternatives

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking: Support for organizations engaged in philanthropic work

Veterans Services: Partnership with The Honor Foundation supporting career transition programs for U.S. Special Operations Forces veterans

What They Don't Fund

Specific exclusions were not publicly documented on available materials.

Governance and Leadership

Karen Duddlesten - Director and President (compensation: $5,000)

  • 2001 University of Houston graduate
  • Daughter of founder Wayne Duddlesten

Board of Directors (each receiving $5,000 compensation):

  • Charles McMahen, Director
  • Robert Paddock, Director
  • David Kantorczyk, Director
  • William Randall, Director

Charlene Slack - Executive Director

The foundation maintained strong ties to the University of Houston, reflecting Wayne Duddlesten's legacy as a trustee emeritus and advisory board member for the University of Houston Foundation and the UH System Development Board before his death in 2010.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

APPLICATIONS NO LONGER ACCEPTED: The Wayne Duddlesten Foundation announced it will be closing its doors on December 31, 2026. No new inquiries or grant applications are being accepted.

Historically, the foundation accepted applications through:

  • Online application portal on their website (www.duddlesten.org)
  • Applicants could register, start, save, and submit applications through the online system
  • Foundation staff were available to help applicants determine whether it was worth their time and expenses to proceed with an application before submitting a full proposal

Decision Timeline

Specific decision timelines were not publicly documented. The foundation operated on a rolling application basis rather than fixed deadlines.

Success Rates

Success rates were not publicly disclosed. The foundation awarded 34-44 grants annually from hundreds of potential applicants in the Texas, Pennsylvania, and Florida regions.

Reapplication Policy

No specific reapplication policy was publicly documented.

Application Success Factors

While specific application guidance was not extensively documented, the foundation's funding patterns reveal several key success factors:

Strong University of Houston Connection: The foundation showed significant preference for University of Houston programs and initiatives, reflecting the founder's deep ties to the institution. Multiple multi-million dollar grants went to UH for entrepreneurship, real estate education, and scholarship programs.

Focus on Underserved Populations: The foundation's mission explicitly states their focus on "helping the least served people – people with serious needs, limited resources, and few alternatives." Successful applications likely demonstrated clear impact on these populations.

Education Programs That Work: The foundation emphasized funding "education programs that work," suggesting a preference for evidence-based programs with demonstrated outcomes, particularly in career and technical education as evidenced by their multi-year commitment to Blinn College District scholarships.

Geographic Alignment: While the foundation accepted applications from Texas, Pennsylvania, and Florida, the vast majority of documented grants went to Texas-based organizations, particularly in the Houston area.

Multi-Year Commitment Potential: The foundation demonstrated willingness to make multi-year commitments to proven partners, such as the consecutive annual $100,000 grants to Blinn College District.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Foundation is closing December 31, 2026 - No new applications are being accepted
  • Educational focus dominates: Over $5 million to University of Houston alone demonstrates education as the primary funding priority
  • Significant grant range: Awards ranged from $5,000 to $5,000,000, indicating flexibility in funding both small and transformational projects
  • Underserved populations central: Mission explicitly targets "least served people – people with serious needs, limited resources, and few alternatives"
  • Geographic preference: Strong preference for Texas, particularly Houston-area organizations
  • Relationship-based grantmaking: Largest grants went to organizations with existing connections to the founder and his family, particularly University of Houston
  • Multi-year partnerships valued: Willingness to provide consecutive annual grants to proven partners like Blinn College District

References

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