William A Brookshire Foundation

Quick Stats

Total Assets: $192.3 million (2024)
Annual Giving: $4,415,000 (2023)
Grant Range: $1,600,000 - $9,575,000 (major institutional gifts)
Geographic Focus: Primarily Texas and Louisiana
Application Method: No public application process; invitation only/trustee discretion

Contact Details

Address: 2121 Lohmans Crossing Rd Ste 504-415, Lakeway, TX 78734-5217

Note: The foundation does not maintain a public website or published contact information for general inquiries.

Overview

Established in 1998 by William A. ("Bill") Brookshire, co-founder of S&B Engineers and Constructors, Ltd., the William A Brookshire Foundation is a private family foundation with total assets of $192.3 million as of December 2024. The foundation distributed $4,415,000 in grants in 2023 across just 3 awards, indicating a focus on substantial, strategic institutional partnerships rather than broad grantmaking. Bill Brookshire was a first-generation college student who worked full-time while earning his Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Houston, then completed his master's degree and Ph.D. in chemical engineering at Louisiana State University on fellowship. His personal experience shaped the foundation's mission to support working students and military veterans in pursuing higher education. The foundation is led by Brookshire's daughter, Lori Brookshire Garrison, who has served as President since 2017.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation makes major institutional grants to select universities, with a focus on establishing permanent scholarship programs and veteran support centers:

Multi-Million Dollar University Partnerships: $1.6 million - $9.575 million
S&B Employee Family Scholarships: Administered through partnering institutions
Veterans Support Infrastructure: Law clinics and student centers

Application Method: No public application process. Grants are made at the discretion of the board of directors.

Priority Areas

The foundation focuses exclusively on two interconnected priorities rooted in founder Bill Brookshire's personal experience:

1. Working Students in Engineering

Scholarships for students who maintain combined coursework and employment workloads of at least 30 hours per week
Minimum GPA requirement of 2.5-2.8 depending on program
Priority given to chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, and related disciplines
Full scholarship support for junior and senior year students

2. Military Veterans

Legal clinics providing free services to veterans
Military and veterans student centers
ROTC scholarship support
Specialized scholarships for veterans pursuing law degrees
On-campus support for military veterans and their families

Geographic Focus: Primarily institutions in Texas and Louisiana with strong connections to the Brookshire family and S&B Engineers:

Louisiana State University (LSU)
Texas Tech University
University of Houston

What They Don't Fund

Based on the foundation's narrow focus, they do not fund:

Organizations outside of higher education
K-12 education programs
General operating support for nonprofits
Capital campaigns unrelated to veteran support or working student scholarships
Universities without established relationships with the foundation
Individual scholarship applications outside of designated programs

Governance and Leadership

Board of Directors:

Lori Brookshire Garrison, President: Daughter of founder William A. Brookshire, she has served as a director for over a decade and assumed the presidency in 2017. She is committed to expanding her father's legacy of supporting working students and veterans.
John Garrison, Vice President: Serves alongside Lori Garrison in foundation leadership.
Dean Quinn, Secretary: Texas Tech alumnus and long-time board member. Quinn has been instrumental in the foundation's support of Texas Tech initiatives, particularly the Veterans Law Clinic.
J.W. "Brook" Brookshire: Son of founder William A. Brookshire, passionate about expanding his father's legacy through the foundation's scholarship programs.

All officers receive zero compensation. The assets of the foundation are managed and administered by the board of directors.

Quote from Foundation Philosophy: The foundation is "committed to helping students who help themselves, work hard and simply need extra assistance to be successful." This reflects founder Bill Brookshire's belief that "working students and military veterans were passions of his" based on his own experience working through school.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. The William A Brookshire Foundation operates as a private family foundation that makes grants through board-initiated relationships with select universities. The foundation distributed only 3 grants in 2023, all to pre-selected institutional partners.

For S&B Employee Families: Children, stepchildren, and grandchildren of S&B Engineers and Constructors employees are eligible for designated scholarships administered through university partners. Applications are submitted through the Greater Houston Community Foundation (GHCF) SCHOLAR portal or directly to participating universities (LSU, Texas Tech, University of Houston).

For Institutions: The foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals. All major grants ($1.6 million to $9.575 million) have been made to universities with existing relationships to the Brookshire family or S&B Engineers and Constructors.

Getting on Their Radar

Based on the foundation's documented grantmaking pattern, the following specific approaches have proven effective:

1. S&B Engineers and Constructors Connection: The foundation has a direct relationship with S&B Engineers and Constructors, Ltd., the company co-founded by Bill Brookshire. Institutions with existing partnerships or relationships with S&B may have pathways to foundation support.

2. Key University Relationships: The foundation has concentrated its giving on three institutions with documented connections to the Brookshire family:

Louisiana State University (LSU) - where Bill Brookshire earned his master's and Ph.D.
University of Houston - where Bill Brookshire earned his bachelor's degree
Texas Tech University - connection through board member Dean Quinn

3. Board Member Connections: Dean Quinn's alumni status at Texas Tech directly facilitated the $1.6 million grant to establish the Texas Tech Veterans Law Clinic. Board members appear to champion initiatives at their affiliated institutions.

4. Alignment with Founder's Values: Institutions that can demonstrate programs specifically serving working engineering students (30+ combined hours of work/study) or military veterans have been successful. The foundation has consistently funded these exact demographics.

5. Infrastructure Over General Support: The foundation prefers funding named programs with lasting impact (William A. Brookshire Military & Veterans Student Center at LSU, William A. Brookshire Veterans Law Clinic at LSU Law, Texas Tech School of Law Veterans Clinic) rather than general operating support.

Application Success Factors

Since this foundation operates without a public application process, success depends on strategic positioning and relationship-building rather than proposal submission:

1. Pre-Existing Institutional Relationships All documented grants have gone to three universities with direct connections to the Brookshire family's educational history. LSU received the largest cumulative support ($23+ million across multiple gifts), reflecting Bill Brookshire's graduate education there.

2. Alignment with Founder's Personal Story The foundation has explicitly stated it supports "students who help themselves, work hard and simply need extra assistance to be successful." Programs must demonstrate support for students maintaining at least 30 combined hours of work and study weekly - mirroring Bill Brookshire's experience working full-time while attending night school.

3. Focus on Permanence and Naming Opportunities Major gifts have established permanently named facilities and programs:

William A. Brookshire Military & Veterans Student Center at LSU
William A. Brookshire LSU Military Museum
William A. Brookshire Veterans Law Clinic (multiple locations)
William A. Brookshire ROTC Scholarship
S & B Engineers and Constructors Scholarship

4. Engineering and Technical Education Priority The founder was a chemical engineer, and the family business (S&B Engineers and Constructors) operates in the engineering and construction sector. Grants have prioritized engineering colleges, with one quote noting that 267 UH Cullen College of Engineering students finished their junior and senior years on full scholarships since 2010.

5. Veterans as Co-Equal Priority The foundation has invested heavily in veterans' support infrastructure, not just scholarships. Recent examples include funding the Texas Tech School of Law Veterans Clinic (free legal services) and $200K in additional funding for LSU Law's Veterans Law Clinic. This demonstrates commitment to holistic veteran support beyond tuition assistance.

6. Multi-Year, Escalating Commitments The foundation has shown a pattern of deepening relationships with partner institutions. For example, at Texas Tech, the foundation renewed its commitment in 2025 by doubling scholarship support from 10 to 20 students annually and adding the Brookshire-Quinn Scholarship for Veterans.

7. Family Legacy Preservation The current leadership (Bill Brookshire's daughter Lori Garrison and son J.W. "Brook" Brookshire) is focused on expanding their father's legacy. Programs that honor Bill Brookshire's memory while advancing his values appear to resonate with decision-makers.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

This foundation does not accept unsolicited applications - all grants are made through board-initiated relationships with pre-selected universities
Extremely targeted giving: Only 3 grants totaling $4.415 million in 2023, indicating highly selective, large-scale institutional partnerships
Geographic concentration: Focus on Texas and Louisiana institutions with family connections (LSU, University of Houston, Texas Tech)
Two core priorities only: Working engineering students (30+ hrs/week work+study) and military veterans - programs must align with one or both
Preference for named, permanent programs: Infrastructure investments (student centers, law clinics) and endowed scholarships over short-term support
S&B Engineers connection matters: Children and grandchildren of S&B employees have designated scholarship access; institutions with S&B relationships may have advantage
Multi-million dollar commitments: Recent grants range from $1.6M to $9.575M, suggesting the foundation prefers substantial, transformative partnerships over numerous small grants
Board members champion causes: Dean Quinn's Texas Tech connection facilitated that institution's entry into the foundation's giving portfolio

References

William A Brookshire Foundation - Cause IQ Profile - Accessed December 27, 2025
William A Brookshire Foundation - ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer - Financial data from Form 990-PF, Accessed December 27, 2025
Generous Donation Founds Texas Tech's First Veterans Legal Clinic - Texas Tech Now - April 2024, Accessed December 27, 2025
Gift to Support Working Students in LSU College of Engineering - LSU Media Center - October 2020, Accessed December 27, 2025
$9.575 Million Gift Will Further Elevate LSU Initiatives - LSU Media Center - February 2025, Accessed December 27, 2025
Engineering Students Find Support Under Pressure - Texas Tech Now - July 2025, Accessed December 27, 2025
William A. Brookshire Foundation Scholarship - Greater Houston Community Foundation - Accessed December 27, 2025
Lori B. Garrison - LSU Foundation Board of Directors - Accessed December 27, 2025
LSU Opens William A. Brookshire Military & Veterans Student Center - February 2018, Accessed December 27, 2025
Veterans Law Clinic at LSU Law receives $200K in additional funding - February 2025, Accessed December 27, 2025