Texas Essential Healthcare Partnerships Foundation

Annual Giving
$419.0M
000

Texas Essential Healthcare Partnerships Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $419,015,278 (2023)
  • Number of Grants: 105 awards (2023)
  • Average Grant Size: Approximately $3.99 million
  • Geographic Focus: Texas (statewide)
  • Total Assets: $37.7 million (2023)
  • Application Method: No public application process

Contact Details

Address: 401 W 15th St, Suite 840, Austin, TX 78701-1667

Related Organization: Texas Essential Healthcare Partnerships (TEHP)

Overview

The Texas Essential Healthcare Partnerships Foundation (EIN: 83-3382093) is a 501(c)(3) public charity established in 2020 to support medical care for medically indigent populations across Texas. The foundation has experienced rapid growth, scaling from approximately $70 million in revenue (2019) to $443 million (2023). With $419 million distributed in grants to 105 hospitals in 2023, the foundation plays a critical role in supporting Texas's healthcare safety net system. The foundation operates exclusively through contributions it receives, which it then redistributes to eligible hospitals. Its charitable purpose is to increase the amount of Medicaid funding available to support medical care for medically indigent populations in various Texas counties. The foundation operates with zero debt and maintains a volunteer board structure with no paid staff.

Funding Priorities

Grant Recipients

The foundation makes grants exclusively to hospitals located in Texas. Selected grantees generally fall into two categories:

  1. LPPF-Participating Hospitals: Hospitals that either participate in a Local Provider Participation Fund (LPPF) or are members of a health system in which at least one hospital participates in an LPPF
  2. Rural Hospitals: Rural hospitals that may experience budgetary shortfalls as a result of providing medical care to medically indigent populations in rural areas

What They Fund

  • Support for provision of medical care for medically indigent patients
  • Hospitals participating in Local Provider Participation Funds
  • Rural hospitals serving low-income populations
  • Healthcare systems supporting the Texas Medicaid safety net

What They Don't Fund

  • Non-hospital organizations
  • Hospitals outside of Texas
  • Individual patient assistance
  • Capital campaigns or building projects (not documented as funded)
  • Research or educational programs (not documented as funded)

Governance and Leadership

The foundation operates with a volunteer board of directors. According to 2023 Form 990 filings, leadership includes:

  • Donald Lee, President
  • William Galinsky, Director/Chair
  • Merrick Morgan, Director/Treasurer
  • Geronimo Rodriguez, Director/Secretary

The foundation has 15+ board members listed in its filings. Notably, all officers and directors report zero compensation, indicating a fully volunteer governance structure. This allows the organization to operate with minimal overhead, directing the vast majority of its revenue directly to hospital grants.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. The foundation appears to operate through a discretionary grantmaking model where eligible hospitals are identified and selected by the board of trustees based on specific eligibility criteria related to LPPF participation or rural hospital status serving medically indigent populations.

Grants are distributed to hospitals that meet the foundation's eligibility requirements, which are tied to participation in Texas's Local Provider Participation Fund system or rural hospital designation. The foundation's grantmaking is closely aligned with Texas's Medicaid funding mechanisms and healthcare safety net infrastructure.

Eligibility Determination

Hospitals are selected based on:

  • Participation in a Local Provider Participation Fund (LPPF) in their jurisdiction, OR being part of a health system where at least one hospital participates in an LPPF
  • Status as a rural hospital experiencing budgetary shortfalls from serving medically indigent populations
  • Location within the state of Texas

Decision Timeline

The foundation operates on an ongoing basis throughout the year. Based on Form 990 filings, the organization distributes grants consistently:

  • 2023: 105 awards
  • 2022: 91 awards
  • 2021: 73 awards
  • 2020: 68 awards

This demonstrates steady growth in the number of hospital recipients.

Application Success Factors

Since this foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, the key factors for hospitals to benefit from this funding source are:

  1. LPPF Participation: The most direct path to eligibility is participation in a Local Provider Participation Fund. LPPFs are health-care related taxes implemented at the local level and designed to meet federal requirements for Medicaid matching funds.

  2. Rural Hospital Status: Rural hospitals serving medically indigent populations may qualify even without LPPF participation if they can demonstrate budgetary shortfalls related to providing care for this population.

  3. Health System Affiliation: Hospitals that are members of a health system where at least one hospital participates in an LPPF may also be eligible for foundation support.

  4. Service to Medically Indigent: The foundation's core mission is supporting care for medically indigent patients, so documentation of service to this population is essential.

  5. Geographic Location: Only hospitals located within Texas are eligible for grants.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No public application process exists - this foundation operates through discretionary grantmaking to eligible hospitals based on LPPF participation or rural hospital status
  • Focus is entirely on hospitals - non-hospital healthcare organizations are not eligible
  • LPPF participation is the primary pathway - hospitals should explore participating in Local Provider Participation Funds in their jurisdictions to become eligible
  • Significant grant amounts available - with an average grant of nearly $4 million, this represents substantial funding for eligible hospitals
  • Rapid growth trajectory - the foundation has grown from 68 awards (2020) to 105 awards (2023), indicating expanding reach
  • Medicaid-focused mission - the foundation's purpose is to increase Medicaid funding for medically indigent populations, so alignment with this mission is critical
  • Relationship with TEHP - the foundation is connected to Texas Essential Healthcare Partnerships, an advocacy organization for healthcare safety net policies; hospitals engaged with TEHP may have better visibility

References