Charles Butt Foundation
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.
Key takeaways
- The Charles Butt Foundation funds education and community partnership work in Texas, giving priority to the Greater San Antonio area, across themes such as teacher development, school leadership, early childhood education, workforce development, informed communities and digital inclusion.
- It operates by invitation only and does not accept unsolicited requests, so a speculative application is not the route in; organisations should wait for an invitation rather than apply cold.
- Most grants are modest in scale: about eight in ten of its 276 grants fall between $1,000 and $200,000, and half were $50,000 or less, so a request in that range is realistic, though it has occasionally made much larger grants, up to $3,000,000.
- Giving looks relationship-led rather than open-competition, since 82% of its grant dollars went to organisations it had already funded, so new partners should expect that trust and connections build over time.
- Given the invitation-only process, the most useful preparation is to understand its priority themes and geography well and to be ready if an invitation arises, rather than to submit a formal unsolicited proposal.
Overview
Charles Butt Foundation is a US private foundation based in San Antonio, 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 Charles Butt Foundation pursues a more equitable and prosperous future for Texans through education and community partnerships. Its statewide programmes address persistent, system-level challenges by piloting research-informed solutions that can be scaled and sustained beyond philanthropic investment, including work to strengthen teacher preparation and school leadership. Regionally, it provides seed funding and grants to causes and organisations addressing Texas community challenges, including early-childhood education, workforce development, informed communities and the digital divide. Its approach is collaborative and asset-based: it works deeply with communities on capacity-building, draws on research and the lived experiences of people directly affected, and develops targeted strategies with partners. It seeks scalable, sustainable structures that continue beyond its partnerships, with statewide programmes designed to address historic educational inequities, especially for students of colour and those from low-income families.
Themes
- Teacher development
- School leadership
- Early childhood education
- Workforce development
- Informed communities
- Digital inclusion
Geographic Focus
Priority: Texas; Greater San Antonio area.
How to apply
Grant applications are accepted on an invitation-only basis.
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 276 grants to organisations were $50,000 or less.
What the foundation says:
- It favours initiatives with the greatest potential to improve the lives of local children and families, schools, and the overall community.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
1 other state: <1%
- The largest single recipient received 12% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 82% of grant dollars went to organisations Charles Butt Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- 2% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 79 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $50,000 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Texas A&M San Antonio Foundation · Educare initiative$650,0002024 tax year
- University Of Texas - Austin · Scholarships$468,0002024 tax year
- Texas Tech University · Scholarships$406,0002024 tax year
- Texas A&M - San Antonio · Early matters$300,0002024 tax year
- SA Talent · Sa works$300,0002024 tax year
- Alamo Colleges Foundation · Alamopromise: partnering to end poverty$300,0002024 tax year
- Sam Houston State University · Scholarships$283,0002024 tax year
- Texas A&M - College Station · Scholarships$252,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Christy Banazek — CEO of Board (Effective 01/24)
- Charles H Clines - See STMT 14 — CEO (Until 01/24), Treasurer, Director
- Charles C Butt - See STMT 14 — Chairman, Director, Member
- Sarah Elizondo — Director
- Georgina Podjenski — Director
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $20,545,653 | $8,409,276 | $11,068,686 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $20,874,798 | $10,212,536 | $1,424,547 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $16,376,879 | $7,135,477 | $2,522,749 | 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 Charles Butt Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- aldiaz@charlesbuttfdn.org
- San Antonio, TX
- charlesbuttfdn.org
Applying to Charles Butt Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- aldiaz@charlesbuttfdn.org
- San Antonio, TX
- charlesbuttfdn.org