Brown Foundation, Inc
Contact information:
2217 Welch Ave.
Houston, TX 77019-5617
Phone: 713-523-6867
Fax: 713-523-2917
Email: bfi@brownfoundation.org
Website: http://www.brownfoundation.org/
Type of foundation: Independent
Types of grants: Annual, capital, curriculum development, general/operating support, matching/challenge support, program, research, scholarships.
Description: Incorporated in 1951, the Foundation was created by Herman and Margarett Root Brown and George R. and Alice Pratt Brown. When he died in 1962, Herman Brown, president of Brown & Root, Inc., bequeathed the bulk of his estate to the Foundation. George R. Brown subsequently assumed the presidency of Brown & Root, Inc., one of the world's largest construction and engineering firms. Mr. Brown, who graduated from the Colorado School of Mines, achieved international prominence as an engineering contractor, industrialist and philanthropist. He was also director emeritus of ITT and former chairman of the board of trustees of Rice University. He was president and trustee of the Foundation until his death in 1983.
Support is principally for education, the arts and community service. The projects selected for funding most likely will have the potential for long-lasting significant impact in the community. The Foundation's current emphasis is in the field of public education at the primary and secondary levels. It focuses on finding and supporting innovative approaches designed to improve public education primarily within the state of Texas. Other areas of interest continue to be the visual and performing arts and also include community service projects serving children and youth, especially in the Houston area.
Sample grants:
- $175,000 to Parents Television Council, Los Angeles, CA for program support (2006).
- $100,000 to Alamo Public Telecommunications Council, San Antonio, TX for KLRN's Campaign to Connect the Vision (2003).
- $62,500 to Southwest Alternate Media Project, Houston, TX for Camp Logan: Buffalo Soldiers Mutiny, Houston 1917 (2007).
- $50,000 to Capital of Texas Public Telecommunications Council, Austin, TX for The Missions of Texas and the Southwest (2003).
- $50,000 to Association for Community Broadcasting, Houston, TX for Houston PBS operating funds (2007).
Fit for public broadcasting: The Foundation recognizes the importance of public media by supporting local broadcast outlets. The Foundation has made 34 grants for public media projects over the past seven years, totaling more than $1.17 million.
Eligibility: Giving primarily in TX, with emphasis on Houston. No support for political organizations, private foundations or religious organizations for religious purposes.
No grants to individuals, or for operating deficits, debt retirement, testimonial dinners, marketing or fundraising events. No loans.
Deadline(s): None
How to apply: Grant proposal guidelines and application form are available online. The Foundation will consider one grant proposal per 12-month period from an organization. Application form required. Proposals should be submitted a minimum of four months before funds are needed. As part of the application process, the Foundation wants to know the percentage of directors who have contributed and the total combined amount of their contributions. Do not send audio or video materials.
Giving range: The average gift for arts/media projects is approximately $35,000. The Foundation has made gifts as high as $10 million.
Assets: $835,745,616 (2009)
Total giving: $48,952,020 (2009)
View 2009 Annual Report [PDF].
