Non-profit

Houston Endowment

Website:

www.houstonendowment.org

Location:

HOUSTON, TX

Tax ID:

74-6013920

Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(3)-PF

Budget (2020):

Assets: $1,408,878,900

Formation:

1937

Type:

Left-Leaning Private Grantmaking Foundation

President:

Ann Stern

Budget (2021):

Revenue: $265,655,014
Expenses: $82,670,209
Assets: $2,683,938,862

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The Houston Endowment was founded in 1937 by Jesse H. Jones and Mary Gibbs Jones as an extension of their personal philanthropy. The organization gives grants to organization throughout the greater Houston area. 1 Today, the endowment gives approximately $80,000,000 each year to organizations including some left-wing immigration and environmental groups. 2 It also runs a scholarship program in partnership with the University of Texas at El Paso. 3

Support of Left-Wing Policy

Immigration Policy

The Houston Endowment has taken liberal stances on immigration policy and has worked with other groups to support their left-wing views. In 2013, the Houston Endowment helped to form the in the Houston Immigration Legal Services Collaborative (HILSC) which provides services to illegal immigrants. 4 One such service is the Immigrant Rights Hotline, which the Houston Endowment highlights on its website. 5 The hotline is a project supported by various left-wing groups including the ACLU of Texas and United We Dream. 6 HILSC encourages illegal immigrants to apply for Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) and DACA. 7

From 2016 to 2017 the Houston Endowment provides $875,000 in funding to the HILSC. 8

In 2017, the Houston Endowment signed onto a letter from Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees (GCIR) opposing the end of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program,9 an Obama administration policy granting legal status to certain illegal immigrants which critics claim exceeded Presidential authority. 10 Other left-wing groups that signed the letter include the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, Crossroads Fund, Hispanics in Philanthropy, and Liberty Hill Foundation. 11 In 2018, the Houston Endowment signed onto another GCIR letter opposing the Trump Administration’s zero-tolerance policy at the border, which liberal organizations such as the Ford Foundation, NEO Philanthropy, and The James Irvine Foundation signed as well. 12 The Houston Endowment also co-sponsored a 2018 GCIR trip that focused on how illegal immigrants were being affected by increased immigration enforcement and the administration’s rollback of the DACA and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) programs. 13

In 2018, the Houston Endowment cosponsored an event hosted by the Migration Policy Institute. 14 The event featured speakers from left-of-center groups Mi Familia Vota, Council on American-Islamic Relations Texas, and United We Dream. The speakers focused on how ending DACA and TPS would affect illegal immigrants. 15

In July 2023, the Houston Endowment gave a $2.13 million grant to left-of-center pressure group  to assist the NPNA’s Cities and Counties for Citizenship (CC4C) initiative to help immigrants within Houston, TX acclimate to the national economy and democratic society. 16

In September 2023, the Houston Endowment partnered with several nonprofits and local activist groups in an effort to assist over 300,000 immigrants in the Houston region to apply for U.S Citizenship. Other groups that had joined the effort include the National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA), the Houston Immigration Legal Services Collaborative as well as both the city of Houston and Harris County. 17 As part of this effort, the Houston Endowment awarded the NPNA a grant of more than $2.1 million. In a statement, the NPNA indicated that these funds would enable it to accelerate citizenship proceedings for various groups of non-citizens, including alleged refugees, in the Houston area, and also to shape public opinion in a more pro-immigration direction. In response, Houston Endowment president Ann Stern praised the work of the NPNA and celebrated the fact that “nearly one in three people” in the United States is now “foreign born,” calling for the removal of alleged “barriers” preventing foreigners from acquiring citizenship. 18 19

Environmental Policy

The Houston Endowment helped to find the One Breath Partnership (OBP). 20 The OBP pushes left-wing environmental policies such as higher fuel efficiency standards, increased federal intervention in local environmental issues, and opposition to the Trump administration’s push to reduce the burden of environmental regulations on businesses. 21 22 23 The OBP gained national attention in the wake of Hurricane Harvey for its focus on how Harvey affected air pollution in Houston.

A notable left-wing partner of the Houston Foundation is the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). In 2016, the Houston Endowment gave $1,620,000 to the EDF for a public awareness campaign. 24 The campaign was also supported by left-of-center groups Environmental Integrity Project, Environment Texas, and Public Citizen. 25

Activist Journalism

In 2023, the Houston Endowment provided initial funding for Houston Landing, a news and commentary site designed with left-wing race ideology at its core: in an interview, the publication’s chief executive officer Peter Bhatia indicated that he would be hiring staff explicitly on the basis of race, with a preference for non-white people. Other backers of Houston Landing at its launch included the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the American Journalism Project, and several other left-of-center grantmaking organizations. 26

Democratic Party Connections

Lina Hidalgo (D) was sworn into office as Harris County Judge January 1, 2019. 27 One of her first actions in office was to announce a major community engagement program supported by the Houston Endowment and left-of-center Ford Foundation. 28

During the 2018 election, the Democratic candidate for Texas’s 2nd Congressional District was Todd Litton, a former employee of the Houston Endowment. 29

Leadership

Joseph Dilg is the chair of the Houston Endowment board. He is a retired investment banking executive and lawyer. In addition to his left-of-center philanthropy work, Dilg is a trustee of a private school in Houston, a member of the Houston Parks Board, and a former board member with the National Business Committee for the Arts. Dilg attended Southern Methodist University and the University of Texas. 30

Ann Stern is the president and chief executive officer of the Houston Endowment. She previously worked in private legal practice and taught law. Stern holds advisory positions with educational and nonprofit organizations across the state of Texas. She also previously sat on the board of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. Stern attended the University of Texas at Austin. 31

Benjamin Chou is the program officer for civic engagement at the Houston Endowment. He was previously a senior advisor to the Harris County, Texas Elections Department, where he led an initiative to introduce drive-through voting during the 2020 election cycle. He has also been a staffer for a number of Democratic Party politicians, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley (D). In addition, Chou is the co-founder of VoteSimple, a mobilization initiative for racial and sexual minority populations. Chou attended Rice University and Northwestern University. 32

Financials

In recent years, the Houston Endowment has generated most of its revenue by selling off its assets. In 2020, the organization brought in an income of just over $117 million, with more than $88 million of this sum coming from asset sales. The following year, the organization accelerated this process, earning a total of more than $265 million. Throughout 2021, the Houston Endowment distributed more than $91 million in grants and donations, and the organization ended the year with net assets totaling just under $2.6 billion. 33

References

  1. “Overview.” Houston Endowment. Accessed January 07, 2019. http://web.houstonendowment.org/About/About.aspx.
  2. “About.” Houston Endowment. Accessed January 07, 2019. https://www.houstonendowment.org/about/.
  3. “Houston Endowment.” UTEP. Accessed November 20, 2023. https://www.utep.edu/student-affairs/student-fellowships-awards/fellowships/houston-endowment.html
  4. “Houston Immigration Legal Services Collaborative.” Houston Endowment. July 03, 2018. Accessed January 07, 2019. https://www.houstonendowment.org/feature/houston-immigration-legal-services-collaborative/.
  5. “Houston Immigration Legal Services Collaborative.” Houston Endowment. July 03, 2018. Accessed January 07, 2019. https://www.houstonendowment.org/feature/houston-immigration-legal-services-collaborative/.
  6. “Immigrant Rights Hotline.” Houston Immigration Legal Services Collaborative. Accessed January 07, 2019. https://www.houstonimmigration.org/hotline/.
  7. “Houston Immigration Legal Services Collaborative.” Citizenship Corner. Accessed January 07, 2019. http://citizenshipcorner.org/join-the-collaborative/.
  8. “Houston Immigration Legal Services Collaborative.” Houston Endowment. July 03, 2018. Accessed January 07, 2019. https://www.houstonendowment.org/feature/houston-immigration-legal-services-collaborative/.
  9. “Delivering on the Dream: Joint Statement on the Cancellation of DACA.” GCIR | Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrant Refugees. October 09, 2018. Accessed January 10, 2019. https://www.gcir.org/news/delivering-dream-joint-statement-cancellation-daca.
  10. Cooke, Charles C. W. “Fight the Power Grab.” National Review. November 18, 2014. Accessed January 10, 2019. https://www.nationalreview.com/2014/11/fight-power-grab-charles-c-w-cooke/.
  11. “Delivering on the Dream: Joint Statement on the Cancellation of DACA.” GCIR | Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrant Refugees. October 09, 2018. Accessed January 10, 2019. https://www.gcir.org/news/delivering-dream-joint-statement-cancellation-daca.
  12. “Philanthropy Responds to Inhumane Family Separation and Detention Policies.” Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees. June 13, 2018. Accessed January 05, 2019. https://www.gcir.org/news/philanthropy-responds-inhumane-family-separation-and-detention-policies.
  13. “Empowering Houston’s Immigrant Families: How To Make A Philanthropic Impact.” Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees. Accessed January 07, 2019. https://www.gcir.org/programs/empowering-houston-s-immigrant-families-how-make-philanthropic-impact.
  14. “The Real Story: Future Outlook for Greater Houston Region Immigrants.” Houston Immigration Legal Services Collaborative. September 20, 2018. Accessed January 07, 2019. https://www.houstonimmigration.org/events/the-real-story-future-outlook-for-greater-houston-region-immigrants/.
  15. “The Real Story: Future Outlook for Greater Houston Region Immigrants.” Houston Immigration Legal Services Collaborative. September 20, 2018. Accessed January 07, 2019. https://www.houstonimmigration.org/events/the-real-story-future-outlook-for-greater-houston-region-immigrants/.
  16. “Houston Endowment Grant Strengthens Naturalization in Greater Houston.” Houston Endowment, July 5, 2023. https://www.houstonendowment.org/announcements/houston-endowment-investment-aims-to-increase-naturalization-in-greater-houston/
  17. “City, County, and Community Partners Launch Naturalize Now, Houston!” Houston Endowment, September 19, 2023. https://www.houstonendowment.org/announcements/naturalize-now-houston/
  18. “Houston Endowment Inc.” ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer. Accessed November 20, 2023. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/746013920
  19. “Houston Endowment Grant Strengthens Naturalization in Greater Houston.” Houston Endowment, July 5, 2023. Accessed December 16, 2023. https://www.houstonendowment.org/announcements/houston-endowment-investment-aims-to-increase-naturalization-in-greater-houston/
  20. “One Breath Partnership.” Houston Endowment. July 03, 2018. Accessed January 07, 2019. https://www.houstonendowment.org/feature/one-breath-partnership/.
  21. Pelton, Tom. “Rollback of Fuel Standards Greenlights More Air Pollution.” One Breath Partnership. Accessed January 05, 2019. https://www.onebreathhou.org/rollback_of_fuel_standards_greenlights_more_air_pollution.
  22. Tresaugue, Matt. “Houston Needs EPA’s Help to End Smog Problem.” One Breath Partnership. Accessed January 05, 2019. https://www.onebreathhou.org/houston_needs_epa_s_help_to_end_smog_problem.
  23. Tresaugue, Matt. “Pruitt’s New Toxic Loophole.” One Breath Partnership. Accessed January 05, 2019. https://www.onebreathhou.org/the_epa_s_new_toxic_loophole.
  24. “One Breath Partnership.” Houston Endowment. July 03, 2018. Accessed January 07, 2019. https://www.houstonendowment.org/feature/one-breath-partnership/.
  25. “Improving Greater Houston’s Air Quality.” Houston Endowment. December 16, 2016. Accessed January 07, 2019. https://www.houstonendowment.org/feature/environmental-collaborative/.
  26. Gretchen A. Peck. “Houston Landing practices people-centered journalism.” Editor & Publisher. September 27, 2023. Accessed November 20, 2023. https://www.editorandpublisher.com/stories/houston-landing-practices-people-centered-journalism,245870
  27. Despart, Zach. “Lina Hidalgo Sworn in as Harris County Judge.” Houston Chronicle. January 02, 2019. Accessed January 05, 2019. https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Hidalgo-sworn-in-as-Harris-County-judge-13501665.php?utm_campaign=twitter-premium&utm_source=CMS Sharing Button&utm_medium=social.
  28. Despart, Zach. “Lina Hidalgo Sworn in as Harris County Judge.” Houston Chronicle. January 02, 2019. Accessed January 05, 2019. https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Hidalgo-sworn-in-as-Harris-County-judge-13501665.php?utm_campaign=twitter-premium&utm_source=CMS Sharing Button&utm_medium=social.
  29. The Editorial Board. “For the 2nd Congressional District: Todd Litton.” HoustonChronicle.com. October 18, 2018. Accessed January 05, 2019. https://www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/recommendations/article/2nd-House-District-Todd-Litton-Dan-Crenshaw-2018-13309238.php.
  30. “Our People.” Houston Endowment. Accessed November 20, 2023. https://www.houstonendowment.org/about/people/
  31. “Our People.” Houston Endowment. Accessed November 20, 2023. https://www.houstonendowment.org/about/people/
  32. Our People.” Houston Endowment. Accessed November 20, 2023. https://www.houstonendowment.org/about/people/
  33. “Houston Endowment Inc.” ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer. Accessed November 20, 2023. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/746013920
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Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: December - November
  • Tax Exemption Received: March 1, 1938

  • Available Filings

    Period Form Type Total revenue Total functional expenses Total assets (EOY) Total liabilities (EOY) Unrelated business income? Total contributions Program service revenue Investment income Comp. of current officers, directors, etc. Form 990
    2020 Dec Form PF $0 $0 $1,408,878,900 $25,274,786 $0 $0 $0 $0
    2019 Dec Form PF $0 $0 $1,397,845,786 $299,826 $0 $0 $0 $0
    2015 Dec Form PF $0 $0 $1,397,217,239 $244,792 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2014 Dec Form PF $0 $0 $1,413,325,284 $233,398 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2013 Dec Form PF $0 $0 $1,387,908,576 $218,744 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2012 Dec Form PF $0 $0 $1,380,175,571 $191,070 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2011 Dec Form PF $0 $0 $1,362,265,554 $232,274 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF

    Additional Filings (PDFs)

    Houston Endowment

    3683 Willia Street
    HOUSTON, TX