The Moody Foundation is one of the largest private foundations in Texas. Based in Galveston, the foundation supports organizations and causes in the Lone Star State and has several internal programs including the Moody Scholarship Program and Generation Moody Education Initiative.

Projects

The Moody Foundation, one of the largest private foundations in Texas, ¹ has awarded more than 4,900 grants to organizations involved in the arts, education, health, and the environment. ²

The organization has several projects including the Generation Moody Education Initiative, where a recent grant funded dual course enrollment for high school students at Galveston College. Other focus areas include literacy programs as well as professional development for educators. The program has awarded more than $28 million in grants since 2018. ³

The Moody Gardens complex, created to increase Galveston’s year-round tourism industry, claims to generate annual revenue in excess of $36 million. The complex consists of a hotel and convention center, a 3-D IMAX theater, an aquarium, and a one-acre rainforest environment, among other attractions. The Gardens also encompasses an environmental education program used by educators in the area. ⁴

The Moody Neurorehabilitation Institute, formerly known as the Transitional Learning Center, is a rehabilitation and research center. The Institute offers rehabilitation services to individuals suffering from traumatic brain injuries as well as providing various research opportunities for scientists. Research fields include internal medicine, physical therapy, and neurology. ⁵

The Moody Foundation also runs the Moody Scholarship Program, a program providing financial assistance to high school students seeking an undergraduate degree in Texas. The program has awarded financial assistance to more than 6,000 students, many of whom would not be able to attend college without financial assistance. ⁶

Finances

The organization’s tax returns for 2020 reported total revenue that exceeded $110 million while total expenses were over $88 million, more than $80 million of which went toward awarding grants. ⁷ In 2020, the organization distributed several rounds of COVID-19 relief grants in response to the global pandemic, awarding more than $15 million in COVID-19 relief to nonprofits in Texas. ⁸ Some of the largest grants awarded in 2020 included $300,000 to the American National Red Cross for COVID-19 relief, $750,000 to Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center for a psychology Ph.D. internship program, $949,578 to the Highland Park ISD Education Fund, $1 million to the Houston Independent School District for COVID-19 relief, $600,000 to North Texas Food Bank for COVID-19 relief, $3.2 million to Pease Park Conservancy for general support, and $20 million to Southern Methodist University for the Moody School of Graduate and Advanced Studies. ⁹

Leadership

Frances “Francie” Moody-Dahlberg is the chairman and executive director of the Moody Foundation and has served as the executive director since 1998. She is a trustee of her alma mater, Southern Methodist University. Moody-Dahlberg also sits on the boards of the AT&T Performing Arts Center, Meadows School of the Arts, Moody Endowment, Simmons School of Education, and the Transitional Learning Center. ¹⁰

Ross Moody is the organization’s vice chair, originally working at the foundation as a trustee beginning in 1986. He is also the CEO of National Western Life Group. He sits on the boards of the American National Insurance Company, Moody College of Communication, Moody Endowment, and the Transitional Learning Center. Moody graduated with an undergraduate degree in business administration from the University of Texas and a master’s in business administration from Harvard University. ¹¹

1. “The Moody Family Story.” Moody College of Communication. Accessed May 21, 2022. https://moody.utexas.edu/about/moody-family-story.
2. “Home.” Moody Foundation, May 3, 2022. https://moodyf.org/.
3. ^[1] “Foundation Initiated Projects.” Moody Foundation, January 26, 2022. https://moodyf.org/foundation-projects/.
4. “Foundation Initiated Projects.” Moody Foundation, January 26, 2022. https://moodyf.org/foundation-projects/.
5. “Foundation Initiated Projects.” Moody Foundation, January 26, 2022. https://moodyf.org/foundation-projects/.
6. “Moody Scholars.” Moody Foundation, May 20, 2022. https://moodyf.org/moody-scholars/.
7. Moody Foundation, Return of a Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2020.
8. Reflecting on a Year of Resilience and Adaptation.” Moody Foundation. December 21, 2020. https://moodyf.org/reflecting-on-a-year-of-resilience-and-adaptation/.
9. Moody Foundation, Return of a Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2020.
10. “Frances Moody-Dahlberg.” Moody Foundation. November 29, 2018. https://moodyf.org/francis-moody-dahlberg/.
11. “Ross R. Moody.” Moody Foundation. March 5, 2020. https://moodyf.org/ross-r-moody/.