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In 2022, his giving came under fire from right-of-center critics when it was discovered that his foundation financially sponsored a drag show event for children in downtown Austin. 2
Background
Charles Butt is the grandson of Florence Butt, the founder of the H-E-B grocery chain. Charles grew up in Texas where his mother, Mary Elizabeth Holdsworth Butt, worked as a teacher and a “lifelong advocate for mental health and social justice.” 1
Charles took over the family business in 1971 and directed it to become a hub of philanthropic activity in the state of Texas. He continued his parents’ policy of spending 5 percent of the company’s pre-tax earnings on charitable giving as well as creating a host of environmentalist, anti-poverty, and education grantmaking initiatives. 1
Philanthropy
Charles Butt founded the Charles Butt Foundation in 2016 and re-incorporated it in 2020. It primarily finances education efforts to improve and advocate for public schooling. 3 4
In an official letter to designate the mission of the Foundation Butt wrote, “We believe public education represents the most promising tool available for achieving equitable opportunities and the best outcomes for the most people.” However, he says the public education system “must adapt and innovate to maximize the return on investment,” which his strategic investments aim to do. 5 Charles Butt Foundation is explicitly committed to the left-of-center concept of equity in its education philanthropy. 6
Much of Charles’ anti-school choice funding efforts are conducted by the Charles Butt Public Education Political Action Committee (PAC), which has reportedly made donations to the campaigns of 22 politicians who oppose school choice. 2 7
Controversies
In July 2022, media outlet Texas Scorecard reported that H-E-B had sponsored an LGBT Pride event in Austin, Texas, that featured a “family friendly” drag show. The “Rainbow on the Creek” event, which occurred in June of that year, invited drag performer group Hydrated Queer Kitties to perform a show self-described as a “family-friendly all ages.” Footage of the event was shared by conservative Twitter user LibsofTikTok, and Texas Scorecard described the footage as depicting “scantily clad performers [dancing] sensually in front of parents and children.” The official website for the event said, “The celebration will include 25+ [activities] by LGBTQIA+ nonprofits and partners, a Queer BIPOC and Latinx artisan & craft market, gender-affirming care & sexual health resources, and many more activities for the whole family.” 2
This outraged conservative commentators, such as the U.S. Pastor Council, which shared the Texas Scorecard article, as well as Blaze Media, which noted the Pride event was also sponsored by tech company Google. 8 9 Texas Scorecard continued to probe Butt’s various philanthropic efforts, discovering that he opposed school choice as well as homeschooling, and wants all children to be educated in public schools. 2