Beaumont Foundation of America
/OVERVIEW: The Beaumont Foundation of America funds education, youth, health and social services programs throughout Texas and in select regions throughout the United States.
IP TAKE: More than half of this foundation’s grants are directed towards organizations operating in Texas. This funder works exclusively with preselected organizations. This is not an easy nut to crack since it limits grantmaking geographically. This is predominantly a regional funder.
PROFILE: The Beaumont Foundation of America, based in Beaumont, Texas, was established in 2001, when Texas attorney Wayne A. Reaud directed unclaimed funds from a class action lawsuit against the Toshiba Corporation to a charitable foundation aimed at bringing technology to underprivileged Americans. Since its founding, the foundation has broadened its purpose to include “enriching the lives and enhancing the futures of less fortunate children and youth, families and the elderly with a focus on improving education, health care and social services.” Its stated funding initiatives are children and youth, education, healthcare, social services and children and spouses of fallen heroes. The foundation also runs scholarship and teacher award programs.
Grants for K-12 Education and College Readiness
The Beaumont Foundation supports education through both its children and youth and education initiatives. The education program aims to increase access to higher education through a three-pronged strategy consisting of endowments for scholarships, expanding access to college preparatory classes for disadvantaged students, and leadership development and training for teachers. Past grantees include Lutheran Social Services of the South, Clothes for Foster Children and All Saints Episcopal School of Beaumont, Texas.
The foundation’s children and youth program partners with organizations that work toward improving the lives of vulnerable and underprivileged children who have experienced “abandonment, disruption, insecurity, loneliness, neglect, abuse, danger and fear” or have “disabilities or diseases that may prevent them from fitting in at school or participating in activities.”
Grants for Public Health
The Beaumont Foundation supports programs related to public health through both its healthcare and social services program areas. The foundation’s healthcare grants aim to “eliminate health disparities and increase the quality and years of healthy life for all persons.” It funds programs that increase access to quality healthcare for underserved populations and satisfy “unmet health care needs.” Its two main grantees in this area are the Huntsman Cancer Institute in Salt Lake City and the Interfaith Community Clinic in Oak Ridge North, Texas.
The foundation’s grants for social services support a wide range of programs that serve working families with “children, senior citizens, and individuals with special needs.” It funds basic needs services such as “food, clothing, shelter and other direct aid” as well as special programs for seniors living independently and disadvantaged children. Grantees include food banks throughout Texas, as well as Caritas of Waco, Catholic Charities of Southeast Texas, and Montgomery County Women’s Center.
Grants for Military and Veterans
The Beaumont Foundation does not make a large number of grants in this funding area but gives laptop computers to the surviving spouses and children of fallen veterans who served in Iraq or Afghanistan “since September 11, 2001.”
Important Grant Details:
Grants range from $25,000 to over $1 million. Grantees may review the foundation’s annual reports for more information on its grantmaking habits. While the foundation awards the majority of its grants to organizations based in Texas, it sometimes funds select efforts in other states.
The Beaumont Foundation works exclusively with preselected partner organizations and does not accept unsolicited proposals or letters of interest.
PEOPLE:
Search for staff contact info and bios in PeopleFinder (paid subscribers only).
LINKS:
