Woodforest Charitable Foundation
/OVERVIEW: The Woodforest Charitable Foundation’s primary focus is hunger, and more than half of its grants go to food banks and depositories in the 17 states served by its parent banking company. Other areas of interest include homelessness, public health, mental health and violence prevention.
IP TAKE: The Woodforest Charitable Foundation prioritizes organizations working with low-income families, the uninsured, at-risk youth and veterans. Christian organizations number significantly among its grantees.
This funder takes a proactive grantmaking approach; it is not accessible. Organizations that feel they may be a good match for Woodforest may explore the foundation’s website and reach out via email or telephone with general inquiries, but it is not always responsive.
PROFILE: The Woodforest Charitable Foundation was established in 2005 by Woodforest National Bank, headquartered in Woodlands, Texas. The foundation’s primary focus is the alleviation of childhood hunger, but it also runs grantmaking programs for housing, health and “family support,” which includes support for homeless shelters, abuse intervention, programs for at-risk youth and “support for the mentally challenged.” Grantmaking serves the specific regions in 17 states served by the foundation’s parent banking company.
Grants for Food Systems, Nutrition and Hunger
The alleviation and prevention of childhood hunger is the primary focus of the Woodforest Charitable Foundation. The foundation has provided ongoing support to Feeding America’s Backpack Program, which provides free and/or reduced-price meals to more than 22 million students across the U.S. Other past grantees include the Foodbank of Northeast Louisiana, Florida’s Suncoast Harvest Foodbank, the Greater Pittsburgh Community Foodbank, the Greater Chicago Food Depository and others.
Grants for Housing and Homelessness
The Woodforest Charitable Foundation “provides funding to organizations whose mission it is to provide decent housing to the working poor and disabled veterans.” The foundation has maintained ongoing partnerships with Habitat for Humanity and Helping a Hero. Other housing grantees include the Foundry Rescue Mission and Recovery Center of Alabama, Family Promise of Greater Indianapolis, the Interfaith Hospitality Center of Greater Cincinnati and Texas’s Foundation for the Homeless
Grants for Public Health
Public health is a smaller area of grantmaking for the Woodforest Charitable Foundation. Giving in this area prioritizes “nonprofit agencies that strive to improve healthcare for low-income families and individuals who are uninsured or under-insured.” Past grantees include chapters of the Children’s Miracle Network, TOMAGWA Healthcare of Texas and the American Cancer Society.
Grants for Mental Health
The Woodforest Charitable Foundation names mental health as an area of focus of its “family support” funding initiative. Recent grants for mental health have supported organizations serving at-risk youth, victims of physical and psychological abuse and veterans. It is worth noting that the foundation’s grantees in this area include several faith-based organizations. Past grantees include the National Alliance on Mental Health, the Crisis Assistance Center of Texas, Lutheran Social Services of Florida and Shepherd’s Staff Ministries of Georgia.
Grants for Violence Prevention
Woodforest’s grantmaking for violence prevention has tapered off in recent years as the foundation has shifted its focus to hunger alleviation. A few grants have gone to shelters and agencies serving women and children who are victims of abuse. Grantees include Children’s Safe Harbor of Texas, the Houston Area Women’s Center and Palmetto Place Children’s Emergency Shelter in South Carolina.
Important Grant Details:
The Woodforest Charitable Foundation made about $2 million in grants in a recent year. Grants are generally awarded in amounts up to $50,000, with an average grant size of about $7,500. Most of Woodcock’s grants go to food banks, local social service agencies and faith-based organizations, but the foundation does maintain ongoing relationships with a few national organizations, including Feeding America and Habitat for Humanity. For additional information about past grantmaking, see the foundation’s gifts page.
This funder preselects the organizations to which it awards grants and does not accept applications for funding. The names of the foundation’s staff and board members are available at the foundation’s website. General inquiries may be made to the foundation via email or telephone at 832-375-2273.
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