In early July, relentless storms swept across Central Texas, unleashing catastrophic flooding that submerged small towns, overwhelmed infrastructure, ripped through Camp Mystic — a girls’ summer camp — and left more than 130 people dead. Sometimes dubbed “Flash Flood Alley,” this part of the country is no stranger to major flooding, but this particular event won’t soon be forgotten.
As Texas contends with the scale of the devastation, philanthropy is stepping in. From national funders activating emergency response grants to local foundations pivoting toward rapid relief, a wide range of organizations are moving swiftly — with relief efforts topping $29 million as of July 11, according to Philanthropy News Digest. Beyond institutional philanthropy, GoFundMe reported that its users had raised some $5 million as of July 9 for victims of the floods.
Both of those totals will grow in the days and weeks ahead, as will the overall list of funders stepping up. Here’s a look at how some key funders across a range of sectors are showing up so far in the wake of the 2025 Texas floods. It remains to be seen how this event — and others like it sure to follow — will affect philanthropy’s response, not just to disasters, but to the growing climate crises facing front-line communities.
H‑E‑B and the Butt Family
The billionaire Butt family owns Texas-based grocery chain H-E-B, which boasts over 400 locations in Texas and Mexico. The Butt family, H-E-B, and the H.E. Butt Foundation recently pledged $5 million to support Texas flood recovery efforts. Of the total, $2 million will go to the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country’s Kerr County Flood Relief Fund, a key destination for philanthropic commitments following the floods, which supports rescue, relief and recovery organizations in the cities of Hunt, Ingram, Kerrville, Center Point and Comfort.
The Butt family’s net worth stood at nearly $20 billion in 2024, per Forbes. The H. E. Butt Foundation has a long tradition of working in the Texas Hill Country, and runs several programs including a youth camp that partners with local churches and schools.
Wells Fargo Foundation
A range of corporations have stepped in with early support, including financial giants like Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase, as well as Walmart, Ford Motor Company, Humana and Live Nation, among others. Likewise, the Wells Fargo Foundation is donating $1 million for immediate relief and longer-term recovery efforts. Its funding will support the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country’s Kerr County Relief Fund, Texas Search and Rescue (TEXSAR), Austin Disaster Relief Network, and LiftFund. The company is also providing philanthropic support to Team Rubicon and the American Red Cross.
The Wells Fargo Foundation, the financial services company’s philanthropic arm, generally focuses on affordable housing, economic opportunity, small business development and initiatives. “Amidst the devastation, we hope local communities, our employees and customers know they are not alone as they face the days and months ahead,” said Darlene Goins, head of philanthropy and community impact at Wells Fargo.
Hearst Foundations
The Hearst Foundations have announced two emergency grants of $500,000 each to support relief efforts, to the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country for the Kerr County Flood Relief Fund and to the Salvation Army for ongoing relief work. Hearst, whose overall grantmaking supports culture, education, health and social services, has a track record of stepping up for disaster relief. At the start of the year in the wake of the Los Angeles fires, the Hearst Foundations directed $3 million in funding to nine organizations in the region. And back in 2020, at the beginning of the pandemic, Hearst gave over $50 million in emergency funding to more than 100 U.S. medical, humanitarian and cultural organizations.
NFL Foundation, Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans
The NFL Foundation, the Dallas Cowboys and the Houston Texans made a joint $1.5 million donation to support immediate assistance and long-term recovery resources for central Texas communities impacted by the flooding. “We are heartbroken by the loss and damage that our neighbors in the Texas Hill Country have endured,” the statement from Houston Texans owners Cal, Hannah and Janice McNair read. “We are especially devastated to hear about the children who are still missing and we are praying they are reunited with their families soon.” Like the NBA Foundation, the NFL Foundation runs a mix of youth and community initiatives in concert with the 32 NFL clubs around the country.
NBA, NBA Players Association and Texas NBA Teams
The three major basketball franchises in the state, the NBA’s Mavericks, Rockets and Spurs, came together to commit over $2 million in relief. “The NBA family is heartbroken by the loss of life and the devastation caused by the flooding across the Texas Hill Country,” the group said in a statement. “Amid so much sorrow, we are inspired by the strength of the Texas community as it comes together during this incredibly difficult time.”
The David and Nicole Tepper Foundation
The foundation of hedge fund manager David Tepper and his wife Nicole recently donated $100,000 for Texas relief efforts to Global Empowerment Mission, a nonprofit formed in response to the devastating earthquake that took place in Haiti in 2010. The Global Empowerment Mission is involved in providing immediate relief to those affected by the flooding in Texas. Started in 2020, the David and Nicole Tepper Foundation should not be confused with the family’s larger Tepper Foundation, one of whose stated interests is also crisis response and climate resilience.
Susan and Michael Dell
“Susan and I are heartbroken by the devastating floods across Central Texas,” wrote Dell Technologies founder Michael Dell in a Linkedin post. He and his wife Susan have committed $1 million through the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation. While the foundation makes grants all over the world, one of its key geographic focuses in the United States is the Greater Austin area. Notably, the Dell Foundation’s asset base has exploded in the past few years, with the couple putting more than $5 billion into their foundation since 2023, according to foundation staff.
Todd Graves
Graves, the founder of Raising Cane’s Restaurants, with 200 locations in Texas, donated $1 million to the American Red Cross following the floods. Worth over $17 billion, Graves, 53, came up with the concept for a restaurant serving only chicken finger meals while in college. He is worth watching, given the likelihood he’ll ramp up his giving in the coming years. Graves does not appear to yet have a formal family foundation, but has also shown an early interest in health philanthropy. In the spring, Raising Cane’s made a $1 million donation to the Brett Boyer Foundation, which funds congenital heart defect research and provides resources to families of children with congenital heart disease or Down syndrome.
Major League Soccer and its teams Austin FC, FC Dallas and Houston Dynamo FC
FC Dallas, along with Austin FC, Houston Dynamo FC and Major League Soccer, committed $500,000 to support relief and recovery efforts. Funds will be allocated toward both immediate emergency-response efforts, including temporary housing, food, and supplies, as well as long-term recovery initiatives, such as mental health services and trauma-informed care for families displaced or affected by the disaster.
Major League Baseball’s Houston Astros and Texas Rangers
In a rare show of unity between cross-state rivals, both the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers — the back-to-back World Series champions of 2022 and 2023, respectively — have each committed $1 million toward flood relief efforts in Central Texas.The Rangers announced their donation as part of a broader push to support families and businesses affected by the disaster. Meanwhile, the Astros, no strangers to weather devastation in their own backyard after Hurricane Harvey, pledged their funds with an emphasis on supporting on-the-ground recovery and rebuilding efforts. In addition to financial support, players and team staff from both organizations have also helped raise awareness through social media and in-person community engagements.
Stavros Niarchos Foundation
The foundation is giving $200,000 in emergency relief grants to the San Antonio Food Bank, the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country, and Texas Search and Rescue. Its global health-focused giving has also encompassed a range of disaster relief commitments, including for the California wildfires earlier this year, Hurricane Helene late last year, and going back to the 2010 earthquake in Haiti and the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
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