1687 Foundation

The 1687 Foundation operates as a deeply values-driven family foundation where Christian mission alignment is the threshold requirement — not a preference, but a prerequisite. Founded by Patti Jo Peck Wood (who serves as President) and reportedly established in response to the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, the organization's giving philosophy is captured in the words of one foundation manager: "We truly feel like we just try to listen to where God points us." This means cold transactional outreach rarely works; relationship cultivation is the right model.

With $162.3 million in assets as of 2024 and $8.7 million in charitable disbursements that year, the foundation's capacity has grown dramatically — assets more than doubled since 2021. Their 284 documented grants reveal consistent multi-year patterns: top grantees like Lifeline Children's Services (4 grants, $712,600 total), Camp Able of Buffalo Gap (4 grants, $449,798), and Texas Tech Foundation (multiple grants, $1M+ combined) show that the foundation rewards demonstrated impact with deepening relationships and growing support over time.

Organizations most likely to succeed share three traits: (1) an explicit Christian identity or operation in a faith-driven context, (2) direct service to a priority population — veterans with service-related disabilities, children with special needs or developmental challenges, at-risk youth, foster care populations, or incarcerated persons, and (3) a Texas base or at minimum a Texas-focused program. The foundation's CEO, Herbert L. Cartwright, earns modest compensation ($23,000), while the VP of Book Ministry, Laurietta R. Akaka, is the highest-compensated staff member ($166,866), signaling where the foundation's operational heart lies.

First-time applicants should calibrate expectations accordingly: this is not a high-volume open grant program. The foundation lists zero full-time employees. The Director of Grants, Mindy R. Johnson, manages the portfolio at $15,000 annual compensation alongside other board responsibilities. A concise, mission-aligned written request — one to two pages maximum — is the right level of formality. An exploratory call before submitting is strongly advisable.

The 1687 Foundation's grantmaking has undergone a significant transformation in scale. Historically, across 284 documented grants totaling $9.49 million, the average grant was $33,433. But in FY2024, the foundation disbursed $8.7 million across 117 grants — an implied average of approximately $74,000 per grant, nearly doubling the historical average as assets have grown.

Grant size ranges are wide. The database-reported typical grant parameters show: minimum $7,117, median $12,500, average $27,853, maximum $75,000. However, the actual grantee ledger reveals much larger cumulative awards: Texas Tech Foundation received $739,500 over two grants (vegetation monitoring and purple martin research programs), Lifeline Children's Services received $712,600 over four grants, Life Outreach International received $512,500 over three grants, and Camp Able of Buffalo Gap received $449,798 over four grants. These figures represent cumulative totals — individual annual grants to these organizations are likely in the $75,000–$200,000 range.

Geographic concentration is extreme: Texas accounts for 257 of 284 documented grants (90.5%). Tennessee receives 8 grants (2.8%), Georgia 5 (1.8%), Oregon 5 (1.8%), Alabama 4 (1.4%), with Ohio and California receiving 2 each.

By focus area, the portfolio clusters into four bands: children and family services (Lifeline Children's Services, Camp Able, Children's Medical Center Foundation, Charis Hills Camp, Big Brothers Big Sisters — collectively $1.4M+); Christian ministry and outreach (Life Outreach International, Elam Ministries, Living Water Ministry, Encourage One Another, The Rock — collectively $1.1M+); education and research (Texas Tech Foundation, Bynum School, Trinity School, Texas 4-H — collectively $1M+); and veterans, military, and health (Texas Brigades, Texas Hunter for Heroes, Hospice of Midland, Ronald McDonald House — collectively $700K+). Total giving peaked at $5.73M in FY2019, dipped to $813K in FY2021 (a transitional year before formal IRS ruling in March 2022), then rebounded strongly to $8.7M by FY2024.

The following table compares the 1687 Foundation to five peer foundations at comparable asset levels in the Philanthropy & Grantmaking category:

The 1687 Foundation stands out among peers of comparable asset size for its volume of individual grants: 117 grants in FY2024 is unusually high for a private foundation in the $162M asset tier, where most family foundations make far fewer, larger investments. Its explicit faith-based focus and near-total Texas geographic concentration create a niche entirely distinct from peers — the Kahle-Austin Foundation serves global internet access goals, and the Blue Cross Mississippi Foundation is a health-sector funder operating under a corporate parent. Of the five comparable foundations, the 1687 Foundation is unique in operating dual pathways (in-kind book distribution and direct cash grants), though the Book Ministry in-kind program appears to have closed as of late 2025.

The most significant recent development is the 1687 Foundation's dramatic scaling between 2021 and 2024. Total assets grew from $78.9 million (FY2021) to $162.3 million (FY2024) — a 105% increase in three years — driven by large contributed revenues, including $19.2 million received in contributions in 2021 alone and $15 million in FY2024. Annual charitable disbursements grew correspondingly from $813,025 in 2021 to $8.7 million in 2024.

The Book Ministry program — the foundation's signature initiative having distributed over 20 million Christian books and 53,825 patriotic pins — was noted as no longer actively accepting grant applications for in-kind book donations as of October 2025. This is a meaningful shift: the Book Ministry had served as an accessible entry point for organizations establishing a first relationship with the foundation.

In December 2024, the foundation made a documented grant of $15,143 to the University of Texas at Austin's Chi Alpha Campus Ministry, consistent with the foundation's support of faith-based university programs. The same year saw 117 total grants distributed, a record high in documented history.

No major leadership changes have been publicly announced. Patti Jo Peck Wood remains President; Herbert L. Cartwright continues as CEO. The foundation's staff-light model (0 full-time employees) means operations are managed by board members holding functional VP titles — Book Ministry (Laurietta R. Akaka), Ranch/Wildlife (Jerry G. Rainey Jr.), and Special Programs — pointing to a tightly held, board-run organization.

1. Faith alignment is a hard filter, not a soft preference. Every documented grantee in the foundation's history reflects an explicit Christian identity or serves clients in a faith-driven context. The foundation's own leaders describe their grantmaking as "listening to where God points us." Organizations that attempt to frame a secular mission in spiritual language risk damaging credibility — the foundation's relationship-driven culture means staff will learn the truth over time.

2. Texas organizations hold a structural advantage. With 90.5% of all grants going to Texas-based nonprofits, geographic alignment is nearly as important as mission alignment. If your organization is headquartered outside Texas but operates Texas programs — as with Oregon's Ronald McDonald House, which received two grants — emphasize Texas program impact explicitly in your request.

3. Frame your request around who you serve, not what you do. The foundation's top-funded populations are: veterans with service-related disabilities, children with developmental disabilities or special needs, at-risk youth, foster care populations, persons in recovery or incarceration, and recipients of Christian literature and pastoral care. Lead with beneficiary identity.

4. Be precise about the dollar amount. The application explicitly requires "the amount requested" — not a range, not a floor. Calculate your actual program need and request it specifically. Requests in the $20,000–$100,000 range appear most common; six-figure single-year requests should be reserved for organizations with an established relationship.

5. Call before you write. Contact Mindy R. Johnson (Director of Grants) at (214) 802-9885 for a brief alignment conversation before submitting a formal written request. This is consistent with the foundation's relationship-first culture and will reveal whether your organization is a realistic fit before you invest time in a formal application.

6. Submit by April 30, not June 30. The June 30 annual deadline is a receipt cutoff, not a submission target. A board operating with zero full-time staff needs time for follow-up. Early submission also allows you to be considered for any rolling decisions made before the formal review cycle.

7. Plan for a multi-year relationship. The foundation's most-funded partners have received 3–5 separate grants, accumulating hundreds of thousands of dollars over time. A first grant — likely in the $10,000–$50,000 range — is best understood as an investment in a long-term relationship. Deliver exceptional stewardship and reporting to position for the second and third grant.