Ch Foundation

The CH Foundation operates as the dominant private philanthropic force in Lubbock and the surrounding South Plains, with $175 million in assets and a singular focus on five counties: Lubbock, Hockley, Yoakum, Cochran, and Terry. This geographic constraint is both the foundation's defining characteristic and your first strategic consideration — organizations whose work extends outside this area, even partially, should carefully segment their proposals to highlight in-region impact.

The foundation's giving philosophy rewards long-term community commitment over single-cycle innovation. Grantee relationships routinely span 5-20 separate grants: the Lubbock Area United Way has received 7 grants totaling $1.23 million; the Volunteer Center of Lubbock, 6 grants totaling $465,450; the Lubbock Symphony Orchestra, 6 grants totaling $472,482. These multi-year patterns signal that the foundation prefers deepening relationships with proven partners rather than continuously onboarding new grantees. First-time applicants should plan a 2-3 year cultivation strategy, beginning with a modest request and scaling over time.

The application process is entirely online through GrantInterface.com, with a firm annual deadline of May 1. There is no separate LOI stage — applicants move directly to a full proposal. Before submitting, a pre-application conversation with Heather Hocker, the Grants Administrator, is strongly advisable. She manages day-to-day program review and can clarify whether your project aligns with current funding priorities. Executive Director Sandy Ogletree (compensation: $165,000 in the most recent 990) has stewarded the foundation for at least a decade, bringing institutional continuity to all grantee relationships.

The nine program areas — Arts and Humanities, Education, Health, Human Services, Community Development, Capacity Building, Youth and Children, Workforce and Economic Development, and Agriculture and Food — are broad, but the foundation's actual grant history is concentrated. Arts infrastructure (especially performing arts), higher education partnerships with Texas Tech and South Plains College, and United Way-affiliated human services agencies collectively account for the majority of cumulative giving. What this funder looks for above all: community rootedness, organizational stability, and evidence that funded programs will continue after the grant ends. Proposals that demonstrate multi-year sustainability planning and clear metrics for impact will stand out in this competitive regional grant environment.

The CH Foundation's historical grant data reveals two distinct giving tiers that require careful interpretation. The portfolio-level average of $312,073 per grant across 233 awards is deeply skewed by the foundation's transformational, multi-decade investment in the Lubbock Entertainment Performing Arts Association (LEPAA/Buddy Holly Hall), which alone accounts for $53.2 million across 20 grants — roughly 73% of all recorded cumulative giving. Excluding this anchor relationship, the portfolio average drops to approximately $91,500 across 213 grants. The median grant sits at $30,000, a far more accurate benchmark for what first-time and mid-sized applicants can expect.

Annual giving runs $8.1-$14.6 million in typical years (fiscal years 2019-2023, excluding 2022). The 2022 spike to $36.3 million in total giving — $32.3 million in grants paid — is almost entirely attributable to a large capital disbursement for the Buddy Holly Hall complex. Post-campaign, annual giving has returned to the $8-12 million band. With assets of $175.3 million in fiscal year 2024 and net investment income averaging $5-9 million annually, the foundation distributes at roughly a 5-7% payout rate.

Breaking down the non-LEPAA portfolio by program area: education (Texas Tech University Foundation $2.4M, South Plains College entities $3M, scholarships $341K) totals approximately $5.7 million; human services (YWCA, Goodwill, CASA, Salvation Army, Parenting Cottage, High Point Village) total $2-3 million; performing arts beyond LEPAA (Symphony $472K, Ballet $322K, Arts Alliance $214K, Moonlight Musicals $140K, Chorale $75K) add $1.2 million. Geographically, 100% of the 233 tracked grants went to Texas-based organizations.

Grant size patterns by relationship stage: new grantees typically receive $25,000-$75,000 in a first award. Returning grantees with 2-4 prior grants commonly receive $75,000-$200,000. Only organizations with 5+ prior grants and capital project needs access the $500,000+ tier. Multi-year commitments (noted as Year 1 of 2 or Year 2 of 2 in grant descriptions) are common for operating support grants of $50,000+, providing reliable multi-year income for established partners.

The CH Foundation occupies a unique position as a large private foundation ($175M assets) with exclusively hyper-local geographic scope. Direct peers are limited in the South Plains market; the table below contextualizes the foundation against regional and statewide Texas comparators (peer figures are approximate public estimates from IRS 990 filings and public databases).

The CH Foundation is significantly larger than local peer Community Foundation of West Texas but operates with a narrower five-county focus. Compared to statewide Texas mega-funders like Moody or Meadows, CH is more accessible (open application, no required LOI) but far more geographically restricted. For South Plains nonprofits, CH is effectively irreplaceable — no other funder of comparable scale operates within this specific five-county footprint. Notably, Community Foundation of West Texas has itself received CH Foundation grants totaling $79,985, suggesting a collaborative rather than competitive relationship between these two local funders.

The most significant recent activity at CH Foundation is the completion of its transformational multi-year investment in the Buddy Holly Hall of Performing Arts, which drove a peak of $36.3 million in total giving in fiscal year 2022 ($32.3 million in grants paid). This capital campaign support — distributed over multiple tranches to Lubbock Entertainment Performing Arts Association across at least 20 separate awards totaling $53.2 million — represents one of the largest single-beneficiary commitments by any Texas regional private foundation in recent memory. The 2022 spike has since normalized, with fiscal year 2023 giving returning to $12.7 million ($8.1 million in grants paid).

With 91 grant awards confirmed for the 2024 cycle and approximately $9.8 million distributed, the foundation is operating in a steady-state cadence. Sandy Ogletree has served as Executive Director continuously across at least ten 990 filings, with compensation rising from $132,064 to $165,000 between 2020 and 2023 — no leadership disruption is evident. Heather Hocker's title has evolved from Grant Admin to Grant Admin/Program Officer across successive filings, indicating expanded programmatic responsibility within the grants team.

Assets declined from a peak of $204.5 million in fiscal year 2021 to $175.3 million in fiscal year 2024, reflecting market corrections in the investment portfolio. Net investment income of $4.9 million in fiscal year 2023 (down from $18.9 million in the strong 2021 market) informs a more conservative annual giving envelope going forward. No public announcements of new strategic initiatives or program overhauls were found in 2025-2026 web searches, consistent with the foundation's characteristically low public profile.

Timing: The portal at GrantInterface.com (using the CH Foundation-specific login key: chfoundation) opens for applications in the weeks before May 1. Submit no later than April 25 to avoid technical bottlenecks, and register your organizational account at least 30 days before deadline to allow time for required document uploads and profile completion.

Relationship first: Your most valuable pre-application action is a phone or email conversation with Heather Hocker, the Grants Administrator, reached at (806) 792-0448 or via the contact form at chfoundationlubbock.com. A brief inquiry confirming your project's eligibility and alignment with current priorities demonstrates professional preparation and begins building the multi-grant relationship this funder rewards.

Use their language: The foundation's stated evaluation criteria include initiatives that significantly improve human services and cultural and educational opportunities, driven by innovative, energetic leadership and designed for long-term viability. These are not decorative phrases — proposals that explicitly address sustainability (how the program continues after the grant), leadership capacity, and quantified community benefit will score higher than those that do not.

Geographic specificity: County-level demographic data showing unmet needs in Lubbock, Hockley, Yoakum, Cochran, or Terry County is more persuasive than regional statistics. Your target population data must clearly tie served individuals to these five counties.

Size your ask realistically: First requests from new organizations in the $25,000-$75,000 range have the highest success rate. The median grant is $30,000. Larger requests (over $200,000) typically require a prior grant relationship and may trigger a site visit before award.

Avoid these common pitfalls: Do not request endowment building, do not apply on behalf of individuals, and do not submit proposals for organizations lacking 501(c)(3) status. The foundation does not fund political organizations or legislative advocacy. Budget line items should be specific and justified — round numbers without explanation raise concerns with this experienced professional grants staff.