Goyanes Family Foundation Inc.

The Goyanes Family Foundation is an Austin, Texas-based private foundation with a distinctive libertarian/classical liberal grantmaking philosophy. The foundation provides general operating support exclusively to preselected national policy organizations, independent media, conservation groups, and arts institutions aligned with individual liberty and free market principles. The portfolio is ideologically consistent: Institute for Justice (constitutional litigation for economic freedom), Cato Institute (libertarian think tank), Manhattan Institute (urban policy/free markets), Texas Public Policy Foundation (Texas libertarian policy), Moving Picture Institute (pro-liberty films), and Accuracy in Media (conservative media watchdog).

Elena Goyanes serves as President and Secretary (6 hours/week, uncompensated), with Eric VonHoven as Treasurer and Sarah VonHoven, Everardo Goyanes II, Kellen VonHoven, Ester Yorlany Goyanes, and Dane VonHoven as directors — indicating the foundation spans two family branches (Goyanes and VonHoven), likely representing married children of the Goyanes couple. The personal website (goyanes.org) lists Everardo and Elena, suggesting Everardo Goyanes Sr. and Elena Goyanes are the founders, with their children (Everardo Jr., Ester) and in-laws (the VonHovens) involved in governance.

The foundation maintains a compact portfolio of 8–10 organizations, giving $25,000–$100,000 per grant with all grants labeled "GENERAL SUPPORT." The consistent multi-year commitment to the same set of organizations (Cato, Institute for Justice, and Manhattan Institute have been grantees every year since at least 2020) indicates deep, relationship-driven philanthropy rather than competitive grantmaking.

In FY2024, the Goyanes Family Foundation awarded $307,300 across 8 grants from total assets of $4,343,339 — a 7.1% payout. Grant amounts: Institute for Justice $90,000 (largest), Cato Institute $60,000, Area Resources for Community $40,000, Manhattan Institute $30,300, Catskill Art Society $27,000, Texas Public Policy Foundation $25,000, Moving Picture Institute $20,000, Accuracy in Media $15,000.

Annual giving has declined from a peak of $468,000 in 2020 and $421,935 in 2021 to $307,300 in 2024 — approximately a 34% decline over four years — while assets have declined from $5.2M (2021) to $4.3M (2024). The foundation receives no new contributions (contributions were $0 in 2020–2024), indicating it is a fully endowed foundation drawing down its corpus annually. At current distribution rates, the foundation's assets will be substantially reduced within 10–15 years unless investment returns compensate.

Grantees vary slightly year to year: Accuracy in Media (reappeared in 2024 after absence), Trout Unlimited (appeared 2020–2023, absent 2024), Poly Prep Country Day School (appeared only in 2020 — a Brooklyn private school), Got Your Six Support Dogs (2020–2022 — veteran service dogs, Maryville IL), and AT Still University of Health Sciences (2021, 2023 — Kirksville MO osteopathic medical school) have appeared periodically.

The Goyanes Family Foundation occupies a distinctive niche among libertarian/classical liberal foundations. Its portfolio overlaps with the wider network of foundations supporting the Koch-affiliated donor ecosystem (Cato, Manhattan Institute, Texas Public Policy Foundation are all major Koch network grantees), but the Goyanes foundation's scale ($300K–$470K/year) places it at the smaller end of this donor community. Much larger funders like DonorsTrust, Charles Koch Foundation, and Claude Lambe Charitable Foundation dominate these organizations' institutional donor lists.

The foundation's inclusion of Catskill Art Society (a small New York State arts organization in the Catskills) and Moving Picture Institute (independent film supporting liberty themes) alongside hardcore think tanks suggests nuanced priorities that extend beyond pure policy work into cultural production. This "long game" cultural investment approach — funding arts and film alongside policy advocacy — mirrors the strategy articulated by Charles Koch but rarely executed by smaller foundations.

The Goyanes family's Cuban American heritage (Goyanes is a common Cuban/Galician surname) may explain the strong libertarian values orientation, as many Cuban Americans have a historically strong anti-statist political philosophy stemming from the Castro-era experience.

FY2024 data (most recent via Grantmakers.io, updated January 2026) shows $307,300 in total giving — a continuation of the downward trend since 2020. Accuracy in Media returned as a grantee in 2024 after an absence, receiving $15,000. Trout Unlimited dropped from the list (had been a $40,000–$50,000 annual grantee from 2020–2023). Area Resources for Community (ARCHS) in St. Louis — a comprehensive human services organization serving low-income families — continued as an annual $40,000 grantee, an interesting outlier in a predominantly libertarian portfolio.

The foundation's website (goyanes.org) is a minimal personal family website ("This is the virtual home of Goyanes.org — Everardo ~ e-mail, Elena ~ e-mail") and does not represent the foundation. No foundation-specific web presence, press releases, or strategic announcements were found. The foundation files on a calendar year (December 31).

Given the declining assets and no new contributions, the foundation appears to be intentionally spending down its endowment over time.

The Goyanes Family Foundation accepts no applications and funds exclusively preselected organizations. Its ideological profile is clearly libertarian/classical liberal, meaning organizations advocating government programs, social services expansion, or progressive policy approaches are almost certainly outside its scope.

For organizations aligned with individual liberty, free markets, limited government, constitutional rights, independent conservative or libertarian media, or conservation — particularly if already operating within the Koch network's philanthropic community — the foundation is worth monitoring. Organizations already connected to Institute for Justice, Cato Institute, or Texas Public Policy Foundation may have indirect introduction opportunities. However, the compact grantee list (8–10 per year) and declining giving trend suggest the foundation is not actively seeking new grantee relationships.

The Catskill Art Society (Livingston Manor, NY) and Area Resources for Community (ARCHS, St. Louis) inclusion represents potential "warm" relationship entry points for arts and human services organizations, but these are exceptions in a predominantly policy-focused portfolio. Monitor IRS 990-PF filings via ProPublica for any expansion of the grantee list.