J E And L E Mabee Foundation Inc.

The J.E. and L.E. Mabee Foundation operates with a distinctive and singular grantmaking strategy: exclusive focus on capital expenditures through challenge grants. Founded in 1948 by Missouri natives John and Lottie Mabee (who became Oklahoma residents), the Foundation restricts its giving to three categories — new construction, building renovations, and major medical equipment purchases. Its challenge grant model is designed to act as both a catalyst and a capstone for nonprofit fundraising campaigns: the Foundation requires that 40% of total project costs be raised from other public donors before it will even consider a request, then awards up to 20% of the total project cost (capped at $2 million). The remaining balance must be raised within one year of the award, or the grant is cancelled. This approach maximizes leverage — every Mabee dollar is designed to inspire and require broader community support. The Foundation's geographic scope is limited to six south-central states (Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas), and it does not fund government-owned or operated institutions, for-profit entities, or private foundations. With assets of approximately $799 million and over $1.6 billion distributed since inception, the Mabee Foundation is one of the most significant capital campaign funders in the south-central United States.

The Mabee Foundation distributed $119.1 million in grants in its most recent filing year (2024), reflecting its position as a major regional funder. Individual challenge grants typically range from $300,000 to $2.5 million, with the formal cap at $2 million (20% of project costs). The Foundation operates on a predictable quarterly cycle — the Board of Trustees meets the second Tuesday of January, April, July, and October, with application deadlines falling on December 1, March 1, June 1, and September 1 respectively. This quarterly rhythm allows nonprofits to plan capital campaigns around known decision dates. Recent grants illustrate the typical pattern: Dallas Baptist University received a $2 million challenge grant for a new business school building (against a $10 million project), Missouri Baptist University received $1.6 million for an academic building and welcome center, John Brown University received $2.5 million for a Learning Resource Center renovation, and Fort Bend Care Center received $500,000 toward a $5.6 million facility. The Foundation consistently funds higher education institutions, healthcare organizations, religious institutions, and community nonprofits, with universities comprising the largest share of recipients.

The Mabee Foundation is one of several major U.S. foundations that specialize in capital campaign and construction funding through challenge grant mechanisms. Here is how it compares to its closest peers:

The Mabee Foundation's niche is unique in combining strict capital-project-only focus with the challenge grant mechanism and a six-state regional scope. Unlike the Kresge Foundation, which diversified beyond challenge grants in 2007, Mabee has maintained its singular model for over 75 years. The 40% pre-raise requirement mirrors the Murdock Trust's approach but applies to a different geographic region.

In 2024-2025, the Mabee Foundation continued robust grantmaking with $119.1 million distributed (per the 2024 Form 990 filed December 23, 2024). Notable recent challenge grants include: Dallas Baptist University received a $2 million grant for the Don and Linda Carter School of Business building, requiring DBU to raise $8 million in philanthropic support by July 2026. Missouri Baptist University received a $1.6 million challenge grant for a new academic building and welcome center, with the university successfully raising over $2 million in designated giving between January 2024 and January 2025. John Brown University completed a $2.5 million challenge grant requirement by raising $2.7 million by January 2025 for a Learning Resource Center renovation. Central Christian College of Kansas received $400,000 for new student housing. The Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation received an additional $1 million challenge grant (needing to raise $1.1 million by July 2025). Kansas Health Science University received $300,000 for a biomedical science laboratory. Fort Bend Care Center in Missouri City, Texas received $500,000 toward a $5.6 million, 14,000 square-foot community center. The Foundation also received a 2026 CIC Presidents Institute Award from the Council of Independent Colleges, recognizing its sustained impact on higher education capital projects.

To maximize your chances of securing a Mabee Foundation challenge grant, start by confirming eligibility: your organization must be a 501(c)(3) that is not a private foundation under IRC 509(a), your project must be in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, or Texas, and it must involve construction, renovation, or major medical equipment. The single most important requirement is the 40% threshold — you must have 40% of total project costs raised from other public donors before the Foundation will consider your request. Do not apply prematurely; the Foundation will verify your fundraising progress. Plan your timeline around quarterly board meetings (second Tuesday of January, April, July, October) with applications due the first day of the preceding month (December 1, March 1, June 1, September 1). Begin by reviewing guidelines at mabeefoundation.com/guidelines, then apply through the online portal at grantrequest.com. Structure your budget clearly showing the total project cost and demonstrating how the Mabee grant (up to 20%, max $2M) fits into your overall capital campaign. Remember that the grant is a challenge: you will have exactly one year from the award date to raise the remaining balance or the grant is cancelled. Study recent recipients — universities, hospitals, churches, and community nonprofits with strong donor bases and clear construction timelines tend to succeed. Have your capital campaign infrastructure (fundraising staff, donor pipeline, board commitments) in place before applying. The Foundation values projects that demonstrate broad community support and institutional capacity to complete both the fundraising challenge and the construction project on schedule.