M D Anderson Foundation

The M D Anderson Foundation is a Houston legacy private foundation endowed by Monroe Dunaway Anderson, the Texas cotton merchant whose estate also seeded the MD Anderson Cancer Center in the 1940s. Though distinct from the cancer center, the Foundation reflects the same civic ambition for Houston that defined Anderson's philanthropic vision. With approximately $107 million in assets and roughly $6.2 million distributed annually across 65–85 grants, this funder operates as a disciplined, relationship-building institution with deep roots in the city's philanthropic ecosystem.

Four focus areas define the giving portfolio: Medical and Health (with particular emphasis on Texas Medical Center institutions), Education (K-12 through higher education), Culture and the Arts (performing arts, museums, greenspaces), and Improving Lives of Underserved Populations (homelessness services, women's services, human services broadly). These categories are not equally weighted — looking at the grantee record, medical and education institutions consistently receive the largest individual awards ($500,000–$1.5M range), while arts and human services organizations typically receive $50,000–$275,000 per grant cycle.

Applications are accepted via the online portal (grantrequest.com, sid=828) year-round without a documented LOI step. The four directors review proposals at quarterly meetings, with decisions communicated after the review — though decisions can be held until year-end when funding capacity is clearer. First-time applicants should plan for a 3-to-6-month decision cycle and avoid any follow-up contact that resembles an oral presentation or unsolicited meeting request.

The Foundation strongly favors repeat grantees: virtually every top recipient in the data shows 2–4 grants over time, signaling that the Foundation rewards demonstrated impact with continued support. Out of 246 tracked grants, 245 went to Texas recipients — making Houston and Harris County residency effectively a hard filter. Organizations serving broader regional or national audiences will not find traction here unless Houston programming is the explicit focus of the specific proposal.

Annual grants paid have ranged from $4.7M to $6.7M over the decade covered by public filings (FY2011–FY2024), settling into a consistent $5.6M–$6.7M band since FY2019. FY2024 charitable disbursements reached $6.46M; FY2022: $6.72M paid; FY2021: $5.63M; FY2020: $5.89M; FY2019: $5.91M. The Foundation distributes approximately 5.8–6.3% of its $107M asset base annually — above the 5% legal minimum for private foundations.

Median grant size: $50,000. Average: $66,205. The range spans $5,000 (small operating) to implied multi-year commitments above $1.5M. The portfolio clusters into three observable tiers. Small grants ($5,000–$50,000) serve smaller Houston nonprofits, likely on introductory or one-time terms. Mid-tier grants ($50,000–$150,000) form the core recurring support layer for established community organizations — examples include Houston Hospice ($150K), The Rise School of Houston ($150K), BakerRipley ($150K), and Kids' Meals ($120K). Large grants ($150,000–$600,000+) fund capital campaigns and operating support at anchor institutions.

By sector, medical and health institutions capture the largest cumulative dollars: University of Houston endowed professorship ($1.5M over 3 grants), UT MD Anderson Cancer Center clinical building ($1.2M over 2 grants), Methodist Hospital Foundation research ($780K), Baylor College of Medicine ($750K), and San Jose Clinic ($300K). Homelessness and housing represent a significant second cluster: Coalition for the Homeless ($600K), New Hope Housing ($520K), Search Homeless Services ($400K), and Houston Habitat for Humanity ($150K). Arts organizations form a third pillar: Houston Grand Opera ($530K cumulative over 4 grants), Houston Symphony ($430K over 3 grants), Museum of Fine Arts Houston ($150K), and Alley Theatre ($150K).

The endowment has held remarkably stable at $102M–$111M for over a decade, indicating a sustainable payout calibrated to investment income rather than growth or drawdown. FY2024 revenues of $11.47M (driven by $7.66M in realized asset sale gains) significantly exceeded expenses of $7.01M, strengthening the endowment slightly.

The following table compares M D Anderson Foundation to four peer foundations identified by similar asset size (~$107M), all categorized under Philanthropy & Grantmaking:

Among foundations of comparable asset size, M D Anderson Foundation stands out for three reasons. First, it maintains a fully open application portal — a rare feature among private foundations of this scale, where most peers operate by invitation only. Second, its sector breadth (four distinct program pillars) and high grant volume (65–85 grants per year) make it accessible to a wider range of Houston nonprofits than single-focus foundations of similar size. Third, its decade-long stability in both assets and giving levels signals a predictable, reliable funding partner — a meaningful advantage when planning multi-year program budgets. The peer foundations identified by asset match operate in California, Florida, and New Jersey, making M D Anderson Foundation effectively the dominant Houston-focused funder at this asset tier.

FY2024 public filings confirm M D Anderson Foundation made approximately 65 grants totaling ~$6.2M in charitable disbursements. Three notable recent awards illustrate current priorities: $360,000 to Baylor College of Medicine for construction of the Health Sciences Tower and Commons Building (continuing a capital investment relationship dating back to at least $750,000 in prior grants); $275,000 to Theatre Under the Stars for Musical Theatre Academy Productions (a new or renewed arts relationship); and $250,000 to Chinquapin Preparatory School for general operating support (extending a multi-year education funding history).

No leadership transitions were identified in public records for 2025 or 2026. James Crownover serves as President; Carter Crow, Uriel Dutton, and Charles Hall round out the four-director board. Each officer receives $48,000 annually — a modest compensation structure consistent with a lean, staff-free foundation administered through JPMorgan (contact routes through M_D_Anderson_Foundation@jpmorgan.com). The JPMorgan administration model has been consistent across all years in the data.

Total assets rose modestly from $104.4M (FY2022) to $107M (FY2024) after FY2024 revenues of $11.47M — the strongest revenue year in the dataset, driven by $7.66M in realized asset sale gains — outpaced expenses of $7.01M. No new RFPs, program initiative announcements, or strategic pivots were identified in public sources for 2025-2026.

Lead with Houston in every paragraph. The Foundation's defining eligibility filter is geographic: organizations must have their primary focus on Houston and Harris County. Any application framing work as regional, statewide, or national will be rejected outright. Anchor your narrative to specific Houston neighborhoods, ZIP codes, or population counts served locally.

Name the correct priority pillar explicitly. The Foundation publishes four areas — Medical and Health, Education, Culture and the Arts, and Improving Lives of Underserved Populations. Use this exact language in your proposal. Do not default to vague language like 'community benefit' or 'social impact.'

Request a capital or direct-service program grant, not an endowment. The Foundation explicitly states it 'almost never makes grants to organizations that use the funds to make further grants' and rarely funds endowments. Building projects, facility renovations, equipment purchases, and direct service programs match the grantee list well. Operating support is funded but primarily for organizations with established multi-grant relationships.

For matching grants, disclose all co-funders. Application instructions state: 'If the application is for a matching grant, the application should disclose the other foundations involved.' This is not a deterrent — the Foundation appears to view co-investment favorably, as capital campaigns for Baylor College, Houston Christian University, and others have received multi-grant support.

Submit via the portal only. Access the application at https://us.grantrequest.com/application.aspx?sid=828&fid=36463. Do not call (713) 216-3773 to discuss your proposal; do not email jpmorgan to request a meeting. The Foundation will not schedule oral presentations with unsolicited applicants.

Target Q1 submission for earliest review. Directors meet quarterly. Submitting in January positions your proposal for the first 2026 review cycle and avoids year-end deferrals when funding capacity uncertainty sometimes delays decisions. Mid-year submissions (April–June) may receive decisions by September; late-year submissions risk being held until December.

Budget for the relationship, not just the grant. Virtually every high-value grantee appears 2–4 times in the data. Plan your first grant request modestly ($50,000–$100,000 for new relationships), demonstrate results rigorously, and build toward larger awards in subsequent cycles.