Grantmaking Areas – The Brown Foundation

Arts & Culture

The Foundation believes that the arts contribute meaningfully to the vibrancy and vitality of communities. A thriving arts ecosystem promotes diversity, creates dynamic and joyful experiences for residents, sparks dialogue, and sustains a richness of life in a city. We proudly support arts organizations of all sizes—from the performing arts to museums, from small community-based groups to flagship institutions—that bring passion, energy, and creativity to life in Houston and beyond.

Education

The Foundation has a longstanding commitment to education, reflecting our belief that education creates pathways to future opportunity and strengthens communities. Our grantmaking extends from early childhood to higher education. Although we fund broadly, our top priority is direct support to a diverse ecosystem of school models. Our public education grantmaking is concentrated almost exclusively in the greater Houston region.

Civic Assets

The Foundation believes that strong and vibrant cities need places where communities gather, families spend time, and greenspace is abundant. We also believe in the importance of preserving our native landscape—alongside its fauna and flora—for future generations to enjoy. The Foundation proudly supports parks, gardens, nature conservancies, places for children, and efforts to preserve and protect ecologically sensitive areas.

Human Services

The Foundation is dedicated to supporting organizations that deliver critical social services and programs that address basic human needs in our community. We award grants to a broad range of organizations with demonstrated ability to accomplish ambitious goals aligned to their mission. These include organizations focused on a range of services from child welfare to food insecurity, homelessness, domestic violence, recovery from substance use, and community development, among others.

Medicine & Science

The Foundation awards grants to a diverse array of organizations working to improve health in our community, ranging from large academic medical centers to small community-based clinics. Our current priorities include direct support to hospital systems and clinics that provide primary care, behavioral, and mental health services.