About Effie and Wofford Cain Foundation
The Effie and Wofford Cain Foundation concentrates its philanthropic support on Texas higher education and professional training, favoring large, program- or capital-focused gifts to major universities and medical centers. Its grants are predominantly to a small set of institutions—especially the University of Texas at Austin—with funding directed toward facilities construction, professional school programming, and medical/health-related initiatives. The foundation appears to prioritize institutional capacity-building in the Austin/Dallas–Fort Worth region over small community organizations or broad-based grantmaking.
Focus Areas
Capital construction and campus facilities at major Texas universities (e.g., UT Austin)Medical center support and health/biomedical research/infrastructure (e.g., UT Southwestern)Professional and graduate education support, including law and financial/continuing education programs (e.g., SMU law/financial course)
Who They Fund
university students (undergraduate and graduate)medical researchers / medical school communitylaw students (financial literacy programming)business school students / seminar participants
About Effie and Wofford Cain Foundation
The Effie and Wofford Cain Foundation’s giving is defined by large commitments to Texas higher education and medical institutions, especially the University of Texas at Austin. Recent grants include $4.1 million for facilities construction in 2024, followed by $2.6 million in 2026 for clinical research and endowment and another $1.6 million in 2025 for facilities construction. That pattern points to a funder that backs institutional capacity, not just annual programs. The foundation also extends substantial support to other Texas universities and medical centers. UT Southwestern Medical Center received $2.5 million in 2023 for general support, while Southern Methodist University received $766,666 in 2023 for a law school financial course and $383,334 in 2025 for general support. Alongside those higher-education awards, the foundation has funded medical research, scholarships, and campus-related projects, including support for the Dell Medical School and other UT Austin initiatives. Across the recent grants list, the funder’s grantmaking centers on major Texas institutions in Austin, Dallas, and related parts of the state, with gifts that often sit well above the typical foundation-grant range.
What Effie and Wofford Cain Foundation Funds
Higher education is the clearest through line in the foundation’s grantmaking. In 2023, it gave $1.2 million to University of Texas at Austin for Dell Medical School research, and in 2025 it awarded $370,000 to the same institution for scholarships. UT Austin also received $100,000 in 2023 for a McCombs Business School seminar, showing support for both research and professional education. The foundation also funds medical and health-related institutions. UT Southwestern Medical Center received $2.5 million in 2023 for general support, and MD Anderson Cancer Center received $200,000 in 2025 for general support. Beyond those core areas, it has supported campus and institutional projects at Trinity Valley Community College Foundation and Trinity Valley Community College, both in Athens, along with a $250,000 grant to Texas Parks & Wildlife Foundation for facilities construction.
How Effie and Wofford Cain Foundation Gives
Typical grants cluster around a median of $15,000, with the middle half ranging from $6,625 at the 25th percentile to $25,000 at the 75th percentile. The recent list also shows a set of much larger, institution-level awards that are separate from the smaller recurring checks common in the distribution. The pattern suggests a foundation that combines many modest grants with a smaller number of transformational capital and research gifts. The grants also recur to the same institutions across multiple years, especially the University of Texas at Austin, which appears repeatedly from 2023 through 2026. The foundation does not fund individuals and is not making program-related investments. No application process is shown in the available data.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$6M
Total Assets
$108.6M
Total Revenue
$7.4M
Total Expenses
$7.7M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $7K and $25K, with a median of $15K.
25th Percentile
$7K
Median
$15K
75th Percentile
$25K
Geographic Reach
Local11 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
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