Open nowCloses Aug 1, 2027
Walter H. Hightower Fund
Health & Disabilities
Who can apply: Medical care and treatment of children with disabilities in the West Texas and Southern New Mexico area.
Deadline: Application opens July 1 and is due August 1.
About El Paso Community Foundation
The El Paso Community Foundation serves as a grant maker, convener, and leadership organization for the El Paso, Southern New Mexico, and the Ciudad Juárez region, working with individuals and nonprofits to address community opportunities and challenges.
Focus Areas
Arts & HumanitiesEducationEnvironment/AnimalsHealth & DisabilitiesHuman ServicesEconomic DevelopmentScholarshipsCommunity funds
Who They Fund
children (including special-needs children) and familieslow-income and at-risk studentsimmigrants, migrants and refugeespeople experiencing homelessness and shelter residents
About El Paso Community Foundation
A defining feature of El Paso Community Foundation is its mix of broad community grantmaking and named funds that support very specific needs across the El Paso region, Southern New Mexico, and Ciudad Juárez. The foundation’s recent grants show that pattern clearly: it backed a $3,423,783 construction and exhibit-buildout award to The EPC Museum, a $2,000,000 grant to Borderplex Community Capital for the FASTER Program, and repeated support for the University of Texas El Paso for scholarships and student support. It also appears in education, health, journalism, food security, and shelter grants, reflecting its role as a grantmaker, convener, and leadership organization for the border region. Several of its programs are designed for defined purposes, including medical care for children with disabilities, Catholic school tuition assistance, hunger and nutrition services, and medical and scientific research. Recent awards also include support for El Paso Special Needs Edu, El Paso Matters Inc, El Pasoans Fighting Hunger, and Opportunity Center fHomeless, showing a grant portfolio that combines institutional support, direct services, and community infrastructure.
What El Paso Community Foundation Funds
Education is one of the clearest throughlines in the foundation’s giving. It awarded $1,507,283 to the University of Texas El Paso for scholarships and support programs, and $506,594 to Texas Tech University el paso for a scholarship for medical students. Special-needs education also appears as a distinct priority: El Paso Special Needs Edu received $525,256 for education of special needs children. The foundation’s scholarship work extends beyond colleges; the archival grant list includes support for tuition assistance and field trips through archdiocesan partners in Houston and San Antonio. Beyond education, the foundation supports food and shelter needs. El Pasoans Fighting Hunger received $260,400 for food assistance and another $166,233 for support services for food-insecure households. Opportunity Center fHomeless received $196,295 for homeless-shelter support. It also funds civic information: El Paso Matters Inc received $750,974 for quality journalism, with a later $181,811 grant for investigative journalism support.
How El Paso Community Foundation Gives
Typical awards cluster in the mid-five-figure range: the 25th percentile is $10,000, the median is $20,000, and the 75th percentile is $42,000. The recent-grants list also includes several large project and institutional awards well above that range, which indicates a portfolio that mixes standard operating or program support with occasional major capital or scholarship commitments. The foundation is local in scope, and 96% of its grants go to recipients in Texas. Grants appear in multiple years to the same organizations, including The EPC Museum, the University of Texas El Paso, El Paso Matters Inc, El Paso Special Needs Edu, and the Foundation for Diocese of EP, which suggests recurring relationships rather than one-off support. Active programs also accept unsolicited requests.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$7.5M
Total Assets
$87.7M
Total Revenue
$20M
Total Expenses
$20.2M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $10K and $42K, with a median of $20K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$20K
75th Percentile
$42K
Geographic Reach
Local6 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
Richard E Pearson
Accepts unsolicited proposals
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