The FW Bert and Mae Dean Wheeler Foundation concentrates its giving locally in the College Station/Brazos Valley region with a strong emphasis on health care and community wellbeing. Major investments go to cancer research and nursing education (large, multi-year gifts) while also supporting local safety-net institutions such as the regional food bank and animal welfare organizations. The foundation tends to make a small number of sizable grants and repeats funding to core grantees rather than dispersing many small awards.
A defining feature of the Fw Bert and Mae Dean Wheeler Foundation is its repeated, large-scale support for cancer research at MD Anderson Cancer Center Research in Houston, including two 2025 grants of $2,400,000 and $1,800,000. That pattern sits alongside major commitments to nursing education and to institutions serving the Brazos Valley, showing a portfolio that connects medical research, workforce development, and local community needs. The foundation’s giving is tightly focused: all recent grants went to recipients in Texas, and the same core organizations appear more than once across the grant list. The foundation also supports education and community-serving organizations through sizable awards to the University of Houston College of Nursing and the Blinn College Foundation, plus recurring support for Brazos Valley nonprofits such as Aggieland Humane Society, Brazos Valey Food Bank, and Sos Ministries. Grants range from capital support for a new building to general fund awards, suggesting flexibility in how the foundation backs organizations it knows well. Its recent activity shows a small set of recipients receiving meaningful, repeated funding rather than a broad spread of smaller gifts.
In cancer research, the foundation gave $2,400,000 in 2025 to MD Anderson Cancer Center Research and another $1,800,000 the same year to the same recipient, after a $1,000,000 grant in 2023. In nursing education, it backed the University of Houston College of Nursing with a $700,000 general fund grant in 2023 and supported the Blinn College Foundation with $500,000 in 2023 and $300,000 grants in 2025 for nursing scholarships. Community support is another clear thread. The foundation made 2025 general fund grants of $300,000 and $200,000 to Brazos Valey Food Bank, and $150,000 to Sos Ministries. It also funded the Boys & Girls Club of the Brazos Valley with $50,000 for a new building in both 2023 and 2025, showing support for local youth-serving infrastructure.
Typical grant size is substantial: the 25th percentile is $43,750, the median is $100,000, and the 75th percentile is $300,000. The recent record also shows repeated grants to the same organizations across 2023 and 2025, especially in cancer research, nursing education, and local social services. The foundation appears to operate as a private family foundation rather than a donor-advised fund, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. The grants listed do not show an application process, so the pattern is best read as relationship-based and invitation-driven.
$3.4M
$50.2M
$3.5M
$3.7M
Most grants fall between $44K and $300K, with a median of $100K.
25th Percentile
$44K
Median
$100K
75th Percentile
$300K
Sign up for a free Kindora account to access AI-generated insights into this funder's giving patterns, decision-makers, and fit signals.
Get Started FreeFree Kindora accounts unlock side-by-side comparisons with foundations that share this funder's focus areas and giving profile.
Get Started FreeSign up free to see how well your nonprofit fits this funder, get an AI-generated pitch, and unlock similar foundations.
Concentrated, high-value giving with repeat multi-grant relationships; few large grants account for the majority of dollars, focused on local health and community organizations.
Notable grantees: MD Anderson Cancer Center Research, Blinn College Foundation (nursing scholarships), University of Houston College of Nursing, Aggieland Humane Society, Brazos Valley Food Bank
Grantmaking is fully concentrated in Texas: 30 grants, or 100%, went to recipients in the state. Houston appears in the recent list through MD Anderson Cancer Center Research, the University of Houston College of Nursing, St Paul's United Methodist Church, and Easter Seals of Greater Houston. Bryan is another frequent recipient city, with grants to Aggieland Humane Society, Brazos Valey Food Bank, Sos Ministries, Scotty's House, and the Boys & Girls Club of the Brazos Valley. College Station also appears through Csisd Education Foundation.
The recent grants point to cancer research, nursing education, and local community services. Examples include MD Anderson Cancer Center Research for cancer research, the University of Houston College of Nursing and Blinn College Foundation for nursing education, and Brazos Valey Food Bank, Aggieland Humane Society, and Sos Ministries for community support.
The grant-size distribution is fairly high-touch: the 25th percentile is $43,750, the median is $100,000, and the 75th percentile is $300,000. Recent awards also include larger outliers such as $2,400,000 and $1,800,000 for cancer research.
Yes. The recent list shows repeat support across multiple years for organizations such as MD Anderson Cancer Center Research, Blinn College Foundation, Brazos Valey Food Bank, Aggieland Humane Society, Sos Ministries, and The Boys & Girls Club of the Brazos Valley.
Its giving is entirely local in the data provided. All 30 recent grants went to recipients in Texas, with frequent activity in Houston, Bryan, and College Station.
No. The data says it funds individuals is false and makes program-related investments is false, so its recent activity is centered on grants to organizations rather than direct support to people.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MD ANDERSON CANCER CENTER RESEARCH | HOUSTON, TX | $2,400,000 | 2025 | CANCER RESEARCH |
| MD ANDERSON CANCER CENTER RESEARCH | HOUSTON, TX | $1,800,000 | 2025 | CANCER RESEARCH |
| BLINN COLLEGE FOUNDATION | BRENHAM, TX | $300,000 | 2025 | NURSING SCHOLARSHIPS |
| BLINN COLLEGE FOUNDATION | BRENHAM, TX | $300,000 | 2025 | NURSING SCHOLARSHIPS |
| AGGIELAND HUMANE SOCIETY | BRYAN, TX | $300,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| BRAZOS VALEY FOOD BANK | BRYAN, TX | $200,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| BRAZOS VALEY FOOD BANK | BRYAN, TX | $200,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| SOS MINISTRIES | BRYAN, TX | $150,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| ST PAUL'S UNITED METHODIST CHURCH | HOUSTON, TX | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| ST PAUL'S UNITED METHODIST CHURCH | HOUSTON, TX | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| AGGIELAND HUMANE SOCIETY | BRYAN, TX | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| THE BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF THE BRAZOS VALLEY | BRYAN, TX | $50,000 | 2025 | NEW BUILDING |
| THE BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF THE BRAZOS VALLEY | BRYAN, TX | $50,000 | 2025 | NEW BUILDING |
| SCOTTY'S HOUSE | BRYAN, TX | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| SCOTTY'S HOUSE | BRYAN, TX | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| CSISD EDUCATION FOUNDATION | COLLEGE STATION, TX | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| EASTER SEALS OF GREATER HOUSTON | HOUSTON, TX | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| MD ANDERSON CANCER CENTER RESEARCH | HOUSTON, TX | $1,000,000 | 2023 | CANCER RESEARCH |
| UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON COLLEGE OF NURSING | SUGARLAND, TX | $700,000 | 2023 | GENERAL FUND |
| BLINN COLLEGE FOUNDATION | BRENHAM, TX | $500,000 | 2023 | NURSING SCHOLARSHIPS |
| AGGIELAND HUMANE SOCIETY | BRYAN, TX | $300,000 | 2023 | GENERAL FUND |
| BRAZOS VALEY FOOD BANK | BRYAN, TX | $300,000 | 2023 | GENERAL FUND |
| SOS MINISTRIES | BRYAN, TX | $100,000 | 2023 | GENERAL FUND |
| SCOTTY'S HOUSE | BRYAN, TX | $50,000 | 2023 | GENERAL FUND |
| THE BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF THE BRAZOS VALLEY | BRYAN, TX | $50,000 | 2023 | NEW BUILDING |
| RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE | BRYAN, TX | $25,000 | 2023 | GENERAL FUND |
| STILL CREEK RANCH | BRYAN, TX | $25,000 | 2023 | GENERAL FUND |
| CSISD EDUCATION FOUNDATION | COLLEGE STATION, TX | $25,000 | 2023 | GENERAL FUND |
| HOPE ADOPTION AND RESCUE CENTER | HEARNE, TX | $15,000 | 2023 | GENERAL FUND |
| BRIDGE MINISTRIES | BRYAN, TX | $15,000 | 2023 | GENERAL FUND |
MD ANDERSON CANCER CENTER RESEARCH
$2,400,000CANCER RESEARCH
MD ANDERSON CANCER CENTER RESEARCH
$1,800,000CANCER RESEARCH
BRAZOS VALEY FOOD BANK
GENERAL FUND
BRAZOS VALEY FOOD BANK
$200,000GENERAL FUND
ST PAUL'S UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
$100,000GENERAL FUND
ST PAUL'S UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
$100,000GENERAL FUND
THE BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF THE BRAZOS VALLEY
$50,000NEW BUILDING
THE BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF THE BRAZOS VALLEY
$50,000NEW BUILDING
SCOTTY'S HOUSE
$50,000GENERAL FUND
SCOTTY'S HOUSE
$50,000GENERAL FUND
CSISD EDUCATION FOUNDATION
$25,000GENERAL FUND
MD ANDERSON CANCER CENTER RESEARCH
$1,000,000CANCER RESEARCH
UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON COLLEGE OF NURSING
$700,000GENERAL FUND
BRAZOS VALEY FOOD BANK
$300,000GENERAL FUND
SCOTTY'S HOUSE
$50,000GENERAL FUND
THE BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF THE BRAZOS VALLEY
$50,000NEW BUILDING
STILL CREEK RANCH
$25,000GENERAL FUND
CSISD EDUCATION FOUNDATION
$25,000GENERAL FUND
HOPE ADOPTION AND RESCUE CENTER
$15,000GENERAL FUND
BRIDGE MINISTRIES
$15,000GENERAL FUND