The Helen Jones Foundation concentrates large, locally focused gifts in Lubbock, TX, primarily supporting cultural institutions, higher education, and community services. Its major grants fund performing arts and museum programs tied to Texas Tech and other local universities, municipal projects, and regional heritage preservation, indicating a commitment to civic life and place-based institutions. The foundation tends to make a small number of very large awards to established local organizations rather than many small grants.
Helen Jones Foundation Inc centers its largest awards on Lubbock’s civic and cultural institutions, with a $5,356,250 grant to the Lubbock Entertainment & Performing Arts Association standing out in the recent record. The pattern is clear across the latest grants: the foundation backs established organizations that shape local arts, higher education, heritage, and community services in and around Lubbock. A $4,507,100 grant to the Museum of Texas Tech University Association and a $1,000,000 grant to the City of Lubbock show that the foundation’s giving reaches both university-linked cultural work and municipal priorities. Higher education is another consistent thread, with support for Wayland Baptist University, Lubbock Christian University, and Texas Tech University units. The portfolio also includes regional identity work through the National Ranching Heritage Center and Ranching Heritage Association, plus community-serving organizations such as United Way - Lubbock Area United Way. The foundation’s approach reads as place-based and institution-focused, with large awards concentrated among organizations rooted in the same local network.
Cultural institutions and presenting organizations make up a major part of the foundation’s giving. It awarded $5,356,250 to the Lubbock Entertainment & Performing Arts Association and later gave the same organization another $1,000,000, signaling sustained support for performing arts in Lubbock. University-linked museums and heritage programming are another clear theme. The Museum of Texas Tech University Association received $4,507,100, and the Museum of Texas Tech University also received $144,135 and $115,000 in later grants. Higher education support appears across multiple campuses and units, including $1,150,000 to Wayland Baptist University, $1,000,000 to Lubbock Christian University, and $585,000 to Texas Tech University - Office of the Provost. Community services also appear through a $1,065,000 grant to United Way - Lubbock Area United Way.
Typical grants fall in the large-gift range, with a p25 of $25,000, a median of $38,500, and a p75 of $91,000. The recent record shows a small number of very large awards alongside smaller institutional grants. Recipients also appear across multiple years, including the Lubbock Entertainment & Performing Arts Association, United Way - Lubbock Area United Way, Lubbock Christian University, Ranching Heritage Association, Texas Tech University - Office of the Provost, and the Museum of Texas Tech University. The foundation is an independent grantmaker rather than a fund for individuals, and it does not make program-related investments.
$12.2M
$255.9M
$21M
$15.8M
Most grants fall between $25K and $91K, with a median of $39K.
25th Percentile
$25K
Median
$39K
75th Percentile
$91K
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Highly concentrated giving: very large, infrequent grants to a small set of local, established institutions with some repeat funding; place-based focus on Lubbock/Texas Tech ecosystem.
Notable grantees: Lubbock Entertainment & Performing Arts Association, Museum of Texas Tech University Association, United Way - Lubbock Area, Wayland Baptist University, National Ranching Heritage Center
Grantmaking is entirely concentrated in Texas, with 100% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state. Lubbock is the clear center of activity, including the Lubbock Entertainment & Performing Arts Association, the Museum of Texas Tech University Association, City of Lubbock, and the Lubbock Symphony Orchestra. Other Texas recipients include Plainview, home to Wayland Baptist University and Young Men's Christian Association, and Levelland, where South Plains College appears in the recent record.
The recent grants show a strong focus on Lubbock-based cultural institutions, higher education, municipal projects, regional heritage preservation, and community services. Examples include the Lubbock Entertainment & Performing Arts Association, Texas Tech University units, the City of Lubbock, the National Ranching Heritage Center, and United Way - Lubbock Area United Way.
The typical grant size is large: p25 is $25,000, median grant size is $38,500, and p75 is $91,000. The recent record also includes several seven-figure awards, showing that the foundation makes a mix of mid-sized and very large institutional grants.
No. The geographic scope of giving is local, and 100% of grants in the data went to recipients in Texas.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including the Lubbock Entertainment & Performing Arts Association, United Way - Lubbock Area United Way, Lubbock Christian University, Ranching Heritage Association, Texas Tech University - Office of the Provost, and the Museum of Texas Tech University.
The data provided does not show an application process. What it does show is an institution-focused pattern of giving to established organizations such as universities, museums, city government, and community-service nonprofits.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LUBBOCK ENTERTAINMENT & PERFORMING ARTS ASSOCIATION | LUBBOCK, TX | $5,356,250 | 2025 | GRANT |
| WAYLAND BAPTIST UNIVERSITY | PLAINVIEW, TX | $1,150,000 | 2025 | GRANT |
| UNITED WAY - LUBBOCK AREA UNITED WAY | LUBBOCK, TX | $1,000,000 | 2025 | GRANT |
| LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY | LUBBOCK, TX | $1,000,000 | 2025 | GRANT |
| TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY - OFFICE OF THE PROVOST | LUBBOCK, TX | $585,000 | 2025 | GRANT |
| RANCHING HERITAGE ASSOCIATION | LUBBOCK, TX | $550,000 | 2025 | GRANT |
| TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY - GRADUATE SCHOOL | LUBBOCK, TX | $250,000 | 2025 | GRANT |
| TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY | LUBBOCK, TX | $250,000 | 2025 | GRANT |
| SCIENCE SPECTRUM | LUBBOCK, TX | $235,000 | 2025 | GRANT |
| YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION | PLAINVIEW, TX | $200,000 | 2025 | GRANT |
| COVENANT HEALTH SYSTEM FOUNDATION | LUBBOCK, TX | $192,000 | 2025 | GRANT |
| TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY - COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES | LUBBOCK, TX | $186,200 | 2025 | GRANT |
| MUSEUM OF TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY | LUBBOCK, TX | $144,135 | 2025 | GRANT |
| TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY - COLLEGE OF EDUCATION | LUBBOCK, TX | $127,000 | 2025 | GRANT |
| TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY - MUSEUM OF TEXAS TECH | LUBBOCK, TX | $115,000 | 2025 | GRANT |
| LUBBOCK SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA | LUBBOCK, TX | $108,000 | 2025 | GRANT |
| YOUNG WOMEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION | LUBBOCK, TX | $100,000 | 2025 | GRANT |
| TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY - COLLEGE OF HUMAN SCIENCES | LUBBOCK, TX | $75,000 | 2025 | GRANT |
| TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES | LUBBOCK, TX | $64,700 | 2025 | GRANT |
| GUADALUPEPARKWAY SOMMERVILLE CENTERS INC | LUBBOCK, TX | $63,000 | 2025 | GRANT |
| LOUISE HOPKINS UNDERWOOD CENTER FOR THE ARTS | LUBBOCK, TX | $56,000 | 2025 | GRANT |
| VOLUNTEER CENTER OF LUBBOCK | LUBBOCK, TX | $51,000 | 2025 | GRANT |
| BALLET LUBBOCK | LUBBOCK, TX | $46,000 | 2025 | GRANT |
| TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY - COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE SCIENCES | LUBBOCK, TX | $35,000 | 2025 | GRANT |
| TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY - KTTZ-TV | LUBBOCK, TX | $30,000 | 2025 | GRANT |
| COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER OF LUBBOCK | LUBBOCK, TX | $26,841 | 2025 | GRANT |
| AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY | LUBBOCK, TX | $25,800 | 2025 | GRANT |
| LUBBOCK CHORALE | LUBBOCK, TX | $25,000 | 2025 | GRANT |
| EARLY LEARNING CENTERS OF LUBBOCK INC | LUBBOCK, TX | $25,000 | 2025 | GRANT |
| LITERACY LUBBOCK | LUBBOCK, TX | $22,000 | 2025 | GRANT |
| COURT APPOINTED SPECIAL ADVOCATES | LUBBOCK, TX | $20,000 | 2025 | GRANT |
| LUBBOCK ARTS ALLIANCE | LUBBOCK, TX | $20,000 | 2025 | GRANT |
| SILENT WINGS MUSEUM FOUNDATION INC | LUBBOCK, TX | $15,000 | 2025 | GRANT |
| LUBBOCK WOMENS CLUB HISTORIC FOUNDATION | LUBBOCK, TX | $6,765 | 2025 | GRANT |
| LUBBOCK ENTERTAINMENT & PERFORMING ARTS ASSOCIATION | LUBBOCK, TX | $7,500,000 | 2024 | GRANT |
| MUSEUM OF TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY | LUBBOCK, TX | $1,155,000 | 2024 | GRANT |
| CITY OF LUBBOCK | LUBBOCK, TX | $500,000 | 2024 | GRANT |
| UNITED WAY - LUBBOCK AREA UNITED WAY | LUBBOCK, TX | $423,909 | 2024 | GRANT |
| NATIONAL RANCHING HERITAGE CENTER | LUBBOCK, TX | $370,000 | 2024 | GRANT |
| MUSEUM OF TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY ASSOCIATION | LUBBOCK, TX | $150,000 | 2024 | GRANT |
| WAYLAND BAPTIST UNIVERSITY | PLAINVIEW, TX | $130,000 | 2024 | GRANT |
| RANCHING HERITAGE ASSOCIATION | LUBBOCK, TX | $127,994 | 2024 | GRANT |
| TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY - OFFICE OF THE PROVOST | LUBBOCK, TX | $110,000 | 2024 | GRANT |
| LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY | LUBBOCK, TX | $91,000 | 2024 | GRANT |
| LUBBOCK SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA | LUBBOCK, TX | $80,000 | 2024 | GRANT |
| TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY - COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES | LUBBOCK, TX | $75,200 | 2024 | GRANT |
| VOLUNTEER CENTER OF LUBBOCK | LUBBOCK, TX | $51,000 | 2024 | GRANT |
| WALLACE THEATRE OF LEVELLAND | LEVELLAND, TX | $50,000 | 2024 | GRANT |
| BALLET LUBBOCK | LUBBOCK, TX | $46,000 | 2024 | GRANT |
| CHARLES ADAMS STUDIO PROJECT | LUBBOCK, TX | $40,000 | 2024 | GRANT |
UNITED WAY - LUBBOCK AREA UNITED WAY
$1,000,000GRANT
LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY
$1,000,000GRANT
TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY - OFFICE OF THE PROVOST
$585,000GRANT
GRANT
TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY - GRADUATE SCHOOL
$250,000GRANT
TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY
$250,000GRANT
YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION
$200,000GRANT
TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY - COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
$186,200GRANT
MUSEUM OF TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY
$144,135GRANT
TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY - COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
$127,000GRANT
TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY - MUSEUM OF TEXAS TECH
$115,000GRANT
LUBBOCK SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
$108,000GRANT
YOUNG WOMEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION
$100,000GRANT
TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY - COLLEGE OF HUMAN SCIENCES
$75,000GRANT
TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES
$64,700GRANT
GUADALUPEPARKWAY SOMMERVILLE CENTERS INC
$63,000GRANT
LOUISE HOPKINS UNDERWOOD CENTER FOR THE ARTS
$56,000GRANT
BALLET LUBBOCK
$46,000GRANT
TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY - COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE SCIENCES
$35,000GRANT
TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY - KTTZ-TV
$30,000GRANT
COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER OF LUBBOCK
$26,841GRANT
AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY
$25,800GRANT
LUBBOCK CHORALE
$25,000GRANT
LITERACY LUBBOCK
$22,000GRANT
COURT APPOINTED SPECIAL ADVOCATES
$20,000GRANT
LUBBOCK ARTS ALLIANCE
$20,000GRANT
SILENT WINGS MUSEUM FOUNDATION INC
$15,000GRANT
LUBBOCK WOMENS CLUB HISTORIC FOUNDATION
$6,765GRANT
MUSEUM OF TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY
$1,155,000GRANT
CITY OF LUBBOCK
$500,000GRANT
UNITED WAY - LUBBOCK AREA UNITED WAY
$423,909GRANT
NATIONAL RANCHING HERITAGE CENTER
$370,000GRANT
MUSEUM OF TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY ASSOCIATION
$150,000GRANT
TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY - OFFICE OF THE PROVOST
$110,000GRANT
LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY
$91,000GRANT
LUBBOCK SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
$80,000GRANT
TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY - COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
$75,200GRANT
WALLACE THEATRE OF LEVELLAND
$50,000GRANT
BALLET LUBBOCK
$46,000GRANT
CHARLES ADAMS STUDIO PROJECT
$40,000GRANT