The Jack H & William M Light Charitable Trust concentrates on Greater Houston-area nonprofits that serve children, youth and families, with an emphasis on education, basic needs, and emotional/mental health supports. Grants skew to repeat, mid-size awards to operating and program support for direct-service organizations (schools, meal programs, counseling, grief support and youth mentoring), and include a noticeable stream of faith-linked initiatives. The foundation favors practical, locally focused organizations delivering measurable services rather than national advocacy groups.
Among the trust’s recent gifts, the largest is a $45,000 unrestricted grant to Kids' Meals Inc in Houston. That award fits a clear pattern: the Jack H & William M Light Charitable Trust gives flexible support to local organizations working with children, youth, and families, often through direct services that address food, education, counseling, and mentoring needs. Recent examples include $40,000 to NewDay Services For Children & Families in Fort Worth and $37,500 to Spring Spirit Baseball in Houston, both unrestricted. The trust’s portfolio also reaches special-needs education, with $25,000 to Bynum School in Midland and $22,500 to Brenda and John Duncan Rise School in Houston, alongside grants to family-support and youth-development groups such as DePelchin Children’s Center, Youth Life - Lonehollow Ranch, and Covenant House Texas. A noticeable thread runs through the grants list: repeated awards to the same organizations across years, usually at mid-range sizes, and often designated unrestricted or general support. The result is a grant pattern centered on practical operating help for organizations delivering ongoing services rather than project-specific or episodic funding.
Education-related giving appears in several forms. The trust gave $31,000 to Spring Branch Education Foundation in Houston for unrestricted support, $25,000 to Bynum School in Midland for unrestricted support, and $22,500 to Brenda and John Duncan Rise School in Houston, also unrestricted. These grants point to a mix of public-school support, special-needs education, and therapeutic schooling. Food and basic-needs work is another clear strand: Kids' Meals Inc received $45,000 in 2024 and $30,000 in 2023, both unrestricted, while NewDay Services For Children & Families in Fort Worth received $40,000 in 2024 and $30,000 in 2023. The trust also backs youth development and family stability through $37,500 to Spring Spirit Baseball, $20,000 to Youth Life - Lonehollow Ranch, and $20,000 to Covenant House Texas. Mental-health and grief support also appear through $15,000 to Nick Finnegan Counseling Center Foundation.
Typical grants cluster tightly around the middle of the distribution: p25 is $10,000, median is $10,000, and p75 is $15,000. The recent list shows repeat grants across multiple years, including awards to Kids' Meals Inc, NewDay Services For Children & Families, Spring Spirit Baseball, Bynum School, Brenda and John Duncan Rise School, serenity retreat for healing & spiritual renewal, Belong Bakery, and Steel Magnolia Moms. That repeat pattern suggests ongoing relationships rather than one-time awards. The trust is a private charitable trust, and the grant labels are overwhelmingly unrestricted, indicating flexible operating support rather than project-only funding. No application process is described in the data.
$670K
$10.6M
$1.4M
$854K
Most grants fall between $10K and $15K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$15K
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Distributed but focused: many mid-size grants (often repeated) to local direct-service organizations, indicating preference for sustaining known grantees rather than one-off large gifts; geographic concentration in Houston-area child/family service providers.
Notable grantees: KIDS' MEALS INC, NewDay Services For Children & Families, Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation, Covenant House Texas, DePelchin Children's Center
Giving is overwhelmingly concentrated in Texas: 95% of grants go to recipients in the state, and the recipient-country distribution is entirely U.S.-based. Houston is the main recipient city in the recent grants list, with additional Texas recipients in Fort Worth, Midland, Bellaire, Vanderpool, and San Antonio. Outside Texas, the list includes one Colorado Springs recipient, Young Life. The pattern reflects local Texas giving with a strong Greater Houston emphasis rather than a national footprint.
Recent grants show support for children, youth, and family-serving organizations, especially in education, food access, counseling, grief support, mentoring, and faith-linked community programs. Examples in the data include schools, meal programs, youth sports, and mental-health and family-support nonprofits.
The grant-size distribution is tightly centered on modest operating grants: p25 is $10,000, the median is $10,000, and p75 is $15,000. Recent awards also include larger gifts such as $45,000 and $40,000, but most grants sit in that mid-range band.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including Kids' Meals Inc, NewDay Services For Children & Families, Spring Spirit Baseball, Bynum School, Brenda and John Duncan Rise School, serenity retreat for healing & spiritual renewal, Belong Bakery, and Steel Magnolia Moms. That repeated pattern suggests ongoing relationships.
The trust gives primarily in Texas. The data shows 95% of grants to recipients in TX, with Houston appearing most often among recipient cities. Other Texas locations in the recent list include Fort Worth, Midland, Bellaire, Vanderpool, and San Antonio.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SPRINGSPIRIT INC | HOUSTON, TX | $65,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| NEWDAY SERVICES FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES | FORT WORTH, TX | $50,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| SPRING BRANCH EDUCATION FOUNDATION | HOUSTON, TX | $50,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| WEST HOUSTON YOUNG LIFE | HOUSTON, TX | $31,875 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| SPECTRUM LINX FOUNDATION INC | HOUSTON, TX | $25,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| BO'S PLACE | HOUSTON, TX | $25,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| KIDS' MEALS INC | HOUSTON, TX | $20,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| LONE STAR FLIGHT MUSEUM | HOUSTON, TX | $20,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| YOUNG LIFE - LONEHOLLOW RANCH | VANDERPOOL, TX | $20,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| CRESTED BUTTE - GUNNISON YOUNG LIFE | CRESTED BUTTE, CO | $19,375 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| CAL FARLEY'S BOYS RANCH | AMARILLO, TX | $17,500 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| CASA DE ESPERANZA DE LOS NINOS | HOUSTON, TX | $16,875 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| PATHWAYS FOR LITTLE FEET | HOUSTON, TX | $15,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| AMAZING PLACE | HOUSTON, TX | $15,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| CAMP FOR ALL | HOUSTON, TX | $15,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| BRIDGEYEAR | SAN ANTONIO, TX | $15,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| MIND DEPRESSION AND BIPOLAR SUPPORT | CHICAGO, IL | $15,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| SERENITY RETREAT FOR HEALING AND SPIRITUAL RENEWAL | HOUSTON, TX | $15,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| BELONG BAKERY DBA BELONG KITCHEN HTX | HOUSTON, TX | $15,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| FELLOWSHIP OF CHRISTIAN ATHLETES | KANSAS CITY, MO | $15,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| COVENANT HOUSE TEXAS | HOUSTON, TX | $15,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL BOOSTER CLUB INC | HOUSTON, TX | $11,875 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| THE WORKFAITH CONNECTION | HOUSTON, TX | $10,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| NEUHAUS EDUCATION CENTER | BELLAIRE, TX | $10,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| BEAR BE A RESOURCE FOR CPS KIDS | SAN ANTONIO, TX | $10,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| BRENDA AND JOHN H DUNCAN RISE SCHOOL | HOUSTON, TX | $10,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| CAMP ALLEN CONFERENCE AND RETREAT CENTER | NAVASOTA, TX | $10,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| MAKE-A-WISH TEXAS GULF COAST AND LOUISIANA | WEST LAKE HILLS, TX | $10,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY SERVICE CENTER | HOUSTON, TX | $10,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| THE WOMEN'S HOME | HOUSTON, TX | $10,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| TIRR FOUNDATION | HOUSTON, TX | $10,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| COMMUNITIES IN SCHOOLS OF HOUSTON | HOUSTON, TX | $10,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| NEHEMIAH CENTER INC | HOUSTON, TX | $10,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| DEPELCHIN CHILDREN'S CENTER | HOUSTON, TX | $10,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| BYNUM SCHOOL | MIDLAND, TX | $10,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| HOUSTON STUTTER SOCIAL FOR KIDS | SAN ANTONIO, TX | $7,500 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| LOUISE BATZ PATIENT SAFETY FOUNDATION | SAN ANTONIO, TX | $5,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| THE PERIWINKLE FOUNDATION | HOUSTON, TX | $5,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| GLADNEY CENTER FOR ADOPTION | AUSTIN, TX | $5,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| TEXAS CHILDRENS HOSPITAL - HUBER NEURODISCOVERY CO | HOUSTON, TX | $5,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| STEEL MAGNOLIA MOMS | HOUSTON, TX | $5,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| YOUNG LIFE | colorado springs, CO | $39,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| NEWDAY SERVICES FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES | fort worth, TX | $30,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| BARBARA BUSH HOUSTON LITERACY FOUNDATION | Houston, TX | $30,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| AMAZING PLACE | Houston, TX | $25,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| SPRINGSPIRIT INC | Houston, TX | $23,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| Brenda and John Duncan Rise School | Houston, TX | $20,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| YOUNG LIFE - LONEHOLLOW RANCH | VANDERPOOL, TX | $20,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| KIDS' MEALS INC | HOUSTON, TX | $15,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| LONE STAR FLIGHT MUSEUM | HOUSTON, TX | $15,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
WEST HOUSTON YOUNG LIFE
$31,875UNRESTRICTED
SPECTRUM LINX FOUNDATION INC
$25,000UNRESTRICTED
UNRESTRICTED
YOUNG LIFE - LONEHOLLOW RANCH
$20,000UNRESTRICTED
CRESTED BUTTE - GUNNISON YOUNG LIFE
$19,375UNRESTRICTED
CAL FARLEY'S BOYS RANCH
$17,500UNRESTRICTED
AMAZING PLACE
$15,000UNRESTRICTED
CAMP FOR ALL
$15,000UNRESTRICTED
BRIDGEYEAR
$15,000UNRESTRICTED
MIND DEPRESSION AND BIPOLAR SUPPORT
$15,000UNRESTRICTED
SERENITY RETREAT FOR HEALING AND SPIRITUAL RENEWAL
$15,000UNRESTRICTED
BELONG BAKERY DBA BELONG KITCHEN HTX
$15,000UNRESTRICTED
COVENANT HOUSE TEXAS
$15,000UNRESTRICTED
MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL BOOSTER CLUB INC
$11,875UNRESTRICTED
BRENDA AND JOHN H DUNCAN RISE SCHOOL
$10,000UNRESTRICTED
CAMP ALLEN CONFERENCE AND RETREAT CENTER
$10,000UNRESTRICTED
MAKE-A-WISH TEXAS GULF COAST AND LOUISIANA
$10,000UNRESTRICTED
TIRR FOUNDATION
$10,000UNRESTRICTED
HOUSTON STUTTER SOCIAL FOR KIDS
$7,500UNRESTRICTED
LOUISE BATZ PATIENT SAFETY FOUNDATION
$5,000UNRESTRICTED
GLADNEY CENTER FOR ADOPTION
$5,000UNRESTRICTED
TEXAS CHILDRENS HOSPITAL - HUBER NEURODISCOVERY CO
$5,000UNRESTRICTED
STEEL MAGNOLIA MOMS
$5,000UNRESTRICTED
AMAZING PLACE
$25,000UNRESTRICTED
Brenda and John Duncan Rise School
$20,000UNRESTRICTED
YOUNG LIFE - LONEHOLLOW RANCH
$20,000UNRESTRICTED