The John P. McGovern Foundation concentrates its giving locally in Houston with a heavy emphasis on large, institution-strengthening gifts. Its portfolio is dominated by major support for medical education and research, complemented by significant investments in higher education and civic cultural/green-space institutions that serve families and the public.
A $10 million 2025 grant to UT-Health Science Center Medical School sets the tone for the John P McGovern Foundation: this is a Houston-based funder that backs institution-level work in health, education, culture, and public space. The foundation’s recent awards show a consistent preference for general support and for organizations that serve broad local audiences rather than narrow project niches. Houston-area medical education and biomedical research sit at the center of the portfolio, with the University of Houston and The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston also receiving major support. Beyond higher education, the foundation funds family-facing institutions such as the Children’s Museum and Houston Museum of Natural Science, alongside civic stewards like Hermann Park Conservancy and Houston Zoo. Galveston also appears in the recent record through support for The Grand 1894 Opera House and Salvation Army. The pattern is not limited to one sector: health professions training, informal learning, recovery services, and park and arts programming all appear in the same giving history. The result is a locally concentrated grantmaker with a broad institutional footprint across Houston’s medical, educational, cultural, and environmental landscape.
Medical education is the clearest theme in the recent record. In 2025, the foundation gave $10 million to UT-Health Science Center Medical School for general support, and it also provided $250,000 to The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston for program support. Nursing education appears as well through a $175,000 scholarship gift to UTHSC - Cizik School of Nursing. The foundation also funds public-facing science and learning institutions. The Houston Museum of Natural Science received $290,000 in 2025 for general support, after earlier grants of $190,000 in 2023 and $187,500 in 2024. Civic and environmental programming is another visible area: Hermann Park Conservancy received support for the Dr Jack Train Engine, Art Zone/reforestation and tree care, and multiple 2025 park initiatives.
Typical grants cluster at a mid-sized institutional level, with a p25 of $10,000, a median of $20,000, and a p75 of $40,000. The recent record also includes large, repeated awards to the same organizations across 2023 through 2025, which points to ongoing support rather than isolated one-off gifts. The foundation is classified as a regular funder and funds individuals, while making no program-related investments. Its giving pattern leans heavily toward general support, supplemented by program support, scholarships, and some capital- or campaign-related funding.
$9.3M
$138.4M
$37.1M
$10.7M
Most grants fall between $10K and $40K, with a median of $20K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$20K
75th Percentile
$40K
Top 2 recipient countries by grant volume for John P Mcgovern Foundation.
| Rank | Country | Grants | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United StatesDomestic | 889 | $45.2M | 99.8% |
| 2 | Pitcairn Islands |
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Highly concentrated, small-number portfolio of very large grants—multi-million dollar, institution-focused awards primarily to local Houston organizations rather than many small grants; favors capacity-building and capital/support for flagship institutions.
Notable grantees: UT-Health Science Center Medical School, University of Houston, Houston Zoo, Children's Museum (Houston), Hermann Park Conservancy
Grantmaking is overwhelmingly Houston-centered. Of the grants listed, 97% go to recipients in the HQ state of Texas, and the top giving state is also Texas. Houston accounts for most named recipients, including medical, museum, park, museum-of-science, and recovery organizations. Galveston appears as a secondary Texas city, with support for The Grand 1894 Opera House and Salvation Army. The recipient country distribution is entirely domestic: 889 grants, or 100%, go to US organizations.
The recent record centers on medical education and biomedical research, higher education, family-facing informal STEM and cultural learning, urban wildlife and conservation education, parks stewardship, and addiction recovery services. It also supports supportive and affordable housing operations, performing arts, and scholarship funding.
Yes. Several organizations appear in multiple years, including Hermann Park Conservancy, The Grand 1894 Opera House, Houston Museum of Natural Science, The Children's Museum, and The Council on Recovery. The repeated awards suggest continuing relationships rather than one-time gifts.
The distribution centers on mid-sized grants: p25 is $10,000, median grant size is $20,000, and p75 is $40,000. The recent list also shows substantially larger institutional awards, including $10 million, $2 million, and $1.5 million grants.
Its giving is highly concentrated in Texas, which accounts for 97% of grants in the data. Houston is the dominant city, with additional grants in Galveston. The recipient country distribution is entirely US-based.
The recent grants include support for addiction recovery and aftercare through Houston Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Inc and The Council on Recovery. Housing-related support also appears in the taxonomy through supportive and affordable housing operations, with Covenant House - Texas among the recent grantees.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
| 2 |
| $85K |
0.2% |
Recipient country reflects the grantee's headquarters per IRS 990-PF and Schedule F filings, not the program's implementation country.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UT-Health Science Center Medical School | Houston, TX | $10,000,000 | 2025 | General support |
| University of Houston | Houston, TX | $2,000,000 | 2025 | General support |
| Houston Zoo | Houston, TX | $1,500,000 | 2025 | General support |
| Children's Museum | Houston, TX | $1,000,000 | 2025 | General support |
| Hermann Park Conservancy | Houston, TX | $1,000,000 | 2025 | Program Support |
| Hermann Park Conservancy | Houston, TX | $500,000 | 2025 | Dr Jack Train Engine |
| The Grand 1894 Opera House | Galveston, TX | $300,000 | 2025 | 2025 Program Support |
| Houston Museum of Natural Science | Houston, TX | $290,000 | 2025 | General support |
| Houston Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Inc | Houston, TX | $225,000 | 2025 | JPM Cntr. for Community Education, Aftercare, Relapse Prevention, and Recovery Support |
| Houston Museum of Natural Science | Houston, TX | $190,000 | 2025 | General support |
| The Children's Museum | Houston, TX | $160,000 | 2025 | General support |
| Hermann Park Conservancy | Houston, TX | $160,000 | 2025 | Japanese Garden; Evening in the Park;Hats in the Park Luncheon; Ongoing Reforestation Program |
| John P McGovern Museum of Health & Medical Science | Houston, TX | $150,000 | 2025 | General Operating Support |
| New Hope Housing | Houston, TX | $150,000 | 2025 | NH Housing - Berry Unit; NH Berry Operational Support |
| Baylor College of Medicine | Houston, TX | $150,000 | 2025 | Med. Student Scholarship Matching Fund for the JPMcGovern Scholars |
| New Hope Housing | Houston, TX | $150,000 | 2025 | Funds for New Hope Housing Ave C Housing; NHH Ave C Operational Support |
| Institute for Behavior & Health Inc | Rockville, MD | $125,000 | 2025 | Program Support |
| Houston Public Library Foundation | Houston, TX | $110,000 | 2025 | John P. McGovern Spring & Summer Reading Program |
| Star of Hope Mission | Houston, TX | $100,000 | 2025 | Challenge Grant Match met for 2024 |
| The Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation | Houston, TX | $100,000 | 2025 | 2025 Celebration of Reading |
| Texas Tech University | Lubbock, TX | $100,000 | 2025 | Center for Students in Addiction Recovery JPM Endowment/Scholarship & Fellowships |
| United Way of the Texas Gulf Coast | Houston, TX | $100,000 | 2025 | Program support |
| Covenant House - Texas | Houston, TX | $96,000 | 2025 | General support |
| American Society of Addiction Medicine | Rockville, MD | $85,000 | 2025 | Program support for Book Publication |
| Community Family Centers | Houston, TX | $80,000 | 2025 | Parenting classes, recreation, after-school & summer camps, and the STEM student programs |
| The Houston Symphony Society | Houston, TX | $75,000 | 2025 | Symphony Ball; Music Matters! Educational and Community Engagement initiative |
| Memorial Park Conservancy Inc | Houston, TX | $75,000 | 2025 | Program support |
| KickStart | Houston, TX | $75,000 | 2025 | Program support |
| University of Houston | Houston, TX | $75,000 | 2025 | 2024 Reimagining Libraries Master Plan Phase 1 |
| The Nehemiah Neighborhood Center | Houston, TX | $75,000 | 2025 | Program support (2024-2025) |
| Presbyterian Children's Homes & Services | Austin, TX | $70,000 | 2025 | 2024 John P. McGovern Social Worker/support; Houston Luncheon |
| Houston Area Women's Center | Houston, TX | $65,000 | 2025 | Empower Luncheon; General Operating Expenses |
| BakerRipley | Houston, TX | $65,000 | 2025 | Senior Health & Wellness Division Programs |
| Hermann Park Conservancy | Houston, TX | $60,000 | 2025 | On going reforestation; Hats in the Park Luncheon; Evening in the Park |
| DePelchin Children's Center | Houston, TX | $60,000 | 2025 | Program Support - quadrupling |
| The Women's Home | Houston, TX | $60,000 | 2025 | Treatment & Transitional Housing Program; Triumph Luncheon Sponsorship, Pickleball Tournament |
| The Men's Center Inc | Houston, TX | $60,000 | 2025 | Program support |
| The Rose Center | Houston, TX | $60,000 | 2025 | Support for Mobile Mammography Program |
| The YMCA of Greater Houston Area | Houston, TX | $60,000 | 2025 | YMCA Summer Day Camp camperships |
| South Main Alliance | Houston, TX | $60,000 | 2025 | Program support |
| Galveston Bay Foundation | Kemah, TX | $55,000 | 2025 | General support |
| Gulf Coast Bird Observatory | Lake Jackson, TX | $50,000 | 2025 | Lake Jackson Education and Outreach Programs; Quintana Bird Sanctuary program support |
| Cal Farley's Boys Ranch and Girlstown | Amarillo, TX | $50,000 | 2025 | 2024 Support of Independent Living Homes |
| Casa de Esperanza | Houston, TX | $50,000 | 2025 | General support |
| The Jesse Tree | Galveston, TX | $50,000 | 2025 | 2024-25 Program Support |
| Houston Public Media | Houston, TX | $50,000 | 2025 | 2025 Innovator Leader gift to support educational programs |
| Boy Scouts-Sam Houston Area Council | Houston, TX | $50,000 | 2025 | Scout Reach Program |
| The Ranch Recovery Centers Inc | Elgin, TX | $50,000 | 2025 | Program support |
| University of Houston | Houston, TX | $50,000 | 2025 | Cougars in Recovery Program |
| Galveston Island Tree Conservancy | Galveston, TX | $50,000 | 2025 | Program support |
UT-Health Science Center Medical School
$10,000,000General support
University of Houston
$2,000,000General support
Houston Zoo
$1,500,000General support
Dr Jack Train Engine
The Grand 1894 Opera House
$300,0002025 Program Support
Houston Museum of Natural Science
$290,000General support
Houston Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Inc
$225,000JPM Cntr. for Community Education, Aftercare, Relapse Prevention, and Recovery Support
Houston Museum of Natural Science
$190,000General support
Japanese Garden; Evening in the Park;Hats in the Park Luncheon; Ongoing Reforestation Program
New Hope Housing
$150,000NH Housing - Berry Unit; NH Berry Operational Support
Med. Student Scholarship Matching Fund for the JPMcGovern Scholars
New Hope Housing
$150,000Funds for New Hope Housing Ave C Housing; NHH Ave C Operational Support
Institute for Behavior & Health Inc
$125,000Program Support
John P. McGovern Spring & Summer Reading Program
Texas Tech University
$100,000Center for Students in Addiction Recovery JPM Endowment/Scholarship & Fellowships
Covenant House - Texas
$96,000General support
American Society of Addiction Medicine
$85,000Program support for Book Publication
Community Family Centers
$80,000Parenting classes, recreation, after-school & summer camps, and the STEM student programs
The Houston Symphony Society
$75,000Symphony Ball; Music Matters! Educational and Community Engagement initiative
KickStart
$75,000Program support
University of Houston
$75,0002024 Reimagining Libraries Master Plan Phase 1
The Nehemiah Neighborhood Center
$75,000Program support (2024-2025)
2024 John P. McGovern Social Worker/support; Houston Luncheon
On going reforestation; Hats in the Park Luncheon; Evening in the Park
Treatment & Transitional Housing Program; Triumph Luncheon Sponsorship, Pickleball Tournament
The Men's Center Inc
$60,000Program support
The Rose Center
$60,000Support for Mobile Mammography Program
South Main Alliance
$60,000Program support
Lake Jackson Education and Outreach Programs; Quintana Bird Sanctuary program support
Cal Farley's Boys Ranch and Girlstown
$50,0002024 Support of Independent Living Homes
Casa de Esperanza
$50,000General support
The Jesse Tree
$50,0002024-25 Program Support
Houston Public Media
$50,0002025 Innovator Leader gift to support educational programs
Boy Scouts-Sam Houston Area Council
$50,000Scout Reach Program
The Ranch Recovery Centers Inc
$50,000Program support
University of Houston
$50,000Cougars in Recovery Program
Galveston Island Tree Conservancy
$50,000Program support