The LeBermann Foundation concentrates giving in Texas, especially Austin and the surrounding region, with large, strategic gifts to higher-education institutions, medical programs, civic life initiatives, and distinctive regional arts organizations. Grants emphasize endowment-building and institution-strengthening (education and medical school capacity) as well as place-based civic projects and cultural programming. The foundation typically makes few, sizable awards and often repeats support to core institutions.
Lebermann Foundation has made repeated, large awards to strengthen Texas institutions, with the clearest pattern visible in its support for endowment-building and academic medical capacity in Austin. Among the foundation’s recent gifts, it backed the LBJ Foundation with $400,000 in 2024 and $200,000 in 2025 to support an endowment for educational programs, and it gave $200,000 in 2024 to the University of Texas at Austin’s Dell Medical School endowed chair effort to help the school become a world-class academic medical center. The same institution-building approach shows up in civic and cultural work as well. In Austin, Waller Creek Conservancy received $200,000 in 2024 for the community plaza at Waterloo Park, while the Annette Strauss Institute at The University of Texas at Austin received multiple gifts for civic life programming. The foundation also funds place-based arts work in West Texas, including support for Ballroom Marfa’s exhibitions and landscape-inspired projects in the Big Bend region. Its giving profile is compact, strategic, and concentrated in Texas organizations.
Higher education and medical education are central to the foundation’s grantmaking. The University of Texas at Austin received $100,000 in 2023 for Dell Medical School, and the same school was supported again in 2024 with $200,000 through the Lowell H. Lebermann endowed chair effort. The LBJ Foundation also received $400,000 in 2024 and $200,000 in 2025 for endowment support tied to educational programs. Civic life is another recurring theme. The Annette Strauss Institute at The University of Texas at Austin received $150,000 in 2024 and $75,000 in 2025 for civic life work. In public space and placemaking, Waller Creek Conservancy received $200,000 in 2024 and $200,000 in 2023 for the Waterloo Park community plaza. The foundation also supports arts and landscape interpretation, including $400,000 in 2023 to Ballroom Marfa for exhibitions and site-specific, site-inspired works tied to the Big Bend landscape.
The foundation’s recent grants cluster around a relatively large check size: the 25th percentile is $81,250, the median is $175,000, and the 75th percentile is $200,000. That pattern fits a funder that makes a limited number of substantial awards rather than many small ones. Recurring support is common: the LBJ Foundation, Waller Creek Conservancy, The University of Texas at Austin’s Annette Strauss Institute, and the Dell Medical School-related endowed chair effort each appear in multiple years. The foundation is classified as a Regular Funder, not a DAF, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments.
$910K
$16.3M
$1.1M
$979K
Most grants fall between $81K and $200K, with a median of $175K.
25th Percentile
$81K
Median
$175K
75th Percentile
$200K
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Concentrated, high-dollar grants to a small set of repeat grantees and major institutions; emphasis on endowments and multi-year institutional strengthening rather than many small community grants.
Notable grantees: LBJ Foundation, The University of Texas at Austin / Dell Medical School, Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life (UT Austin), Waller Creek Conservancy, Ballroom Marfa
Grantmaking is entirely in the United States, and every recent grant listed goes to Texas recipients. Austin dominates the distribution, with multiple awards to organizations there, including The University of Texas at Austin, Waller Creek Conservancy, Austin Community Foundation, and the Annette Strauss Institute. Marfa also appears through Ballroom Marfa, showing that the foundation’s Texas giving reaches beyond the state capital into West Texas. The top state by grant count is Texas, matching the foundation’s local geographic scope of giving.
It gives mainly to Texas institutions tied to higher education, academic medicine, civic life, public space, and arts programming. Recent recipients include the LBJ Foundation, Dell Medical School-related efforts at The University of Texas at Austin, Waller Creek Conservancy, Ballroom Marfa, and Austin Community Foundation.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including the LBJ Foundation in 2024 and 2025, Waller Creek Conservancy in 2023 and 2024, and The University of Texas at Austin’s Annette Strauss Institute in 2023 and 2025. That suggests repeated support for core institutions.
The recent grant data shows a 25th percentile of $81,250, a median of $175,000, and a 75th percentile of $200,000. Recent awards also include a $500,000 grant to Austin Community Foundation and $400,000 grants to the LBJ Foundation and Ballroom Marfa.
Its recent giving is entirely in Texas. Austin is the main recipient city, with grants also going to Marfa. The recipient country distribution is 100% US.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUSTIN COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | AUSTIN, TX | $500,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT GENERAL OPERATIONS - PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| LBJ FOUNDATION | AUSTIN, TX | $200,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT ENDOWMENT WHICH WILL ENSURE THE CONTINUATION OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS |
| UNIV OF TX AUSTIN - ENHANCE LOWELL H LEBERMANN ENDOWED CHR-DELL MEDICAL SCH | AUSTIN, TX | $100,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT THE SCHOOL TO ENSURE IT BECOMES A WORLD-CLASS ACADEMIC MEDICAL CENTER |
| THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN - THE ANNETTE STRAUSS INSTITUTE | AUSTIN, TX | $75,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT THE ANNETTE STRAUSS INSTITUTE FOR CIVIC LIFE |
| ALLISON ORR DANCE INC | AUSTIN, TX | $35,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT EDUCATION, THE ARTS AND THE ENVIRONMENT |
| LBJ FOUNDATION | AUSTIN, TX | $400,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT ENDOWMENT WHICH WILL ENSURE THE CONTINUATION OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS |
| UNIV OF TX AUSTIN - ENHANCE LOWELL H LEBERMANN ENDOWED CHR-DELL MEDICAL SCH | AUSTIN, TX | $200,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT THE SCHOOL TO ENSURE IT BECOMES A WORLD-CLASS ACADEMIC MEDICAL CENTER |
| WALLER CREEK CONSERVANCY | AUSTIN, TX | $200,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY PLAZA AT WATERLOO PARK |
| THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN - THE ANNETTE STRAUSS INSTITUTE | AUSTIN, TX | $150,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT THE ANNETTE STRAUSS INSTITUTE FOR CIVIC LIFE |
| BALLROOM MARFA | MARFA, TX | $400,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT EXHIBITIONS, SITE-SPECIFIC AND SITE-INSPIRED WORKS, AND SHARE THE LANDSCAPE OF THE BIG BEND |
| WALLER CREEK CONSERVANCY | AUSTIN, TX | $200,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY PLAZA AT WATERLOO PARK |
| THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN - DELL MEDICAL SCHOOL | AUSTIN, TX | $100,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT THE SCHOOL TO ENSURE IT BECOMES A WORLD-CLASS ACADEMIC MEDICAL CENTER |
| THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN - THE ANNETTE STRAUSS INSTITUTE | AUSTIN, TX | $75,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT THE ANNETTE STRAUSS INSTITUTE FOR CIVIC LIFE |
| THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN | AUSTIN, TX | $50,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS PRESS |
| ALLISON ORR DANCE INC | AUSTIN, TX | $25,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT EDUCATION, THE ARTS AND THE ENVIRONMENT |
LBJ FOUNDATION
$200,000SUPPORT ENDOWMENT WHICH WILL ENSURE THE CONTINUATION OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS
UNIV OF TX AUSTIN - ENHANCE LOWELL H LEBERMANN ENDOWED CHR-DELL MEDICAL SCH
$100,000SUPPORT THE SCHOOL TO ENSURE IT BECOMES A WORLD-CLASS ACADEMIC MEDICAL CENTER
THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN - THE ANNETTE STRAUSS INSTITUTE
$75,000SUPPORT THE ANNETTE STRAUSS INSTITUTE FOR CIVIC LIFE
ALLISON ORR DANCE INC
$35,000SUPPORT EDUCATION, THE ARTS AND THE ENVIRONMENT
LBJ FOUNDATION
SUPPORT ENDOWMENT WHICH WILL ENSURE THE CONTINUATION OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS
UNIV OF TX AUSTIN - ENHANCE LOWELL H LEBERMANN ENDOWED CHR-DELL MEDICAL SCH
$200,000SUPPORT THE SCHOOL TO ENSURE IT BECOMES A WORLD-CLASS ACADEMIC MEDICAL CENTER
THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN - THE ANNETTE STRAUSS INSTITUTE
$150,000SUPPORT THE ANNETTE STRAUSS INSTITUTE FOR CIVIC LIFE
BALLROOM MARFA
$400,000SUPPORT EXHIBITIONS, SITE-SPECIFIC AND SITE-INSPIRED WORKS, AND SHARE THE LANDSCAPE OF THE BIG BEND
THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN - DELL MEDICAL SCHOOL
$100,000SUPPORT THE SCHOOL TO ENSURE IT BECOMES A WORLD-CLASS ACADEMIC MEDICAL CENTER
THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN - THE ANNETTE STRAUSS INSTITUTE
$75,000SUPPORT THE ANNETTE STRAUSS INSTITUTE FOR CIVIC LIFE
ALLISON ORR DANCE INC
$25,000SUPPORT EDUCATION, THE ARTS AND THE ENVIRONMENT