The Quincy and Estine Lee Charitable Foundation focuses on unrestricted support for health and frontline human-service organizations, with particular emphasis on vision/retinal research in the Southwest and community-based programs that serve immigrants, families, and vulnerable youth. Grants are directed to a mix of regional and national nonprofits providing shelter, family services, job/food access programs, and violence-prevention or peacebuilding initiatives. The foundation favors flexible general operating support rather than tightly restricted program grants.
Concentrated around a small number of sizable unrestricted awards (several grants $50k–$500k) alongside multiple mid-sized $50k gifts; funding is broadly distributed geographically (regional SW focus but several national/MA grantees), emphasizes general operating support, and appears to favor mission-driven service providers rather than highly restricted project grants.
A $500,000 unrestricted grant to the Retina Foundation of the Southwest stands out as the largest recent award from Quincy and Estine Lee Char Fnd Fb992. That gift fits a broader pattern of flexible support for health, family services, and community-based organizations, with several grants labeled unrestricted rather than tightly program-specific. The foundation also backed immigrant and refugee services through Casa Marianella and Todos Juntos Learning Center, and supported residential youth and family care through Arms of Hope and the Young Mens Christian Association of Greater Boston Inc. Its recent awards show a preference for organizations that provide direct services or long-term support in areas such as shelter, aftercare, workforce access, violence prevention, and vision-related research. Several grantees are in Texas, but the funding list also reaches Boston-area and Dorchester organizations, indicating a mix of local and out-of-area support within a primarily Texas-centered portfolio. The foundation’s recent giving shows consistent use of unrestricted grants, which suggests recipients receive flexible funding for core operations and mission delivery rather than narrowly defined projects.
Health-related giving appears in the foundation’s largest recent grant: $500,000 to Retina Foundation of the Southwest for unrestricted support. That award is paired with other health-adjacent and human-services grants, including $70,000 to Pregnancy Care Center in San Antonio. For immigrant and refugee support, Quincy and Estine Lee Char Fnd Fb992 gave $200,000 to Casa Marianella and $50,000 to Todos Juntos Learning Center, both in Austin, for unrestricted support. Youth and family services are another clear thread: $250,000 went to Arms of Hope Inc in Medina, and $50,000 went to Young Mens Christian Association of Greater Boston Inc in Dorchester, both unrestricted. Community stability also shows up in awards such as $50,000 to Commonwealth Kitchen in Dorchester and $50,000 to Fathers Uplift in Dorchester, alongside $50,000 to Louis D Brown Peace Institute for unrestricted support.
Typical grants fall in a wide band, with a p25 of $35,000, a median of $72,500, and a p75 of $181,250. The recent list is dominated by unrestricted awards, pointing to flexible operating support rather than tightly earmarked project funding. The grant history here is local in scope, and the 2025 through 2023 awards show repeated support for Texas organizations alongside a smaller set of Massachusetts recipients. The foundation is not funding individuals and does not make program-related investments. In the provided recent-grants set, recipients appear across multiple years, including 2023, 2024, and 2025, which suggests ongoing rather than one-time relationships with some organizations.
$750K
$3.1M
$284K
$809K
Most grants fall between $35K and $181K, with a median of $73K.
25th Percentile
$35K
Median
$73K
75th Percentile
$181K
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Notable grantees: Retina Foundation of the Southwest, Arms of Hope Inc, Casa Marianella, Gazelle Foundation, ProUnitas Inc
Grant recipients are overwhelmingly in Texas, with 90% of grants going to organizations in the HQ state and all listed recipients located in the US. Texas cities appearing in the recent grants include Dallas, Austin, Medina, San Antonio, and Helotes. Austin appears multiple times, including Casa Marianella, Todos Juntos Learning Center, and Gazelle Foundation. Outside Texas, the foundation’s recent awards reach Dorchester and Boston in Massachusetts, including several Dorchester-based organizations. The geographic footprint is local overall, but it extends beyond San Antonio into a small set of out-of-state urban nonprofit hubs.
The recent grants show support for health and human services, immigrant and refugee assistance, youth and family care, violence prevention, and community food/workforce programs. Examples include Retina Foundation of the Southwest, Casa Marianella, Arms of Hope Inc, Commonwealth Kitchen, and Louis D Brown Peace Institute.
Most of the listed grants are marked unrestricted. That pattern appears across large and mid-sized awards, including gifts to Retina Foundation of the Southwest, Casa Marianella, Arms of Hope Inc, and several Dorchester-based organizations.
The grant-size distribution centers on a median of $72,500, with a p25 of $35,000 and a p75 of $181,250. The recent list also includes both larger awards, such as $500,000, and smaller awards like $5,000.
The top state by grant count is Texas, and 90% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state. Recent Texas recipients include organizations in Dallas, Austin, Medina, San Antonio, and Helotes.
Yes. The recent grants include organizations in Massachusetts, especially Dorchester and Boston. Examples include Young Mens Christian Association of Greater Boston Inc, Commonwealth Kitchen, Fathers Uplift, Homestart Inc, Louis D Brown Peace Institute, and Vietnamese American Initiative for Development Inc.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RETINA FOUNDATIN OF THE SOUTHWEST | DALLAS, TX | $500,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED GRANT |
| HOMESTART INC | BOSTON, MA | $50,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED GRANT |
| COMMONWEALTH KITCHEN | DORCHESTER, MA | $50,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED GREAT |
| LOUIS D BROWN PEACE INSTITUTE | DORCHESTER, MA | $50,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED GRANT |
| FATHERS UPLIFT | DORCHESTER, MA | $50,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED GRANT |
| YOUNG MENS CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION OF GREATER BOSTON INC | DORCHESTER, MA | $50,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED GRANT |
| Arms of Hope Inc | Medina, TX | $250,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED GRANT |
| ProUnitas Inc | Houston, TX | $125,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED GRANT |
| Pregnancy Care Center | SAN ANTONIO, TX | $70,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| Taproot Church | Helotes, TX | $30,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED GRANT |
| Vietnamese American Initiative for Development Inc | Dorchester, MA | $25,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED GRANT |
| San Antonio Tora Academy | San Antonio, TX | $5,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED GRANT |
| GAZELLE FOUNDATION | AUSTIN, TX | $250,000 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED GRANT |
| Casa Marianella | Austin, TX | $200,000 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED GRANT |
| CWC International Ubuntu Life Foundation | Austin, TX | $75,000 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED GRANT |
| TODOS JUNTOS LEARNING CENTER | Austin, TX | $50,000 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED GRANT |
RETINA FOUNDATIN OF THE SOUTHWEST
$500,000UNRESTRICTED GRANT
YOUNG MENS CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION OF GREATER BOSTON INC
UNRESTRICTED GRANT
Pregnancy Care Center
$70,000CHARITABLE
Taproot Church
$30,000UNRESTRICTED GRANT
San Antonio Tora Academy
$5,000UNRESTRICTED GRANT
GAZELLE FOUNDATION
$250,000UNRESTRICTED GRANT
CWC International Ubuntu Life Foundation
$75,000UNRESTRICTED GRANT