The Ret-Kat Foundation is a faith-focused, regionally concentrated funder that primarily supports Catholic institutions and lay ministries in the Waco/Central Texas area. Most grants are unrestricted general operating support to parishes, men’s ministries, religious orders, and Catholic professional or evangelization groups. A single large commitment (Catholic Men’s Leadership Alliance) accounts for a substantial share of giving, with several recurring and smaller parish-level awards rounding out the portfolio.
Concentrated, faith-based giving: few grants with one very large recipient, several mid-size and smaller general operating gifts; repeat funding to local Catholic organizations and emphasis on unrestricted support.
Ret-kat Foundation Attn Kitty Tunmire’s largest recent grant was a $170,000 general fund award to Catholic Men's Leadership Alliance in Waco. That single commitment helps define the foundation’s pattern: the portfolio centers on Catholic institutions and ministries, with repeated support for parish life, men’s formation, young adult Catholic professional networks, religious orders, and evangelization groups. The grants are usually general operating support rather than project-restricted awards, and the recipients cluster in Central Texas. Alongside the flagship men’s leadership grant, the foundation made $25,000 general fund grants to Young Catholic Professionals in Irving and to Sister of the Morning Star in Woodway. It also supported local parish and diocesan organizations, including St Peter's Catholic Church, Spread the Faith, Central Texas Fellowship of Catholic Men, and the Diocese of Austin. The mix suggests a funder that backs both parish-level ministry and organized Catholic leadership efforts, with most awards going to groups serving Waco and nearby communities.
Catholic men’s ministry is a clear throughline. The foundation gave $170,000 to Catholic Men's Leadership Alliance for its general fund, then added $20,000 grants in both 2024 and 2025 to Central Texas Fellowship of Catholic Men, showing sustained support for men’s formation work. Parish support is another visible area. St Peter's Catholic Church received $20,000 in 2023, while St John the Baptist Church received $15,000 in 2025 and $5,000 in 2023. St Louis Catholic Church, St Mary's Church of the Assumption, and St Peter's Catholic Student Center also appear in the recent grant list. The foundation also funds Catholic professional and outreach groups. Young Catholic Professionals received $25,000 in 2025, Catholic Vote received $10,000 in 2024, and Red-c Catholic Radio received $5,000 in 2025. These grants show support for formation, communications, and public-facing Catholic engagement.
Grant size clusters at modest operating levels, with a p25 of $5,000, a median of $7,200, and a p75 of $15,000. The distribution is anchored by one much larger award of $170,000, but most gifts sit in the $5,000 to $20,000 range. Several recipients recur across years, including Central Texas Fellowship of Catholic Men, Diocese of Austin, St John the Baptist Church, Armor of God Radio, and Bishop Louis Reicher. The foundation does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments. The recent grant list shows general fund support rather than a formal application-driven grant program.
$447K
$1.3M
$73K
$218K
Most grants fall between $5K and $15K, with a median of $7K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$7K
75th Percentile
$15K
About 83% of grants go to recipients in TX.
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Notable grantees: Catholic Men's Leadership Alliance, Central Texas Fellowship of Catholic Men, St. Peter's Catholic Church, Young Catholic Professionals, Sister of the Morning Star
Giving is highly concentrated in Texas, which accounts for 83% of grants and is the foundation’s top state by grant count. Waco appears most often, with grants to Catholic Men's Leadership Alliance, St Peter's Catholic Church, Spread the Faith, Central Texas Fellowship of Catholic Men, and St Peter's Catholic Student Center. Other Texas recipient cities include Austin, Woodway, West, Sealy, Bryan, College Station, and Copperas Cove. Outside Texas, the foundation’s grants remain in the United States, including Irving, Carmel, Springfield, Harrisburg, Washington, and Portland.
The recent grants are centered on Catholic institutions and ministries: parishes, men’s fellowships, young adult Catholic groups, religious sisters, diocesan entities, and Catholic media or evangelization organizations. Examples in the grant list include parish churches in Waco, Catholic men’s ministries, and Catholic professional networks.
Typical grants are modest operating awards: p25 is $5,000, the median is $7,200, and p75 is $15,000. The recent list also includes a much larger $170,000 grant, but most awards cluster around the lower end of that range.
Yes. Texas is the top state by grant count, and 83% of grants go to recipients in Texas. Waco appears repeatedly among the recipient locations, alongside Austin, Woodway, West, Sealy, Bryan, College Station, and Copperas Cove.
The recent grants are listed as general fund awards across the portfolio. That pattern appears in the largest gift to Catholic Men's Leadership Alliance and in smaller grants to churches, ministries, and Catholic organizations.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including Central Texas Fellowship of Catholic Men, Diocese of Austin, St John the Baptist Church, Armor of God Radio, and Bishop Louis Reicher. That suggests recurring support rather than one-time awards only.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| YOUNG CATHOLIC PROFESSIONALS | IRVING, TX | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| CENTRAL TEXAS FELLOWSHIP OF CATHOLIC MEN | WACO, TX | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| PROVIDENCE FOUNDATION | WACO, TX | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| ST JOHN THE BAPTIST CHURCH | WACO, TX | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| DIOCESE OF AUSTIN | AUSTIN, TX | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| GOD AS CEO | WACO, TX | $7,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| ARMOR OF GOD RADIO | COPPERAS COVE, TX | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| FORGE MEN'S MINISTRY | SEALY, TX | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| RED-C CATHOLIC RADIO | COLLEGE STATION, TX | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| BISHOP LOUIS REICHER | WACO, TX | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| ST MARY'S CHURCH OF THE ASSUMPTION | WEST, TX | $4,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| ARCHDIOCESE FOR THE MILITARY | WASHINGTON DC, DC | $3,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| ST PETER'S CATHOLIC STUDENT CENTER | WACO, TX | $2,500 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| DEACON HAROLD BURKE SIVERS | PORTLAND, OR | $2,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| CATHOLIC MEN'S LEADERSHIP ALLIANCE | WACO, TX | $170,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| SISTER OF THE MORNING STAR | WOODWAY, TX | $25,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| SPREAD THE FAITH | WACO, TX | $20,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| CENTRAL TEXAS FELLOWSHIP OF CATHOLIC MEN | WACO, TX | $20,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS | WACO, TX | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| LIVE VERTICAL | SPRINGFIELD, PA | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| CATHOLIC VOTE | CARMEL, IN | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| DIOCESE OF AUSTIN | AUSTIN, TX | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| BISHOP LOUIS REICHER | WACO, TX | $3,670 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| ABLAZE MINISTRIES | BRYAN, TX | $2,400 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| ST PETER'S CATHOLIC CHURCH | WACO, TX | $20,000 | 2023 | GENERAL FUND |
| ST LOUIS CATHOLIC CHURCH | WACO, TX | $7,200 | 2023 | GENERAL FUND |
| NDVH-NATIONAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HOTLINE | HARRISBURG, PA | $5,000 | 2023 | GENERAL FUND |
| ST JOHN THE BAPTIST CHURCH | WACO, TX | $5,000 | 2023 | GENERAL FUND |
| ARMOR OF GOD RADIO | COPPERAS COVE, TX | $5,000 | 2023 | GENERAL FUND |
YOUNG CATHOLIC PROFESSIONALS
$25,000GENERAL FUND
CENTRAL TEXAS FELLOWSHIP OF CATHOLIC MEN
$20,000GENERAL FUND
PROVIDENCE FOUNDATION
$15,000GENERAL FUND
ST JOHN THE BAPTIST CHURCH
$15,000GENERAL FUND
DIOCESE OF AUSTIN
$10,000GENERAL FUND
GOD AS CEO
$7,000GENERAL FUND
ARMOR OF GOD RADIO
GENERAL FUND
FORGE MEN'S MINISTRY
$5,000GENERAL FUND
RED-C CATHOLIC RADIO
$5,000GENERAL FUND
BISHOP LOUIS REICHER
$5,000GENERAL FUND
ST MARY'S CHURCH OF THE ASSUMPTION
$4,000GENERAL FUND
ARCHDIOCESE FOR THE MILITARY
$3,000GENERAL FUND
ST PETER'S CATHOLIC STUDENT CENTER
$2,500GENERAL FUND
DEACON HAROLD BURKE SIVERS
$2,000GENERAL FUND
CATHOLIC MEN'S LEADERSHIP ALLIANCE
$170,000GENERAL FUND
SISTER OF THE MORNING STAR
$25,000GENERAL FUND
SPREAD THE FAITH
$20,000GENERAL FUND
CENTRAL TEXAS FELLOWSHIP OF CATHOLIC MEN
$20,000GENERAL FUND
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS
$10,000GENERAL FUND
LIVE VERTICAL
$10,000GENERAL FUND
CATHOLIC VOTE
$10,000GENERAL FUND
DIOCESE OF AUSTIN
$10,000GENERAL FUND
BISHOP LOUIS REICHER
$3,670GENERAL FUND
ABLAZE MINISTRIES
$2,400GENERAL FUND
ST PETER'S CATHOLIC CHURCH
$20,000GENERAL FUND
ST LOUIS CATHOLIC CHURCH
$7,200GENERAL FUND
NDVH-NATIONAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HOTLINE
$5,000GENERAL FUND
ST JOHN THE BAPTIST CHURCH
$5,000GENERAL FUND
ARMOR OF GOD RADIO
$5,000GENERAL FUND