The Serafy Foundation concentrates its philanthropy locally in Brownsville, TX, with a clear preference for education-related beneficiaries. The foundation makes a small number of relatively large, general-purpose grants—notably repeat support for a local Catholic school and a regional public university—suggesting a focus on sustaining local educational institutions rather than program-specific funding.
Highly concentrated: few (3) grants totaling $220,000, with large unrestricted/general-fund awards; evidence of repeat funding to the same grantee (St. Mary’s), indicating relationship-based, local sustaining support rather than broad geographic or issue diversification.
Serafy Foundation’s largest recent gift went to St Mary’s Catholic School in Brownsville, which received $94,000 in 2023 and another $70,000 in 2025 as general fund support. That repeat funding is a strong signal of how the foundation gives: it backs local educational institutions with unrestricted grants rather than narrow project awards. The same pattern appears across its recent grants to Brownsville-based schools and colleges, including University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, St Joseph Academy, and the University of Dallas. The foundation’s grantmaking is compact in scale but steady in total dollars, with annual grants of $1,084,717 and total assets of $11,443,491 on the latest filing. Its recent activity includes support for Catholic parochial K–12 education, regional higher education, and affiliated campus or school programs. Grant recipients also include organizations beyond Brownsville, but the center of gravity remains in South Texas, especially among educational and church-related institutions. The consistent use of general fund grants suggests the foundation prefers to strengthen operating capacity at institutions it already knows.
Education is the clearest thread in Serafy Foundation’s recent giving. In K–12 Catholic education, it gave $94,000 in 2023 and $70,000 in 2025 to St Mary’s Catholic School in Brownsville, both as general fund support. For regional higher education, it awarded $56,000 in 2025 to Utrgv in Brownsville and $50,000 in 2023 to Schreiner University in Kerrville. The foundation also supported the University of Dallas with $50,000 in 2023 and $25,000 in 2025. Its grant list also reaches into related educational and civic programs. Children’s Museum of Brownsville received $30,000 in 2023 and $26,815 in 2025. South Texas Academic Rising Scholars was awarded $20,000 in 2023 and $10,000 in 2025. Utrgv Athletics received $20,000 in 2023 and $10,000 in 2025, showing that the foundation sometimes supports campus-linked activities alongside core academic institutions.
Serafy Foundation’s recent grants cluster around a relatively small set of award sizes. The middle of its distribution is $7,500, with a lower quartile of $4,375 and an upper quartile of $21,250. That points to many modest awards alongside a smaller number of larger grants. The recent record also shows repeat support across years, especially for schools, universities, and related educational institutions. Grants are listed as general fund awards, indicating flexible support rather than project-specific financing. The foundation does not fund individuals and is not described as making program-related investments. The available record does not show an application process, and the grant history suggests relationship-based, recurring support rather than one-time transactions.
$511K
$11.4M
$992K
$826K
Most grants fall between $4K and $21K, with a median of $8K.
25th Percentile
$4K
Median
$8K
75th Percentile
$21K
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Notable grantees: St. Mary's Catholic School, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV)
Serafy Foundation gives almost entirely in the United States, and 81% of its grants go to recipients in Texas. Brownsville is the main recipient city, with multiple awards to St Mary’s Catholic School, Utrgv, Children’s Museum of Brownsville, Mary Mother of the Church, and St Joseph Academy. Other Texas recipients include Austin, Houston, San Juan, Corpus Christi, McAllen, Kerrville, Irving, and Dallas. Outside Texas, recipients appear in Illinois and Indiana, including Northfield and Notre Dame.
Its recent grants concentrate on educational institutions and related organizations. Examples include Brownsville schools, regional universities, a children’s museum, and campus-linked programs. The grant list also includes church-related beneficiaries and general fund support for organizations tied to education and local community life.
Yes. The recent grants are labeled GENERAL FUND, including awards such as $94,000 and $70,000 to St Mary’s Catholic School and $56,000 to Utrgv. That indicates flexible support rather than narrow project-only funding.
Very concentrated. Texas accounts for 81% of grants in the available record, and Brownsville appears repeatedly among the recipients. The foundation’s geographic scope is local, with only a small number of grants outside Texas.
The grant-size distribution centers around smaller awards with some larger ones: p25 is $4,375, median is $7,500, and p75 is $21,250. Recent grants range from five-figure awards to six-figure-level support for a few recipients.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including St Mary’s Catholic School, Utrgv, University of Dallas, Children’s Museum of Brownsville, South Texas Academic Rising Scholars, and Utrgv Athletics. That pattern suggests the foundation often renews support for the same organizations.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ST MARY'S CATHOLIC SCHOOL | BROWNSVILLE, TX | $70,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| UTRGV | BROWNSVILLE, TX | $56,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| COLLEGE OF AMERICAN PATHOLOGISTS | NORTHFIELD, IL | $40,350 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| THE LOVE BUILDS HOPE FOUNDATION | SAN JUAN, TX | $35,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME | NOTRE DAME, IN | $31,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| CHILDREN'S MUSEUM OF BROWNSVILLE | BROWNSVILLE, TX | $26,815 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| MD ANDERSON CANCER CENTER | HOUSTON, TX | $26,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| UNIVERSITY OF DALLAS | IRVING, TX | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| DRISCOLL CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL | CORPUS CHRISTI, TX | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| MARY MOTHER OF THE CHURCH | BROWNSVILLE, TX | $20,100 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| FOUNDATION FOR A GLOBALLY COMPETITIVE TEXAS | AUSTIN, TX | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| ST JOSEPH ACADEMY | BROWNSVILLE, TX | $12,050 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| GENEVA SCHOOL OF BOERNE | BOERNE, TX | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| BURNING TREE FOUNDATION | DALLAS, TX | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| GEORGE W BUSH FOUNDATION | DALLAS, TX | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| UT HEALTH | HOUSTON, TX | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| UTRGV ATHLETICS | BROWNSVILLE, TX | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| SOUTH TEXAS ACADEMIC RISING SCHOLARS | MCALLEN, TX | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| GUADALUPE REGIONAL MIDDLE SCHOOL | BROWNSVILLE, TX | $9,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| MOODY CLINIC | BROWNSVILLE, TX | $6,500 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| BROWNSVILLE WELLNESS COALITION | BROWNSVILLE, TX | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| THE TEXAS TRIBUNE | AUSTIN, TX | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| TEXAS 2036 | DALLAS, TX | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| IMMACULATE CONCEPTION CATHEDRAL | BROWNSVILLE, TX | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| TEACH FOR AMERICA | MCALLEN, TX | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| BROWNSVILLE POLICE | BROWNSVILLE, TX | $2,500 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| THE MARFAN FOUNDATION | PORT WASHINGTON, NJ | $2,500 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| HOLY SPIRIT CHURCH | PROGRESO, TX | $2,250 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| CHANCELLOR'S COUNCIL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE | AUSTIN, TX | $2,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS FOUNDATION | SAN ANTONIO, TX | $2,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| THE MARIST BROTHERS | WORTH, IL | $1,500 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| BROWNSVILLE TEXAS EXES | BROWNSVILLE, TX | $1,500 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN | WASHINGTON, DC | $1,056 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| LOCAL RUBBER DUCK RACE | BROWNSVILLE, TX | $1,055 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION | DALLAS, TX | $1,031 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| FIRST METHODIST CHURCH | HARLINGEN, TX | $1,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| RIO GRANDE COUNCIL | HARLINGEN, TX | $1,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| NATIONAL SHRINE OF ST JUDE | CHICAGO, IL | $1,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| MILITARY WARRIOR | SAN ANTONIO, TX | $1,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| ST MARY'S CATHOLIC CHURCH | BROWNSVILLE, TX | $1,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| IDEA PUBLIC SCHOOLS | BROWNSVILLE, TX | $560 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| CHARRO DAYS INC | BROWNSVILLE, TX | $500 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| UTRGV | BROWNSVILLE, TX | $85,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| ST MARY'S CATHOLIC SCHOOL | BROWNSVILLE, TX | $60,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| UNIVERSITY OF DALLAS | IRVING, TX | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| SCHREINER UNIVERSITY | KERRVILLE, TX | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| CHILDREN'S MUSEUM OF BROWNSVILLE | BROWNSVILLE, TX | $34,390 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| COLLEGE OF AMERICAN PATHOLOGISTS | NORTHFIELD, IL | $30,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME | NOTRE DAME, IN | $25,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| ST JOSEPH ACADEMY | BROWNSVILLE, TX | $22,500 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
ST MARY'S CATHOLIC SCHOOL
$70,000GENERAL FUND
UTRGV
$56,000GENERAL FUND
COLLEGE OF AMERICAN PATHOLOGISTS
$40,350GENERAL FUND
THE LOVE BUILDS HOPE FOUNDATION
$35,000GENERAL FUND
UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME
$31,000GENERAL FUND
CHILDREN'S MUSEUM OF BROWNSVILLE
$26,815GENERAL FUND
MD ANDERSON CANCER CENTER
GENERAL FUND
UNIVERSITY OF DALLAS
$25,000GENERAL FUND
MARY MOTHER OF THE CHURCH
$20,100GENERAL FUND
FOUNDATION FOR A GLOBALLY COMPETITIVE TEXAS
$20,000GENERAL FUND
ST JOSEPH ACADEMY
$12,050GENERAL FUND
GENEVA SCHOOL OF BOERNE
$10,000GENERAL FUND
BURNING TREE FOUNDATION
$10,000GENERAL FUND
UT HEALTH
$10,000GENERAL FUND
UTRGV ATHLETICS
$10,000GENERAL FUND
SOUTH TEXAS ACADEMIC RISING SCHOLARS
$10,000GENERAL FUND
GUADALUPE REGIONAL MIDDLE SCHOOL
$9,000GENERAL FUND
MOODY CLINIC
$6,500GENERAL FUND
TEXAS 2036
$5,000GENERAL FUND
IMMACULATE CONCEPTION CATHEDRAL
$5,000GENERAL FUND
TEACH FOR AMERICA
$5,000GENERAL FUND
BROWNSVILLE POLICE
$2,500GENERAL FUND
HOLY SPIRIT CHURCH
$2,250GENERAL FUND
CHANCELLOR'S COUNCIL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
$2,000GENERAL FUND
THE MARIST BROTHERS
$1,500GENERAL FUND
BROWNSVILLE TEXAS EXES
$1,500GENERAL FUND
LOCAL RUBBER DUCK RACE
$1,055GENERAL FUND
FIRST METHODIST CHURCH
$1,000GENERAL FUND
RIO GRANDE COUNCIL
$1,000GENERAL FUND
NATIONAL SHRINE OF ST JUDE
$1,000GENERAL FUND
MILITARY WARRIOR
$1,000GENERAL FUND
ST MARY'S CATHOLIC CHURCH
$1,000GENERAL FUND
IDEA PUBLIC SCHOOLS
$560GENERAL FUND
CHARRO DAYS INC
$500GENERAL FUND
UTRGV
$85,000GENERAL FUND
ST MARY'S CATHOLIC SCHOOL
$60,000GENERAL FUND
CHILDREN'S MUSEUM OF BROWNSVILLE
$34,390GENERAL FUND
COLLEGE OF AMERICAN PATHOLOGISTS
$30,000GENERAL FUND
UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME
$25,000GENERAL FUND
ST JOSEPH ACADEMY
$22,500GENERAL FUND