The Ting Tsung & Wei Fong Chao Foundation makes relatively few but very large grants focused on medical research, Chinese cultural preservation, and faith-based community support. Their portfolio mixes major gifts to elite institutions (notably large investments in pediatric neurological research) with sizable support for Chinese cultural programs and Buddhist organizations, reflecting both biomedical philanthropy and cultural/religious ties to the Chinese community.
A $3,000,000 grant to Texas Children's Hospital for the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute Chao Innovation Network for Neurodegenerative Disease sits at the center of Ting Tsung & Wei Fong Chao Foundation’s recent giving. That gift appears more than once in the record, alongside another $3,000,000 award to Texas Children's Hospital for program and project support, showing how heavily the foundation backs pediatric neurological research and related institutional work. The foundation also makes large grants to Chinese cultural institutions and Buddhist organizations, including $3,000,000 to International Buddhist Progress Society and $2,105,000 to Foundation for Chinese Cultural Heritage for FCCH programs. Its portfolio reaches beyond those core areas. Recent grants include major support for Wellesley College, Houston Museum of Natural Science, Asia Society Texas Center, and Harris County Hospital District Foundation. The pattern is one of concentrated, high-dollar grants to established institutions rather than a broad spread of small awards. Medical research, Chinese cultural heritage, Buddhist program support, and selected higher-education and museum projects define the foundation’s recent profile.
In neuroscience, the foundation repeatedly backed the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute Chao Innovation Network for Neurodegenerative Disease with $3,000,000 grants in both 2023 and 2025 to Texas Children's Hospital. It also supported neuroscience training through a $500,000 grant to Brandeis University for chair professorships in neuroscience. Chinese cultural heritage is another clear line of giving. The foundation awarded $2,105,000 to Foundation for Chinese Cultural Heritage for FCCH programs in both 2023 and 2025, and it supported Asia Society Texas Center with $1,000,000 for an endowment fund and another $1,000,000 for program and project support in 2025. Its museum and arts support includes $600,000 to Florida State University Foundation Inc for the John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art support for the Center for Asian Art and the Asian Art Endowment. On the health and humanitarian side, it gave $1,000,000 to Houston Food Bank and $1,000,000 to World Central Kitchen Incorporated for general operating support.
$28.8M
$29.2M
$31.2M
$29.5M
Most grants fall between $10K and $200K, with a median of $28K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$28K
75th Percentile
$200K
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Concentrated, high-dollar giving: few large grants (multi-million-dollar gifts), including repeat grants to the same core recipients. Mix of institutional capital/research support and program/project support for cultural and religious organizations.
Notable grantees: Texas Children's Hospital / Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Foundation for Chinese Cultural Heritage, International Buddhist Progress Society, Wellesley College
Typical grant size is $10,000 at the 25th percentile, $27,500 at the median, and $200,000 at the 75th percentile, with individual awards extending far above that range. The record shows repeated grants to the same recipients across 2023 and 2025, including Texas Children's Hospital, Wellesley College, Foundation for Chinese Cultural Heritage, Asia Society Texas Center, Houston Museum of Natural Science, Harris County Hospital District Foundation, and William Marsh Rice University. That points to recurring relationships rather than one-off awards. The foundation is a regular funder, and the data do not show an application process or unsolicited-grant channel.
Grants are national, but the highest concentration by recipient location is in New York. Texas is also prominent: 35% of grants go to recipients in the foundation’s HQ state, including Houston-based institutions such as Texas Children's Hospital, Houston Food Bank, Houston Museum of Natural Science, and Harris County Hospital District Foundation. Other named recipient locations include Wellesley Hills, Massachusetts; Tallahassee, Florida; Santa Barbara, California; Washington, DC; and Hacienda Heights, California. All recorded grants in the dataset go to US recipients.
The recent record centers on pediatric neurological research, Chinese cultural heritage, Buddhist organizations, museums, and selected higher-education institutions. Large awards went to Texas Children's Hospital, Foundation for Chinese Cultural Heritage, International Buddhist Progress Society, Wellesley College, and Houston Museum of Natural Science.
Yes. Multiple recipients appear in both 2023 and 2025, including Texas Children's Hospital, Wellesley College, Foundation for Chinese Cultural Heritage, Asia Society Texas Center, Houston Museum of Natural Science, Harris County Hospital District Foundation, and William Marsh Rice University.
The typical grant size distribution is $10,000 at the 25th percentile, $27,500 at the median, and $200,000 at the 75th percentile. Recent awards also include several multimillion-dollar grants, showing that the foundation makes a small number of much larger institutional gifts.
Giving is national, with the highest recipient concentration in New York. Texas recipients account for 35% of grants, and the recipient list also includes institutions in Massachusetts, Florida, California, and Washington, DC.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| INTERNATIONAL BUDDHIST PROGRESS SOCIETY | HACIENDA HEIGHTS, CA | $3,000,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM/PROJECT SUPPORT |
| TEXAS CHILDRENS HOSPITAL | HOUSTON, TX | $3,000,000 | 2025 | JAN AND DAN DUNCAN NEUROLOGICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE CHAO INNOVATION NETWORK FOR NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASE |
| TEXAS CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL | HOUSTON, TX | $3,000,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM/PROJECT SUPPORT |
| FOUNDATION FOR CHINESE CULTURAL HERITAGE | HOUSTON, TX | $2,105,000 | 2025 | FCCH PROGRAMS |
| WELLESLEY COLLEGE | WELLESLEY HILLS, MA | $2,000,000 | 2025 | SCIENCE CENTER & MATH WING SUPPORT |
| WELLESLEY COLLEGE | WELLESLEY HILLS, MA | $2,000,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM/PROJECT SUPPORT |
| HOUSTON MUSEUM OF NATURAL SCIENCE | HOUSTON, TX | $1,000,000 | 2025 | MATTER & MOTION QUANTUM CHEMISTRY TO ASTROPHYSICS HALL |
| ASIA SOCIETY TEXAS CENTER | HOUSTON, TX | $1,000,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM/PROJECT SUPPORT |
| HOUSTON MUSEUM OF NATURAL SCIENCE | HOUSTON, TX | $1,000,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM/PROJECT SUPPORT |
| HARRIS COUNTY HOSPITAL DISTRICT FOUNDATION | HOUSTON, TX | $1,000,000 | 2025 | BEN TAUB HOSPITAL TRAUMA CENTER RENOVATION |
| ASIA SOCIETY TEXAS CENTER | HOUSTON, TX | $1,000,000 | 2025 | ENDOWMENT FUND |
| WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN INCORPORATED | WASHINGTON, DC | $1,000,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| DIRECT RELIEF | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $1,000,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| HOUSTON FOOD BANK | HOUSTON, TX | $1,000,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM/PROJECT SUPPORT |
| MEDECINS SANS FRONTIERS USA INC | NEW YORK, NY | $893,919 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| WILLIAM MARSH RICE UNIVERSITY | HOUSTON, TX | $660,000 | 2025 | RICE360 NEWBORN ESSENTIAL SOLUTIONS AND TECHNOLOGIES (NEST360) INITIATIVE |
| FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION INC | TALLAHASSEE, FL | $600,000 | 2025 | JOHN & MABLE RINGLING MUSEUM OF ART SUPPORT FOR THE CENTER FOR ASIAN ART AND THE ASIAN ART ENDOWMENT |
| WELLESLEY COLLEGE | WELLESLEY HILLS, MA | $600,000 | 2025 | CHAIR FOR INCLUSIVE EXCELLENCE |
| COOPER UNION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE AND ART | NEW YORK, NY | $600,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM/PROJECT SUPPORT |
| ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND | NEW YORK, NY | $600,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM/PROJECT SUPPORT |
| BUDDHIST GLOBAL RELIEF | CARMEL, NY | $500,000 | 2025 | RELIEF RESPONSE EFFORTS |
| PLANNED PARENTHOOD FEDERATION OF AMERICA INC | NEW YORK, NY | $500,000 | 2025 | PP FEDERATION OF AMERICA & PP GULF COAST |
| THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART | NEW YORK, NY | $500,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM/PROJECT SUPPORT |
| DUKE UNIVERSITY | DURHAM, NC | $500,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM/PROJECT SUPPORT |
| MILLER THEATRE ADVISORY BOARD INC | HOUSTON, TX | $500,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM/PROJECT SUPPORT |
| DUKE UNIVERSITY | DURHAM, NC | $500,000 | 2025 | DUKE LAW SCHOOL IMMIGRANT RIGHTS CLINIC |
| BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY | WALTHAM, MA | $500,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM/PROJECT SUPPORT |
| BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY | WALTHAM, MA | $500,000 | 2025 | CHAIR PROFESSORSHIPS IN NEUROSCIENCE |
| AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION FOUNDATION INC | NEW YORK, NY | $500,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| CLIMATEWORKS FOUNDATION | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $500,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM/PROJECT SUPPORT |
| WILLIAM MARSH RICE UNIVERSITY | HOUSTON, TX | $405,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM/PROJECT SUPPORT |
| ASIAN AMERICAN HEALTH COALITION OF THE GREATER HOUSTON AREA DBA HOPE CLINIC | HOUSTON, TX | $400,000 | 2025 | HOPE CLINIC CAPITAL CAMPAIGN & CAMPUS EXPANSION |
| STANFORD UNIVERSITY | STANFORD, CA | $400,000 | 2025 | SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES AND SCIENCES FELLOWSHIPS & ASSISTANTSHIPS FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS SPECIALIZING IN THE FIELD OF BUDDHISM |
| ASIAN AMERICAN HEALTH COALITION OF THE GREATER HOUSTON DBA HOPE CLINIC | HOUSTON, TX | $400,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM/PROJECT SUPPORT |
| FLORIDA SOUTHERN COLLEGE | TALLAHASSEE, FL | $400,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM/PROJECT SUPPORT |
| MEDECINS SANS FRONTIERS USA INC DBA DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS USA INC | NEW YORK, NY | $400,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| KIDS MEALS INC | HOUSTON, TX | $350,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM/PROJECT SUPPORT |
| UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SAN FRANCISCO FOUNDATION | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $350,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM/PROJECT SUPPORT |
| UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SAN FRANCISCO FOUNDATION | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $350,000 | 2025 | UCSF SCHOOL OF NURSING INTERNATIONAL EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE TRAINING FELLOWSHIP & NURSE EXECUTIVE FELLOWSHIP |
| BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE | HOUSTON, TX | $300,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM/PROJECT SUPPORT |
| WILLIAM MARSH RICE UNIVERSITY | HOUSTON, TX | $300,000 | 2025 | SHEPHERD SCHOOL OF MUSIC RUMPAC PROJECT |
| BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE | HOUSTON, TX | $300,000 | 2025 | PANDEMIC THREAT TECHNOLOGY CENTER |
| BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE | HOUSTON, TX | $300,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM/PROJECT SUPPORT |
| FLORIDA SOUTHERN COLLEGE | LAKELAND, FL | $300,000 | 2025 | POLK MUSEUM OF ART SUPPORT FOR MUSEUM EXPANSION & GALLERY DEVELOPMENT |
| NATIONAL ARCHIVES FOUNDATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $300,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE | HOUSTON, TX | $300,000 | 2025 | CHAO SCHOLARS INITIATIVE |
| AMERICAN HOSPITAL OF PARIS FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $283,585 | 2025 | PROGRAM/PROJECT SUPPORT |
| AMERICAN HOSPITAL OF PARIS FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $283,585 | 2025 | LE NOUVEL AMERICAIN CAPITAL CAMPAIGN |
| FOUNTAIN PROJECT FOUNDATION | EL CERRITO, CA | $270,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| MAYO CLINIC | ROCHESTER, MN | $270,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM/PROJECT SUPPORT |
INTERNATIONAL BUDDHIST PROGRESS SOCIETY
$3,000,000PROGRAM/PROJECT SUPPORT
TEXAS CHILDRENS HOSPITAL
$3,000,000JAN AND DAN DUNCAN NEUROLOGICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE CHAO INNOVATION NETWORK FOR NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASE
TEXAS CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL
$3,000,000PROGRAM/PROJECT SUPPORT
FOUNDATION FOR CHINESE CULTURAL HERITAGE
$2,105,000FCCH PROGRAMS
WELLESLEY COLLEGE
$2,000,000SCIENCE CENTER & MATH WING SUPPORT
WELLESLEY COLLEGE
$2,000,000PROGRAM/PROJECT SUPPORT
HOUSTON MUSEUM OF NATURAL SCIENCE
$1,000,000MATTER & MOTION QUANTUM CHEMISTRY TO ASTROPHYSICS HALL
HOUSTON MUSEUM OF NATURAL SCIENCE
$1,000,000PROGRAM/PROJECT SUPPORT
BEN TAUB HOSPITAL TRAUMA CENTER RENOVATION
RICE360 NEWBORN ESSENTIAL SOLUTIONS AND TECHNOLOGIES (NEST360) INITIATIVE
JOHN & MABLE RINGLING MUSEUM OF ART SUPPORT FOR THE CENTER FOR ASIAN ART AND THE ASIAN ART ENDOWMENT
WELLESLEY COLLEGE
$600,000CHAIR FOR INCLUSIVE EXCELLENCE
COOPER UNION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE AND ART
$600,000PROGRAM/PROJECT SUPPORT
ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND
$600,000PROGRAM/PROJECT SUPPORT
PP FEDERATION OF AMERICA & PP GULF COAST
ASIAN AMERICAN HEALTH COALITION OF THE GREATER HOUSTON AREA DBA HOPE CLINIC
$400,000HOPE CLINIC CAPITAL CAMPAIGN & CAMPUS EXPANSION
STANFORD UNIVERSITY
$400,000SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES AND SCIENCES FELLOWSHIPS & ASSISTANTSHIPS FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS SPECIALIZING IN THE FIELD OF BUDDHISM
ASIAN AMERICAN HEALTH COALITION OF THE GREATER HOUSTON DBA HOPE CLINIC
$400,000PROGRAM/PROJECT SUPPORT
FLORIDA SOUTHERN COLLEGE
$400,000PROGRAM/PROJECT SUPPORT
GENERAL OPERATING
PROGRAM/PROJECT SUPPORT
UCSF SCHOOL OF NURSING INTERNATIONAL EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE TRAINING FELLOWSHIP & NURSE EXECUTIVE FELLOWSHIP
FLORIDA SOUTHERN COLLEGE
$300,000POLK MUSEUM OF ART SUPPORT FOR MUSEUM EXPANSION & GALLERY DEVELOPMENT
FOUNTAIN PROJECT FOUNDATION
$270,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
MAYO CLINIC
$270,000PROGRAM/PROJECT SUPPORT