The Fikes Foundation concentrates its giving on education in Central Texas, with a dominant commitment to underwriting scholarships and faith-based schooling, while also supporting local health care and community nonprofits. Its single largest, multi-grant investment is an endowed scholarship at the University of Mary Hardin–Baylor, and smaller discretionary grants go to a hospital foundation, youth services, and community foundations. The pattern suggests a local focus (Temple/Waco area) with an emphasis on Christian education and community welfare.
Fikes Foundation’s defining pattern is a sustained, three-year commitment to the C.E. Fikes Endowed Scholarship Fund at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, with grants of $200,000 in 2023, $250,000 in 2024, and $550,000 in 2025. That sequence shows a funder using large, repeated gifts to build long-term scholarship support rather than relying only on one-off awards. The foundation also backs institutions serving Central Texas directly, including Baylor Scott & White Central Texas Foundation for general operations. Smaller grants extend the same local orientation to education and community-serving nonprofits, such as Central Texas Christian School and Eldreds Nursery Foundation. Across the recent grants list, the pattern is clear: higher education scholarships anchor the portfolio, while health care, Christian schooling, youth programs, and regional community organizations receive more modest operating support. The foundation’s giving is visible through a handful of recurring relationships, especially around Belton and Temple, with the scholarship commitment standing out as the largest individual line of support.
Higher education scholarships are the clearest cause area in the recent grants. Fikes Foundation gave $550,000 in 2025, $250,000 in 2024, and $200,000 in 2023 to University of Mary Hardin-Baylor for the C.E. Fikes Endowed Scholarship Fund. That is a sustained endowment-oriented pattern rather than a single award. Health care appears in a separate stream of support: the foundation gave $55,000 in 2023 and $50,000 in 2025 to Baylor Scott & White Central Texas Foundation for general operations. Education beyond the university also shows up, including a $7,500 grant to Central Texas Christian School Inc for general operating support. Community-based youth work is present as well, with a $10,000 grant to Boys & Girls Clubs of South Alabama for general operations.
Typical awards cluster around five figures, with a p25 of $9,050, a median of $10,000, and a p75 of $127,500. The distribution is shaped by a few very large scholarship commitments and a longer tail of smaller operating grants. The recent record shows recurring support over multiple years, especially for one scholarship fund at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor and for Baylor Scott & White Central Texas Foundation. The foundation is a public charity, and the grant list points to direct institutional support rather than individual aid or program-related investments. The grants shown are all made in the U.S.
$1.1M
$43K
$108K
$647K
Most grants fall between $9K and $128K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$9K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$128K
About 71% of grants go to recipients in TX.
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Highly concentrated: one very large, repeat-funded endowed scholarship at a single university plus a few mid-to-small general operating grants. Mix of repeat grantees and one-off gifts, with a clear geographic tilt toward Central Texas.
Notable grantees: University of Mary Hardin–Baylor, Baylor Scott & White Central Texas Foundation, Central Texas Christian School, Inc., Boys & Girls Clubs of South Alabama, The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee
Grantmaking is concentrated in Texas: 71% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state, and Texas is also the top state by grant count. Belton appears repeatedly through the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor and Eldreds Nursery Foundation, while Temple shows up through Baylor Scott & White Central Texas Foundation and Central Texas Christian School Inc. Outside Texas, the recent list includes one grant each to Mobile, Alabama, and Nashville, Tennessee. All of the recent grants in the sample are U.S.-based.
The recent record is centered on scholarship support at University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. The foundation gave $200,000 in 2023, $250,000 in 2024, and $550,000 in 2025 to fund the C.E. Fikes Endowed Scholarship Fund. Health care and Christian education also appear in the portfolio.
The typical grant sits near $10,000, with a p25 of $9,050 and a p75 of $127,500. The median grant size is $10,000, but the distribution includes much larger scholarship gifts as well as smaller operating grants.
Yes. The clearest example is University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, which received three consecutive annual grants for the C.E. Fikes Endowed Scholarship Fund. Baylor Scott & White Central Texas Foundation also appears more than once, with grants in 2023 and 2025.
Texas is the top state by grant count, and 71% of grants go to recipients in Texas. Recent Texas recipients include organizations in Belton and Temple, showing a strong Central Texas concentration.
The foundation also gives general operating support to health care, education, youth, and community nonprofits. Examples in the recent list include Baylor Scott & White Central Texas Foundation, Central Texas Christian School Inc, Boys & Girls Clubs of South Alabama, and The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNIVERSITY OF MARY HARDIN-BAYLOR | BELTON, TX | $550,000 | 2025 | FUND C.E. FIKES ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP FUND AT THE UNIVERITY OF MARY-HARDIN BAYLOR |
| BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE CENTRAL TEXAS FOUNDATION | TEMPLE, TX | $50,000 | 2025 | FOR GENERAL OPERATION OF THE NON-PROFIT. |
| UNIVERSITY OF MARY HARDIN-BAYLOR | BELTON, TX | $250,000 | 2024 | FUND C.E. FIKES ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP FUND AT THE UNIVERITY OF MARY-HARDIN BAYLOR |
| THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE | NASHVILLE, TN | $10,000 | 2024 | FOR GENERAL OPERATION OF THE NON-PROFIT. |
| BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF SOUTH ALABAMA | MOBILE, AL | $10,000 | 2024 | FOR GENERAL OPERATION OF THE NON-PROFIT. |
| ELDREDS NURSERY FOUNDATION | BELTON, TX | $8,100 | 2024 | FOR GENERAL OPERATION OF THE NON-PROFIT. |
| UNIVERSITY OF MARY HARDIN-BAYLOR | BELTON, TX | $200,000 | 2023 | FUND C.E. FIKES ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP FUND AT THE UNIVERITY OF MARY-HARDIN BAYLOR |
| BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE CENTRAL TEXAS FOUNDATION | TEMPLE, TX | $55,000 | 2023 | FOR GENERAL OPERATION OF THE NON-PROFIT. |
| CENTRAL TEXAS CHRISTIAN SCHOOL INC | TEMPLE, TX | $7,500 | 2023 | FOR GENERAL OPERATION OF THE NON-PROFIT. |
UNIVERSITY OF MARY HARDIN-BAYLOR
$550,000FUND C.E. FIKES ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP FUND AT THE UNIVERITY OF MARY-HARDIN BAYLOR
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE CENTRAL TEXAS FOUNDATION
$50,000FOR GENERAL OPERATION OF THE NON-PROFIT.
UNIVERSITY OF MARY HARDIN-BAYLOR
$250,000FUND C.E. FIKES ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP FUND AT THE UNIVERITY OF MARY-HARDIN BAYLOR
THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE
$10,000FOR GENERAL OPERATION OF THE NON-PROFIT.
BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF SOUTH ALABAMA
$10,000FOR GENERAL OPERATION OF THE NON-PROFIT.
ELDREDS NURSERY FOUNDATION
$8,100FOR GENERAL OPERATION OF THE NON-PROFIT.
UNIVERSITY OF MARY HARDIN-BAYLOR
$200,000FUND C.E. FIKES ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP FUND AT THE UNIVERITY OF MARY-HARDIN BAYLOR
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE CENTRAL TEXAS FOUNDATION
$55,000FOR GENERAL OPERATION OF THE NON-PROFIT.
CENTRAL TEXAS CHRISTIAN SCHOOL INC
$7,500FOR GENERAL OPERATION OF THE NON-PROFIT.