About Mary E Bivins Foundation
The Mary E Bivins Foundation focuses on strengthening safety net services and community infrastructure across the Texas Panhandle, with heavy support for food security, basic needs shelters, mental/behavioral health, youth recreation and education, and rural community institutions. Grants typically fund capital projects (buildings, HVAC, freezers, transportation), program expansion for local nonprofits, and capacity-building at regional colleges and planning bodies. The foundation favors locally rooted organizations — both secular and faith-based — that serve vulnerable populations (children, seniors, refugees, low-income families).
Focus Areas
Food pantry and hunger-relief infrastructure in Panhandle towns (freezers, pantry buildings, emergency food programs)Behavioral and mental health services and policy capacity-building for regional providersYouth development and recreational facilities (boys & girls clubs, sports parks, after-school/ESL programs)Capital and operational support for regional higher-education nursing and student services (West Texas A&M, Amarillo College)Emergency shelter and basic needs services run by faith-based and community organizations (shelters, interfaith hunger programs)
Who They Fund
About Mary E Bivins Foundation
Among Mary E Bivins Foundation’s recent grants, the largest individual award is a $300,000 grant to Pampa Youth and Community Center In for building renovation at its Pampa site. That gift reflects a pattern of funding physical improvements and service capacity for organizations serving the Texas Panhandle, alongside support for food access, mental health, youth services, and education. In 2025, the foundation also gave $250,000 to Hope to Oportunities Foundation for an employment center and $235,000 to Aspire a Mindful Place for behavioral health support, showing how capital projects and direct service investments sit side by side in its portfolio. Other large awards have gone to regional institutions and community nonprofits in Amarillo, Borger, Canyon, Dalhart, and Dumas, including colleges, family services, shelters, and faith-based providers. The foundation’s grants often support buildings, equipment, transportation, and program expansion rather than one-off event funding, with a clear emphasis on organizations rooted in the communities they serve. The overall picture is a place-based funder that backs local infrastructure and practical service delivery across a defined regional footprint.
What Mary E Bivins Foundation Funds
Food access is a recurring theme in Mary E Bivins Foundation’s recent giving. It awarded $150,000 to Dumas Education & Social Ministries for a food pantry, $100,000 to St Ann's Catholic Church for building a food pantry, and $85,000 to Good Samaritan Christian Services I for a food pantry building. The foundation also supported broader hunger relief through $100,000 to Catholic Family Service Inc for interfaith hunger programming. In behavioral health, it gave $235,000 to Aspire a Mindful Place for behavioral health support and $100,000 to Meadows Mental Health Policy Instit for regional mental health work. Youth and education appear as another thread: $150,000 went to Kids Incorporated of Amarillo for Rockrose Sports Park, while $125,000 supported Refugee Language Project for ESL programming.
How Mary E Bivins Foundation Gives
Mary E Bivins Foundation’s typical grant size sits at $20,000 at the 25th percentile, $27,000 at the median, and $75,000 at the 75th percentile, even though its recent portfolio includes several larger capital awards. The pattern suggests a mix of mid-sized operating and program grants with occasional major project support. The foundation funds both nonprofit organizations and educational scholarships through its general grantmaking and scholarship program. The recent grants list shows activity across multiple years, including 2023, 2024, and 2025, indicating ongoing grantmaking rather than a single-year burst. Its grantmaking is local, and 96% of grants go to recipients in Texas.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$2.7M
Total Assets
$153.6M
Total Revenue
$6.7M
Total Expenses
$4.7M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $20K and $75K, with a median of $27K.
25th Percentile
$20K
Median
$27K
75th Percentile
$75K
Geographic Reach
Local6 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
KATHARYN WIEGAND
Accepts unsolicited proposals
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