Grants for Nonprofits in El Paso, Texas
A data-backed guide to El Paso-area foundation funding, sourced directly from IRS 990-PF filings. Built for El Paso County's 0+ 501(c)(3) organizations.
El Paso's philanthropy is distinctive in Texas. It is the only major Texas metro where the US-Mexico border is the defining economic and social fact. The Paso del Norte region (El Paso, Ciudad Juárez, and Las Cruces combined) is one of the largest binational metropolitan areas in the world, and the philanthropic priorities of local foundations reflect that reality. Anchor El Paso-based funders include the Paul L. Foster Family Foundation (the largest private foundation based in El Paso), the Hunt Family Foundation, the Robert E. and Evelyn McKee Foundation, the Hervey Foundation, and the Brooks Family Foundation Trust. The El Paso Community Foundation and the Paso del Norte Health Foundation (a health conversion foundation with over $200M in assets serving the binational region) are the largest community and health funders in the area.
El Paso's nonprofit sector has a specific shape. Heavy concentrations in immigrant and migrant services, border health initiatives, youth development in an overwhelmingly Hispanic and majority-bilingual service population, and public safety and legal services tied to the border context. The local funding ecosystem is smaller in absolute dollar terms than Houston, Dallas, or Austin. The total private foundation asset base in El Paso is a fraction of those cities. But the concentration of mission-aligned donors is high, and competition for funding is less intense than in any other Texas metro of comparable population.
For an El Paso County nonprofit, the opportunity is a close-knit funding community where a single relationship often opens several doors. The constraint is that the El Paso philanthropic pool alone is not large enough to sustain most organizations, and the strongest El Paso nonprofits combine local funders with statewide Texas and national grantmakers that have a record of giving to the border region. GrantDrop surfaces both groups from current IRS 990-PF data.
Largest Foundations Headquartered in El Paso
Ranked by total assets on most recent IRS 990-PF filing. Click a foundation name to see its full profile, officers, giving history, application info, and average grant size.
| Foundation | Total assets | Grants paid (year) |
|---|---|---|
| Paul L Foster Family Foundation | $79M | $0M |
| Robert E & Evelyn McKee Foundation | $11M | $0M |
| Brooks Family Foundation Trust | $10M | $0M |
| Anchondo Law Foundation Inc | $8M | $0M |
| Hervey Foundation | $6M | $0M |
Top Funders Giving to El Paso Nonprofits
Foundations (based anywhere) that have given the most dollars to El Paso-area nonprofits since 2016. Internal discovery target, these funders statistically give to El Paso, so a well-fit El Paso nonprofit has elevated odds.
| Funder | # grants | Total to El Paso |
|---|---|---|
| El Paso Community Foundation (El Paso, TX) | 355 | $35M |
| National Philanthropic Tr (Jenkintown, PA) | 39 | $31M |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund (Boston, MA) | 197 | $28M |
| Paul L Foster Family Foundation (El Paso, TX) | 29 | $24M |
| The Hunt Family Foundation (El Paso, TX) | 340 | $22M |
Notable El Paso Grant Recipients
Top recipients by cumulative dollars received since 2016. Many are hospitals or universities; use this to gauge scale of giving, not as the benchmark for a small nonprofit's realistic ask.
| Recipient | # grants | Total received |
|---|---|---|
| University of Texas at El Paso | 183 | $44M |
| El Paso Community Foundation | 163 | $40M |
| El Pasoans Fighting Hunger | 224 | $34M |
| El Paso Community College | 29 | $31M |
| Young Womens Christian Association El Paso Del Nor | 2 | $20M |