Houston Police Foundation

What Houston Police Foundation does

The Houston Police Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation founded in 2004 and headquartered at 1200 Travis Street, Houston, Texas. It functions as the primary private fundraising channel for the Houston Police Department, addressing a structural budget gap in which approximately 96% of HPD's annual budget is consumed by personnel costs, leaving limited funds for equipment, training, and technology. Formed by local business leaders, the foundation solicits tax-deductible donations from citizens and corporations (Federal Tax ID 20-1209272) and regrants them to HPD units and community programs; over $12 million in cumulative grants have been awarded.

The foundation's offerings are a structured portfolio of grant and sponsorship programs rather than a unified technology platform. Funded initiatives span officer safety equipment (helmets, face shields, armored crew cab truck, SPOT quadruped robot acquired December 2021), specialized units (K-9 with 22 patrol teams and 12 narcotics detection teams; Mounted Patrol maintaining 30-35 horses; Honor Guard established 1972 as the first in Texas; Pipe and Drum Band launched October 2022; Tactical Operations), and community programs (COMIDA Food Drive in its 38th year partnered with Kroger, Back to School Initiative, Houston Police Explorers). Program-specific funding products include Sponsor-A-Horse at $5,000/year, Sponsor-A-Canine at $3,500/year, canine purchases at $12,000-$15,000, Honor Guard uniforms at $2,000/member, burial flags at $120 each, and Pipe and Drum uniforms/instruments at $1,800/member and $500-$1,500 respectively.

Revenue is generated through diversified streams: recurring memberships ($50/year regular, $1,500 lifetime), event-based fundraising centered on the True Blue Gala (table sponsorships from $10,000 Captain's Table to $35,000 Chief's Table, individual tickets at $1,500), unit and equipment sponsorships, and individual donations processed via the houstonpolicefoundation.ddock.gives portal. Governance is provided by a board chaired by Tilman J. Fertitta with representation from senior Houston business figures; Charlene Floyd serves as Executive Director and Kelly J. Wallace as Associate Director. The organization does not solicit donations by telephone and explicitly warns donors about phone-based scams impersonating the foundation.

Name

Houston Police Foundation

Legal name

Houston Police Foundation

Website

https://houstonpolicefoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Houston Police Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that raises private funds for the Houston Police Department, covering safety equipment, training, technology, and community programs that the city budget cannot accommodate.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Law Enforcement Philanthropy

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Police Services (Patrol, Response & Community Policing) (BPAIAGAA)

Keywords

• Law enforcement philanthropy
• Police fundraising services
• Nonprofit grants administration
• Public safety donations
• Community policing support

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time donations from citizens to fund equipment and training for Houston Police Department not covered by city budget.
2. Annual Memberships: Regular membership at $50/year providing vehicle decals; Lifetime membership at $1,500 providing three vehicle decals. Membership fees directly fund HPD equipment and training.
3. Event Tickets and Table Sponsorships: Revenue from True Blue Gala including table sponsorships ranging from $10,000 (Captain's Table) to $35,000 (Chief's Table) and individual tickets at $1,500.
4. Sponsor-A-Horse Program: $5,000 tax-deductible sponsorship covering operating expenses for one horse for one year, with naming rights, stall plaque, website recognition, and photos.
5. Sponsor-A-Canine Program: $3,500 sponsorship for one year including photographs of K9 and handler and occasional updates on deployments and apprehensions.
6. Equipment and Program Sponsorships: Specific funding for equipment purchases such as canine purchases ($12,000-$15,000), Honor Guard uniforms ($2,000/member), burial flags ($120 each), and Pipe and Drum Band instruments ($500-$1,500) and uniforms ($1,800/member).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Houston Police Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that raises private philanthropic funds to support the Houston Police Department. It channels donor contributions, membership dues, and event sponsorships into grants, equipment, specialized unit funding, and community programs that augment public-safety services beyond the city's budget.

Product overview

The Houston Police Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that functions as the major source of private financial support for the Houston Police Department. Rather than a unified product platform, it offers a portfolio of fundraising programs, membership services, and grant mechanisms. Core offerings include: membership programs (Regular at $50/year, Lifetime at $1,500), the Grants Program (awarded over $12 million to HPD), and various funded initiatives including the SPOT quadruped robot, Canine Unit sponsorship, Mounted Patrol sponsorship, Armored Crew Cab Trucks, Honor Guard and Pipe and Drum Band, Houston Police Explorers Program, Back to School Initiative, and COMIDA Food Drive. The Foundation also hosts events including the annual True Blue Gala and canine sponsorship events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Membership Program Annual membership program for individual supporters of the Houston Police Foundation, providing members with engagement opportunities and recognition tied to supporting HPD initiatives.
• True Blue Gala Signature annual fundraising gala that brings together donors, civic leaders, and HPD leadership to raise funds for foundation-supported programs and to honor HPD personnel.
• Federal American Grill Canine Sponsorship Event Annual sponsored event dedicated to raising funds in support of the Houston Police Department's K-9 (Canine) Unit.
• Grants Program for Houston Police Department Grant-making program that disburses foundation funds to HPD units and initiatives, including the K-9 Canine Unit, Mounted Patrol, Honor Guard, Pipe and Drum Band, Explorers program, and other specialized projects.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $12 million in grants awarded to HPD
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Federal American GrillminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 29 October 2025Federal American Grill hosts the Houston Police Canine Sponsorship Event on October 29, 2025. Second annual event supporting HPD's canine unit.
• KrogercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Kroger for the COMIDA Food Drive. With this partnership, Houston Police Officers are able to feed over 400 families during the holiday season. The food drive is in its 38th year.
• Trust Guss Injury AttorneysminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCanine sponsor for HPD K-9 Unit, providing financial support for the unit's operating costs.
• Sterling McCall Acura of Group One AutomotiveminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCanine sponsor for HPD K-9 Unit, providing financial support for the unit's operating costs.
• Vu Law FirmminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCanine sponsor for HPD K-9 Unit, providing financial support for the unit's operating costs.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• New York City Police Foundation: 501(c)(3) nonprofit that raises private funds to support NYPD programs, equipment, and training; mirrors HPF's model of bridging city-budget gaps for a major U.S. municipal police department via gala-style fundraising and named sponsorships.
• Miami Police Foundation: Nonprofit raising and distributing funds for Miami PD equipment, technology, and community initiatives; analogous single-city police-support charity with gala/event-driven fundraising.
• Chicago Police Foundation: Nonprofit that funds Chicago Police Department initiatives, technology, training, and community programs; comparable mission, single-city scope, and reliance on individual/corporate donations and special events.
• Philadelphia Police Foundation: Independent charity that provides grants to the Philadelphia Police Department for equipment and community programs; another municipal-scale police foundation peer with the same grantmaking-from-corporate/individual-donors structure.
• Boston Police Foundation: Nonprofit supporting the Boston Police Department with private philanthropy for equipment and community programming; same single-metro 501(c)(3) foundation model and donor base characteristics as HPF.
• Los Angeles Police Foundation: Independent nonprofit supporting LAPD with grants for equipment, technology, and community programs; uses event-driven fundraising and corporate sponsorships in a manner structurally identical to the Houston Police Foundation.
• San Francisco Police Foundation: Nonprofit supporting SFPD with privately funded equipment and programs; directly comparable model of closing city-budget shortfalls for a major metropolitan police force via donations and special events.
• Dallas Police Foundation: Texas-based peer that funds Dallas PD equipment, training, and community programs; similar geographic/cultural context and fundraising structure (gala, memberships, program sponsorships) to HPF.
• Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Foundation: Foundation that funds specialized equipment, training, and programs for the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department; comparable structure of bridging funding gaps and running event-based fundraisers.
• Police Foundation of Washington DC: Nonprofit raising funds to support the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department through grants, community programs, and special events; functionally analogous to HPF as a city-specific police-support charity.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HouPDFoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/houpdfoundation

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Houston Police Foundation