SCHARBAUER FOUNDATION, INC.

What SCHARBAUER FOUNDATION, INC. does

Scharbauer Foundation, Inc. is a private charitable foundation funded by Clarence Scharbauer, Jr. in 2010 and operational since 2011, continuing a West Texas philanthropic legacy tied to the Scharbauer family's involvement in Midland, Texas since the late 1880s. The foundation awards grants to qualifying 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations operating in the Permian Basin — primarily Midland and Odessa, Texas — across four interconnected focus areas: Education ($96.0 million cumulative), Healthcare ($66.4 million), Quality of Place ($52.2 million), and Human Services ($44.2 million). Since 2011 it has distributed over $271.3 million across more than 700 grants, with recent cycles materially larger than historical averages, including more than $26.6 million to 20+ nonprofits in its 2026 Spring cycle and over $16 million in its 2025 Fall cycle.

The foundation operates a structured grantmaking process with two annual cycles (Spring and Fall). Prospective grantees submit pre-applications through the GrantInterface online portal; selected organizations are invited to submit full applications, and approved recipients execute direct grant agreements with the foundation. There are no products or services sold and no proprietary technology — the technology stack is limited to the Wix-hosted marketing website and GrantInterface as the application and reporting platform. Geographic focus is deliberately narrow at Midland and Odessa rather than national or international in scope.

Governance is provided by a Board of Directors, with day-to-day operations led by CEO and President Mary Ann Beninati. The executive team includes a Vice President of Education & Healthcare, Vice President of Grantmaking & Communications, Vice President & Treasurer, and Controller, supported by a small staff of nine. The foundation pursues formal strategic partnerships — with Baylor College of Medicine (STEM+M program), The Holdsworth Center (campus leadership development), Permian Strategic Partnership (co-funding), Midland Athletic Syndicate (Diamondback Energy Athletic Complex), and Manor Park (Age of Renewal capital campaign) — that embed it directly into the long-term planning and program delivery of major regional institutions.

Name

SCHARBAUER FOUNDATION, INC.

Legal name

Scharbauer Foundation, Inc.

Website

https://scharbauerfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Scharbauer Foundation is a private charitable foundation that awards grants to nonprofits in Midland and Odessa, Texas across four focus areas: Education, Healthcare, Quality of Place, and Human Services. It has distributed over $271 million across 700+ grants since 2011.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Philanthropic Foundation Grantmaking

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK), Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

Keywords

• Charitable grantmaking
• Community philanthropy
• Nonprofit grant funding
• Education grant programs
• Human services grants

Headquarters

HQ city

Midland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Grantmaking: As a private charitable foundation, Scharbauer Foundation does not generate revenue. It distributes funds through grants to qualifying 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations supporting education, healthcare, quality of place, and human services in the Midland and Odessa, Texas community.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Scharbauer Foundation, Inc. is a private charitable foundation that awards grants to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations serving Midland and Odessa, Texas. Funding is administered through Spring and Fall grant cycles across four focus areas: Education, Healthcare, Quality of Place, and Human Services. Grantseekers apply through the foundation's online grant portal and work with assigned program officers throughout the funding process.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Spring Grant Cycle

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $271 million awarded since 2011 across more than 700 grants
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• Midland Education FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 November 2025$2 million investment to strengthen teacher recruitment, retention, instructional quality, and leadership development across Midland ISD with emphasis on junior high campuses. Includes Teach Like a Champion program expansion, teacher stipends, and campus upgrades.
• Manor ParkmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 October 2025Scharbauer Foundation awarded $5.7 million grant to Manor Park for the Age of Renewal Capital Project. The project includes a $28.5 million capital campaign for campus reconfiguration and renovation of common buildings including the Barney Greathouse Activity Building and Younger Center.
• The Holdsworth CentermajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 June 2025Scharbauer Foundation funding enables Midland ISD campuses to participate in The Holdsworth Center's Campus Leader Program, a two-year professional development journey. The program empowers educators with skills to create change and includes executive coaching, learning sessions, simulations, and field visits.
• Permian Strategic PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 April 2025Combined with Scharbauer Foundation, PSP provides grants supporting the Holdsworth Center Leadership Collaborative training for Ector County ISD leaders including Superintendent Keeley Boyer, Executive Director Mauricio Marquez, and Executive Director Matthew Spivy.
• Baylor College of MedicinemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 February 2025Scharbauer Foundation enabled a STEM+M (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, and Medicine) partnership between Midland ISD and Baylor College of Medicine. The program is designed as a pre-pre-med initiative to spark early interest in the medical field. BCM provides curriculum development and teacher training for the program serving students entering 7th grade.
• Midland Athletic SyndicatemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 October 2024Scharbauer Foundation supports the Midland Athletic Syndicate's Diamondback Energy Athletic Complex project. The foundation provided support during the development phase, with the MAS board hiring executive director Trovocie Jackson. The complex will be approximately 115,000 SF and share parking with the Scharbauer Sports Complex.
• Council on FoundationscoreOthersActive membership organization for private foundations and corporate giving programs. Provides resources, networking, and professional development for philanthropy professionals.
• Midland CollegemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerScharbauer Foundation supports Midland College's Applied Technology Complex through grant funding.
• Greenwood ISDminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrant for technology support for Greenwood ISD students and educators.
• Ector County ISD Education FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducation-focused nonprofit partner supporting Ector County ISD schools and programs.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• Council on Foundations: National membership organization for private and community foundations. Not a peer funder but a direct institutional counterpart; Scharbauer Foundation holds active membership, indicating alignment with sector standards.

Direct peers

• Abell-Hanger Foundation: Midland-based private foundation supporting charitable, educational, and health initiatives primarily in West Texas. Most direct geographic peer, operating in the same Midland philanthropic ecosystem.
• Permian Basin Area Foundation: Regional community foundation serving the Permian Basin region including Midland and Odessa. Direct peer in geography, mission, and nonprofit grantmaking model, with overlapping applicant pool.
• Meadows Foundation: Dallas-based private foundation supporting education, health, arts, and human services across Texas. Comparable in scale, focus-area structure, and place-based Texas philanthropy model.
• Brown Foundation: Houston-based private foundation funding education, health, and community/social services in Texas. Comparable as a large Texas family foundation with multi-pillar grantmaking approach.
• Sid W. Richardson Foundation: Fort Worth-based private foundation funding education, health, human services, and community development in Texas. Closely comparable as a Texas family-led private foundation with similar multi-pillar giving model.
• Moody Foundation: Galveston-based private foundation historically tied to Moody family wealth, supporting education, health, and community in Texas. Comparable in scale, family-foundation structure, and Texas-focused giving.

Broad incumbents

• Communities Foundation of Texas: Large Texas-based community foundation supporting a wide range of education, health, and human services causes across the state. Comparable grantmaking mission but at significantly larger scale and broader geographic scope.

Regional players

• Permian Strategic Partnership: Permian Basin regional coalition funding education, healthcare, and workforce initiatives in the same geography. Comparable regional focus and overlapping grantees, though structured as a corporate consortium rather than a private foundation.
• Amarillo Area Foundation: Community foundation serving the Texas Panhandle region. Comparable as a regional place-based grantmaker, though focused on a different Texas geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/scharbauerfoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/scharbauer-foundation-inc.
• Instagraminstagram.com/scharbauerfoundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about SCHARBAUER FOUNDATION, INC.