albert and margaret alkek foundation

What albert and margaret alkek foundation does

The Albert and Margaret Alkek Foundation is a private philanthropic foundation established through the last will and testament of Albert B. Alkek following his death in 1995. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, the foundation stewards an endowment of more than $220 million (as of 2012) and provides grants to charitable, religious, scientific (primarily medical), cultural, and educational organizations serving the people of the State of Texas. Grant-making is selective and relationship-driven: the foundation rarely accepts unsolicited applications, instead identifying grantees through personal board relationships and proactive initiatives, with the majority of grants directed toward research and education-related projects that generate long-term dividends through new discoveries and improved quality of life. From 1997 through 2012, the foundation distributed over $156 million in grants, with anchor relationships at major Texas Medical Center institutions including Baylor College of Medicine, the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, and Texas Heart Institute, alongside secondary giving to universities (Southwestern, St. Mary's, Texas State, Texas A&M), independent schools, and cultural institutions (Houston Ballet, Houston Symphony).

The foundation does not operate as a commercial enterprise — it sells no products or services and has no pricing model. Its "revenue" derives entirely from investment returns on its endowment, while its operating activity consists of grant payments, which ran approximately $10 million to $12.65 million annually during the 2007–2012 period. The foundation is family-controlled: Margaret Alkek Williams (Albert's daughter) serves as Chairman since 2005, Charles A. Williams (grandson) as President, Randa Duncan Williams as Vice President, and Scott B. Seaman has served as Executive Director since 1996. Seven of the original eleven executors named in Albert Alkek's will continue to serve as directors. Geographic scope is explicitly limited to Texas-based organizations, and the foundation publishes its Form 990-PF tax returns through 2019 on its website.

Name

albert and margaret alkek foundation

Legal name

Albert and Margaret Alkek Foundation

Website

https://alkek.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Albert and Margaret Alkek Foundation is a Houston-based private foundation that distributes grants to Texas-based charitable, medical research, educational, cultural, and community organizations, with an endowment exceeding $220 million and anchor relationships in the Texas Medical Center.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Foundation Grant-Making

NAICS

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

akta.pro primary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL), Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

Keywords

• Private foundation grants
• Philanthropic fundraising
• Charitable giving programs
• Medical research funding
• Endowment management

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Foundation Grant-Making: Private foundation that generates revenue through investment returns on its endowment and distributes grants to qualified charitable organizations serving Texas. The foundation was established upon Albert B. Alkek's death in 1995 with initial assets of $178 million.

Core offering

The Albert and Margaret Alkek Foundation is a private philanthropic foundation that makes grants to charitable, religious, scientific (primarily medical), cultural, and educational organizations and programs serving the people of the State of Texas. The Foundation's grants reflect Albert B. Alkek's preferences for research and education-related projects that deliver lasting dividends in terms of new discoveries and improved quality of life, with strong focus on Houston and the Texas Medical Center.

Product overview

The Albert and Margaret Alkek Foundation is a private philanthropic foundation established by Albert B. Alkek. The foundation does not offer products or services in the traditional technology/software sense. Its activities consist of grant-making to charitable, religious, scientific (primarily medical), cultural, and educational organizations and programs serving the people of Texas. Grant distributions from 1997 through 2012 exceeded $156 million, with a focus on research and education-related projects, particularly in the Texas Medical Center.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Charitable Grants Program The Foundation's primary offering: charitable grants to qualified Texas-based nonprofit organizations in medical research, education, community development, and arts/culture. Grants are selected through a letter of inquiry process, personal relationships, and proactive initiatives.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $156 million in grant distributions from 1997-2012
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• The Brown Foundation, Inc. Houston-based private foundation established in 1951 by Herman and Margaret Root Brown and George and Alice Pratt Brown. Closely comparable as a Houston-headquartered family-controlled foundation focused on education, the arts, and community services in Texas.
• The Moody Foundation: Texas-based family foundation established in 1942 with assets exceeding $1 billion, headquartered in Galveston. Directly comparable as a multi-generational Texas family foundation funding education, health, community development, and the arts across the state.
• Houston Endowment: Houston-based private foundation established in 1939 by Jesse H. and Mary Gibbs Jones with a multi-billion-dollar endowment. Highly comparable as a Houston-headquartered family-controlled grantmaking foundation serving Texas-focused causes including education, civic engagement, and health.
• The Robert A. Welch Foundation: Houston-based private foundation established in 1954 supporting basic chemistry research at Texas universities and institutions. Comparable as a major Houston science/research-focused foundation with a Texas-restricted mandate aligned with Alkek's medical research emphasis.
• William Stamps Farish Fund: Houston-based private foundation supporting education, health, civic, and cultural organizations in Texas. Comparable as a Houston family foundation with similar Texas-restricted grantmaking focus and modest operating footprint.
• Meadows Foundation: Dallas-based private foundation established in 1948 with assets exceeding $700 million, supporting Texas institutions in education, health, social services, and the arts. Comparable as a major Texas family foundation with similar multi-vertical grantmaking.
• The Simmons Foundation: Houston-based private foundation supporting education, health, and human services in Texas. Comparable as a Houston family foundation with similar scale and Texas-restricted grantmaking across social causes.
• Robert J. Kleberg Jr. and Helen C. Kleberg Foundation: Texas-based private family foundation supporting wildlife conservation, health, education, and community services across South Texas. Comparable as a Texas-restricted multi-generational family foundation with a similar geographic and thematic scope.
• The Hamill Foundation: Houston-based private foundation established by the Hamill family supporting education, conservation, and community programs in Texas. Comparable as a smaller Houston family foundation with similar Texas geographic restriction and multi-vertical grantmaking.

Regional players

• The Kenedy Foundation: Texas-based private foundation established through the estate of Sarita Kenedy East. Comparable as a Texas-restricted family foundation funding education, health, and community causes, with a regional Corpus Christi orientation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/albert-and-margaret-alkek-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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