Effie and Wofford Cain Foundation
Austin, TX · EIN 75-6030774. Reported 229 grants totalling $22.0M to 98 organizations across tax years 2020-2023. This foundation did not tell the IRS it funds only preselected organizations.
Does this foundation accept applications?
Yes -- on its own tax return. Form 990-PF asks every private foundation whether it makes grants only to organizations it selects itself. Of the 91,758 foundations in our data that made a grant and answered, 78% said yes -- and applying to those is wasted effort. Effie and Wofford Cain Foundation did not check that box on its most recent filing, which puts it in the minority that is at least open to being approached.
How big are its grants?
The median grant is $15,000. Half of everything it gave fell between $5,000 and $25,000; the smallest was $1,000 and the largest $4,100,000. If you are asking for materially more than the top of that range, you are asking the wrong foundation.
Every organization it funded
This is the complete list from its filings, largest first. Years funded is the number of separate tax years in which the organization received money -- more than one means a real relationship rather than a one-off.
| Organization | Location | Total received | Grants | Years funded | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Texas at Austin | Austin, TX | $11.5M | 19 | 4 | 2023 |
| City of Athens Texas | Athens, TX | $2,520,000 | 6 | 4 | 2023 |
| Ut Southwestern Medical Center | Dallas, TX | $2,500,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Southern Methodist University | Dallas, TX | $1,150,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Texas Parks & Wildlife Foundation | Austin, TX | $250,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Texas Scottish Rite Hospital | Dallas, TX | $231,088 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| East Texas Arboretum & Botanical Society | Athens, TX | $210,000 | 5 | 4 | 2023 |
| MD Anderson Cancer Center | Houston, TX | $202,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Good Shepherd Episcopal Church | Austin, TX | $180,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Word of Honor Fund | Bellevue, ID | $160,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Sonic Guild | Austin, TX | $154,000 | 3 | 2 | 2023 |
| Health Alliance for Austin Musicians | Austin, TX | $150,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Salvation Army of Greater Austin | Austin, TX | $150,000 | 4 | 2 | 2023 |
| Seal Future Foundation | New York, NY | $130,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Salvation Army-Austin | Austin, TX | $125,000 | 3 | 2 | 2021 |
| Seton Funddaughters of Charity | Austin, TX | $120,000 | 5 | 4 | 2023 |
| Austin Classical Guitar | Austin, TX | $115,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Black Fret | Austin, TX | $108,498 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Henderson County Food Pantry | Athens, TX | $100,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Trinity Valley Community College | Athens, TX | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| CASA of Trinity Valley | Athens, TX | $88,000 | 5 | 4 | 2023 |
| First Presbyterian Church | Athens, TX | $85,000 | 5 | 4 | 2023 |
| Disciples Clinic | Athens, TX | $80,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Lila Lane Outreach | Athens, TX | $80,000 | 5 | 4 | 2023 |
| Public Library Fund | Athens, TX | $72,000 | 5 | 4 | 2023 |
| Westminster Presbyterian Church | Austin, TX | $70,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Cafe Momentum | Dallas, TX | $60,000 | 3 | 2 | 2022 |
| Children's Burn Foundation | Sherman Oaks, CA | $59,500 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| University of Texas System | Austin, TX | $53,000 | 4 | 3 | 2022 |
| Children's Medical Center Foundation | Dallas, TX | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Heroic Hearts Project | New York, NY | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Stanford University | Stanford, CA | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Visitation Academy of St Louis County | St Louis, MO | $50,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Swan Songs | Austin, TX | $42,500 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Van Cliburn Foundation | Fort Worth, TX | $42,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Athens Christian Preparatory Academy | Athens, TX | $40,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| California State University Northridge Trust Fund | Northridge, CA | $40,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Life Fellowship | Athens, TX | $40,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Hospice Austin | Austin, TX | $36,000 | 5 | 4 | 2023 |
| Abundant Life Pregnancy Center | Athens, TX | $35,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Athens Animal Rescue Shelter | Athens, TX | $35,000 | 3 | 3 | 2022 |
| Austin Speech Labs | Austin, TX | $35,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Center for Child Protection | Austin, TX | $35,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Swan Songs Musical Last Wishes | Austin, TX | $30,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Athens High School | Athens, TX | $27,500 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Keep Athens Beautiful | Athens, TX | $27,500 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| The Cliburn | Fort Worth, TX | $27,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Austin History Center Association | Austin, TX | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Austin Music Foundation | Austin, TX | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Henderson County Homeless Ministry | Athens, TX | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Kappa Alpha Theta Foundation | Indianapolis, IN | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Navy Seal Foundation | Virginia Beach, VA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Special Forces Charitable Fund | Southern Pines, NC | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Sustainable Food Center | Austin, TX | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Austin Police Operation Blue Santa | Austin, TX | $23,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| West Austin Care Givers | Austin, TX | $22,000 | 3 | 3 | 2022 |
| Austin Community Foundatiaon | Austin, TX | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Meals on Wheels Ministries | Tyler, TX | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Mt Dearborn Methodist Church | Great Falls, SC | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Texas State History Museum | Austin, TX | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Texas State Music Office | Austin, TX | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| University of Texas Foundation | Austin, TX | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Building Athens Together | Athens, TX | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| American Heart Association | Dallas, TX | $12,500 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| National Football Foundation | Austin, TX | $12,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Athens Samaritans | Athens, TX | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Austin Community Foundation | Austin, TX | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Community Parks of Gainesville Texas | Gainesville, TX | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Dell Children's Foundation | Austin, TX | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Drive-a-Senior Austin | Austin, TX | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Eastern Hills Community Church | Athens, TX | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Henderson County Performing Arts Center | Athens, TX | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Mt Dearborn United Methodist Church | Great Falls, SC | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| St Vincent Meals on Wheels Program | Los Angeles, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Colleagues the | Santa Monica, CA | $8,000 | 3 | 3 | 2022 |
| Athens First Methodist Church | Athens, TX | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Athens Independent School District | Athens, TX | $7,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Ronald Mcdonald House Charities | Dallas, TX | $7,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Give a Beat Foundation | Laguna Beach, CA | $5,500 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Alzheimer's Texas | Austin, TX | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Camp Allen and Conference Center | Navasota, TX | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| City of Hope | Los Angeles, CA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Dallas Children's Advocacy Center | Dallas, TX | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Helping Hand Home for Children | Austin, TX | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Henderson County Young Life | Athens, TX | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Meals on Wheels Ministry | Tyler, TX | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Young Life - Athens | Colorado Springs, CO | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Caritas of Austin | Austin, TX | $3,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Central Vermont Community Radio | Plainfield, VT | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| St Barnabas Episcopal Church | Fredericksburg, TX | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Athens Old Fiddlers' Foundation | Athens, TX | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Austin Pets Alive | Austin, TX | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Crowe's Nest Farm | Manor, TX | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Make-a-Wish Foundation - Central & South Texas | Austin, TX | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Cystic Fibrosis Foundation | Austin, TX | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Henderson County Historical Society | Athens, TX | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Boy Scouts of America Capitol Area Council | Austin, TX | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Leukemia & Lymphoma Society | Washington, DC | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
49 of 98 (50%) received money in more than one year over the 4 years we hold.
Measured the way we measure every foundation -- what share of one year's grantees are funded again the next -- this one retains 64%, across 3 year-to-year transitions. The median foundation retains about 67%, so this one is about typical. A high number means its list is close to settled and a newcomer has to displace someone; a low one means it is still moving money around, which is where an opening is.
What the money was for
Taken verbatim from the purpose field of its filings. This is the closest thing to a statement of what this foundation cares about, in its own words.
- City of Athens Texas
FACILITIES CONSTRUCTION AND REFURBISHMENT - University of Texas at Austin
DELL MEDICAL SCHOOL RESEARCH - Southern Methodist University
LAW SCHOOL FINANCIAL COURSE
What kind of organizations it funds
By the recipient's own IRS classification, for the 98 grants where we could identify the organization. These are assigned categories, not our guesses.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants | Total | Median grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 55 | $5,248,977 | $10,000 |
| 2021 | 64 | $6,069,164 | $10,500 |
| 2022 | 57 | $5,521,500 | $20,000 |
| 2023 | 53 | $5,178,279 | $20,000 |
Tax years, not calendar years, and the most recent year is usually incomplete -- filings arrive about a year late, so a low final year means late paperwork rather than a foundation winding down.
Already committed for future years
Form 990-PF has a separate schedule for grants approved but not yet paid. Effie and Wofford Cain Foundation has 9 of them, worth $45.9M. This is the one part of the filing that looks forward rather than back -- and it also tells you how much of the next year's budget is already spoken for.
| Organization | Location | Approved |
|---|---|---|
| University of Texas at Austin | Austin, TX | $15.9M |
| University of Texas at Austin | Austin, TX | $14.3M |
| University of Texas at Austin | Austin, TX | $8,750,000 |
| Ut Southwestern Medical Center | Dallas, TX | $5,500,000 |
| Southern Methodist University | Dallas, TX | $383,334 |
| Southern Methodist University | Dallas, TX | $383,334 |
| University of Texas at Austin | Austin, TX | $250,000 |
| City of Athens Texas | Athens, TX | $250,000 |
| University of Texas at Austin | Austin, TX | $150,000 |
Where its money goes
Foundations concentrate geographically far more than their mission statements suggest. 97% of this one's giving went to organizations in Texas. If you are outside its footprint, that matters more than how well your programme fits.
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Funders that support the same organizations
These funders gave to organizations this one also funded -- some private foundations, some community foundations and other grantmaking charities. Shared grantees are the strongest available signal that two funders have overlapping priorities, and a funder already backing your peers is a far warmer prospect than one that merely lists your cause.
How to approach this foundation
- Check you are its size. The median grant is $15,000. Asking for ten times that is the most common way small organizations waste a submission.
- Check you are in its geography. Its giving is concentrated in Texas.
- Read the recipient list above for organizations like yours. If nothing on it resembles your work, that is a real answer, and a cheap one to get.
- Look up the current filing before writing. The 990-PF names the foundation's officers and, where one exists, its application procedure. We link it below.
Related guides
Where these numbers come from
Everything above is taken from Effie and Wofford Cain Foundation's own Form 990-PF filings, which the IRS publishes in bulk. We used 4 returns (tax years 2020-2023). Nothing here is scraped, inferred, or estimated.
Address of record on the latest return: 4131 Spicewood Springs Road A1, Austin, TX, 78759. This is the address the foundation gave the IRS; many small foundations file through an accountant or a bank trust department, so it may not be where post to a programme officer should go.
EIN 75-6030774 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
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