In the early 1970’s, Mr. Sarofim established a personal trust for philanthropic giving. As an expression of gratitude for the many opportunities Houston provided him in his lifetime, he chose to replace this trust with a new Sarofim Foundation that was activated following his death in 2022 and that will exist in perpetuity.

When fully funded, the Foundation will be among the largest philanthropic organizations based in Houston.

The purpose of the Foundation is to honor Mr. Sarofim’s philanthropic legacy and to ensure the long-term prosperity of our region. Our leadership is honored to build on Mr. Sarofim’s history of investing in our community in powerful, intentional ways.

Currently, the Board consists of Mr. Christopher Sarofim, Mrs. Raye White and Mr. Gentry Lee. Please do not reach out to Board members directly. All questions related to the Foundation can be answered by staff leadership.

The Sarofim Foundation is a separate entity. Fayez Sarofim & Co. will manage the Foundation’s investment strategy as it does for so many other foundations and non-profits nationwide.

Our intention is to have an efficient, streamlined Foundation staff in order to stay nimble, flexible and focused on the philanthropic needs of the community.

We are not accepting unsolicited requests for funding at this time. When ready, we will clearly communicate our grantmaking criteria and processes. In the interim, we will continue to fund legacy grants and related grantee organizations at the Board’s discretion.

We are constantly visiting with area nonprofits to meet their leadership, and to gain an understanding of how their missions fit into the philanthropic landscape. Meetings such as these help us make informed decisions on how to best carry forward Mr. Sarofim’s legacy and are not tied to any grant requests.

To date, our grantmaking has generally been connected directly to Mr. Sarofim’s legacy and/or established relationships that were important to him during his lifetime. With time, we anticipate that the portfolio will grow to continue building on Mr. Sarofim’s legacy of generosity and commitment to our community.

The Foundation can make grants of all types including capital, operational and disaster relief-based funds. The Foundation cannot make grants for individual scholarships, event sponsorships or related activities. For now, the Foundation is generally not pursuing grantmaking outside of the greater Houston region.

Once our giving strategy is finalized, we will communicate parameters for grant submissions to the broader community.

No. We look at where Foundation support can have the most impact. Our grants will vary in scope and approach, and reflect our trust in partners that can successfully accomplish their mission and goals.