The Permian Basin is a West Texas region stretching into eastern New Mexico and known for its ties to the oil and gas industry. While most larger Texas philanthropies are based in the state’s big cities, some funders pay special attention to local needs in West Texas. In addition to the Permian Basin Area Foundation and the Stinson Foundation, the Abell-Hanger Foundation is another local funder that focuses its attention on the area.
Here are some top things to know about the Abell-Hanger Foundation and how to approach this grantmaker for support in West Texas.
Primary interest areas
The Abell-Hanger Foundation is deeply rooted in the city of Midland and the greater West Texas region, where its founder had business success as an oil and gas operator. The trustees maintain this regional commitment and keep grants within the city of Midland and the 57 counties of West Texas.
The foundation takes a broad approach to giving within its geographic focus area. It considers funding for all types of public welfare, including education, human services, health, arts and culture, and general community benefit. Recent grantees include the Aphasia Center of West Texas, Big Bend Young Life, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Permian Basin and the Children’s Advocacy Center of Greater West Texas. The foundation has been awarding over $8 million in annual grants lately.
Foundation initiatives
Education has always been a big part of the Abell-Hanger Foundation’s grantmaking, and it has supported efforts to improve instruction, build a skilled workforce, provide career counseling and offer college scholarships. The Abell Innovation Award is a year-round opportunity that seeks to help people with new ideas solve community challenges. The funder’s Leadership Acceleration Program supports up to five fellows working at nonprofits and requires the completion of a professional development project.
Meanwhile, Midland Shared Spaces is a foundation initiative addressing nonprofits’ increased need to find affordable lease space. The foundation’s Students in Philanthropy initiative aims to engage young adults in philanthropy and volunteering to inspire them to live a life of service.
How to apply for a grant
The Abell-Hanger Foundation offers a straightforward grant application process and three annual opportunities to seek funding. It requires all nonprofits to submit pre-application requests to gauge its level of interest. From that point, the foundation gives applicants instructions about submitting full grant applications. It reviews pre-applications every four to six weeks and grant applications at trustee meetings that usually occur in February, June and October.
Grantseekers should complete their applications online through the funder’s website portal and view the application tutorial to learn more about the process. This funder is a reliable source for local program support and general operating support. However, it funds capital campaigns on an invitation-only basis, while capital project support requests should be less than $50,000.
To learn more about this funder, check out IP’s complete profile of the Abell-Hanger Foundation, which is part of our Texas grantmaking guide.
