• Promote solutions to community challenges
    We lead, follow and collaborate as needed to provide solutions to community challenges, often partnering with other foundations, nonprofits, individual donors, government, educational and healthcare institutions and the private sector.
  • Strengthen our local nonprofits
    We support nonprofits through grants, guidance and fund management, strengthening their ability to make an impact on critical issues in our community both today and in the future.
  • Engage philanthropists
    We provide personalized philanthropic advice and services to those interested in making a long-term impact with their giving, with an emphasis on safeguarding charitable intentions.
  • Manage charitable assets
    We accept, prudently manage and preserve the value of long-term charitable resources entrusted to our care.

Read the complete Vision and Values Statement.

“The first couple of years were spent working out details about how we were going to operate. We spent a lot of time letting the community know about the Foundation and its mission. We took awarding grants very seriously and we would have long discussions about which organizations should get them. In 1963, we presented our first grant to the Cherry Street YWCA for playground improvements.”

- JOE L. WARD, JR., TRUSTEE, 1959-1983

Waco Foundation was established in 1958 with a $30,000 gift from R.B. and Edith Heinze Parrot. Today the Foundation manages nearly $130 million in charitable assets, all for the benefit of the community.

Explore the timeline to learn more about our history.

Timeline