About Us

Who we are

Established in 1994, the Houston Independent School District Foundation is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization that serves as a trusted partner to HISD, connecting the philanthropic resources of the fourth-largest city in the nation with district stakeholders to increase opportunities for students and ensure their success.

Originally named the Houston Educational Excellence Foundation, the HISD Foundation was established in 1994 to support improvement initiatives that could not utilize public funding sources. The foundation fell inactive in 1998 and was revitalized in 2002. In 2003, the Board of Directors changed the name to the Houston Independent School District Foundation, or HISD Foundation.

We are operationally and financially independent of the school district.

What we do

We secure, manage, and distribute private philanthropic funds to HISD programs and schools, and we do so in alignment with our core values and priorities. Our donors consist of corporations, foundations, small businesses, community leaders, private individuals, district parents, and other civic organizations with a vested interest in the students of HISD. We seek to leverage or augment existing public revenue sources to achieve the best possible outcomes for Houston’s children.

How we do this

We utilize the network, resources, and skills of our board, staff members, and volunteers to identify funding and greenlight promising projects and programs throughout the district.

Our Values

  • Trust, transparency and fairness

  • Independence in decision-making, operations and financial management

  • Accountability to our donors and beneficiaries

history of funds raised

Since its relaunch in 2002, the Houston ISD Foundation has raised nearly $95 million in private support for the benefit of Houston ISD and averages approximately $4.5 million raised annually.