Gene & Jerry Jones Family Foundation
OVERVIEW: The Gene & Jerry Jones Family Foundation is the grantmaking organization behind the Dallas Cowboys owner, Jerry Jones. It supports arts and culture, healthcare and human services, Military and veterans, and education, primarily in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington area.
IP TAKE: The Gene & Jerry Jones Family Foundation is not transparent or accessible. Its website is embedded in the website for the Dallas Cowboys football team and it does not provide a clear means of contact. With few exceptions, grants stay in the local community, and this is a good funder to know for those in the area. Those interested in in-kind donations can reach out at community@dallascowboys.net, but other grantseekers will need to look for another way. A mailing address is listed below, but new grantseekers will want to network in addition to reaching out. This funder does not accept unsolicited applocations.
PROFILE: Established in 2000, the Gene & Jerry Jones Family Foundation is the primary philanthropic vehicle of the billionaire owner and general manager of the Dallas Cowboys football team, Jerry Jones and family. Based in Frisco, Texas, the Foundation seeks to support “programs designed to help those who don’t have the strength, resources, or the means to help themselves.” Jones founded an oil and gas exploration company, which is where he made his money. He was co-captain of the 1964 University of Arkansas National Championship football team, and he bought the Dallas Cowboys NFL franchise in 1989. The team won the 1992, 1993, 1995, and 1996 Super Bowls.
The Jones Family Foundation considers community outreach and support for local organizations that benefit in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington area to be paramount. According to a statement on the Cowboys website, “the Joneses enlist the talents, skills and resources of all of the Cowboys players, coaches, cheerleaders and every member of the organization to provide a unique and cutting edge approach to community outreach.” Within the local community, it supports arts and culture, healthcare and human services, and education, primarily. It has also given to veterans’ organizations.
Grants for Community Development
With very few exceptions, the Jones Family Foundation’s grantmaking serves the local Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas metro area where the Dallas Cowboys fans are located. Its community commitment seeks to help “those who don’t have the strength, the resources or the means to help themselves.” As one of the Foundation’s longest and most consistent partnerships, The Salvation Army, including donations to its various branches and to the Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary, has received millions over the years. It received $725,000 in 2019, $1 million in 2017, and over $460,000 in 2016.
The Foundation donated $50,000 to the El Paso Community Foundation Victims’ Fund in 2019. Other grantees include Jason Witten S C O R E Foundation, for child welfare, Unlocking DOORS, the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, Junior Achievement of Arkansas, Youth Improved, Family Place, Hope Landing, and Ronald McDonald House Charities of Arkansas. It has also given to food banks, including Minnie’s Food Pantry and North Texas Food Bank.
Additionally, the family committed $16.5 million over 33 years through the Gene and Jerry Jones Family Arlington Youth Foundation to support youth in Arlington, Texas. It also hosts a series of Youth Programs in coordination with the Dallas Cowboys organization.
Grants for Arts and Culture
The Gene & Jerry Jones Family Foundation does not appear to have clear funding programs, but tax records show that support for the arts and other cultural institutions is a priority. Grants in this area primarily stay in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas metro area. The Dallas Museum Art receives continuous support. Previous grantees include George W Bush Foundation, Dallas Contemporary, Dallas Opera, Texas Tennis Museum and Hall of Fame, and Dallas Symphony Association.
Grants for K-12 and Higher Education, and STEM Education
Education isn’t listed as one of the Foundation’s funding priorities; however, tax records reveal that it does give a variety of educational causes through its community commitment initiative. It has given $500,000 to Perot Museum of Nature & Science, over $300,000 to the Little Rock Catholic High School for Boys, and $125,000 to The Episcopal School of Dallas Inc. Other grantees include Rise School of Dallas, Lyon College, Mesquite Horn High School, Nolan High School, and Frisco High School Touchdown Club.
Grants for Public Health and Access
As part of its commitment to the local community around Arlington, Texas, home of AT&T Stadium, where the Dallas Cowboys play, the Foundation has given substantial grants to health and healthcare organizations in the area. It gave $7.5 million to the American Cancer Society to create the Gene and Jerry Jones Family Hope Lodge in Dallas. Baylor Health Care System Foundation received $750,000 in 2018, and $775,000 in 2019 and in 2020. Other past grantees include The Crystal Charity Ball, Carti Foundation, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and The Cooper Institute.
Grants for Military and Veterans
Support for veterans and military families is a priority for the Jones Family Foundation, which it conducts through its Military Outreach campaign. The Foundation hosts an annual Salute to Service Week in which they partner with different groups and organizations to honor veterans and military families. It has also substantially supported the creation of the National Medal of Honor Museum, which is under construction in Arlington, Texas and will open to the public in 2025, with a $20 million gift.
Other Grantmaking Opportunities:
The Jones Family Foundation considers in-kind donation requests from nonprofit organizations hosting auction or raffle fundraisers. The Foundation requires at least an eight-week advance notice. 501c3 non-profits can make one donation request per year. It will not donate game tickets, autographed helmets, or signed jerseys, but will consider requests for autographed game day programs, stadium and facility tours, signed photos and unsigned merchandise packages. If the donation request is more specialized—letter of recognition, letter of condolence, fan package, etc.—the Foundation invites groups to reach out at community@dallascowboys.net.
Important Grant Details:
Grants range from $500 to $20 million, but the most common amount is $10,000. Most grantmaking stays in Texas, specifically in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington area, where AT&T Stadium is located and where the Cowboys’ fanbase is centralized.
Other than its in-kind donation program, the Foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals or requests for funding.
PEOPLE:
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CONTACT:
1 Cowboys Way
Frisco, TX 75034-1962
(972) 497-4900