What We’re Funding

Our financial model relies primarily on our endowment as the source of our operating expenses, supplemented by program revenues from our three fee-based programs. The endowment has been growing since the Foundation’s inception in the early 1930s, with greater growth in recent years due to the ongoing generosity of the Butt family. These gifts, combined with support from donors and capital campaigns, enable our programs to grow and thrive.

“The combination of the place, the people and the discussions were truly catalytic.”

Sarah Fanslau, Vice President, Youth Programs, Jefferson Awards

“The retreat was surprisingly renewing for me, not least because of the spirit of Laity Lodge and infusion of art, music, and nature throughout. I felt more relaxed than I have in a while, and I was able to be more present to others and myself.”

Michael Lamb, Ph.D., Director, Program of Leadership and Character, Wake Forest University

“I moved to Texas knowing nothing and no one, and yet, through the people and culture of this foundation, including the frequent opportunities to enjoy this refuge of Laity Lodge, I was given a new family, a formative institution at a fragile and malleable time, and a moral ecosystem in which to recover my life, convictions, and sense of purpose in the world.”

Anne Snyder Brooks, Director, Character Initiative, Philanthropy Roundtable