# Mary Bivins Foundation

Mary Bivins Foundation is an Endowment / Foundation based in Amarillo, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Endowment / Foundation
- **Headquarters:** Amarillo, United States
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** 2311 SW 16th Ave, Amarillo, TX, 79102, United States
- **Founded:** 1949
- **Assets under management:** Undisclosed
- **Website:** www.bivinsfoundation.org
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/mary-e.-bivins-foundation

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

Mary Elizabeth Bivins founded the eponymous Amarillo-based foundation in 1949, endowing it with a fortune derived from the ranching and oil operations she managed with her husband, Lee Bivins, a former Mayor of Amarillo. Today, her great-grandson Mark Bivins serves as Vice Chair, anchoring multi-generational family governance. The foundation remains singularly focused on its geographic and demographic mandate: the northernmost twenty-six counties of the Texas Panhandle and the well-being of its older residents. The foundation’s capital flows through two primary channels. Grantmaking targets nonprofit organizations and public entities, prioritizing programs that address senior hunger, food security, and nutrition through its Senior Hunger Solutions initiative. Concurrently, it funds the Bivins Scholars Program, which supports Panhandle residents pursuing theological education for Christian ministry. Its marquee direct investment is Bivins Village, a low-income housing community providing supportive services for older adults. The foundation’s real assets also include the historic Bivins Building at 1000 S. Polk St. and ranching land across the Texas Panhandle and New Mexico. CEO Katharyn Wiegand directs a lean team of four staff members, with program officers dedicated to grants, scholarships, and senior hunger. The board, chaired by Julie Attebury, includes multiple Bivins family descendants. While the foundation’s AUM is not publicly disclosed, its operational footprint is visible through its real estate holdings and consistent regional grantmaking. The Bivins family maintains parallel ranching interests, with Mark Bivins active as a partner in Corsino Cattle Company and a member of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association. Unlike a general-purpose charitable vehicle, the Mary Bivins Foundation operates with a narrow, mission-critical structure: its articles of incorporation obligate it to prioritize care for the elderly above all other causes. This legal architecture — blending a grantmaking foundation with a direct-service housing provider — makes it more akin to a vertically integrated philanthropic enterprise than a traditional check-writing charity. The result is a rare model where the foundation both funds and delivers services to its target population within a defined geography.

## Sectors

- Healthcare Services
- Education
- Real Estate

## People

- Mary E. Bivins — Founder
- Katharyn Wiegand — President and Chief Executive Officer
- Julie Attebury — Board Chair
- Mark Bivins — Vice Chair
- Peyton Bivins — Director
- Steve Urban — Past Chair
- Kevin Mitchell — Secretary
- Gary Pitner — Director
- Puff Niegos — Director
- Erinie Boyd — Director
- Jim Shelburne — Director

## Questions

### What is the primary investment focus of the Mary Bivins Foundation?

The foundation is first and foremost mandated to serve the elderly. It does this through direct grants to nonprofits addressing senior hunger, food security, and nutrition, and by operating Bivins Village, its own affordable housing community for older adults. It also runs a scholarship program for theological students from the Panhandle.

### Who runs investment and grantmaking decisions at the foundation?

President and CEO Katharyn Wiegand leads the foundation's day-to-day operations, including its grantmaking programs. The investment strategy is overseen by the Board of Directors, chaired by Julie Attebury and vice-chaired by founder's great-grandson Mark Bivins.

### Is the Mary Bivins Foundation a grantmaking foundation or a direct service provider?

It is both — a structurally unusual hybrid. The foundation makes grants to external organizations, but it also directly owns and operates Bivins Village, a residential community providing affordable housing and supportive services for older adults in Amarillo.

### Where does the foundation's wealth come from?

The endowment traces back to Mary Elizabeth Bivins. Her wealth was built on the ranching and oil & gas operations run with her husband, Lee Bivins, a prominent Panhandle rancher and former Mayor of Amarillo. Descendants remain involved in both the foundation and family cattle businesses.

### Does the foundation operate outside the Texas Panhandle?

No. Its grantmaking is geographically restricted to the northernmost twenty-six counties of the Texas Panhandle. Its real estate holdings, including Bivins Village and the historic Bivins Building, are all located in Amarillo, though the family historically held ranching land in New Mexico as well.

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Last updated: 2026-06-03T20:00:00.000Z

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