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The CH Foundation
Christine DeVitt established The CH Foundation in 1969 as the philanthropic vehicle for the fortune her father, David DeVitt, created through the Mallet Land...
The CH Foundation
Christine DeVitt established The CH Foundation in 1969 as the philanthropic vehicle for the fortune her father, David DeVitt, created through the Mallet Land and Cattle Company and oil production in the Slaughter Field. The foundation operates on wealth generated across Hockley, Terry, Cochran, and Yoakum counties—the same West Texas ground where the Mallet Ranch was built. DeVitt, who inherited the enterprise alongside her sister Helen DeVitt Jones, structured the foundation to focus entirely on the region that produced the capital. Jones separately founded the Helen Jones Foundation, and the two entities frequently co-fund projects in and around Lubbock. Grantmaking concentrates on human services, cultural institutions, and educational access for residents of the South Plains. Capital flows to health, youth services, and community development initiatives, but the foundation also holds physical legacy assets tied to the family's identity. These include the Christine DeVitt Exhibition Hall and a dedicated metals studio and foundry in Lubbock, both signaling a commitment to the arts. The foundation is a member of Philanthropy Southwest and Texas Rural Funders, a collaborative of grantmakers explicitly focused on rural Texas—an alignment that underscores the geographic guardrails of the mandate. Executive Director Sandy Ogletree also serves on the Leadership Committee of Philanthropy Advocates. The CH Foundation operates with a small team and does not publicize a large administrative apparatus. The grantmaking posture is shaped by the board's interpretation of DeVitt's original intent, with Sandy Ogletree serving as the operational lead. While the foundation's assets are modest relative to nationally recognized endowments, the regional concentration of its giving makes it a weighty funder within the Lubbock and broader South Plains ecosystem. Co-grantmaking with the Helen Jones Foundation effectively doubles the firepower of the DeVitt philanthropic lineage within the same constrained geography. The foundation's structure shares the architecture of many private foundations built on concentrated extractive-industry wealth: a board guided by the founder's intent, an asset base anchored in the original landholdings and royalties, and a grant program deliberately limited to the geography that produced the fortune. Unlike foundations that follow a professionalized investment-office model with diversified portfolios and national grantmaking, The CH Foundation represents the older, regionally anchored style of Texas philanthropy.
General information
Firm type
Endowment / Foundation
Year founded
1969
AUM
Undisclosed; ~$200M (Altss estimate)
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Lubbock
Corporate office
Lubbock, TX, United States
Principals
Sandy Ogletree
Executive Director
Christine DeVitt
Founder
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment and grantmaking decisions at The CH Foundation?
Sandy Ogletree serves as Executive Director, overseeing the foundation's day-to-day grantmaking operations from Lubbock. The board, guided by the intent of founder Christine DeVitt, holds ultimate fiduciary authority. Ogletree is also an active participant in the broader Texas philanthropic community through Philanthropy Advocates.
How is The CH Foundation related to the Helen Jones Foundation?
The CH Foundation and the Helen Jones Foundation were founded by sisters Christine DeVitt and Helen DeVitt Jones, respectively. Both were heirs to the Mallet Ranch and oil interests assembled by their father, David DeVitt. The two foundations frequently co-fund philanthropic projects in the Lubbock area, but operate as entirely separate legal entities.
Where does The CH Foundation's underlying wealth originate?
The wealth traces to the Mallet Land and Cattle Company and extensive oil and gas royalties from the Slaughter Field in West Texas. These assets were assembled by David DeVitt and passed to his daughters, Christine DeVitt and Helen DeVitt Jones. The foundation still retains ties to these original landholdings.
What is the foundation's geographic giving focus?
The CH Foundation's grantmaking mandate is explicitly limited to the South Plains of Texas, with a heavy concentration in Lubbock. It does not fund nationally. The foundation describes its mission as improving human services, cultural institutions, and educational opportunities solely for residents of this region.
What investment stages does The CH Foundation target with its endowment?
The foundation's stated strategy spans venture capital, buyouts, distressed debt, early-stage through expansion-stage equity, fund-of-funds commitments, growth equity, mezzanine, natural resources, and special situations. How much of the endowment is actively deployed across these categories versus held in legacy land and royalties is not publicly detailed.
Does The CH Foundation maintain philanthropic structures alongside its granting programs?
Yes. In addition to its cash grantmaking, the foundation holds and operates physical assets that serve the public. These include the Christine DeVitt Exhibition Hall and a metals studio and foundry, both in Lubbock, which advance the arts component of its cultural mandate.
Is the foundation affiliated with the Mallet Ranch today?
The foundation's wealth originated from the Mallet Ranch, but the ranch itself was a separate commercial enterprise of the DeVitt family. The foundation's assets include the legacy wealth generated by the ranch, though detailed descriptions of current ownership and any ongoing ranch operations are not publicly disclosed by the foundation.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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