About Us
Overview
The Beaumont Foundation was funded as part of the settlement of an historic $2.1 billion nationwide class action case. Three Beaumont, Texas lawyers, Wayne A. Reaud, Gilbert I. “Buddy” Low and Hubert Oxford, and the court conceived of an ingenious approach to use large class action litigation for public good. Plaintiffs’ lead attorney, Wayne A. Reaud, insisted the unclaimed portion of the guaranteed settlement fund be used to form a charitable foundation to finance a five-year program designed to distribute computer technology among underprivileged Americans, with the goal of narrowing the Digital Divide. As a result, The Beaumont Foundation was created with over $350 million in assets in October 2001.
In 2006, an agreement was reached to extend the Foundation’s lifespan indefinitely and to broaden its operation to include all charitable purposes rather than exclusively technology programs. Under the revised Articles of Incorporation, the Foundation can deliver direct monetary gifts to nonprofit organizations dedicated to helping the poor and disenfranchised.
During the Foundation’s technology phase, we denoted more than $63 million worth of computer technology, including wireless, Internet-enabled laptop computers to thousands of schools, hospitals, individuals, community organizations and other highly deserving institutions and programs in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. We have awarded grants totaling approximately $20 million since revising our Articles of Incorporation.