Alvin & Lucy Owsley Foundation
The Alvin & Lucy Owsley Foundation is a private foundation based in Houston, Texas. Its 2024 grants supported organizations including arts and cultural groups, a school, universities, a church, a medical institution, a public library, and organizations working on parks and public spaces.
Alvin & Lucy Owsley Foundation at a glance
In short: Alvin & Lucy Owsley Foundation gave $581K across 45 grants in 2024 (avg $13K), mostly in Texas. 36% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $580,900
- -2.2% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 45
- -15.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $12,909
- +15.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $6,624,259
- +1.7% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 36% first-time grantees (16 of 45, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Texas (88% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Alvin & Lucy Owsley Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. The filing lists Steven A. Owsley as the contact and asks applicants to submit a letter of no more than two pages, with no enclosures. The stated award restriction is Texas only.
- Contact
Application contact: Steven A Owsley
Mailing address: 3402 Wickersham, Houston, TX 77027
Phone: (713) 208-9884
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Alvin & Lucy Owsley Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Houston Ballet ($100K). Together the top 10 received $452K.
Grant Size Distribution
195 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 179 grants of 195 (92%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation is based in Houston, and 88% of its 2024 grant dollars went to recipients in Texas. The remaining reported shares went to recipients in Washington, DC (7%), California (3%), Michigan (2%), and Pennsylvania (0%). The filing’s application information states a Texas-only restriction.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 45 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Alvin & Lucy Owsley Foundation open to new grantees?
36%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 16 of 45 grantees (36%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $8K; repeat grants $15K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 58% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+5%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 101% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $464K (2022) to $594K (2023). In 2024 it made 45 grants totaling $581K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Houston Ballet Houston, TX | Contribution to the general operating fund to enable them to fulfill their charitable purpose. | $99,890 |
| Stages Houston, TX | Contribution to the general operating fund to enable them to fulfill their charitable purpose. | $87,627 |
| Contemporary Arts Museum Houston Houston, TX | Contribution to the general operating fund to enable them to fulfill their charitable purpose. | $75,000 |
| St John's School Houston, TX | Contribution to the general operating fund to enable them to fulfill their charitable purpose. | $60,500 |
| Georgetown University Washington, DC | Contribution to the general operating fund to enable them to fulfill their charitable purpose. | $40,000 |
| Houston Cinema Arts Society Houston, TX | Contribution to the general operating fund to enable them to fulfill their charitable purpose. | $26,000 |
| Christ Church Cathedral Houston, TX | Contribution to the general operating fund to enable them to fulfill their charitable purpose. | $21,650 |
| Pepperdine University Malibu, CA | Contribution to the general operating fund to enable them to fulfill their charitable purpose. | $17,500 |
| Leland Township Public Library Leland, MI | Contribution to the general operating fund to enable them to fulfill their charitable purpose. | $12,500 |
| Friends of River Oaks Theatre Houston, TX | Contribution to the general operating fund to enable them to fulfill their charitable purpose. | $11,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $6,624,259 | $883,234 | $715,308 | $580,900 | 45 | $588,512 | $763,938 | $585,368 |
| 2023 | $6,515,468 | $422,178 | $694,578 | $594,064 | 53 | $594,064 | $326,355 | $503,930 |
| 2022 | $6,787,868 | $739,806 | $585,980 | $463,944 | 31 | $469,089 | $633,020 | $529,557 |
| 2021 | $6,634,042 | $981,676 | $721,709 | $553,476 | 35 | $558,726 | $871,093 | $587,849 |
| 2020 | $6,374,075 | $1,363,008 | $571,391 | $473,839 | 31 | — | $1,048,276 | $435,218 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Alvin & Lucy Owsley Foundation reported a distributable amount of $585K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for a range of organizations. For example, grantee Stages says its mission is to make plays and tell stories that invite everyone to live more deeply and love more boldly. Friends of River Oaks Theatre describes its work as enriching and preserving Houston’s artistic film community and arthouse spaces, while Buffalo Bayou Partnership says it transforms and revitalizes Buffalo Bayou. Hermann Park Conservancy describes itself as dedicated to the stewardship and improvement of Hermann Park.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 45 grants totaling $580,900. Awards ranged from $250 to $99,890, with a median grant of $5,000. The largest grants included Houston Ballet ($99,890), Stages ($87,627), Contemporary Arts Museum Houston ($75,000), St. John’s School ($60,500), and Georgetown University ($40,000). The filing describes these grants as contributions to recipients’ general operating funds to enable them to fulfill their charitable purposes.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Sophia Garrett, David T. Owsley, and Steven A. Owsley as trustees.
Alvin & Lucy Owsley Foundation's 2024 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
David T. Owsley
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sophia Garrett
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Steven A. Owsley
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Alvin & Lucy Owsley Foundation
How much does Alvin & Lucy Owsley Foundation give each year?
Alvin & Lucy Owsley Foundation gave $581K across 45 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $594K across 53 grants.
What is Alvin & Lucy Owsley Foundation's typical grant size?
Alvin & Lucy Owsley Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $5,000, and its average grant was $12,909, across 45 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Alvin & Lucy Owsley Foundation that year got $8K on average.
Where does Alvin & Lucy Owsley Foundation give grants?
Alvin & Lucy Owsley Foundation gives mostly in Texas: 88% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was District of Columbia (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Houston, TX (34 grants).
Does Alvin & Lucy Owsley Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Alvin & Lucy Owsley Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (45 of 45) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Alvin & Lucy Owsley Foundation's largest grantees?
Alvin & Lucy Owsley Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Houston Ballet ($99,890), Stages ($87,627) and Contemporary Arts Museum Houston ($75,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 45% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Alvin & Lucy Owsley Foundation?
Alvin & Lucy Owsley Foundation reported $6.6M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $589K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $585K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Alvin & Lucy Owsley Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for a range of organizations. For example, grantee Stages says its mission is to make plays and tell stories that invite everyone to live more deeply and love more boldly. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Alvin & Lucy Owsley Foundation?
The foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Alvin & Lucy Owsley Foundation's EIN?
Alvin & Lucy Owsley Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 75-6047221. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Alvin & Lucy Owsley Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/alvin-and-lucy-owsley-foundation-morg_57cbd7e82dc84bec9aa238f666daa6cf
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_756047221_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Alvin \& Lucy Owsley Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/alvin-and-lucy-owsley-foundation-morg_57cbd7e82dc84bec9aa238f666daa6cf},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Alvin & Lucy Owsley Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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