Austin Area Research Organization
Aaro, a non-partisan thought leader for central Texas, has worked behind the scenes on critical regional issues since 1980. The membership is an intentionally diverse group of central Texas leaders drawn from business, industry, education, health care, real estate, nonprofits and foundations. In 2025, aaro hosted over 50 programs allowing members to
Key facts about Austin Area Research Organization
- EIN
- 74-2148447
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025
- Total assets
- $1,662,344
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990 · View filing
Total Assets
$1.7M
+8.7% YoY
Revenue
$924K
+3.2% YoY
Net Investment Income
$46K
+113.2% YoY
Expenses
$881K
+3.2% YoY
About Austin Area Research Organization
Based on IRS filings
Austin Area Research Organization is a public charity, based in Austin, TX. IRS filing data is available from 2020 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $1.7M in total assets. Net investment income was $46K.
Ready to take the next step with Austin Area Research Organization?
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2022, annual grant giving ranged from $7K (2020) to $199K (2022). In 2022 it made 2 grants totaling $199K.
Hatched bars: grants paid as reported on the IRS filing, which lists no individual grants for that year.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Grant Size Distribution
2 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $50–100K range: 1 grant of 2 (50%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for 2025.
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $1,662,344 | $1,528,761 | $1,480,846 |
| Revenue | $923,814 | $894,857 | $946,021 |
| Expenses | $881,154 | $853,841 | $937,955 |
| Net Investment Income | $46,283 | $21,708 | $31,052 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS September 21, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 12, 2021)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 14, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Austin Area Research Organization is led by Sandra Guzman, President & CEO since 2021 (on filings since 2020); 2 of 17 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Sandra Guzman
President & CEO
Executive Director → CEO & President, 2021
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$140K (2020) → $208K (2025)
Amy Jones
Chair
Director → Chair-Elect, 2024
Chair-Elect → Chair, 2025
On filings since 2021
20 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Cynthia Sanchez
Board Secretary & Program Director
Secretary → Board Secretary & Program Director, 2023
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$72K (2021) → $94K (2025)
Stacy Armijo
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mark Estrada
Director
Director → Social Equity Committee Chair, 2023
Social Equity Committee Chair → Director, 2024
On filings since 2022
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kerry Hall
Director
Education Committee Chair → Director, 2024
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sarah Churchill Llamas
Director
Health Care Committee Chair → Director, 2024
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Tamara Atkinson
Director
Vision Committee Chair → Director, 2024
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Karen Bondy
Director
On filings since 2024
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Laura Huffman
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Wade Cooper
Director
On filings since 2024
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Beth Guilliot
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jay Fox
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lissa Adams
Director
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Marc A. Rodriguez
Chair-Elect
At-Large → Director, 2024
Director → Chair-Elect, 2025
On filings since 2020
6 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jeffrey Richard
Immediate Past Chair
Chair-Elect → Chair, 2024
Chair → Immediate Past Chair, 2025
On filings since 2021
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jon Calvin
Treasurer
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (34)
- Former: Sandy Dochen (2022–2024) — Immediate Past Chair
- Former: Darrick McGill (2023–2024) — Treasurer
- Former: David Smith (2023–2024) — Director
- Former: Thomas Miranda (2023–2024) — Director
- Former: Fayruz Benyousef (2024) — Director
- Former: Jeff Hahn (2020–2023) — Immediate Past Chair
- Former: Michelle Earley (2020–2023) — Transportation Committee Chair
- Former: Donna Klaeger (2021–2023) — Water Committee Chair
- Former: Fayruz Benusef (2023) — At-Large & McBee Liaison
- Former: Kristie Gonzales (2023) — At-Large
- Former: Ali Khataw (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Nikelle Meade (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Janet Mitchell (2021–2022) — Director
- Former: Kenneth Williams (2021–2022) — Director
- Former: Susan Dawson (2021–2022) — Director
- Former: Trish Young Brown (2021–2022) — Past Chair
- Former: Christopher Kennedy (2022) — Director
- Former: Clarke Heidrick (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Ray Wilkerson (2020–2021) — Past Chair
- Former: Scott Flack (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Amy Shaw Thomas (2021) — Director
- Former: Amber Carden (2020) — Director
- Former: Ashton Cuberbatch (2020) — Director
- Former: Barbara Johnson (2020) — Executive Director
- Former: C. Brian Cassidy (2020) — Director
- Former: Elizabeth Christian (2020) — Director
- Former: Ellen Wood (2020) — Treasuer & Secretary
- Former: Karen Friese (2020) — Past President
- Former: Keith Jackson (2020) — Director
- Former: Michael Whellan (2020) — Director
- Former: Nikki Graham (2020) — Director
- Former: Patricia Young Brown (2020) — President Elect
- Former: Pete Winstead (2020) — Director
- Former: Vicki Zamorsky (2020) — Interim Executive Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $208K, to Sandra Guzman (President & CEO). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Austin Area Research Organization
How large is Austin Area Research Organization?
Austin Area Research Organization reported $1.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $924K.
What is Austin Area Research Organization's EIN?
Austin Area Research Organization's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 74-2148447. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings.
Here's the math on researching Austin Area Research Organization by hand.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Austin Area Research Organization's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Similar funders in Texas
Communities Foundation of Texas Inc
Dallas, TX
Communities Foundation of Texas funds charitable work in health, wealth, living, and learning, with much of its grantmaking supporting North Texas nonprofits; its 2025 grants had a median of $18,779, though award sizes varied widely. Nearly all opportunities are by invitation, and its Nonprofit Gateway profile is not a grant application.
Assets
$1.2B
Grants
2,209
Total Given
$209.2M
Greater Houston Community Foundation
Houston, TX
The Foundation makes grants through donor-advised and other donor-established funds for public benefit, human services, education, and health, including initiatives addressing economic mobility and poverty in Harris County. In 2024, its median grant was $25,000; it serves Greater Houston, while grants also go to recipients elsewhere in Texas and beyond. It does not accept proposals for the upcoming High-Impact Grantmaking cycle and plans to invite selected organizations or collaboratives to apply.
Assets
$1.1B
Grants
1,724
Total Given
$232.3M
Baker Hughes Foundation
Houston, TX
Assets
$2.2M
Grants
990
Total Given
$3.2M
BNSF Railway Foundation
Fort Worth, TX
The BNSF Railway Foundation supports civic, cultural, educational, health and human services, environmental, and youth programs, as well as general operating costs, in communities served by BNSF across its 28-state network. Its 2025 median grant was $2,500; its current grants program lists awards of $1,000–$10,000.
Assets
$23.0M
Grants
993
Total Given
$7.0M
Community Foundation of North Texas (Tax
Fort Worth, TX
The Community Foundation of North Texas supports nonprofits through grants for areas including animal welfare, conservation, community development, nonprofit capacity, and opportunity, primarily in North Texas, including seven listed counties. Its 2024 grants had a median amount of $14,250, with awards ranging from $5,100 to $1.5 million. It offers competitive grants through application cycles; nonprofits cannot apply for donor-advised grants.
Assets
$544.9M
Grants
872
Total Given
$41.3M
Michael & Susan Dell Foundation
Austin, TX
The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation funds education, health, family economic stability, and nonprofit capacity, with a strong focus on children and families and its deepest investment in Texas, especially Greater Austin; it also supports work elsewhere in the U.S. and internationally. Its 2024 grants ranged from $75 to $50 million, with a median of $19,324. It accepts unsolicited requests through an online application.
Assets
$7.8B
Grants
835
Total Given
$164.6M
American Heart Association Inc
Dallas, TX
The American Heart Association funds basic, clinical, behavioral, translational, population, and other research on cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and brain health, mainly through research awards to eligible U.S.-based nonprofit institutions. In 2025, grants ranged from $5,000 to $9.9 million, with a median award of $20,000. Applications are submitted through designated programs; the profile does not state whether unsolicited requests are accepted.
Assets
$2.0B
Grants
833
Total Given
$198.2M
Laura and John Arnold Foundation
Houston, TX
Arnold Ventures funds evidence-based research, evaluation, and policy work in criminal justice, health care, higher education and career pathways, public finance, and infrastructure. Its 2024 grants had a median of $122,776 (ranging from $685 to $12.5 million); based in Houston, Texas, it does not accept unsolicited requests, but accepts applications through specific requests for proposals.
Assets
$4.8B
Grants
789
Total Given
$193.3M
The Dallas Foundation
Dallas, TX
The Dallas Foundation funds nonprofits and other charitable organizations working on early childhood, maternal and child health, economic mobility, homelessness, youth mental health, and community needs, primarily in Dallas County. Its 2024 itemized grants had a median of $25,000; listed 2026 cycles seek requests of $5,000–$50,000 or $15,000–$50,000, depending on the program. It accepts applications through grant cycles when open; none are currently open, and organizations outside Dallas County may be eligible if most people they serve live there.
Assets
$491.5M
Grants
788
Total Given
$87.3M
Petco Love
San Antonio, TX
PETCO LOVE funds animal welfare organizations nationwide, supporting adoption and fostering, veterinary care, spay/neuter and vaccines, disaster response, pet cancer work, and service- or therapy-animal programs. Its 2025 grants ranged from $900 to $1,501,500, with a median of $11,000. Organizations must submit an annual data report through the Partner Portal and apply during designated windows; disaster relief is handled on a rolling basis, while some programs are invitation-only.
Assets
$25.1M
Grants
784
Total Given
$21.2M
Austin Community Foundation Inc
Austin, TX
Austin Community Foundation funds nonprofits and public efforts in areas including education, arts, health, human services, community development, and the environment, primarily across six Central Texas counties. Its 2024 grants had a median of $20,000, though amounts varied widely; the profile does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests.
Assets
$556.3M
Grants
764
Total Given
$54.7M
More Funders in Texas
Austin Area Research Organization down — hundreds of funders to go?