Bearden Foundation
Bearden Foundation is a private foundation based in Sugarland, Texas. Its 2024 filing reports grants for scholarships and a donation, including support for colleges and other organizations.
Bearden Foundation at a glance
In short: Bearden Foundation gave $119K across 17 grants in 2024 (avg $7K), mostly in Texas. 36% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $119,443
- -14.7% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 17
- -46.9% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $7,026
- +60.6% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $4,000
- Total assets
- $5,470,875
- +19.0% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 36% first-time grantees (5 of 14, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Texas (83% 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 Bearden Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation’s 2023 filing says it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. It instructs applicants to submit an essay summarizing their reasons for attending the educational institution and their objectives; anticipated income and expenses for the requested scholarship year; two written recommendations from instructors who are not related to the applicant; and a list of extracurricular, civic, volunteer, and/or work experience. The filing identifies William Hall as the contact and lists a minimum GPA restriction.
- Review Cycle
- June 30 each year, according to the 2023 filing. The June 30, 2026 deadline is past.
- Deadline
- June 30 each year, according to the 2023 filing.
- Contact
Application contact: William Hall
Mailing address: 223 Hull Lane, Sugar Land, TX 77498
Phone: (281) 568-4185
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Bearden Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Camp for All ($25K). Together the top 10 received $91K.
Organizations only. It also paid 4 individual scholarships ($23,500), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
135 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 135 grants of 135 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, the largest share of grant dollars went to recipients in Texas (83%). The filing also reports grants to recipients in Connecticut (8%), Maine (7%), and Arkansas (3%). Percentages are rounded.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 17 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Bearden Foundation open to new grantees?
36%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 5 of 14 grantees (36%) were first-time recipients. With only 14 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. First grants averaged $4K; repeat grants $11K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $9K repeat.
- 64% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−11%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 48% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. 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 $119K (2024) to $162K (2022). In 2024 it made 17 grants totaling $119K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Camp for All Houston, TX | Donation | $25,000 |
| University of Houston Houston, TX | Scholarship | $14,250 |
| Texas A&M University College Station, TX | Scholarship | $13,250 |
| Post University Waterbury, CT | Scholarship | $9,000 |
| 4 individual scholarships Recipients not named | — | $23,500 |
| Bowdoin College Brunswick, ME | Scholarship | $8,500 |
| University of Houston - Victoria Victoria, TX | Scholarship | $7,500 |
| Texas State University San Marcos, TX | Scholarship | $3,750 |
| Texas Southern University Houston, TX | Scholarship | $3,750 |
| University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR | Scholarship | $3,250 |
Ready to take the next step with Bearden Foundation?
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 | $5,470,875 | $135,191 | $146,307 | $119,443 | 17 | $121,718 | $145,674 | $255,648 |
| 2023 | $4,595,507 | $122,027 | $179,503 | $139,954 | 32 | $142,229 | $146,717 | $231,861 |
| 2022 | $4,471,210 | $148,122 | $203,754 | $162,344 | 31 | $164,619 | $145,222 | $244,611 |
| 2021 | $5,490,290 | $2,200,368 | $168,933 | $134,612 | 32 | — | $181,648 | $219,743 |
| 2020 | $2,894,615 | $83,787 | $178,694 | $148,259 | 23 | — | $83,787 | $141,468 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Bearden Foundation reported a distributable amount of $256K 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 scholarships and donations. Among the recipients, Bowdoin College describes its mission as educating students in the liberal arts and developing their creative, social, and leadership abilities. Houston Apartment Foundation Inc. describes its mission as providing education and training to the greater Houston area’s multi-housing industry.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 17 grants totaling $119,443. Grant amounts ranged from $693 to $25,000, with a median of $4,000. The largest awards included $25,000 to Camp for All for a donation, $14,250 to the University of Houston for a scholarship, and $13,250 to Texas A&M University for a scholarship. Other notable awards included $9,000 each to Post University and an individual recipient State University for scholarships, and $8,500 to Bowdoin College.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Dennis Bearden and Barry Bearden as directors, and William Hall as director, vice president, secretary, and treasurer.
Bearden Foundation's 2024 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Barry Bearden
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Dennis Bearden
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
William Hall
Director, Vice President, Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/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 Bearden Foundation
How much does Bearden Foundation give each year?
Bearden Foundation gave $119K across 17 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $140K across 32 grants.
What is Bearden Foundation's typical grant size?
Bearden Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $4,000, and its average grant was $7,026, across 17 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Bearden Foundation that year got $4K on average.
Where does Bearden Foundation give grants?
Bearden Foundation gives mostly in Texas: 83% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Connecticut (8%) and Maine (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Houston, TX (5 grants).
Does Bearden Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 17 grants with a stated purpose on Bearden Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Scholarship" (14 grants) and "Donation" (3 grants).
Who are Bearden Foundation's largest grantees?
Bearden Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Camp for All ($25,000), University of Houston ($14,250) and Texas A&M University ($13,250), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 4 individual scholarships ($23,500), which are not listed by name. Together they received 44% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Bearden Foundation?
Bearden Foundation reported $5.5M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $122K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $256K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Bearden Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for scholarships and donations. Among the recipients, Bowdoin College describes its mission as educating students in the liberal arts and developing their creative, social, and leadership abilities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Bearden Foundation?
The foundation’s 2023 filing says it 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 Bearden Foundation's EIN?
Bearden Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-3710470. 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). Bearden Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/bearden-foundation-morg_3d656cf17212458cb879293bec630e78
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_263710470_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Bearden Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/bearden-foundation-morg_3d656cf17212458cb879293bec630e78},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Bearden 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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