Big Thicket Association
The Big Thicket Associations mission is to preserve, protect, and promote the Big Thicket region, its natural resources and cultural history, for the enjoyment and well-being of present and future generations through advocacy, education and research.
Big Thicket Association at a glance
- Total assets
- $436,123
- -2.3% vs 2024
- Revenue (2025)
- $191,060
- +3.4% vs 2024
- Net investment income (2025)
- $5,056
- +9.2% vs 2024
- Expenses (2025)
- $202,717
- +10.7% vs 2024
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026.
Who Big Thicket Association funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Grant Size Distribution
1 grant across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 1 grant of 1 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
How Big Thicket Association gives
- Giving held roughly steady from 2019 to 2022 (+6%). Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990 filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2022, annual grant giving ranged from $9K (2019) to $9K (2022). In 2022 it made 1 grant totaling $9K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| William Marsh Rice University Houston, TX | Research | $9,156 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $436,123 | $191,060 | $202,717 | — | — | $5,056 |
| 2024 | $446,455 | $184,807 | $183,074 | — | — | $4,630 |
| 2023 | $445,982 | $215,091 | $177,254 | — | — | $3,434 |
| 2022 | $422,756 | $172,810 | $178,192 | $9,156 | 1 | $1,086 |
| 2021 | $426,597 | $184,678 | $155,021 | — | — | $8,342 |
| 2020 | $397,671 | $197,693 | $166,028 | $9,156 | 1 | $826 |
| 2019 | $366,911 | $155,662 | $190,207 | $8,671 | 1 | $2,544 |
About Big Thicket Association
Based on IRS filings
Big Thicket Association is a public charity, based in Beaumont, TX. IRS filing data is available from 2019 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $436K in total assets. Net investment income was $5K.
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Big Thicket Association is led by Bruce Walker, President since 2024 (on filings since 2019); 1 of 24 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Bruce Walker
President
Director & Interim Executive Director → Director, 2023
Director → President, 2024
On filings since 2019
$42K (2019) → $0 (2025)
Diane Thompson
Executive Director
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$22K (2022) → $50K (2025)
Charles Smith
Director
On filings since 2019
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Dale Parish
Director
Director → Secretary, 2020
Secretary → Director, 2024
On filings since 2019
0.6 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kathy Smartt
Director
Vice President → Past President, 2022
Past President → Director, 2023
On filings since 2019
0.6 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mary Catherine Johnston
Director
Treasurer → Director, 2021
On filings since 2019
10.2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Randy Beehn
Director
On filings since 2019
0.6 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Randy Yoder
Director
On filings since 2019
0.4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Will Watkins
Director
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Eric Newby
Director
On filings since 2020
0.6 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Vicki Newby
Director
On filings since 2020
2.2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Bart Gaskin
Director
On filings since 2022
0.4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Keith Stephens
Director
On filings since 2023
No compensation reported
Ashley Kelahylah
Director
New on the 2025 filing
No compensation reported
Chris Richter
Director
New on the 2025 filing
No compensation reported
Kathleen Nelligan
Director
New on the 2025 filing
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Marion Vickerman
Director
New on the 2025 filing
No compensation reported
Matthew LaPray
Director
New on the 2025 filing
No compensation reported
Michelle Esclovon
Director
New on the 2025 filing
0.7 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Rebekah Foster
Director
New on the 2025 filing
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
John Stafford
Past President
Vice President → President, 2021
President → Past President, 2024
On filings since 2019
1.7 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Penny Clark
Vice President
Director → Vice President, 2022
On filings since 2019
1.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Phoebe Dishman
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2019
3.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kate Hambright
Treasurer
Director → Treasurer, 2022
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (23)
- Former: Tracy Benson (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Michael Black (2020–2024) — Director
- Former: Kimberly Huch (2022–2024) — Director
- Former: Dennis Durkee (2024) — Director
- Former: Lori Horne (2024) — Director
- Former: Micah Leigh (2024) — Director
- Former: Aimee Lieby (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Keith Stevens (2022) — Director
- Former: Fred Allen (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: James Westgate (2019–2021) — Treasurer
- Former: Matt Pyne (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Benjamin Jones (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Nick Huckaby (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Wendy Ledbetter (2020–2021) — Executive Director
- Former: Paul Bertrand (2021) — Director
- Former: Rebekah Maxwell (2021) — Director
- Former: Jay Woods (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Karin Warren (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Kevin Dodson (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Rachel Iglesdias (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Maryella Begley (2019) — Director
- Former: Maxine Johnson (2019) — Director
- Former: Pete Gunter (2019) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 $50K, to Diane Thompson (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about Big Thicket Association
How large is Big Thicket Association?
Big Thicket Association reported $436K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $191K.
Where does Big Thicket Association operate?
Big Thicket Association has awarded grants in North Carolina, Texas.
What is Big Thicket Association's EIN?
Big Thicket Association's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 74-6074261. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings.
Data update history
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 7, 2020)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 13, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Browse active grant opportunities in Big Thicket Association's focus areas in our free grants database
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Big Thicket Association down — hundreds of funders to go?