Circle Bar Foundation
Circle Bar Foundation is a private foundation based in an individual recipient, Texas. Its 2024 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, primarily in Texas.
Circle Bar Foundation at a glance
In short: Circle Bar Foundation gave $1.6M across 49 grants in 2024 (avg $33K), mostly in Texas. 18% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,636,307
- +19.7% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 49
- +25.6% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $33,394
- -4.7% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $20,000
- Total assets
- $28,864,390
- +2.2% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 18% first-time grantees (9 of 49, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Texas (99% 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 Circle Bar Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 791000, San Antonio, TX 78279-1000
Phone: (210) 349-8822
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Circle Bar Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was San Antonio Zoo ($200K). Together the top 10 received $903K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($25,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
193 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 151 grants of 193 (78%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 99% of grant dollars went to recipients in Texas, 1% to recipients in Georgia, and less than 1% to recipients in New York. Listed Texas recipients include organizations in an individual recipient, Boerne, Kerrville, and Austin.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 49 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Circle Bar Foundation open to new grantees?
18%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 9 of 49 grantees (18%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $14K; repeat grants $38K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $25K repeat.
- 76% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+20%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 103% 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 $1.1M (2022) to $1.6M (2024). In 2024 it made 49 grants totaling $1.6M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| San Antonio Zoo San Antonio, TX | Operating Expenses | $200,000 |
| Sunshine Cottage School for Deaf Children San Antonio, TX | Operating Expenses | $133,717 |
| Texas Cavaliers Charitable Foundation San Antonio, TX | Operating Expenses | $106,250 |
| Christ Episcopal Church San Antonio, TX | Operating Expenses | $100,000 |
| Remember the Alamo Foundation San Antonio, TX | Operating Expenses | $100,000 |
| San Antonio Christian School San Antonio, TX | Operating Expenses | $60,000 |
| The Charity Ball Association San Antonio, TX | Operating Expenses | $53,400 |
| Aid the Silent Boerne, TX | Operating Expenses | $50,000 |
| Autism Community Network San Antonio, TX | Operating Expenses | $50,000 |
| Pathways Youth & Family Services Kerrville, TX | Operating Expenses | $50,000 |
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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 | $28,864,390 | $2,434,783 | $1,919,366 | $1,636,307 | 49 | $1,636,307 | $2,113,967 | $1,595,012 |
| 2023 | $28,255,760 | $3,090,672 | $1,568,548 | $1,367,020 | 39 | $1,367,020 | $2,885,963 | $1,401,054 |
| 2022 | $26,628,736 | $1,810,890 | $1,178,277 | $1,052,809 | 32 | $1,052,809 | $1,047,371 | $1,397,567 |
| 2021 | $25,999,998 | $2,246,803 | $1,485,918 | $1,365,150 | 42 | $1,365,150 | $1,718,957 | $1,550,030 |
| 2020 | $25,237,280 | $1,046,220 | $1,524,376 | $1,360,250 | 31 | — | $902,281 | $1,359,043 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Circle Bar Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.6M 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
The available grant information shows support for organizations working in areas including education, services for children and families, historic preservation, animal welfare, and community programs. For example, Sunshine Cottage School for Deaf Children says its mission is to help deaf and hard-of-hearing children develop their potential through listening, spoken language, and literacy. Remember the Alamo Foundation says it supports the Alamo Trust and its preservation, educational outreach, and public programs.
Other 2024 grantees describe work that includes Christ-centered education (an individual recipient Christian School), nature-based experiences for children and families of all abilities (Candlelight Ranch Foundation), adapted programs for children with special needs (Kinetic Kids), animal rescue and care (Animal Defense League of Texas), and services for families experiencing separation or crisis (Guardian House and Roy Maas’ Youth Alternatives).
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 49 grants totaling $1,636,307. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $200,000, with a median of $20,000. The largest awards included $200,000 to an individual recipient Zoo, $133,717 to Sunshine Cottage School for Deaf Children, $106,250 to Texas Cavaliers Charitable Foundation, and $100,000 each to Christ Episcopal Church and Remember the Alamo Foundation. Other reported awards included $60,000 to an individual recipient Christian School; $53,400 to The Charity Ball Association; $50,000 each to Aid the Silent, Autism Community Network, Pathways Youth & Family Services, San Antonio Academy, and The Children’s Shelter of an individual recipient; and $40,000 to Candlelight Ranch Foundation.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists John H White Jr as manager and Tuleta C White, Laurie M White, Molly C White, and Matthew White as trustees.
Circle Bar Foundation's 2024 filing lists 5 officers; none of the 5 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Laurie M. White
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Matthew White
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Molly C. White
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tuleta C. White
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John H. White Jr.
Manager
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: John White III (2020–2023) — Trustee
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 Circle Bar Foundation
How much does Circle Bar Foundation give each year?
Circle Bar Foundation gave $1.6M across 49 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.4M across 39 grants.
What is Circle Bar Foundation's typical grant size?
Circle Bar Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $20,000, and its average grant was $33,394, across 49 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Circle Bar Foundation that year got $14K on average.
Where does Circle Bar Foundation give grants?
Circle Bar Foundation gives mostly in Texas: 99% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were San Antonio, TX (39 grants) and Austin, TX (2 grants).
Does Circle Bar Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Circle Bar Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (49 of 49) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Circle Bar Foundation's largest grantees?
Circle Bar Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include San Antonio Zoo ($200,000), Sunshine Cottage School for Deaf Children ($133,717) and Texas Cavaliers Charitable Foundation ($106,250), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($25,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 27% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Circle Bar Foundation?
Circle Bar Foundation reported $28.9M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.6M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.6M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Circle Bar Foundation fund?
The available grant information shows support for organizations working in areas including education, services for children and families, historic preservation, animal welfare, and community programs. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Circle Bar Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Circle Bar Foundation's EIN?
Circle Bar Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 74-6063672. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Circle Bar Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
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). Circle Bar Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/circle-bar-foundation-morg_303ae95aa02541b8b986cfc4da9e6e90
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_746063672_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Circle Bar Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/circle-bar-foundation-morg_303ae95aa02541b8b986cfc4da9e6e90},
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 Circle Bar 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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