CJ and Syble Fowlston Charitable Trust
The CJ and Syble Fowlston Charitable Trust is a private foundation based in Amarillo, Texas. It makes grants to 501(c)(3) organizations located within the top 20 counties of the Texas Panhandle.
CJ and Syble Fowlston Charitable Trust at a glance
In short: CJ and Syble Fowlston Charitable Trust gave $307K across 37 grants in 2025 (avg $8K), mostly in Texas. 22% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $307,000
- +6.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 37
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $8,297
- +6.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $5,888,622
- +9.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 22% first-time grantees (8 of 37, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Texas (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to CJ and Syble Fowlston Charitable Trust
- How to Apply
-
The filing says the trust does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. It requests written applications from 501(c)(3) organizations stating their need and intended use of funds. Awards are limited to eligible organizations located within the top 20 counties of the Texas Panhandle. The filing lists Mike Connor as the contact for requests.
- Review Cycle
- No deadline is stated. The filing says notices of approval or rejection are usually sent quarterly.
- Deadline
- No deadline is stated.
- Contact
Application contact: Mike Connor
Mailing address: PO Box 51259, Amarillo, TX 79124-1259
Phone: (806) 355-7640
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who CJ and Syble Fowlston Charitable Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Panhandle Plains Historical Society ($35K). Together the top 10 received $175K.
Grant Size Distribution
169 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 167 grants of 169 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The filing restricts awards to 501(c)(3) organizations located within the top 20 counties of the Texas Panhandle. All reported grant dollars in 2025 went to recipients in Texas.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 37 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is CJ and Syble Fowlston Charitable Trust open to new grantees?
22%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 8 of 37 grantees (22%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $7K; repeat grants $9K. How we count
Medians: $6K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 57% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+6%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 101% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $221K (2020) to $307K (2025). In 2025 it made 37 grants totaling $307K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Panhandle Plains Historical Society Canyon, TX | Operations | $35,000 |
| Kids Inc Amarillo, TX | Capital | $25,000 |
| High Plains Food Bank Amarillo, TX | Operations | $25,000 |
| The Leaders Readers Network Canyon, TX | Operations | $15,000 |
| The Bridge Amarillo, TX | Capital | $15,000 |
| Texas Ramp Project Amarillo, TX | Operations | $15,000 |
| Don Harrington Discovery Center Amarillo, TX | Capital | $15,000 |
| Meals on Wheels Amarillo, TX | Operations | $10,000 |
| Golden Spread Council Boy Scouts of America Amarillo, TX | Operations | $10,000 |
| 7 Star Therapeutic Riding Center Amarillo, TX | Operations | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with CJ and Syble Fowlston Charitable Trust?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The trust reported 37 grants in 2025, 37 in 2024, and 36 in 2023.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $5,888,622 | $960,806 | $437,874 | $307,000 | 37 | $341,310 | $877,158 | $336,633 |
| 2024 | $5,359,272 | $505,753 | $413,657 | $288,000 | 37 | $321,296 | $422,756 | $328,822 |
| 2023 | $5,253,199 | $418,889 | $449,927 | $301,250 | 36 | $334,209 | $318,000 | $303,768 |
| 2022 | $5,258,604 | $453,796 | $449,068 | $289,980 | 33 | $324,229 | $353,598 | $324,994 |
| 2021 | $5,228,419 | $368,768 | $394,562 | $255,500 | 26 | $290,343 | $275,440 | $316,599 |
| 2020 | $5,231,030 | $265,350 | $346,346 | $221,400 | 34 | — | $180,951 | $271,471 |
| 2019 | $5,298,809 | $384,202 | $373,366 | $246,300 | 33 | — | $233,682 | $295,487 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, CJ and Syble Fowlston Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $337K for 2025 — 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 trust’s 2025 grants included operating and capital support. Its grantees work in areas including hunger relief, education and literacy, children’s services, disability access, and public information. For example, High Plains Food Bank says it works to address hunger and food insecurity in the Texas Panhandle; The Leaders Readers Network says it supports early literacy in underserved schools; and The Bridge says it supports Texas Panhandle children on their journeys toward healing and justice. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not the trust’s.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the trust reported 37 grants totaling $307,000. Grants ranged from $2,000 to $35,000, with a median grant of $5,000. Notable awards included $35,000 to Panhandle-Plains Historical Society for operations; $25,000 each to Kids Inc for capital and High Plains Food Bank for operations; and $15,000 each to The Leaders Readers Network for operations, The Bridge for capital, Texas Ramp Project for operations, and Don Harrington Discovery Center for capital.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists J Michael Connor as trustee.
CJ and Syble Fowlston Charitable Trust is led by J. Michael Connor, Trustee on every filing since 2019 — the only officer listed, and compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
J. Michael Connor
Trustee
On filings since 2019
35 hrs/week
$72K (2019) → $72K (2025)
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 $72K, to J Michael Connor (Trustee).
Frequently asked questions about CJ and Syble Fowlston Charitable Trust
How much does CJ and Syble Fowlston Charitable Trust give each year?
CJ and Syble Fowlston Charitable Trust gave $307K across 37 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $288K across 37 grants.
What is CJ and Syble Fowlston Charitable Trust's typical grant size?
CJ and Syble Fowlston Charitable Trust's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $8,297, across 37 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from CJ and Syble Fowlston Charitable Trust that year got $7K on average.
Where does CJ and Syble Fowlston Charitable Trust give grants?
CJ and Syble Fowlston Charitable Trust gives mostly in Texas: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Amarillo, TX (28 grants) and Canyon, TX (3 grants).
Does CJ and Syble Fowlston Charitable Trust give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 37 grants with a stated purpose on CJ and Syble Fowlston Charitable Trust's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Operations" (26 grants) and "Capital" (11 grants).
Who are CJ and Syble Fowlston Charitable Trust's largest grantees?
CJ and Syble Fowlston Charitable Trust's largest 2025 grantees include Panhandle Plains Historical Society ($35,000), Kids Inc ($25,000) and High Plains Food Bank ($25,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 28% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is CJ and Syble Fowlston Charitable Trust?
CJ and Syble Fowlston Charitable Trust reported $5.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $341K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $337K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does CJ and Syble Fowlston Charitable Trust fund?
The trust’s 2025 grants included operating and capital support. Its grantees work in areas including hunger relief, education and literacy, children’s services, disability access, and public information. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from CJ and Syble Fowlston Charitable Trust?
The filing says the trust 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 CJ and Syble Fowlston Charitable Trust's EIN?
CJ and Syble Fowlston Charitable Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 75-6281596. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 13, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 4, 2026)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 8, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS June 3, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 13, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 13, 2024)
Live grants for the work CJ and Syble Fowlston Charitable Trust funds
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Browse active grant opportunities in CJ and Syble Fowlston Charitable Trust's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). CJ and Syble Fowlston Charitable Trust funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/cj-and-syble-fowlston-charitable-trust-morg_04221c8ed2834f299eecdca3b91d8517
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_756281596_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{CJ and Syble Fowlston Charitable Trust funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/cj-and-syble-fowlston-charitable-trust-morg_04221c8ed2834f299eecdca3b91d8517},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17. 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 CJ and Syble Fowlston Charitable Trust'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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