CM Bass Foundation
CM Bass Foundation is a private foundation based in Fort Worth, Texas. Its 2024 filing reports grants to charitable organizations in several states, including arts and cultural organizations, schools, a university, and organizations working in food, conservation, and health.
CM Bass Foundation at a glance
In short: CM Bass Foundation gave $1.2M across 13 grants in 2024 (avg $90K), top state New York. 31% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,165,068
- +12.0% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 13
- +8.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $89,621
- +3.4% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $50,000
- Total assets
- $13,533,377
- -6.7% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 31% first-time grantees (4 of 13, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New York (45% 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 CM Bass 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: 201 Main Street 2300, Fort Worth, TX 76102
Phone: (817) 390-8400
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who CM Bass Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was DIA Center for the Arts Inc ($470K). Together the top 10 received $1.1M.
Grant Size Distribution
57 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 29 grants of 57 (51%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 45% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York, 36% to California, 9% to North Carolina, 5% to Texas, and 4% to Massachusetts.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
Cities
Is CM Bass Foundation open to new grantees?
31%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 4 of 13 grantees (31%) were first-time recipients. With only 13 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $100K; repeat grants $85K. How we count
Medians: $63K first-time, $25K repeat.
- 69% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+13%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 105% 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 $1.0M (2021) to $1.2M (2024). In 2024 it made 13 grants totaling $1.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| DIA Center for the Arts Inc New York, NY | General | $470,000 |
| Friends of Laguna Seca Inc Salinas, CA | General | $250,000 |
| Duke University Durham, NC | General | $110,000 |
| St Lukes School San Francisco, CA | General | $75,000 |
| Middlesex School Concord, MA | General | $50,000 |
| The Mad Foundation Inc New York, NY | General | $50,000 |
| Dallas Museum of Art Dallas, TX | General | $50,000 |
| Eat Real Certified Inc San Francisco, CA | General | $25,000 |
| Lynne Cohen Foundation for Ovarian Cancer Research Santa Monica, CA | General | $25,000 |
| UCSF Foundation San Francisco, CA | General | $25,000 |
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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 | $13,533,377 | $265,334 | $1,242,065 | $1,165,068 | 13 | $1,165,068 | $323,505 | $1,112,385 |
| 2023 | $14,512,264 | $398,703 | $1,097,921 | $1,040,026 | 12 | $1,040,026 | $380,365 | $1,028,084 |
| 2022 | $15,210,300 | $198,920 | $1,199,458 | $1,160,000 | 13 | $1,160,000 | $171,898 | $1,036,734 |
| 2021 | $16,210,286 | $79,033 | $1,064,298 | $1,030,000 | 12 | $1,030,000 | $45,853 | $1,162,577 |
| 2020 | $17,195,129 | $108,775 | $1,113,439 | $1,065,000 | 7 | — | $61,369 | $1,026,584 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, CM Bass Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.1M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants went to organizations with varied missions. For example, Dia Center for the Arts says it advances, realizes, and preserves artists’ visions; Friends of Laguna Seca describes work to restore and revitalize the Laguna Seca asset; and the Dallas Museum of Art says it presents art across cultures and time. Other grantees describe work in education, food systems, ovarian cancer research, and support for people in need. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not stated priorities of the foundation.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 13 grants totaling $1,165,068. Grant amounts ranged from $68 to $470,000, with a median of $50,000. The largest grants included $470,000 to Dia Center for the Arts, $250,000 to Friends of Laguna Seca, and $110,000 to Duke University. Other notable grants included $75,000 to St. Luke’s School and $50,000 each to Middlesex School, The MAD Foundation, and the Dallas Museum of Art. The listed grant purposes were “GENERAL.”
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Christopher M. Bass as Chairman of the Board, Bryan Barrett as Chief Financial Officer, and Jay Hebert as Secretary.
CM Bass Foundation is led by Christopher M. Bass, Chairman of the Board on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Christopher M. Bass
Chairman of the Board
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Bryan Barrett
Chief Financial Officer
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Jay Hebert
Secretary
On filings since 2020
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 CM Bass Foundation
How much does CM Bass Foundation give each year?
CM Bass Foundation gave $1.2M across 13 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.0M across 12 grants.
What is CM Bass Foundation's typical grant size?
CM Bass Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $50,000, and its average grant was $89,621, across 13 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from CM Bass Foundation that year got $100K on average.
Where does CM Bass Foundation give grants?
CM Bass Foundation's top state is New York, with 45% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were California (36%) and North Carolina (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were San Francisco, CA (3 grants) and New York, NY (2 grants).
Does CM Bass Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of CM Bass Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (13 of 13) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are CM Bass Foundation's largest grantees?
CM Bass Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include DIA Center for the Arts Inc ($470,000), Friends of Laguna Seca Inc ($250,000) and Duke University ($110,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 71% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is CM Bass Foundation?
CM Bass Foundation reported $13.5M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.2M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.1M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does CM Bass Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants went to organizations with varied missions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from CM Bass 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 CM Bass Foundation's EIN?
CM Bass Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 82-3589887. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does CM Bass 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 October 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). CM Bass Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/cm-bass-foundation-morg_0a42d7e7663f4aeaaf9b36ee05ca49a0
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_823589887_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{CM Bass Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/cm-bass-foundation-morg_0a42d7e7663f4aeaaf9b36ee05ca49a0},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 CM Bass 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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