Dickson-Allen Foundation
The Dickson-Allen Foundation is a private foundation based in Hallettsville, Texas. Its filing states that most approved grants are for educational, medical research, and medical facility purposes; grants may also be made for other purposes when funds are available.
Dickson-Allen Foundation at a glance
In short: Dickson-Allen Foundation gave $5.0M across 114 grants in 2024 (avg $44K), mostly in Texas. 22% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $4,990,410
- +20.0% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 114
- +14.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $43,776
- +5.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $20,000
- Total assets
- $86,294,895
- +11.3% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 22% first-time grantees (24 of 108, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Texas (100% 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 Dickson-Allen Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation’s filing lists an application process. Applicants should provide the organization’s name, mailing address and telephone number; a general description of its purpose and activities; the amount requested and a detailed explanation of its use; its nonprofit status under state law; and an IRS determination or ruling letter. Applicants should also include, if available, the proposed budget for the year the funds will be used. If the grant would be a substantial and material part of the applicant’s total budget, include its latest IRS information return. The application should also state whether the applicant is controlled by, related to, connected with, or sponsored by another organization and explain that relationship, and list governing-board members’ names, addresses and titles, along with the name of each person to contact.
- Review Cycle
- The foundation’s annual meeting is held in October or November each calendar year.
- Deadline
- The foundation’s annual meeting is held in October or November each calendar year.
- Contact
Application contact: Dickson-Allen Foundation
Mailing address: PO Box 406, Hallettsville, TX 77964
Phone: (361) 798-2531
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Dickson-Allen Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Lavaca Exosition Association ($785K). Together the top 10 received $2.5M.
Organizations only. It also paid 4 grants to individuals ($81,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
492 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 367 grants of 492 (75%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All 2024 grant dollars went to recipients in Texas.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 114 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Dickson-Allen Foundation open to new grantees?
22%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 24 of 108 grantees (22%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $60K; repeat grants $41K. How we count
Medians: $20K first-time, $20K repeat.
- 72% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 23% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 77% 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 $3.6M (2020) to $5.0M (2024). In 2024 it made 114 grants totaling $5.0M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Lavaca Exosition Association Hallettsville, TX | Facility Improvements | $785,000 |
| Lavaca Medical Center Hallettsville, TX | Equipment Purchase | $365,000 |
| Sacred Heart Catholic School Hallettsville, TX | Unrestricted Operating Funds | $310,000 |
| The Witte Museum San Antonio, TX | Unrestricted Operating Funds | $200,000 |
| The Victoria College Foundation Victoria, TX | Student Scholarships | $191,000 |
| Lavaca County EMS Hallettsville, TX | Unrestricted Operating Funds | $150,000 |
| Lavaca County Senior Citizens Hallettsville, TX | Unrestricted Operating Funds | $150,000 |
| Texas A&M Foundation College Station, TX | Olive Research | $140,000 |
| Trinity University San Antonio, TX | Unrestricted Operating Funds | $130,000 |
| The Tobin Center for the Performing Arts San Antonio, TX | Unrestricted Operating Funds | $125,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Dickson-Allen 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 | $86,294,895 | $15,040,635 | $6,257,816 | $4,990,410 | 114 | $5,331,678 | $14,364,886 | $6,966,132 |
| 2023 | $77,512,076 | $14,014,998 | $5,109,932 | $4,159,600 | 100 | $4,444,749 | $13,477,396 | $5,716,527 |
| 2022 | $68,607,010 | $10,565,804 | $4,703,480 | $3,774,221 | 95 | $4,051,982 | $10,139,974 | $3,066,648 |
| 2021 | $62,744,686 | $12,052,606 | $5,001,619 | $4,063,608 | 95 | $4,144,438 | $11,342,523 | $3,901,752 |
| 2020 | $55,693,699 | $4,875,156 | $4,373,527 | $3,593,468 | 88 | — | $4,313,700 | $3,677,307 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Dickson-Allen Foundation reported a distributable amount of $7.0M 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 foundation does not state a mission in the available information. It says most approved grants support education, medical research, and medical facilities, while other purposes may be considered to the extent funds are available. Its 2024 grants included support for universities, a special-needs park, a school serving children with autism spectrum and related communication disorders, a historical museum, and a community center. The Vine School describes its mission as creating customized learning environments and specialized teaching methods for children ages two through eighteen with those disorders. Morgan’s Wonderland says it manages and maintains a San Antonio recreation park for people with mental and physical disabilities.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation awarded 114 grants totaling $4,990,410. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $785,000, with a median grant of $20,000. The largest listed awards included $785,000 to Lavaca Exposition Association for facility improvements, $365,000 to Lavaca Medical Center for equipment, and $310,000 to Sacred Heart Catholic School for unrestricted operating funds. Other notable awards included $200,000 to The Witte Museum for unrestricted operating funds, $191,000 to The Victoria College Foundation for student scholarships, and $140,000 to Texas A&M Foundation for olive research.
Other 2024 grantees included Trinity University, which received $130,000; Sheridan Community Center, $75,000; Lavaca Historical Museum, $50,000; Morgan’s Wonderland, $50,000; The Vine School, $40,000; and Lucies Project, $40,000. These organizations describe their own work as including university teaching, research and service; maintaining community event space; preserving local history; providing specialized education; and rescuing and adopting out unwanted dogs.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Dunham F. Jewett, Jessie L. Allen, Curtis T. Vaughan III, Anna Allen Johnson, and Lucas W. Allen as trustees.
Dickson-Allen Foundation's 2024 filing lists 5 officers; 1 of 5 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Jessie L. Allen
Trustee
On filings since 2020
16 hrs/week
$60K (2020) → $60K (2024)
Curtis T. Vaughan III
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Dunham F. Jewett
Trustee
On filings since 2020
6 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Anna Allen Johnson
Trustee
On filings since 2021
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lucas W. Allen
Trustee
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Curtis Gunn Jr. (2020) — 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.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $60K, to Jessie L Allen (Trustee).
Frequently asked questions about Dickson-Allen Foundation
How much does Dickson-Allen Foundation give each year?
Dickson-Allen Foundation gave $5.0M across 114 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $4.2M across 100 grants.
What is Dickson-Allen Foundation's typical grant size?
Dickson-Allen Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $20,000, and its average grant was $43,776, across 114 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Dickson-Allen Foundation that year got $60K on average.
Where does Dickson-Allen Foundation give grants?
Dickson-Allen Foundation gives mostly in Texas: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Hallettsville, TX (33 grants), San Antonio, TX (14 grants), Houston, TX (10 grants) and Yoakum, TX (7 grants).
Does Dickson-Allen Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 63% of Dickson-Allen Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (72 of 114) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Equipment Purchase" (11 grants), "Facility Improvements" (10 grants) and "Student Scholarships" (9 grants).
Who are Dickson-Allen Foundation's largest grantees?
Dickson-Allen Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Lavaca Exosition Association ($785,000), Lavaca Medical Center ($365,000) and Sacred Heart Catholic School ($310,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 4 grants to individuals ($81,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 29% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Dickson-Allen Foundation?
Dickson-Allen Foundation reported $86.3M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $5.3M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $7.0M (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 Dickson-Allen Foundation fund?
The foundation does not state a mission in the available information. It says most approved grants support education, medical research, and medical facilities, while other purposes may be considered to the extent funds are available. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Dickson-Allen Foundation?
The foundation’s filing lists an application process. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Dickson-Allen Foundation's EIN?
Dickson-Allen Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 74-6052983. 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). Dickson-Allen Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/dickson-allen-foundation-morg_e3723a6ddcaf4ec38f08e8d12a1f1d08
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_746052983_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Dickson-Allen Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/dickson-allen-foundation-morg_e3723a6ddcaf4ec38f08e8d12a1f1d08},
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 Dickson-Allen 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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