Discovery Foundation
Discovery Foundation is a private foundation based in Dallas, Texas. In 2024, it gave 16 grants totaling $636,522, including awards for scholarships, nursing services, medical equipment, and assistance to people and families in need.
Discovery Foundation at a glance
In short: Discovery Foundation gave $637K across 16 grants in 2024 (avg $40K), mostly in Texas. 13% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $636,522
- +4.3% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 16
- -5.9% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $39,783
- +10.9% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $40,143
- Total assets
- $10,850,453
- +8.6% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 13% first-time grantees (2 of 16, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Texas (94% 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 Discovery 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: 4514 Cole Ave 600, Dallas, TX 75205
Phone: (214) 346-2975
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Discovery Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Austin College ($66K). Together the top 10 received $514K.
Grant Size Distribution
71 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 44 grants of 71 (62%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 94% of grant dollars went to recipients in Texas and 6% to recipients in Tennessee.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 16 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Discovery Foundation open to new grantees?
13%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 2 of 16 grantees (13%) were first-time recipients. With only 16 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $28K; repeat grants $42K. How we count
Medians: $28K first-time, $45K repeat.
- 81% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 23% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 95% 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 $518K (2021) to $791K (2022). In 2024 it made 16 grants totaling $637K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Austin College Sherman, TX | Educational Scholarships | $66,265 |
| The University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston, TX | Assistance for Purchase of Medical Equip and Scholarships | $60,000 |
| To Cure a Rose Austin, TX | Nursing Services | $57,000 |
| Baylor University LHSON Dallas, TX | Educational Scholarships | $55,472 |
| Baylor Scott and White Irving Foundation Irving, TX | Assistance to Indigent Families | $55,000 |
| Helps International Inc Addison, TX | Nursing Services | $50,000 |
| The Magdalen House Dallas, TX | Assistance to Indigent Families | $50,000 |
| Community Partners Dallas Dallas, TX | Assistance to Indigent Families | $40,285 |
| New Friends New Life Dallas, TX | Assistance to Indigent Families | $40,000 |
| A Soldiers Child Foundation Smyrna, TN | Assistance to Children of Fallen Soldiers | $40,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Discovery 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 | $10,850,453 | $1,754,996 | $890,619 | $636,522 | 16 | $735,182 | $1,597,538 | $775,296 |
| 2023 | $9,987,569 | $645,536 | $841,896 | $610,000 | 17 | $698,096 | $484,146 | $743,716 |
| 2022 | $10,183,508 | $1,030,694 | $1,033,936 | $790,980 | 10 | $859,240 | $870,128 | $737,892 |
| 2021 | $10,416,156 | $1,137,393 | $800,639 | $518,464 | 14 | $607,413 | $928,492 | $765,914 |
| 2020 | $9,840,698 | $559,704 | $871,669 | $590,849 | 14 | — | $404,042 | $706,916 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Discovery Foundation reported a distributable amount of $775K 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
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants went to organizations whose work includes education, health care, recovery from substance use, support for people experiencing hardship, and services for trafficked and sexually exploited women and girls.
The grantees describe their own missions in varied terms: Austin College says it prepares students for careers and engaged lives through liberal arts and sciences education; HELPS International describes programs in agriculture, community development, education, and health care in the developing world; and The Magdalen House says it helps people achieve and sustain recovery from alcoholism. New Friends New Life says it supports trafficked and sexually exploited girls, women, and their children through case management, counseling, and economic empowerment. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not the foundation’s.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation gave 16 grants totaling $636,522. Grants ranged from $12,500 to $66,265, with a median of $40,142. The largest awards included Austin College ($66,265) for educational scholarships; The University of Texas Medical Branch ($60,000) for medical equipment and scholarships; To Cure a Rose ($57,000) and HELPS International ($50,000) for nursing services; and Baylor University LHSON ($55,472) for educational scholarships. Other awards included $55,000 to Baylor Scott and White Irving Foundation and $50,000 to The Magdalen House, both for assistance to indigent families.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Dr. David Winter as president, CEO, chairman, and director; Clinton W. Josey Jr. and Dr. Paul Neubach as vice presidents and directors; Dr. Amy Anderson as treasurer and director; and Dr. Robert Gottlieb as executive director.
Discovery Foundation is led by David Winter, President, CEO, Chairman & Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 5 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
David Winter
President, CEO, Chairman & Director
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Robert Gottlieb
Executive Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Amy Anderson
Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Paul Neubach
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Clinton W. Josey Jr.
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (4)
- Former: Clint Josey (2020–2021) — Vice President & Director
- Former: Cristie Columbus (2020–2021) — Vice President & Director
- Former: Isabelle Moro (2020–2021) — Secretary
- Former: Tammy Patterson (2020) — Chief Operating Officer
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 Discovery Foundation
How much does Discovery Foundation give each year?
Discovery Foundation gave $637K across 16 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $610K across 17 grants.
What is Discovery Foundation's typical grant size?
Discovery Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $40,143, and its average grant was $39,783, across 16 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Discovery Foundation that year got $28K on average.
Where does Discovery Foundation give grants?
Discovery Foundation gives mostly in Texas: 94% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Tennessee (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Dallas, TX (9 grants).
Does Discovery Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 16 grants with a stated purpose on Discovery Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Assistance to Indigent Families" (8 grants) and "Nursing Services" (3 grants).
Who are Discovery Foundation's largest grantees?
Discovery Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Austin College ($66,265), The University of Texas Medical Branch ($60,000) and To Cure a Rose ($57,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 29% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Discovery Foundation?
Discovery Foundation reported $10.9M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $735K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $775K (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 Discovery Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants went to organizations whose work includes education, health care, recovery from substance use, support for people experiencing hardship, and services for trafficked and sexually exploited women and girls. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Discovery 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 Discovery Foundation's EIN?
Discovery Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 75-2625743. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Discovery 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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Browse active grant opportunities in Discovery Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Discovery Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/discovery-foundation-morg_a96ba3bb50a74a69883c4497258d218a
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_752625743_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Discovery Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/discovery-foundation-morg_a96ba3bb50a74a69883c4497258d218a},
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 Discovery 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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