Don a Sanders Family Foundation
The Don a Sanders Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Houston, Texas. In 2024, it made grants to charitable organizations including universities, public-safety and youth organizations, and animal-welfare groups.
Don a Sanders Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Don a Sanders Family Foundation gave $254K across 38 grants in 2024 (avg $7K), mostly in Texas. 32% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $253,960
- -8.1% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 38
- +11.8% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $6,683
- -17.8% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $51,446
- +20.8% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 32% first-time grantees (12 of 38, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Texas (88% 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 Don a Sanders Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 600 Travis 5900, Houston, TX 77002
Phone: (713) 224-3100
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Don a Sanders Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was University of Houston ($39K). Together the top 10 received $155K.
Grant Size Distribution
175 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 169 grants of 175 (97%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 88% of grant dollars went to recipients in Texas, 10% to Louisiana, 2% to Michigan, and less than 1% to Massachusetts.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 38 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Don a Sanders Family Foundation open to new grantees?
32%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 12 of 38 grantees (32%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $8K. How we count
Medians: $4K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 45% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving fell 27% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out well above 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 $254K (2024) to $1.4M (2022). In 2024 it made 38 grants totaling $254K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| University of Houston Houston, TX | Exempt Function | $39,410 |
| Houston Police Foundation Houston, TX | Exempt Function | $32,500 |
| Sam Houston State University Huntsville, TX | Exempt Function | $21,800 |
| Wlae TV Metairie, LA | Exempt Function | $15,000 |
| Houston Texans Foundation Houston, TX | Exempt Function | $10,000 |
| Sunshine Kids Foundation Houston, TX | Exempt Function | $10,000 |
| Houston Pet Set Houston, TX | Exempt Function | $10,000 |
| East Texas Angel Network Longview, TX | Exempt Function | $6,000 |
| Houston Humane Society Houston, TX | Exempt Function | $5,500 |
| YMCA Houston, TX | Exempt Function | $5,000 |
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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 | $51,446 | $255,864 | $253,960 | $253,960 | 38 | $253,960 | $864 | $1,100 |
| 2023 | $42,598 | $12,064 | $276,291 | $276,291 | 34 | $276,291 | $12,064 | — |
| 2022 | $31,928 | $425,249 | $1,394,950 | $1,393,661 | 43 | $1,393,661 | — | $1,494 |
| 2021 | $1,001,629 | $1,298,302 | $349,295 | $347,795 | 29 | $347,795 | $71,802 | — |
| 2020 | $52,622 | $293,800 | $265,150 | $263,750 | 31 | — | $39,900 | $1,651 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Don a Sanders Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1K 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 show support for organizations with varied missions. For example, Houston Police Foundation says it works to promote awareness, enhance safety, and improve performance within the Houston Police Department. Houston Texans Foundation says it supports youth and families in Harris County through educational, financial, volunteer, and collaborative support. Houston Humane Society says it seeks to prevent cruelty to living creatures, relieve animal suffering, and educate the public about animal welfare.
Other 2024 recipients include East Texas Angel Network, which says it provides financial assistance to families of children with life-threatening or terminal disease; Justice Forward, which says it funds programs for people in specialty courts to help them become independent and productive; and HSPVA Friends, which says it supports educational, professional, and artistic opportunities for students at Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 38 grants totaling $253,960. Grants ranged from $750 to $39,410, with a median grant of $5,000.
Among its largest 2024 grants were $39,410 to the University of Houston, $32,500 to Houston Police Foundation, $21,800 to Sam Houston State University, and $15,000 to WLAE TV. Other grants included $10,000 each to Houston Texans Foundation, Sunshine Kids Foundation, and Houston Pet Set; $6,000 to East Texas Angel Network; and $5,500 to Houston Humane Society.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists DON A SANDERS as President, BEN T MORRIS as Vice President, and WALTER P ZIVELY as Secretary.
Don a Sanders Family Foundation is led by Don A. Sanders, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Don A. Sanders
President
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Ben T. Morris
Vice President
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Walter P. Zively
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 Don a Sanders Family Foundation
How much does Don a Sanders Family Foundation give each year?
Don a Sanders Family Foundation gave $254K across 38 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $276K across 34 grants.
What is Don a Sanders Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Don a Sanders Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $5,000, and its average grant was $6,683, across 38 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Don a Sanders Family Foundation that year got $3K on average.
Where does Don a Sanders Family Foundation give grants?
Don a Sanders Family Foundation gives mostly in Texas: 88% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Louisiana (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Houston, TX (23 grants), Metairie, LA (2 grants), Austin, TX (2 grants) and Brookshire, TX (2 grants).
Who are Don a Sanders Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Don a Sanders Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include University of Houston ($39,410), Houston Police Foundation ($32,500) and Sam Houston State University ($21,800), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 37% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Don a Sanders Family Foundation?
Don a Sanders Family Foundation reported $51K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $254K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Don a Sanders Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for organizations with varied missions. For example, Houston Police Foundation says it works to promote awareness, enhance safety, and improve performance within the Houston Police Department. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Don a Sanders Family Foundation?
The foundation 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 Don a Sanders Family Foundation's EIN?
Don a Sanders Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 76-0537031. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Don a Sanders Family 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). Don a Sanders Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/don-a-sanders-family-foundation-morg_0cb7ec48875c43cd9717b0f99b55f89b
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_760537031_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Don a Sanders Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/don-a-sanders-family-foundation-morg_0cb7ec48875c43cd9717b0f99b55f89b},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-05. 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 Don a Sanders Family 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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