Dorset Foundation Inc

SHERMAN, TX EIN: 75-6013384

Dorset Foundation Inc is a private foundation located in Sherman, Texas, established in 1957 and incorporated in Texas with tax-exempt status granted in October 1958. The foundation operates with no employees and functions as a grantmaking organization that contributes to exempt charitable organizations rather than conducting direct charitable activities.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$2.7M

+11.1% YoY

Annual Giving

$349K

-3.6% YoY

Grant Count

-6.3% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$12K

+2.8% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Dorset Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $394K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

Recent grant distribution shows that 59% of giving goes to social and human services, 13% to health, and 3% to philanthropy-related grants.

Grantmaking

The foundation made 28 grants in 2024, with a total giving amount of $362,000 to $284,000 documented in recent years.

Review Cycle

How to Apply

Ready to take the next step with Dorset Foundation Inc?

Assess fit for your org Draft an LOI Find open RFPs

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

Approximately 99% of grants stay in Texas, with primary support directed to local initiatives in Denison and Sherman.

Grant Distribution by State

Texas $1.6M (100%)

States

Texas

Cities

DenisonSherman

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of 2024:

Total Assets: $2,683,670
Total Revenues: $613,541
Total Expenses: $396,316

Historical Assets:

Total Assets: $2,416,071 (prior year)

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$2,683,670	$2,416,071	$2,776,382
Revenue	$613,541	$270,708	$237,308
Expenses	$396,316	$407,655	$375,655
Qualifying Distributions	$396,316	$407,655	$375,655
Net Investment Income	$566,225	$225,053	$191,653
Distributable Amount	$393,503	$394,597	$407,813

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Grant Size Distribution

154 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Casa of Grayson County Inc ($25,000), Grand Central Station ($25,000), Masterkey Ministries ($21,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
AUSTIN COLLEGE SHERMAN, TX	TO ASSIST IN OPERATIONS	$10,000
BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB SHERMAN, TX	TO ASSIST IN OPERATIONS	$20,000
CALLIE CLINIC SHERMAN, TX	TO ASSIST IN OPERATIONS	$10,000
CASA OF GRAYSON COUNTY INC SHERMAN, TX	TO ASSIST IN OPERATIONS	$25,000
CHILD AND FAMILY GUIDANCE CENTER SHERMAN, TX	TO ASSIST IN OPERATIONS	$20,000
CHILDRENS ADVOCACY CENTER SHERMAN, TX	TO ASSIST IN OPERATIONS	$15,000
CRISIS CENTER SHERMAN, TX	TO ASSIST IN OPERATIONS	$20,000
DIVINE EQUINE THERAPEUTIC RIDING CTR SHERMAN, TX	TO ASSIST IN OPERATIONS	$2,500
FAMILY PROMISE OF GRAYSON CO SHERMAN, TX	TO ASSIST IN OPERATIONS	$10,000
FOUR RIVERS OUTREACH SHERMAN, TX	TO ASSIST IN OPERATIONS	$15,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

President: Martha Q Sanderson
Treasurer: Kay Ellen Kirby
Secretary: Jim Fallon
Founder: W.S. Dorset

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
MARTHA Q SANDERSON	PRESIDENT	—	—
JUDGE JIM FALLON	VICE PRESIDENT	—	—
KAY ELLEN KIRBY	SECRETARY	—	—
JUDGE JIM FALLON	TREASURER	—	—

Recent News & Activity

Recent developments and announcements

2024

The foundation continues active grantmaking with 28 grants distributed in 2024, maintaining consistent support for local social services, health, and human services organizations in the Sherman and Denison area.

The Foundation Marks 20th Anniversary Celebration with Half a Million Distributed

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Dorset Foundation Inc fund?

The foundation's primary focus is on social and human services, with particular emphasis on youth and human services initiatives. The foundation maintains its corpus to further charitable giving to exempt organizations in need, with a stated commitment to assisting in operations and funding future scholarships. Recent grant distribution shows that 59% of giving goes to social and human services, 13% to health, and 3% to philanthropy-related grants.

How do I apply for a grant from Dorset Foundation Inc?

The foundation made 28 grants in 2024, with a total giving amount of $362,000 to $284,000 documented in recent years. **Recent grants include:** • CASA of Grayson County: $25,000 (to assist in operations) • Grayson Grand Central Station: $25,000 (to assist in operations) • Masterkey Ministries of Grayson County: $21,000 (to assist in operations) • Crisis Center: $20,000 • Children's Advocacy Center: $15,000 • Home Hospice: $20,000 • Callie Clinic: $10,000 • Wilson N Jones Foundation: $10,000 **…

Where does Dorset Foundation Inc make grants?

Approximately 99% of grants stay in Texas, with primary support directed to local initiatives in Denison and Sherman.

What size grants does Dorset Foundation Inc award?

In 2024, Dorset Foundation Inc awarded 30 grants totaling $349K — an average of about $12K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Dorset Foundation Inc required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Dorset Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $394K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.