Gao and Sons Foundation

Private foundation · Grantmaker Sugar Land, TX EIN: 81-1932428

Gao and Sons Foundation is a private foundation, based in Sugar Land, TX. IRS filing data is available from 2019 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $445K in total assets. In 2025, it awarded 11 grants totaling $91K.

Key facts about Gao and Sons Foundation

In short: Gao and Sons Foundation gave $91K across 11 grants in 2025 (avg $8K), mostly in Texas. 27% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

EIN
81-1932428
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2025
Annual giving (2025)
$90,523
Grants made (2025)
11
Average grant
$8,229
Median grant
$3,130
New grantees (estimate)
27% first-time grantees (3 of 11, 2025)
Total assets
$445,013
Primary geography
Texas (89% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).

Financial Overview

From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$445K

-10.7% YoY

Annual Giving

$91K

-46.0% YoY

Grant Count

11

+37.5% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$8K

-60.7% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Gao and Sons Foundation reported a distributable amount of $5K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Is Gao and Sons Foundation open to new grantees?

27%

first-time grantees, 2025

In 2025, 3 of 11 grantees (27%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $10K. How we count

Medians: $1K first-time, $4K repeat.

  • 64% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
  • Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+13%). Method

Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.

Your AI grants department

Ready to take the next step with Gao and Sons Foundation?

Fully replaces Grant database subscriptions Instrumentl · Foundation Directory · GrantStation & similar

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

Grant Distribution by State

5states

Share of all 11 itemized 2025 grant dollars.

Cities

HoustonMissouri CityOrlandoPlanoSan JoseEl MonteLittletonWest CovinaRichardsonTorranceSchooleys Mountain

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$50K$100K$150K$200K7 grants20199 grants202010 grants202110 grants20228 grants202411 grants2025

From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $64K (2019) to $168K (2024). In 2025 it made 11 grants totaling $91K.

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

Houston Chinese Church: $37KHouston Chinese Church$37KFort Bend Community Church: $23KFort Bend Community Church$23KChinese Christisan Herald Crusades Inc: $11KChinese Christisan HeraldCrusades Inc$11KFort Bend Care Center: $8KFort Bend Care Center$8KCru Ministries: $4KCru Ministries$4KKerith Ravine Ministry: $3KKerith Ravine Ministry$3KOmf International: $2KOmf International$2KLiebenzell USA: $1KLiebenzell USA$1KEast and West Ministries International: $1KEast and West MinistriesInternational$1KChristar International Inc: $500Christar International Inc$500

The largest 2025 recipient was Houston Chinese Church ($37K). Together the top 10 received $90K.

Grant Size Distribution

48 grants across all recorded years

47<$50K1$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 47 grants of 48 (98%).

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Houston Chinese Church Houston, TXSupport Activities$36,803
Fort Bend Community Church Missouri City, TXSupport Church Activities$22,500
Chinese Christisan Herald Crusades Inc Houston, TXSupport Church Activities$10,840
Fort Bend Care Center Missouri City, TXSupport Activities$8,200
Cru Ministries Orlando, FLSupport Activities$3,900
Kerith Ravine Ministry Torrance, CASupport Activities$3,130
Omf International Littleton, COSupport Activities$2,000
Liebenzell USA Schooleys Mountain, NJSupport Activities$1,300
East and West Ministries International Plano, TXSupport Activities$1,200
Christar International Inc Richardson, TXSupport Activities$500

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Revenue
Expenses
$0$50K$100K$150K$200K201920202021202220242025
Metric202520242022
Total Assets$445,013$498,565$512,371
Revenue$37,436$111,563$111,335
Expenses$90,988$167,946$80,425
Qualifying Distributions———
Net Investment Income———
Distributable Amount$4,995$6,072—

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS March 12, 2020)
  2. Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 1, 2026)
  3. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

Gao and Sons Foundation's 2025 filing lists 4 officers; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • Feng Gao

    Director

    On filings since 2019

    5 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • James X. Gao

    Director

    On filings since 2019

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Ping Chen

    Director

    On filings since 2019

    10 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Samuel X. Gao

    Director

    On filings since 2019

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 Gao and Sons Foundation

How much does Gao and Sons Foundation give each year?

Gao and Sons Foundation gave $91K across 11 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $168K across 8 grants.

What is Gao and Sons Foundation's typical grant size?

Gao and Sons Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $3,130, and its average grant was $8,229, across 11 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Gao and Sons Foundation that year got $3K on average.

Where does Gao and Sons Foundation give grants?

Gao and Sons Foundation gives mostly in Texas: 89% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Houston, TX (3 grants) and Missouri City, TX (2 grants).

Does Gao and Sons Foundation give general operating support?

Not in 2025: none of the 11 grants with a stated purpose on Gao and Sons Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Support Activities" (9 grants).

Who are Gao and Sons Foundation's largest grantees?

Gao and Sons Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Houston Chinese Church ($36,803), Fort Bend Community Church ($22,500) and Chinese Christisan Herald Crusades Inc ($10,840), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 77% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.

How large is Gao and Sons Foundation?

Gao and Sons Foundation reported $445K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Its revenue that year was $37K.

How much is Gao and Sons Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2025, Gao and Sons Foundation reported a distributable amount of $5K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

What is Gao and Sons Foundation's EIN?

Gao and Sons Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 81-1932428. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.

Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings.

Your AI grants department

Here's the math on researching Gao and Sons Foundation by hand.

Explore Open Grants

Browse active grant opportunities in Gao and Sons Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database

Similar Funders

Funders that support many of the same organizations

AbbVie Foundation

North Chicago, IL

The AbbVie Foundation funds health equity, access to care, cancer care, and community-led health solutions through partnerships and local programs, supporting communities worldwide. Its 2025 grants ranged from $8,000 to $15 million, with a median of $25,000. It says it funds only preselected organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests; a separate Health Equity Accelerator is listed as encouraging applications, but its application details are not specified.

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

Assets

$265.6M

Grants

65

Total Given

$47.1M

Logos Evangelical Seminary Foundation

El Monte, CA

Support education mission at Logos Evangelical Seminary

Religion Related

Assets

$15.4M

Grants

1

Total Given

$648K

Yangs Family Foundation Inc

West Sacramento, CA

Assets

$361K

Grants

3

Total Given

$21K

Grace in Abundance Foundation

Sunnyvale, CA

Assets

$228K

Grants

4

Total Given

$13K

Christian Community Foundation Inc

Colorado Springs, CO

WaterStone funds charitable and educational efforts, especially direct Christian ministries, through donor-recommended grants to eligible U.S. and international nonprofits whose missions align with its Statement of Faith. Its 2025 grants had a median of $20,000, though amounts varied widely; it does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests, and grants are recommended by donors.

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

Assets

$746.4M

Grants

1,651

Total Given

$161.8M

The Frank and Lillian Lee Foundation

Rowland HGHTS, CA

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

Assets

$366K

Grants

14

Total Given

$15K

Grace and Li Yu Family Foundation

Los Angeles, CA

The Grace and Li Yu Family Foundation supports a range of charitable causes, with recent grants going to organizations in music, education, health, humanitarian services, human rights, and youth career education; these are grantees’ areas, not stated foundation priorities. In 2025, it awarded 20 grants totaling $619,075, with a median grant of $10,000 and most funding going to California. It funds only preselected organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.

Assets

$7.4M

Grants

20

Total Given

$619K

Communities Foundation of Texas Inc

Dallas, TX

Communities Foundation of Texas funds charitable work in health, wealth, living, and learning, with much of its grantmaking supporting North Texas nonprofits; its 2025 grants had a median of $18,779, though award sizes varied widely. Nearly all opportunities are by invitation, and its Nonprofit Gateway profile is not a grant application.

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

Assets

$1.2B

Grants

2,209

Total Given

$209.2M

Greater Houston Community Foundation

Houston, TX

The Foundation makes grants through donor-advised and other donor-established funds for public benefit, human services, education, and health, including initiatives addressing economic mobility and poverty in Harris County. In 2024, its median grant was $25,000; it serves Greater Houston, while grants also go to recipients elsewhere in Texas and beyond. It does not accept proposals for the upcoming High-Impact Grantmaking cycle and plans to invite selected organizations or collaboratives to apply.

Assets

$1.1B

Grants

1,724

Total Given

$232.3M

The Houston Food Bank

Houston, TX

The Houston Food Bank supports food distribution and related hunger-relief programs, including school, children’s, and senior food initiatives, through community organizations in 18 Southeast Texas counties. Its 2025 grants had a median of $33,402, though awards varied widely; the profile does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests.

Assets

$164.4M

Grants

1,128

Total Given

$210.7M

BNSF Railway Foundation

Fort Worth, TX

The BNSF Railway Foundation supports civic, cultural, educational, health and human services, environmental, and youth programs, as well as general operating costs, in communities served by BNSF across its 28-state network. Its 2025 median grant was $2,500; its current grants program lists awards of $1,000–$10,000.

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

Assets

$23.0M

Grants

993

Total Given

$7.0M

More Funders in Texas

Gao and Sons Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?

Want AI to do this for you?