Harris Foundation
Harris Foundation is a private foundation based in Richmond, Virginia. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, including organizations working in conservation, education, the arts, and other areas.
Harris Foundation at a glance
In short: Harris Foundation gave $364K across 37 grants in 2025 (avg $10K), mostly in Virginia. 14% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $363,500
- +7.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 37
- -5.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $9,824
- +12.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $1,732,801
- +23.5% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 14% first-time grantees (5 of 36, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Virginia (90% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Harris Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 17250, Richmond, VA 23226
Phone: (804) 539-7182
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Harris Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was The Nature Conservancy ($50K). Together the top 10 received $262K.
Grant Size Distribution
183 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 169 grants of 183 (92%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 90% of grant dollars went to recipients in Virginia. The remaining reported shares went to Alabama (6%), Ohio (3%), Florida (1%), and Massachusetts (0%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 37 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Harris Foundation open to new grantees?
14%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 5 of 36 grantees (14%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $9K; repeat grants $10K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 83% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−10%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 192% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $298K (2020) to $402K (2022). In 2025 it made 37 grants totaling $364K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Nature Conservancy Charlottesville, VA | Grant, Annual and Capital Committment | $50,000 |
| Vfic Richmond, VA | Annual Fund, Technology Fund, Rising Star Fund, Sponsorship | $41,000 |
| VMFA Foundation Richmond, VA | Grant, Capital Commitment | $25,000 |
| University of Richmond Richmond, VA | Capital Pledge | $25,000 |
| First Presbyterian Church Richmond, VA | Grant | $22,500 |
| Big Oak Ranch Springvale, AL | Annual Fund | $20,000 |
| University of Richmond Univ of Richmond, VA | Annual Fund | $20,000 |
| University of Virginia Charlottesville, VA | Tyler Harris Rose Fund $ 10,000 Dr. Shimer Research- Ortho $ 10,000 | $20,000 |
| Warm Springs Presbyterian Church Warm Springs, VA | Grant-Tots Program, Annual Fund | $16,000 |
| VCU Institute for Contemporary Art Richmond, VA | Annual Fund | $11,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,732,801 | $789,488 | $441,013 | $363,500 | 37 | $363,500 | $719,227 | $188,863 |
| 2024 | $1,402,858 | $475,638 | $405,809 | $339,500 | 39 | $339,500 | $433,704 | $180,025 |
| 2023 | $1,333,727 | $618,027 | $448,166 | $386,500 | 34 | $386,500 | $442,843 | $160,948 |
| 2022 | $1,369,762 | $284,788 | $452,163 | $402,296 | 36 | $402,296 | $271,418 | $174,000 |
| 2021 | $1,537,235 | $273,839 | $437,522 | $396,250 | 37 | $395,250 | $259,206 | $193,714 |
| 2020 | $1,700,849 | $196,179 | $336,906 | $298,250 | 40 | — | $184,085 | $159,587 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Harris Foundation reported a distributable amount of $189K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations with varied missions. For example, The Nature Conservancy describes its mission as conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Bath County Arts Association says it encourages participation in and appreciation of the arts in Bath County, Virginia. Big Oak Ranch says it provides a Christian home for abused, neglected, and abandoned children.
Other recipients include colleges and universities, a theological seminary, and a hospital-related foundation. Those organizations describe their own missions as including education and scholarship, theological education for Christian leaders, and community support for Sheltering Arms Hospital and Sheltering Arms Institute.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 37 grants totaling $363,500. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $50,000, with a median of $5,000.
Notable 2025 grants included $50,000 to The Nature Conservancy; $41,000 to VFIC; $25,000 each to VMFA Foundation and the University of Richmond; $22,500 to First Presbyterian Church; and $20,000 each to Big Oak Ranch, the University of Richmond, and the University of Virginia. Other grants included $16,000 to Warm Springs Presbyterian Church, $11,000 each to VCU Institute for Contemporary Art and Bath County Arts Association, and $10,000 to Hampden-Sydney College.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists H Hiter Harris III as president; Jil W Harris as secretary/treasurer; and Katherine Harris Storer, Elizabeth Tyler Harris, and H Hiter Harris IV as directors.
Harris Foundation is led by H Hiter Harris III, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 5 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
H Hiter Harris III
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Elizabeth Tyler Harris
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
H Hiter Harris IV
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Katherine Harris Storer
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Jil W Harris
Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 Harris Foundation
How much does Harris Foundation give each year?
Harris Foundation gave $364K across 37 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $340K across 39 grants.
What is Harris Foundation's typical grant size?
Harris Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $9,824, across 37 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Harris Foundation that year got $9K on average.
Where does Harris Foundation give grants?
Harris Foundation gives mostly in Virginia: 90% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Alabama (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Richmond, VA (16 grants), Hot Springs, VA (5 grants), Charlottesville, VA (3 grants) and Warm Springs, VA (3 grants).
Does Harris Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 51% of Harris Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (19 of 37) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Grant" (4 grants).
Who are Harris Foundation's largest grantees?
Harris Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include The Nature Conservancy ($50,000), University of Richmond ($45,000 across 2 grants) and Vfic ($41,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 37% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Harris Foundation?
Harris Foundation reported $1.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $364K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $189K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Harris Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations with varied missions. For example, The Nature Conservancy describes its mission as conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Harris Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Harris Foundation's EIN?
Harris Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 54-1844579. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Harris 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 October 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS August 25, 2026)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS August 25, 2026)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 5, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 14, 2026)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS March 29, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS February 12, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 10, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 1, 2024)
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Harris Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Harris Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/harris-foundation-morg_8abf863558c549f69d01e3f7bd9b81fa
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_541844579_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Harris Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/harris-foundation-morg_8abf863558c549f69d01e3f7bd9b81fa},
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 Harris 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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