Harry S & Isabel C Cameron Foundation
The Harry S & Isabel C Cameron Foundation is a private foundation based in Houston, Texas. It supports qualified 501(c)(3) organizations serving the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, with particular emphasis on Catholic-affiliated charitable endeavors.
Harry S & Isabel C Cameron Foundation at a glance
In short: Harry S & Isabel C Cameron Foundation gave $1.8M across 145 grants in 2025 (avg $12K), mostly in Texas. 20% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,776,101
- +13.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 145
- +33.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $12,249
- -15.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $29,822,873
- -1.4% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 20% first-time grantees (26 of 132, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Texas (97% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Harry S & Isabel C Cameron Foundation
- How to Apply
-
Submit an application through the foundation’s website with the required materials. The trustees consider requests within the foundation’s stated purpose.
- Review Cycle
- Applications are due by January 15 for the March meeting, April 15 for the June meeting, July 15 for the September meeting, and September 15 for the November/December meeting; each deadline is 5:00 p.m. Central Time.
- Deadline
- Applications are due by January 15 for the March meeting, April 15 for the June meeting, July 15 for the September…
- Contact
Application contact: Sentinel Trust Company - Corporate
Mailing address: 2001 Kirby Drive Suite 1200, Houston, TX 77019
Phone: (713) 559-9510
Email: cameronfoundation@sentineltrust.com
Website: https://thecameronfoundation.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Harry S & Isabel C Cameron Foundation
Who Harry S & Isabel C Cameron Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was St Mary's Church ($148K across 8 grants). Together the top 10 received $422K.
Organizations only. It also paid 6 grants to individuals ($123,333), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
627 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 602 grants of 627 (96%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Only organizations located within the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston are considered. The foundation lists Harris, Galveston, Austin, Brazoria, Fort Bend, Grimes, Montgomery, San Jacinto, Walker, and Waller counties. In 2025, 97% of grant dollars went to recipients in Texas.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 145 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Harry S & Isabel C Cameron Foundation open to new grantees?
20%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 26 of 132 grantees (20%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $11K; repeat grants $14K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 60% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−3%). Method
- In 2025 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 (2021–2025). 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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $1.6M (2024) to $1.9M (2023). In 2025 it made 145 grants totaling $1.8M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| St Mary's Church LaPorte, TX | Completion of Base Building Ext | $102,071 |
| St Ambrose Catholic School Houston, TX | Roof Repair - 2nd installment | $50,000 |
| St Dominic Village Houston, TX | Compassionate Care Fund | $36,000 |
| Asmbly Makerspace Inc Austin, TX | Dust Collection Upgrade | $32,000 |
| Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Family Alliance Stafford, TX | General Support | $30,000 |
| Operation Finally Home New Braunfels, TX | General Support | $26,000 |
| Covenant House Texas Houston, TX | General Support | $25,000 |
| Houston Coalition for Life Houston, TX | General Support | $25,000 |
| Houston Hospice Houston, TX | General Support | $25,000 |
| Magnificat Houses Inc Houston, TX | General Support | $25,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Harry S & Isabel C Cameron 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $29,822,873 | $1,840,615 | $2,254,794 | $1,776,101 | 145 | $1,935,145 | $1,194,007 | $2,041,409 |
| 2024 | $30,237,052 | $297,798 | $1,962,506 | $1,571,523 | 109 | $1,716,728 | $978,093 | $1,872,868 |
| 2023 | $31,901,760 | $2,816,033 | $2,374,444 | $1,902,137 | 130 | $2,044,913 | $2,544,693 | $1,753,933 |
| 2022 | $31,460,171 | $2,786,979 | $2,356,804 | $1,829,840 | 126 | $1,970,072 | $2,401,411 | $2,020,441 |
| 2021 | $31,029,996 | $808,603 | $2,225,331 | $1,687,670 | 117 | — | $708,833 | $1,976,056 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Harry S & Isabel C Cameron Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.0M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s mission is to promote compassionate giving that serves community needs. It considers requests from qualified 501(c)(3) organizations working in religious, charitable, educational, scientific, literary, or artistic areas, with a special interest in the needs of the Catholic community.
Examples of grantees’ work include St Dominic Village, whose mission is “caring for our elders with the compassion of Christ”; Asmbly Makerspace, which says it enriches Austin’s creative maker community through space, tools, and educational opportunities; and Operation Finally Home, which provides homes and home modifications to military heroes, first responders, and their families. Other 2025 recipients include Magnificat Houses, which describes its work as providing housing, food, and mental health programs, and The Brookwood Community, which provides an educational environment for adults with disabilities.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 145 grants totaling $1,776,101. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $102,071, with a median award of $10,000. Among the largest awards were $102,071 to St Mary’s Church in LaPorte for completion of a base-building extension; $50,000 to St Ambrose Catholic School in Houston for a roof repair installment; $36,000 to St Dominic Village for its Compassionate Care Fund; and $32,000 to Asmbly Makerspace for a dust collection upgrade. The foundation also awarded $30,000 to Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Family Alliance for general support.
Applications are submitted online. Applicants must provide a cover letter, proof of 501(c)(3) status, board list and applicable salaries, project and organizational budgets, information about other funding and recent grant requests, financial statements or a filed IRS Form 990 if statements are unaudited, and a list of assets and liabilities. The application also requests organizational and project information, as applicable.
The foundation does not consider requests from political organizations or individuals, requests for seminars or scholarships for individuals, or grants to organizations or programs involving abortions.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Robin Davis Franks, Jean Marie Hale, Eva Davis Langley, Derek Spaeth, and Sentinel Trust Company LBA as trustees.
Harry S & Isabel C Cameron Foundation's 2025 filing lists 5 officers; 1 of 5 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Sentinel Trust Company LBA
Trustee
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
$264K (2021) → $319K (2025)
Derek Spaeth
Trustee
Trustee Fr Nov → Trustee, 2022
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Eva Davis Langley
Trustee
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jean Marie Hale
Trustee
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Robin Davis Franks
Trustee
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Sylvia Joan Cameron (2021–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Fancis Cameron Miller (2021) — Trustee to Nov
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $319K, to Sentinel Trust Company LBA (Trustee).
Frequently asked questions about Harry S & Isabel C Cameron Foundation
How much does Harry S & Isabel C Cameron Foundation give each year?
Harry S & Isabel C Cameron Foundation gave $1.8M across 145 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.6M across 109 grants.
What is Harry S & Isabel C Cameron Foundation's typical grant size?
Harry S & Isabel C Cameron Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $12,249, across 145 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Harry S & Isabel C Cameron Foundation that year got $11K on average.
Where does Harry S & Isabel C Cameron Foundation give grants?
Harry S & Isabel C Cameron Foundation gives mostly in Texas: 97% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Houston, TX (89 grants), La Porte, TX (9 grants), Spring, TX (3 grants) and Cypress, TX (3 grants).
Does Harry S & Isabel C Cameron Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 52% of Harry S & Isabel C Cameron Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (75 of 145) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Cameron Fdn Pledge: St. Peter Catholic HS Tuition Assistance" (3 grants).
Who are Harry S & Isabel C Cameron Foundation's largest grantees?
Harry S & Isabel C Cameron Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include St Mary's Church ($147,518 across 8 grants), St Ambrose Catholic School ($50,000) and St Dominic Village ($36,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 6 grants to individuals ($123,333), which are not listed by name. Together they received 13% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Harry S & Isabel C Cameron Foundation?
Harry S & Isabel C Cameron Foundation reported $29.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.9M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $2.0M (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 Harry S & Isabel C Cameron Foundation fund?
The foundation’s mission is to promote compassionate giving that serves community needs. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Harry S & Isabel C Cameron Foundation?
Submit an application through the foundation’s website with the required materials. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Harry S & Isabel C Cameron Foundation's EIN?
Harry S & Isabel C Cameron Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 74-6073312. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS October 11, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 9, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS January 16, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 7, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS February 23, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Harry S & Isabel C Cameron Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Harry S & Isabel C Cameron Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/harry-s-and-isabel-c-cameron-foundation-morg_5327efba8ed34b4cb6fbce97320f072b
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_746073312_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Harry S \& Isabel C Cameron Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/harry-s-and-isabel-c-cameron-foundation-morg_5327efba8ed34b4cb6fbce97320f072b},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Harry S & Isabel C Cameron 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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