Helen Jones Foundation Inc

LUBBOCK, TX EIN: 75-1977748

Helen Jones Foundation Inc is a private 501(c)(3) foundation established in November 1984 and based in Lubbock, Texas. The foundation's sole stated activity is making grants to exempt organizations. It represents a significant philanthropic entity in the West Texas region, with substantial assets and annual charitable disbursements.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$255.9M

+2.3% YoY

Annual Giving

$12.2M

+8.0% YoY

Grant Count

+0.0% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$358K

+8.0% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Helen Jones Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $12.7M 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

The foundation makes grants to organizations and schools in the fields of art and performing arts. While specific program areas and detailed funding priorities are not extensively documented, the foundation has demonstrated support across education, arts, and community organizations.

Grantmaking

No public application process has been documented. The foundation does not appear to have a publicly available application portal or formal submission guidelines.

Grant Range

$20,000 - $7,500,000

Average Grant

amount: $318,863

How to Apply

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation primarily focuses on the Lubbock, Texas area and surrounding West Texas region. Grant activity has also been documented in California, Florida, Illinois, and Maryland.

Grant Distribution by State

Texas $55.6M (100%)

States

Texas

Cities

DallasLevellandLubbockNazarethPlainviewSilverton

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Assets & Revenue (2024):

Total assets: $255,881,590
Total revenue: $20,979,548
Total expenses: $15,831,836

Assets & Revenue (2023):

Total assets: $250,151,401
Total revenue: $18,097,002
Total expenses: $14,757,915

Revenue Sources: The foundation generates revenue primarily through investment income, including dividends ($4.9 million) and sales of assets ($11 million).

Liabilities: Total liabilities: $0

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$255,881,590	$250,151,401	$246,111,531
Revenue	$20,979,548	$18,097,002	$25,674,091
Expenses	$15,831,836	$14,757,915	$15,329,101
Qualifying Distributions	$12,546,638	$11,476,658	$11,570,195
Net Investment Income	$17,877,729	$15,087,521	$22,580,736
Distributable Amount	$12,728,597	$11,604,102	$11,401,317

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

205 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Lubbock Entertainment & Performing Arts Association ($5,356,250), Wayland Baptist University ($1,150,000), Lubbock Christian University ($1,000,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
LUBBOCK WOMENS CLUB HISTORIC FOUNDATION LUBBOCK, TX	GRANT	$6,765
SILENT WINGS MUSEUM FOUNDATION INC LUBBOCK, TX	GRANT	$15,000
COURT APPOINTED SPECIAL ADVOCATES LUBBOCK, TX	GRANT	$20,000
LUBBOCK ARTS ALLIANCE LUBBOCK, TX	GRANT	$20,000
LITERACY LUBBOCK LUBBOCK, TX	GRANT	$22,000
LUBBOCK CHORALE LUBBOCK, TX	GRANT	$25,000
EARLY LEARNING CENTERS OF LUBBOCK INC LUBBOCK, TX	GRANT	$25,000
AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY LUBBOCK, TX	GRANT	$25,800
COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER OF LUBBOCK LUBBOCK, TX	GRANT	$26,841
TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY - KTTZ-TV LUBBOCK, TX	GRANT	$30,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

James C. Arnold - President/Director, Chief Executive Officer (Compensation: $190,321-$218,870)
Marianna Markham - Vice President/Director
Samuel Hawthorne - Treasurer/Director
Chris Crews - Director (Compensation: $140,000)
Barbara Bush - Director
John W. Shanklin II - Director

The foundation operates with 2 employees.

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
JAMES C ARNOLD	PRESIDENT/DIRECTOR	40	$218,870
SAMUEL HAWTHORNE	TREASURER/DIRECTOR	1	—
MARIANNA MARKHAM	V PRESIDENT/DIRECTOR	1	—
CHRIS CREWS	DIRECTOR	40	$140,000
BARBARA BUSH	DIRECTOR	1	—
JOHN W SHANKLIN II	DIRECTOR	1	—

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Helen Jones Foundation Inc fund?

How do I apply for a grant from Helen Jones Foundation Inc?

**Grant Activity:** • Total giving (2023): $11,476,658 • Total giving (2024): $12,546,638 • Giving rate: 4.6% • Grants awarded: 47 (as of 2023) • Grant range: $20,000 - $7,500,000 • Median grant amount: $152,133 • Average grant amount: $318,863 **Recent Grants (2024):** • Lubbock Entertainment and Performing Arts Association (LEPAA): $5,356,250 • Wayland Baptist University: $1,150,000 • Lubbock Area United Way: $1,000,000 **Application Process:** No public application process has been documente…

Where does Helen Jones Foundation Inc make grants?

The foundation primarily focuses on the Lubbock, Texas area and surrounding West Texas region. Grant activity has also been documented in California, Florida, Illinois, and Maryland.

What size grants does Helen Jones Foundation Inc award?

In 2024, Helen Jones Foundation Inc awarded 34 grants totaling $12.2M — an average of about $358K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

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

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Helen Jones Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $12.7M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.