Houston Arts Alliance
Houston Arts Alliance (HAA) is a Houston, Texas, public charity that implements the City of Houston’s vision and goals for arts grantmaking and civic art investments. Its work is conducted through City contracts overseen by the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs, and it also undertakes privately funded projects for the arts community.
Houston Arts Alliance at a glance
In short: Houston Arts Alliance gave $12.4M across 128 grants in 2024 (avg $97K), mostly in Texas. 16% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $12,421,542
- +5.9% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 128
- +4.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $97,043
- +1.7% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $41,352
- Total assets
- $39,726,791
- +7.0% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 16% first-time grantees (20 of 124, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Texas (100% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Houston Arts Alliance
- How to Apply
-
HAA’s annual grant guidelines provide application instructions, required-document information, and review-process details. The listed 2026 application cycles for Support for Artists & Creative Individuals, Support for Organizations, and City’s Initiative have passed.
- Review Cycle
- The 2026 deadlines listed for these programs ranged from April 21 to September 26, 2026; all have passed.
- Deadline
- The 2026 deadlines listed for these programs ranged from April 21 to September 26, 2026; all have passed.
- Contact
Mailing address: 5280 Caroline Street Suite 100, Houston, TX 77004
Phone: (713) 527-9330
Website: https://haatx.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
6 open opportunities from Houston Arts Alliance
Houston Arts Alliance: City's Initiative Grant
Houston Arts Alliance
Amount
Up to US $10,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Houston Arts Alliance: Festival Grant
Houston Arts Alliance
Amount
Up to US $10,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Let Creativity Happen! Grant
Houston Arts Alliance
Amount
Up to US $2,500
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who Houston Arts Alliance funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Museum of Fine Arts Houston ($756K). Together the top 10 received $7.1M.
Grant Size Distribution
691 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 458 grants of 691 (66%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
HAA’s competitive grant programs support arts and cultural programming accessible to the Houston community and its visitors. The listed grant programs specify the City of Houston, Texas, as their geographic scope. HAA’s civic art projects are located throughout the city.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 128 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Houston Arts Alliance open to new grantees?
16%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 20 of 124 grantees (16%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $61K; repeat grants $108K. How we count
Medians: $14K first-time, $51K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2020–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $7.4M (2020) to $16.9M (2021). In 2024 it made 128 grants totaling $12.4M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Museum of Fine Arts Houston Houston, TX | General support | $755,710 |
| Houston Ballet Foundation Houston, TX | General support | $734,979 |
| Houston Zoo Inc Houston, TX | General support | $730,327 |
| The Hobby Center Foundation Houston, TX | General support | $727,641 |
| Alley Theatre Houston, TX | General support | $717,690 |
| Houston Grand Opera Association Inc Houston, TX | General support | $704,263 |
| Houston Symphony Society Houston, TX | General support | $703,582 |
| Menil Foundation Inc Houston, TX | General support | $698,249 |
| The Houston Museum Of Natural Science Houston, TX | General support | $690,870 |
| Theatre Under The Stars Inc Houston, TX | General support | $608,772 |
Ready to take the next step with Houston Arts Alliance?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists 128 grants; the 2023 filing lists 123, and the 2022 filing lists 98. HAA’s website says the City provides all funds for its competitive grant programs, sourced from the Hotel Occupancy Tax.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $39,726,791 | $25,459,308 | $21,984,472 | $12,421,542 | 128 | $23,289 |
| 2023 | $37,118,560 | $22,732,047 | $25,458,950 | $11,733,673 | 123 | $40,481 |
| 2022 | $34,542,590 | $21,603,501 | $18,544,264 | $10,505,352 | 98 | $14,309 |
| 2021 | $29,688,694 | $26,121,886 | $23,440,015 | $16,915,177 | 229 | $26,581 |
| 2020 | $13,959,741 | $5,598,360 | $10,791,652 | $7,428,616 | 113 | $43,515 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
HAA describes its principal work as implementing the City of Houston’s vision, values, and goals for arts grantmaking and civic art investments. It says it helps local artists and arts nonprofits be bold, productive, and strong.
HAA administers competitive programs for individual artists and creatives, nonprofits, and fiscally sponsored projects. Its civic art work includes acquiring site-specific art for City-owned facilities and overseeing conservation of the City’s civic art collection. It also supports projects related to disaster preparedness and recovery, arts research, neighborhood-focused temporary art, and cultural events.
The 2024 grantees included organizations with varied missions. The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston says it connects Houston communities with art histories through its collections, exhibitions, learning programs, and research. Houston Ballet Foundation says it aims to foster appreciation for dance through performances, choreography, and education. The Hobby Center Foundation describes its work as connecting Houston audiences, artists, and arts organizations through performances and educational programs. Other 2024 recipients included theaters, an opera association, a symphony, a zoo, and a museum.
Grantmaking
In 2024, HAA’s itemized grants totaled $12,421,542 across 128 grants. Grant amounts ranged from $5,027 to $755,710, with a median of $41,352. All itemized grant dollars went to recipients in Texas. The filing also describes the City’s competitive Arts Grants Program as awarding $15,251,949 through a peer-review panel process; that figure is distinct from the itemized grant total.
The largest itemized grants included $755,710 to the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, $734,979 to Houston Ballet Foundation, $730,327 to Houston Zoo Inc., $727,641 to The Hobby Center Foundation, and $717,690 to Alley Theatre. Each was listed for general support.
HAA’s programs include Support for Artists & Creative Individuals, Support for Organizations, and City’s Initiative. The first is for individual artists and creatives and offers awards of up to $15,000 for specific art projects. Support for Organizations serves eligible nonprofits and fiscally sponsored organizations with public arts and cultural activities; award amounts vary by category. City’s Initiative supports artists, creatives, organizations, and fiscally sponsored projects in areas including neighborhood cultural destinations, disaster resilience awareness, and conference tourism, with awards of up to $10,000.
HAA’s filing describes a peer-review process that considers artistic and cultural merit, audience development and community outreach, cultural tourism impact, and recipients’ administrative and management ability. The filing also says grantees must submit a final report with supporting documentation and receipts for review.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Michele Leal Farah as chair, Sergio Selvera as vice chair, Jackie Phillips as secretary, and Paula Sutton as treasurer. Listed directors are Alim Adatia, Juan Alanis, Lauren Anderson, Jerry Barnett, Beryl Basham, and Eric Blackwell.
Houston Arts Alliance is led by John M Abodeely, CEO to since 2024 (on filings since 2020); 7 of 39 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
John M Abodeely
CEO to
CEO → CEO to, 2024
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$184K (2020) → $303K (2024)
Taylor Simone Jackson
Interim CEO From
Director of Grants → Interim CEO From, 2024
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$109K (2023) → $131K (2024)
Michele Leal Farah
Chair
Vice Chair → Chair, 2023
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Grace Zuniga
Director of Civic Art
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$104K (2022) → $124K (2024)
Sixto Wagan
Director of Banf
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$113K (2022) → $128K (2024)
Karen Martinez
Director of Communications
New on the 2024 filing
40 hrs/week
$109K (2024)
Michelle Dobbins
Director of Disaster Svc
New on the 2024 filing
40 hrs/week
$118K (2024)
Alim Adatia
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Andrew Davis
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Brenda Peters-Chase
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
CC Conner
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jackie Maldonado
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Joe Brettell
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Judy Nyquist
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
June Deadrick
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lauren Anderson
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Louise Upshaw-McClenny
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Rosi Hernandez
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Shaheen Rahman
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Susanne Burkeholder
Director
Treasurer → Director, 2022
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Victoria Lara
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Garfield Johnson
Director
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Juan Alanis
Director
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Necole Irvin
Director
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Beryl Basham
Director
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Darryl Gaines
Director
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jerry Barnett
Director
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Rosalinda Martinez
Director
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Christopher Cardenas
Director
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Eric Blackwell
Director
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Eryn Roberts
Director
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
John Paul Capistran
Director
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Justin Goodman
Director
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Paola Creixell
Director
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Shani Burnett
Director
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Stacey P Keene
COO
CFO → COO, 2024
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$106K (2020) → $180K (2024)
Paula Sutton
Treasurer
Director → Treasurer, 2022
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jackie Phillips
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2023
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sergio Selvera
Vice Chair
Director → Vice Chair, 2023
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (22)
- Former: Craig Massey (2020–2022) — Chairman
- Former: Fabene Welch (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Lester Marks (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Marc Nguyen (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Carla Lane (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Cynthia Toles (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Jack Moriniere (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Leigh Smith (2020–2021) — Imm Past Chair & Director
- Former: Tammy Dowe (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Adnan Medrano (2021) — Secretary
- Former: Gregory Shannon (2021) — Director
- Former: Adn Medrano (2020) — Secretary
- Former: Antonio Tillis (2020) — Director
- Former: Ashley Langley (2020) — Director
- Former: Debbie McNulty (2020) — Director
- Former: Deidre Thomas (2020) — Director of Grants
- Former: Erin McClarty (2020) — Director
- Former: Mady Kades (2020) — Director
- Former: Michael Heckman (2020) — Director
- Former: Michele Leal (2020) — Vice Chair
- Former: Sebastien Solar (2020) — Director
- Former: Sylvia Csares (2020) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $303K, to John M Abodeely (CEO to 11/30/24). 7 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Houston Arts Alliance
How much does Houston Arts Alliance give each year?
Houston Arts Alliance gave $12.4M across 128 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $11.7M across 123 grants.
What is Houston Arts Alliance's typical grant size?
Houston Arts Alliance's median grant in 2024 was $41,352, and its average grant was $97,043, across 128 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Houston Arts Alliance that year got $61K on average.
Where does Houston Arts Alliance give grants?
Houston Arts Alliance gives mostly in Texas: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Houston, TX (126 grants) and Kingwood, TX (2 grants).
Does Houston Arts Alliance give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Houston Arts Alliance's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (128 of 128) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990.
Who are Houston Arts Alliance's largest grantees?
Houston Arts Alliance's largest 2024 grantees include Museum of Fine Arts Houston ($755,710), Houston Ballet Foundation ($734,979) and Houston Zoo Inc ($730,327), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 18% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Houston Arts Alliance?
Houston Arts Alliance reported $39.7M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $25.5M.
What does Houston Arts Alliance fund?
HAA describes its principal work as implementing the City of Houston’s vision, values, and goals for arts grantmaking and civic art investments. It says it helps local artists and arts nonprofits be bold, productive, and strong. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Houston Arts Alliance?
HAA’s annual grant guidelines provide application instructions, required-document information, and review-process details. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Houston Arts Alliance's EIN?
Houston Arts Alliance's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 74-1946756. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 12, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 11, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 17, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Houston Arts Alliance funds
Arts, Culture & Humanities Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Houston Arts Alliance's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders that support many of the same organizations
The Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts
Houston, TX
The Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts supports 501(c)(3) performing arts organizations in Texas, primarily in Greater Houston. Its 2024 grants ranged from $7,000 to $1,715,000, with a median of $25,000. The information provided does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests.
Assets
$132.4M
Grants
43
Total Given
$3.9M
The Brown Foundation Inc
Houston, TX
The Brown Foundation funds education, arts and culture, healthcare, human services, and civic assets, with education and the arts as top priorities and public education giving focused almost exclusively on greater Houston. Its 2025 grants ranged from $20,000 to $11 million, with a median of $50,000; it primarily supports Houston organizations and selectively funds distinctive opportunities elsewhere in Texas and beyond.
Assets
$1.1B
Grants
222
Total Given
$84.3M
Miller Theatre Advisory Board Inc
Houston, TX
Miller Theatre Advisory Board funds nonprofit performing arts and cultural organizations selected to present professional-caliber performances at Miller Outdoor Theatre in Houston, with an emphasis on diverse audiences and broad appeal. Recent reported giving ranged from $187,521 to $887,540 in total per year, but typical individual performance-grant amounts are not stated. It uses an annual application process for a coming season; whether it accepts unsolicited requests is not stated.
Assets
$6.0M
Grants
1
Total Given
$888K
The Alkek and Williams Foundation
Houston, TX
The Alkek and Williams Foundation funds charitable, religious, scientific (particularly medical), cultural, and educational organizations and programs, with an emphasis on research, education, and community involvement. Its 2024 grants ranged from $200 to $500,000, with a median of $3,750; awards are restricted to Texas. It does not limit giving to preselected organizations, and application guidelines and required-materials information are available upon request.
Assets
$2.7M
Grants
34
Total Given
$1.2M
Houston Endowment Inc
Houston, TX
Houston Endowment funds public education, civic engagement, arts and culture, and greenspaces through grants benefiting people in Greater Houston. In 2024, grants ranged from $500 to $5 million, with a median of $125,000. It awards grants by invitation and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Assets
$2.5B
Grants
355
Total Given
$99.6M
Arts Connect Houston
Houston, TX
Arts Connect Houston funds arts education and arts programming, primarily through nonprofit and arts-organization partnerships with schools in Houston, Aldine, and Alief ISDs. Its 2025 grants ranged from $5,220 to $118,370, with a median of $9,837; for the 2026–27 Arts Action Fund, arts and culture partners apply on behalf of a school, and the profile does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests.
Assets
$1.3M
Grants
22
Total Given
$380K
More similar funders
More Funders in Texas
Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Houston Arts Alliance funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/houston-arts-alliance-morg_a1a17c1afb7d42fea1c56404e3934c20
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_741946756_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Houston Arts Alliance funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/houston-arts-alliance-morg_a1a17c1afb7d42fea1c56404e3934c20},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17. 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 Houston Arts Alliance'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.
Houston Arts Alliance down — hundreds of funders to go?