Houston Endowment is a nonpartisan, private foundation established in 1937 by Jesse H. and Mary Gibbs Jones. Based in Houston, Texas, the organization operates as a place-based funder committed to addressing the Greater Houston community's significant challenges and reducing barriers to opportunities. The foundation employs 37 staff members and maintains a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status since March 1938.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$2.5B
+5.6% YoY
Annual Giving
$99.6M
-6.6% YoY
Grant Count
355
+40.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$281K
-33.4% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission: To improve the quality of life for everyone in Greater Houston.
Vision: A vibrant region where all have the opportunity to thrive.
The foundation's primary funding areas include:
- Public Education – Supporting children to graduate with choices for their future
- Civic Engagement – Growing civic engagement across the region
- Arts & Culture – Building Greater Houston's arts and culture sector
- Greenspaces – Expanding access to green spaces in the community
Grantmaking
Houston Endowment maintains an active grantmaking program with the following characteristics:
Grant Range
** $500 to $10 million, with median grants of $125,000–$150,000
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily funds organizations in Texas, with secondary focus on the District of Columbia and California. Grantmaking is concentrated in the Greater Houston region and Texas broadly, with approximately 92% of grants supporting organizations in Texas, New York, and the District of Columbia.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
- Total Assets: $2.5 billion (as of 2024)
- Annual Revenue: $31.4 million to $427.4 million (varies by reporting source)
- Total Giving (2024): $99.6 million
- Total Giving (2023): $106.6 million
- Total Liabilities: $114 million (2024)
- Giving Rate: Approximately 4.5% of assets
- Cumulative Grants: 2,950 grants totaling $517.8 million across available records
- Deployment Commitment: $1 billion to deploy over the next 10 years
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $2,503,355,968 | $2,370,195,483 | $2,334,442,325 |
| Revenue | $160,328,117 | $122,609,629 | $188,440,163 |
| Expenses | $122,463,869 | $130,622,259 | $146,020,688 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $120,053,966 | $121,839,855 | $136,890,805 |
| Net Investment Income | $150,928,536 | $67,282,375 | $150,014,877 |
| Distributable Amount | $120,158,294 | $116,365,531 | $112,747,567 |
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
250 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Houston Endowment Inc
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Executive Leadership:
- Ann B. Stern – Director, President & CEO
- Steven A Hartman – Vice President, Finance
- Tabitha Rice – Vice President, Programs (beginning July 2024)
- John Rosenkild – General Counsel
Board Members:
- Melanie M Trent – Chair
- Arshad Matin – Director
- John M Esquivel – Director
- Pedro JJ Alvarez – Director
- Ann Barnes – Director
- Anthony R Chase – Director
- Darryl L Wilson – Director
- George Levan – Director
- Joseph C Dilg – Director
Program Staff:
- August Hamilton – Program Director, Education
- Meghna Goswami – Program Director, Civic Engagement
- Erin Forssman – Director, Grants Management
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
No officer/director data available.
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
Houston Endowment has demonstrated significant recent grantmaking activity focused on education, nonprofit capacity building, and community engagement:
Houston Endowment | News | Houston Endowment awards $5 million to\u2026Awarded $5 million to support postsecondary success initiatives at nine area community colleges
Granted $450,000 to TNTP for teacher certification strengthening in Houston-area school districts
Expanded the Collaboration Fund with a $15 million investment in local nonprofit leadership and resiliency
Launched a $4.9 million Collaboration Fund initiative to strengthen organizational capacity of local nonprofits
Awarded $3 million to United Way to enhance nonprofit access to additional grant funding
Houston Endowment | News | $450,000 grant awarded to TNTP to\u2026The foundation maintains active engagement with the Greater Houston community through its program areas and continues to expand its grantmaking initiatives in response to evolving community needs.
Houston Endowment | News | Houston Endowment expands Collaboration\u2026Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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