Houston Family Foundation
The Houston Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Its 2024 grants supported charitable organizations, with most grant dollars going to recipients in California and additional funding going to organizations in Washington, DC, Virginia, and Colorado.
Houston Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Houston Family Foundation gave $2.7M across 44 grants in 2024 (avg $61K), mostly in California. 16% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $2,701,000
- -34.4% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 44
- -4.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $61,386
- -31.4% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $35,000
- Total assets
- $58,008,002
- -5.6% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 16% first-time grantees (7 of 44, 2024)
- Primary geography
- California (84% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Houston Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 401 E 8Th St Ste 319, Sioux Falls, SD 57103-7031
Phone: (605) 336-6832
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Houston Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Onefuture Coachella Valley ($400K). Together the top 10 received $1.8M.
Grant Size Distribution
172 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 97 grants of 172 (56%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 84% of grant dollars went to recipients in California and 12% to recipients in Washington. Recipients in DC, Virginia, and Colorado each received 1% of grant dollars.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 44 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Houston Family Foundation open to new grantees?
16%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 7 of 44 grantees (16%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $10K; repeat grants $71K. How we count
Medians: $6K first-time, $50K repeat.
- 52% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 373% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 92% 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 (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 $571K (2021) to $4.1M (2023). In 2024 it made 44 grants totaling $2.7M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Onefuture Coachella Valley Palm Desert, CA | General Operating | $400,000 |
| Palm Springs Air Museum Inc Palm Springs, CA | General Operating Fund | $346,000 |
| Friends of Vancouver Foundation Seattle, WA | General Fund | $291,700 |
| Jewish Family Service of the Desert Palm Springs, CA | General Operating Fund | $150,000 |
| Palm Springs International Film Society Palm Springs, CA | General Operating | $150,000 |
| Desert Arc Palm Desert, CA | General Fund | $125,000 |
| Marthas Village and Kitchen Inc San Diego, CA | General Operating Fund | $100,000 |
| Mizell Senior Center of Palm Springs Palm Springs, CA | General Operating | $100,000 |
| Coachella Valley Rescue Mission Indio, CA | General Operating | $75,000 |
| Ronald McDonald House Charities of Los Angeles, CA | General Operating | $74,500 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $58,008,002 | $2,745,796 | $4,323,737 | $2,701,000 | 44 | $3,035,982 | $2,544,532 | $3,304,562 |
| 2023 | $61,451,969 | $1,370,804 | $4,562,869 | $4,115,780 | 46 | $4,418,801 | $1,204,756 | $3,030,090 |
| 2022 | $64,586,050 | $1,163,783 | $3,809,144 | $3,288,875 | 50 | $3,585,878 | $1,541,768 | $3,195,616 |
| 2021 | $67,944,626 | $5,358,025 | $2,477,699 | $571,200 | 13 | $862,770 | $2,209,746 | $3,433,396 |
| 2020 | $56,293,411 | $13,095,528 | $2,955,782 | $2,576,381 | 19 | — | $4,227,934 | $2,476,307 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Houston Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $3.3M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grantees include organizations working in education and career pathways, history and arts, social services, services for people with developmental disabilities, and food, shelter, and support for people in need. For example, OneFuture Coachella Valley says it brings education, employers, nonprofits, and civic organizations together to support students’ college, career, and economic success. Desert Arc says it works to improve quality of life and create opportunities for people with developmental disabilities.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation gave $2,701,000 through 44 grants. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $400,000, with a median of $35,000. In 2023, it made 46 grants totaling $4,115,780. Its 2024 filing, the latest on this page, reports 44 grants totaling $2.7 million.
Among its largest 2024 grants were $400,000 to OneFuture Coachella Valley for general operating support, $346,000 to Palm Springs Air Museum for its general operating fund, and $291,700 to Friends of Vancouver Foundation for its general fund. Other grants included $150,000 each to Jewish Family Service of the Desert and Palm Springs International Film Society, and $125,000 to Desert Arc.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists James R. Houston II as executive director/president. Trustees listed are Richard Fordiani, Theodore Giatas, Dorsey Whitney Trust Company LLC, Jaimi Houston, David N. Rennie, and Tamara E. Hair.
Houston Family Foundation is led by James R. Houston II, Executive Director & President on every filing since 2020; 6 of 7 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
James R. Houston II
Executive Director & President
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$104K (2020) → $176K (2024)
Dorsey Whitney Trust Company LLC
Trustee
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
$130K (2020) → $148K (2024)
Jaimi Houston
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$14K (2020) → $17K (2024)
Richard Fordiani
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$14K (2020) → $17K (2024)
Tamara E. Hair
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$14K (2020) → $17K (2024)
Theodore Giatas
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$14K (2020) → $17K (2024)
David N. Rennie
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
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 $176K, to James R Houston II (Executive Director/President). 6 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Houston Family Foundation
How much does Houston Family Foundation give each year?
Houston Family Foundation gave $2.7M across 44 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $4.1M across 46 grants.
What is Houston Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Houston Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $35,000, and its average grant was $61,386, across 44 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Houston Family Foundation that year got $10K on average.
Where does Houston Family Foundation give grants?
Houston Family Foundation gives mostly in California: 84% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Washington (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were Palm Desert, CA (11 grants), Palm Springs, CA (9 grants), Indio, CA (3 grants) and Cathedral City, CA (3 grants).
Does Houston Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Houston Family Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (44 of 44) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Houston Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Houston Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Onefuture Coachella Valley ($400,000), Palm Springs Air Museum Inc ($346,000) and Friends of Vancouver Foundation ($291,700), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 38% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Houston Family Foundation?
Houston Family Foundation reported $58.0M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $3.0M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $3.3M (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 Houston Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grantees include organizations working in education and career pathways, history and arts, social services, services for people with developmental disabilities, and food, shelter, and support for people in need. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Houston Family Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Houston Family Foundation's EIN?
Houston Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-3853573. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Houston Family 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 September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Houston Family Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
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Browse active grant opportunities in Houston Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Houston Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/houston-family-foundation-morg_7f1df8df6c444f07a838d02bf19c985c
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_203853573_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Houston Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/houston-family-foundation-morg_7f1df8df6c444f07a838d02bf19c985c},
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 Family 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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