Houston Family Foundation

Foundation · Grantmaker Sioux Falls, SD EIN: 20-3853573

The Houston Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, established in 2006. As a 501(c)(3) organization, it operates as a grantmaking foundation with a staff of two employees.

Key facts about Houston Family Foundation

EIN
20-3853573
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2024
Annual giving (2024)
$2,701,000
Grants made (2024)
44
Average grant
$61,386
Median grant
$35,000
New grantees (estimate)
16% first-time grantees (7 of 44, 2024)
Total assets
$58,008,002
Primary geography
California (84% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated June 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).

Who Houston Family Foundation funds

By grant dollars, the top recipient states for Houston Family Foundation's 44 itemized 2024 grants were California (84%) and 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). 100% of grants with a stated purpose were for general or operating support.

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 IRS Form 990-PF grant lists (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.

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Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$58.0M

-5.6% YoY

Annual Giving

$2.7M

-34.4% YoY

Grant Count

44

-4.3% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$61K

-31.4% YoY

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 April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation supports a diverse range of charitable areas including:

  • Arts and culture
  • Education (including graduate, professional, and nursing education)
  • Health and nursing care
  • Mental health care and addiction services
  • Substance abuse treatment
  • Human services
  • Basic and emergency aid
  • Food aid and food banks

Grantmaking

Grant Range

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation supports organizations across multiple U.S. states and cities, including:

  • California
  • Colorado
  • Minnesota
  • Missouri
  • Washington
  • Washington DC

Specific cities mentioned include Los Angeles, San Diego, Seattle, and Washington DC.

Grant Distribution by State

9states

Share of all 44 itemized 2024 grant dollars.

Cities

Palm DesertPalm SpringsIndioRancho MirageCathedral CitySeattleLa QuintaBellinghamElk GroveSan DiegoWashington DcFullertonHillsdaleLos AngelesMorongo ValleyPalm DesetRiversideArlingtonSan BernardinoSanta Ana

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Assets:

  • 2024: $58,008,002
  • 2023: $65,000,000 (approximately)

Revenue & Expenses:

  • 2024 total revenues: $2,745,796
  • 2024 total expenses: $4,323,737
  • 2023 contributions: $145,000
Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$4M$7M$11M$14M20202021202220232024
Metric202420232022
Total Assets$58,008,002$61,451,969$64,586,050
Revenue$2,745,796$1,370,804$1,163,783
Expenses$4,323,737$4,562,869$3,809,144
Qualifying Distributions$3,035,982$4,418,801$3,585,878
Net Investment Income$2,544,532$1,204,756$1,541,768
Distributable Amount$3,304,562$3,030,090$3,195,616

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$1M$2M$3M$4M19 grants202013 grants202150 grants202246 grants202344 grants2024

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Onefuture Coachella Valley: $400KOnefuture Coachella Valley$400KPalm Springs Air Museum Inc: $346KPalm Springs Air Museum Inc$346KFriends of Vancouver Foundation: $292KFriends of VancouverFoundation$292KJewish Family Service of the Desert: $150KJewish Family Service of theDesert$150KPalm Springs International Film Society: $150KPalm Springs InternationalFilm Society$150KDesert Arc: $125KDesert Arc$125KMarthas Village and Kitchen Inc: $100KMarthas Village and KitchenInc$100KMizell Senior Center of Palm Springs: $100KMizell Senior Center of PalmSprings$100KCoachella Valley Rescue Mission: $75KCoachella Valley RescueMission$75KRonald McDonald House Charities of: $75KRonald McDonald HouseCharities of$75K

Grant Size Distribution

172 grants across all recorded years

97<$50K39$50–100K27$100–250K7$250–500K1$500K–1M1$1–5M$5M+

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest recipients include Onefuture Coachella Valley ($400,000), Palm Springs Air Museum Inc ($346,000), Friends of Vancouver Foundation ($291,700).

RecipientPurposeAmount
ONEFUTURE COACHELLA VALLEY Palm Desert, CAGENERAL OPERATING$400,000
Palm Springs Air Museum Inc Palm Springs, CAGENERAL OPERATING FUND$346,000
Friends of Vancouver Foundation Seattle, WAGENERAL FUND$291,700
Jewish Family Service of the Desert Palm Springs, CAGENERAL OPERATING FUND$150,000
PALM SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL FILM SOCIETY Palm Springs, CAGENERAL OPERATING$150,000
Desert Arc Palm Desert, CAGENERAL FUND$125,000
Marthas Village and Kitchen Inc San Diego, CAGENERAL OPERATING FUND$100,000
Mizell Senior Center of Palm Springs Palm Springs, CAGENERAL OPERATING$100,000
COACHELLA VALLEY RESCUE MISSION Indio, CAGENERAL OPERATING$75,000
RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE CHARITIES OF Los Angeles, CAGENERAL OPERATING$74,500

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

  • James R. Houston II — Executive Director/President (40 hours/week, $151,000 compensation)
  • Richard Fordiani — Trustee
  • Theodore Giatas — Trustee
  • Jaimi Houston — Trustee
  • David N. Rennie — Trustee
  • Tamara E. Hair — Trustee
  • Dorsey Whitney Trust Company LLC — Trustee ($142,000 compensation)

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

James R Houston II — Executive Director/President: $176KJames R Houston IIExecutive Director/President$176KDorsey Whitney Trust Company LLC — Trustee: $148KDorsey Whitney Trust…Trustee$148KRichard Fordiani — Trustee: $17KRichard FordianiTrustee$17KTheodore Giatas — Trustee: $17KTheodore GiatasTrustee$17KJaimi Houston — Trustee: $17KJaimi HoustonTrustee$17KTamara E Hair — Trustee: $17KTamara E HairTrustee$17K

From 2024 IRS filing

NameTitleHoursCompensation
Richard FordianiTrustee1$16,680
Theodore GiatasTrustee1$16,680
Dorsey Whitney Trust Company LLCTrustee5$148,316
James R Houston IIExecutive Director/President40$175,680
Jaimi HoustonTrustee1$16,680
David N RennieTrustee1—
Tamara E HairTrustee1$16,680

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Houston Family Foundation fund?

The foundation supports a diverse range of charitable areas including: • Arts and culture • Education (including graduate, professional, and nursing education) • Health and nursing care • Mental health care and addiction services • Substance abuse treatment • Human services • Basic and emergency aid • Food aid and food banks

How do I apply for a grant from Houston Family Foundation?

**Grant Activity:** • Made 50 grants in 2024 • Made 46 grants in 2023 **Grant Sizes:** • Grant median: $40,000 • Grant maximum: $435,000 **Recent Grants (2024):** • OneFuture Coachella Valley: $400,000 (General Operating) • Palm Springs Air Museum: $346,000 (General Operating Fund) **Annual Distribution:** • 2024 total expenses: $4,323,737 • 2023 distributions: $4.4 million

Where does Houston Family Foundation make grants?

The foundation supports organizations across multiple U.S. states and cities, including: • California • Colorado • Minnesota • Missouri • Washington • Washington DC Specific cities mentioned include Los Angeles, San Diego, Seattle, and Washington DC.

What size grants does Houston Family Foundation award?

In 2024, Houston Family Foundation awarded 44 grants totaling $2.7M — an average of about $61K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Houston Family Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Houston Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $3.3M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

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.

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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.

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