James and Molly Crownover Foundation
The James and Molly Crownover Foundation is a private foundation based in Houston, Texas. In 2024, it made 21 grants totaling $374,447 to charitable organizations, including Houston Grand Opera, Rice University, and United Way of Houston.
James and Molly Crownover Foundation at a glance
In short: James and Molly Crownover Foundation gave $374K across 21 grants in 2024 (avg $18K), mostly in Texas. 37% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $374,447
- -12.7% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 21
- -12.5% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $17,831
- -0.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $1,593,363
- -12.0% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 37% first-time grantees (7 of 19, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Texas (90% 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 James and Molly Crownover Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 4605 Post Oak Place Ste 216, Houston, TX 77027
Phone: (713) 425-7095
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who James and Molly Crownover Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Rice University ($124K across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $346K.
Grant Size Distribution
102 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 92 grants of 102 (90%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 90% of grant dollars went to recipients in Texas, 2% to New York, and 1% to California. The state associated with the remaining 7% is unspecified in the grant data.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 21 itemized grants.
Cities
Is James and Molly Crownover Foundation open to new grantees?
37%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 7 of 19 grantees (37%) were first-time recipients. With only 19 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $4K; repeat grants $29K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 58% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+8%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 212% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 $260K (2020) to $429K (2023). In 2024 it made 21 grants totaling $374K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Houston Grand Opera Houston, TX | Founders Council | $97,101 |
| Rice University Houston, TX | 2024 friend of fondren; moody center for the arts; boniuk institute; evening for rice's honour; friends of fondren dinner; kinder institute luncheon | $63,500 |
| Rice University Houston, TX | Brockman music and performing arts; leebron university professor; nest phase 2 gap | $60,072 |
| United Way of Houston Houston, TX | Building Possibilities Campaign; Annual Pledge | $45,196 |
| American Hospital of Paris | General Support | $27,227 |
| Asia Society of Texas Houston, TX | Annual Pledge | $15,274 |
| Houston Ballet Houston, TX | Annual Pledge | $10,000 |
| Houston Methodist Society (Methodist Hospital Foundation) Houston, TX | Annual Pledge | $10,000 |
| Houston Parks Board Houston, TX | Annual Luncheon Desroches Co-Chair | $5,000 |
| St Helena Hospital Foundation St Helena, CA | In Memory of Elaine Jones | $5,000 |
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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 | $1,593,363 | $49,312 | $374,447 | $374,447 | 21 | $374,447 | $49,312 | $176,499 |
| 2023 | $1,811,330 | $517,875 | $428,836 | $428,836 | 24 | $428,836 | $517,875 | $142,171 |
| 2022 | $1,638,384 | $389,967 | $295,150 | $284,752 | 21 | $289,951 | $75,545 | $135,328 |
| 2021 | $1,821,406 | $1,257,460 | $350,746 | $346,060 | 23 | $348,403 | $646,013 | $111,327 |
| 2020 | $1,273,172 | $2,425,857 | $262,031 | $260,065 | 13 | — | $819,290 | $42,408 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, James and Molly Crownover Foundation reported a distributable amount of $176K 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 grants included support for arts organizations such as Houston Grand Opera and Houston Ballet, educational institutions such as Rice University and St. John’s School, and community and charitable organizations.
Among the grantees, the Holdsworth Center says it works to improve the quality of Texas pre-K–12 public education by supporting and developing educational leaders. Houston Parks Board describes its mission as expanding, improving, and protecting parks and greenspace in the Houston region. Teach For America says it finds, develops, and supports leaders to teach students in underserved communities.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 21 grants totaling $374,447. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $97,101, with a median grant of $5,000. The largest grants included $97,101 to Houston Grand Opera for its Founders Council and two grants to Rice University totaling $123,572 for several programs and purposes. United Way of Houston received $45,196 for its Building Possibilities Campaign and annual pledge. Other notable grants included $27,227 to American Hospital of Paris for general support and $15,274 to Asia Society of Texas for an annual pledge.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists James Crownover, Molly Crownover, and Corwin Crownover as directors.
James and Molly Crownover Foundation's 2024 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Corwin Crownover
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
James Crownover
Director
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Molly Crownover
Director
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Jerry Suich (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.
Frequently asked questions about James and Molly Crownover Foundation
How much does James and Molly Crownover Foundation give each year?
James and Molly Crownover Foundation gave $374K across 21 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $429K across 24 grants.
What is James and Molly Crownover Foundation's typical grant size?
James and Molly Crownover Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $5,000, and its average grant was $17,831, across 21 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from James and Molly Crownover Foundation that year got $4K on average.
Where does James and Molly Crownover Foundation give grants?
James and Molly Crownover Foundation gives mostly in Texas: 90% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Houston, TX (16 grants) and New York, NY (2 grants).
Does James and Molly Crownover Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 10% of James and Molly Crownover Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (2 of 21) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Annual Pledge" (4 grants) and "2024 Luncheon" (3 grants).
Who are James and Molly Crownover Foundation's largest grantees?
James and Molly Crownover Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Rice University ($123,572 across 2 grants), Houston Grand Opera ($97,101) and United Way of Houston ($45,196), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 71% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is James and Molly Crownover Foundation?
James and Molly Crownover Foundation reported $1.6M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $374K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $176K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does James and Molly Crownover Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for arts organizations such as Houston Grand Opera and Houston Ballet, educational institutions such as Rice University and St. John’s School, and community and charitable organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from James and Molly Crownover Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is James and Molly Crownover Foundation's EIN?
James and Molly Crownover Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 76-0700578. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does James and Molly Crownover 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 James and Molly Crownover Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). James and Molly Crownover Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 22, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/james-and-molly-crownover-foundation-morg_e6d6674dac5d4dafb14200667dc9487c
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_760700578_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{James and Molly Crownover Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/james-and-molly-crownover-foundation-morg_e6d6674dac5d4dafb14200667dc9487c},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-22. 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 James and Molly Crownover 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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