Jay & Shirley Marks Foundation

Foundation · Grantmaker HOUSTON, TX EIN: 23-7253928

Jay & Shirley Marks Foundation is a private foundation, based in HOUSTON, TX. IRS filing data is available from 2020 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $524K in total assets. In 2025, it awarded 5 grants totaling $42K. Net investment income was $12K.

Financial Overview

From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$524K

+51.5% YoY

Annual Giving

$42K

+3.8% YoY

Grant Count

5

-37.5% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$8K

+66.0% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Jay & Shirley Marks Foundation reported a distributable amount of $31K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

About Jay & Shirley Marks Foundation

Based on IRS filings

Jay & Shirley Marks Foundation is a private foundation, based in HOUSTON, TX. IRS filing data is available from 2020 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $524K in total assets. In 2025, it awarded 5 grants totaling $42K. Net investment income was $12K.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

Grant Distribution by State

4states

Cities

BostonHoustonLos AngelesNew York

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$77K$154K$231K$308K202020212022202320242025
Metric202520242023
Total Assets$524,231$346,092$353,031
Revenue$224,708$37,708$11,663
Expenses$46,569$44,540$46,755
Qualifying Distributions$41,500$40,000$40,000
Net Investment Income$11,610$11,088$7,670
Distributable Amount$31,142$26,701$25,275

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$20K$40K$60K$80K3 grants20205 grants20212 grants20222 grants20238 grants20245 grants2025

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 5 recipients in 2025

CONTEMPORY ART MUSEUM$15KHOUSTON FOOD BANK$13KUNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON$5KHOLOCAUST MUSEUM$5KRIVER OAKS BAPTIST SCHOOL$4K

Grant Size Distribution

22 grants across all recorded years

22<$50K$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2025 grants, the largest include Contempory Art Museum ($15,000), Houston Food Bank ($13,000), University of Houston ($5,000).

RecipientPurposeAmount
UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON HOUSTON, TXGENERAL PURPOSE$5,000
HOLOCAUST MUSEUM HOUSTON, TXGENERAL PURPOSE$5,000
HOUSTON FOOD BANK HOUSTON, TXGENERAL PURPOSE$13,000
CONTEMPORY ART MUSEUM HOUSTON, TXGENERAL PURPOSE$15,000
RIVER OAKS BAPTIST SCHOOL HOUSTON, TXGENERAL PURPOSE$3,500

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

Compensation Overview

From 2025 IRS filing

From 2025 filing

NameTitleHoursCompensation
LESTER A MARKSDIRECTOR4
FRANCIS MARKS LOWEDIRECTOR4

Frequently Asked Questions

How large is Jay & Shirley Marks Foundation?

As of 2025, Jay & Shirley Marks Foundation holds $524K in total assets with $225K in annual revenue. It awarded 5 grants totaling $42K in 2025.

Where does Jay & Shirley Marks Foundation operate?

Jay & Shirley Marks Foundation has awarded grants in California, Massachusetts, New York, Texas.

What size grants does Jay & Shirley Marks Foundation award?

In 2025, Jay & Shirley Marks Foundation awarded 5 grants totaling $42K — an average of about $8K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Jay & Shirley Marks Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2025, Jay & Shirley Marks Foundation reported a distributable amount of $31K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

What is Jay & Shirley Marks Foundation's EIN?

Jay & Shirley Marks Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-7253928. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.

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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings.

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