Jerry C Dearing Family Foundation
The Jerry C. Dearing Family Foundation is a private family foundation based in Houston, Texas, established in 2009. The foundation distributes funds to support Houston-based nonprofits providing health, education, and sustainability services within Houston and Harris County. As a 501(c)(3) organization, the foundation operates as a grantmaking entity with no direct charitable activity of its own.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$49.6M
+1.6% YoY
Annual Giving
$2.6M
+8.3% YoY
Grant Count
42
+16.7% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$63K
-7.2% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Jerry C Dearing Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.8M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission: Founded in 2009, the Jerry C. Dearing Family Foundation has distributed over $25 million to support Houston-based nonprofits that provide health, education and sustainability services within Houston and Harris County.
Current Giving Areas:
- Career and College Readiness
- Youth Leadership, Opportunity & Empowerment
- Education and Community Engagement within Fine Arts and Humanities
- Medical Research & Innovations within Houston's Medical Center
- Community & Park Restorations (Including Capital Campaigns)
- Meeting the Dynamic Needs of the IDD, Unhoused, Veterans, Foster Care and Previously Incarcerated Communities
Grantmaking
The foundation employs a strategic, relationship-focused approach to grantmaking, working with multi-year partners rather than accepting open applications. The foundation explicitly states that unsolicited grant proposals will not be reviewed by staff.
Grant Range
varies, with typical awards between $519–$300,000
Average Grant
amount: $67,383
Invitation Only
** Invitation only/closed process. Contact form available on website; no direct email or phone publicly listed.
Ready to take the next step with Jerry C Dearing Family Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Houston and Harris County, Texas
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of December 2023:
- Total Assets: $48,827,101
- Total Revenue: $3,420,679
- Total Expenses: $2,614,229
- Total Liabilities: $0
- Number of Employees: 0
Annual Giving (2023): $2,425,781
The foundation has experienced exceptional growth, with revenue increasing by an average of 26% annually over the past eight years.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $49,620,494 | $48,827,101 | $48,088,785 |
| Revenue | $4,018,114 | $3,420,679 | $1,454,650 |
| Expenses | $2,872,266 | $2,614,229 | $3,371,844 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $2,683,141 | $2,471,936 | $3,171,032 |
| Net Investment Income | $2,768,064 | $1,785,561 | $1,306,488 |
| Distributable Amount | $2,835,192 | $2,666,967 | $2,644,769 |
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
206 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Methodist ($250,000), Onegoal ($250,000), Bridgeyear ($150,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| GALVESTON COUNTY FAIR & RODEO HITCHCOCK, TX | GENERAL SUPPORT | $5,000 |
| ALLIANCE OF COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE MINISTRIES HOUSTON, TX | GENERAL SUPPORT | $95,000 |
| BLACK IMPACT HOUSTON HOUSTON, TX | GENERAL SUPPORT | $5,000 |
| BRIDGEYEAR HOUSTON, TX | GENERAL SUPPORT | $150,000 |
| BUFFALO SOILDERS NATIONAL MUSEUM HOUSTON, TX | GENERAL SUPPORT | $100,000 |
| CAMP BLESSINGS BRENHAM, TX | GENERAL SUPPORT | $55,000 |
| COOLXDAD HOUSTON, TX | GENERAL SUPPORT | $10,000 |
| COVENANT HOUSE TEXAS HOUSTON, TX | GENERAL SUPPORT | $4,000 |
| DISCOVER U HOUSTON, TX | GENERAL SUPPORT | $150,000 |
| DRESS FOR SUCCESS HOUSTON, TX | GENERAL SUPPORT | $50,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Jerry C. Dearing – Founder, Board President, Board Treasurer
- Kate Dearing Fowler – Executive Director, Board Vice President
- Kristin Dearing – Board Secretary
- Noah Dearing – Future Officer
- Rose Dearing – Future Officer
- John Dearing – Future Officer
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| JERRY DEARING | PRESIDENT/TREASURER | 5 | — |
| KATE FOWLER | VICE PRESIDENT | 20 | $31,306 |
| KRISTIN DEARING | SECRETARY | 1 | — |
Contact Information
Website: www.dearingfoundation.org
Address: 310 Timberwilde Ln, Houston, TX 77024-6926
Phone: 713-857-4674
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Jerry C Dearing Family Foundation fund?
**Mission:** Founded in 2009, the Jerry C. Dearing Family Foundation has distributed over $25 million to support Houston-based nonprofits that provide health, education and sustainability services within Houston and Harris County. **Current Giving Areas:** • Career and College Readiness • Youth Leadership, Opportunity & Empowerment • Education and Community Engagement within Fine Arts and Humanities • Medical Research & Innovations within Houston's Medical Center • Community & Park Restorations…
How do I apply for a grant from Jerry C Dearing Family Foundation?
The foundation employs a strategic, relationship-focused approach to grantmaking, working with multi-year partners rather than accepting open applications. The foundation explicitly states that unsolicited grant proposals will not be reviewed by staff. **Grant Activity:** • Made 36 grants in 2023 • Grant range varies, with typical awards between $519–$300,000 • Average grant amount: $67,383 • In 2022, the foundation worked with 29 multi-year partners and 15 new/returning partners **Recent Grant…
Where does Jerry C Dearing Family Foundation make grants?
Houston and Harris County, Texas
What size grants does Jerry C Dearing Family Foundation award?
In 2024, Jerry C Dearing Family Foundation awarded 42 grants totaling $2.6M — an average of about $63K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Jerry C Dearing Family Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Jerry C Dearing Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.8M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Jerry C Dearing Family Foundation's EIN?
Jerry C Dearing Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 27-0454228. 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.