Jerry C Dearing Family Foundation
The Jerry C. Dearing Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Houston, Texas. Founded in 2009, it supports Houston-based nonprofits providing health, education, and sustainability services in Houston and Harris County. The foundation says it has distributed over $28 million.
Key facts about Jerry C Dearing Family Foundation
In short: Jerry C Dearing Family Foundation gave $2.6M across 42 grants in 2024 (avg $63K), mostly in Texas. 38% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 27-0454228
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $2,626,000
- Grants made (2024)
- 42
- Average grant
- $62,524
- Median grant
- $50,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 38% first-time grantees (16 of 42, 2024)
- Total assets
- $49,620,494
- Primary geography
- Texas (85% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
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.
Is Jerry C Dearing Family Foundation open to new grantees?
38%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 16 of 42 grantees (38%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $53K; repeat grants $69K. How we count
Medians: $18K first-time, $60K repeat.
- 55% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−13%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 95% 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.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s stated mission is to support Houston-based nonprofits providing health, education, and sustainability services within Houston and Harris County. Its current giving areas are career and college readiness; economic mobility; education and community engagement within fine arts and humanities; medical research and innovations within Houston’s Medical Center; community and park restorations, including capital campaigns; and meeting the dynamic needs of vulnerable communities.
Examples of the kinds of organizations it supports include OneGoal, which says it provides underserved students with resources, support, and a network to earn a postsecondary degree, and BridgeYear, which says it connects underserved youth to careers and educational pathways that provide economic stability and independence. Houston grantee Memorial Assistance Ministries says it works with Houstonians to build stable lives and futures through education, training, and community connection. Stages describes its work as making plays and telling stories.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 42 grants totaling $2,626,000. Grants ranged from $2,500 to $250,000, with a median grant of $50,000. The largest awards included $250,000 each to Methodist in Houston and OneGoal in Chicago; $150,000 each to BridgeYear, Discover U, and The Village Centers in Houston; and $125,000 to Greater Houston Community.
Other 2024 grants included $100,000 each to SpringSpirit, Foster Care Advocacy Center, Memorial Assistance Ministries, Stages, and several other Houston organizations. Foster Care Advocacy Center says it provides holistic representation for children and parents involved in the child welfare system in the greater Houston area. SpringSpirit says it provides youth opportunities through sports, education, and mentoring.
How to Apply
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. Partners are selected through a closed grant process, and the foundation states that contributions are made only to preselected charitable organizations.
Ready to take the next step with Jerry C Dearing Family Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation says it principally supports Houston-based nonprofits serving Houston and Harris County. In 2024, 85% of grant dollars went to recipients in Texas, 10% to Illinois, 3% to California, 2% to New York, and less than 1% to Idaho.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 42 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $2.4M (2023) to $3.3M (2020). In 2024 it made 42 grants totaling $2.6M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Methodist ($250K). Together the top 10 received $1.5M.
Grant Size Distribution
206 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 82 grants of 206 (40%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Methodist Houston, TX | General Support | $250,000 |
| Onegoal Chicago, IL | General Support | $250,000 |
| Bridgeyear Houston, TX | General Support | $150,000 |
| Discover U Houston, TX | General Support | $150,000 |
| The Village Centers Houston, TX | General Support | $150,000 |
| Greater Houston Community Houston, TX | General Support | $125,000 |
| Buffalo Soilders National Museum Houston, TX | General Support | $100,000 |
| Foster Care Advocacy Center Houston, TX | General Support | $100,000 |
| Hobby Center Houston, TX | General Support | $100,000 |
| Houston Symphony Houston, TX | General Support | $100,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $49,620,494 | $4,018,114 | $2,872,266 | $2,626,000 |
| 2023 | $48,827,101 | $3,420,679 | $2,614,229 | $2,425,781 |
| 2022 | $48,088,785 | $1,454,650 | $3,371,844 | $3,125,735 |
| 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 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Jerry Dearing as president and treasurer, Kate Fowler as vice president, and Kristin Dearing as secretary.
Jerry C Dearing Family Foundation is led by Jerry Dearing, President & Treasurer on every filing since 2020; 1 of 3 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Jerry Dearing
President & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kate Fowler
Vice President
On filings since 2020
20 hrs/week
$34K (2020) → $31K (2024)
Kristin Dearing
Secretary
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 $31K, to Kate Fowler (Vice President).
Contact
Mailing address: 310 Timberwilde Ln, Houston, TX 77024
Phone: (713) 857-4674
Website: https://dearingfoundation.org
Frequently asked questions about Jerry C Dearing Family Foundation
How much does Jerry C Dearing Family Foundation give each year?
Jerry C Dearing Family Foundation gave $2.6M across 42 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $2.4M across 36 grants.
What is Jerry C Dearing Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Jerry C Dearing Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $50,000, and its average grant was $62,524, across 42 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Jerry C Dearing Family Foundation that year got $53K on average.
Where does Jerry C Dearing Family Foundation give grants?
Jerry C Dearing Family Foundation gives mostly in Texas: 85% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Illinois (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Houston, TX (30 grants), Laguna Beach, CA (2 grants) and New York, NY (2 grants).
Does Jerry C Dearing Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Jerry C Dearing Family Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (42 of 42) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Jerry C Dearing Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Jerry C Dearing Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Methodist ($250,000), Onegoal ($250,000) and Bridgeyear ($150,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 25% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Jerry C Dearing Family Foundation?
Jerry C Dearing Family Foundation reported $49.6M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.7M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $2.8M (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 Jerry C Dearing Family Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated mission is to support Houston-based nonprofits providing health, education, and sustainability services within Houston and Harris County. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Jerry C Dearing Family Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
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.
Does Jerry C Dearing 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.
Here's the math on researching Jerry C Dearing Family Foundation by hand.
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