Jesse W Couch Charitable Foundation
The Jesse W Couch Charitable Foundation is a private foundation based in Houston, Texas. It supports initiatives in preservation, education, and wellness, including environmental conservation, community heritage, mental health, and education.
Jesse W Couch Charitable Foundation at a glance
In short: Jesse W Couch Charitable Foundation gave $3.4M across 37 grants in 2025 (avg $92K), mostly in Texas. 49% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $3,397,650
- +40.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 37
- +23.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $91,828
- +14.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $70,000
- Total assets
- $27,664,588
- +0.6% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 49% first-time grantees (18 of 37, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Texas (57% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Jesse W Couch Charitable Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation’s 2025 filing states that it does not accept unsolicited requests and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. However, the foundation’s website describes a J.W. Couch Foundation Grant program as currently open and says it accepts unsolicited applications only from wildlife conservation nonprofit organizations. The available program information does not specify application materials or a submission process.
- Contact
Mailing address: 3737 Buffalo Speedway Suite 200, Houston, TX 77098
Phone: (713) 715-5172
Website: https://jwcouchfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Jesse W Couch Charitable Foundation
Who Jesse W Couch Charitable Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Camp for All ($250K). Together the top 10 received $1.7M.
Grant Size Distribution
193 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 77 grants of 193 (40%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, Texas organizations received 57% of grant dollars, followed by Florida at 19%, North Carolina at 9%, Wyoming at 5%, and Georgia at 3%. These figures describe the locations of listed grant recipients; they do not establish other geographic priorities.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 37 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Jesse W Couch Charitable Foundation open to new grantees?
49%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 18 of 37 grantees (49%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $82K; repeat grants $101K. How we count
Medians: $67K first-time, $89K repeat.
- 32% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 25% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 157% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $1.9M (2020) to $3.4M (2025). In 2025 it made 37 grants totaling $3.4M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Camp for All Houston, TX | To Fund Charitable Activities | $250,000 |
| Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Linville, NC | To Fund Charitable Activities | $250,000 |
| Houston Audobon Houston, TX | To Fund Charitable Activities | $250,000 |
| The Nature Conservancy Winter Park, FL | To Fund Charitable Activities | $175,000 |
| Texas Children's Hospital Houston, TX | To Fund Charitable Activities | $150,000 |
| Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance Santa Rose Beach, FL | To Fund Charitable Activities | $136,500 |
| Jackson Wild Jackson, WY | To Fund Charitable Activities | $125,000 |
| Kipp Texas Houston, TX | To Fund Charitable Activities | $125,000 |
| The Saint Constantine School Houston, TX | To Fund Charitable Activities | $110,000 |
| Arboretum San Antonio San Antonio, TX | To Fund Charitable Activities | $100,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $27,664,588 | $4,113,120 | $3,954,181 | $3,397,650 | 37 | $3,734,806 | $3,893,745 | $2,375,098 |
| 2024 | $27,498,230 | $4,106,396 | $2,905,932 | $2,411,667 | 30 | $2,707,060 | $3,912,599 | $2,243,555 |
| 2023 | $26,293,248 | $1,318,596 | $2,539,221 | $2,055,000 | 31 | $2,167,759 | $1,165,130 | $1,969,297 |
| 2022 | $27,531,078 | $775,539 | $3,633,886 | $2,714,780 | 46 | $3,438,494 | $596,670 | $2,132,926 |
| 2021 | $30,772,101 | $1,083,799 | $2,869,641 | $1,944,000 | 49 | $2,705,738 | $916,495 | $2,327,004 |
| 2020 | $32,557,943 | $1,611,605 | $2,440,866 | $1,858,000 | 36 | — | $1,534,398 | $1,900,526 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Jesse W Couch Charitable Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.4M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s website identifies Preservation, Education, and Wellness as its funding areas. Its program description also says it supports environmental protection, conservation and preservation, historic architecture that preserves community heritage, wellness and mental health, and education.
Examples of grantees’ work illustrate the range of organizations it has supported. Grandfather Mountain Stewardship says its mission is to inspire conservation by helping visitors explore and value the mountain’s natural world. Texas Children’s Hospital describes its mission as improving health for children and women through patient care, education, and research. KIPP Texas says it creates academically excellent schools to prepare students for college, careers, and life. These are descriptions of the grantees’ missions, not statements of the foundation’s own mission.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 37 grants totaling $3,397,650. Grants ranged from $50,000 to $250,000, with a median of $70,000. Among the largest awards were $250,000 each to Camp For All, Grandfather Mountain Stewardship, and Houston Audubon; $175,000 to The Nature Conservancy; and $150,000 to Texas Children’s Hospital. Other notable awards included $125,000 each to Jackson Wild and KIPP Texas, and $100,000 each to Arboretum San Antonio and IDEA Public Schools.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Sean Couch, Larry Maddox, Houston Trust Company, and Jennifer Youngblood as trustees, and Katherine Norris as a director.
Jesse W Couch Charitable Foundation's 2025 filing lists 5 officers; 1 of 5 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Sean Couch
Trustee
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$103K (2020) → $120K (2025)
Houston Trust Company
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Larry Maddox
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jennifer Youngblood
Trustee
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Katherine Norris
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $120K, to Sean Couch (Trustee).
Frequently asked questions about Jesse W Couch Charitable Foundation
How much does Jesse W Couch Charitable Foundation give each year?
Jesse W Couch Charitable Foundation gave $3.4M across 37 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $2.4M across 30 grants.
What is Jesse W Couch Charitable Foundation's typical grant size?
Jesse W Couch Charitable Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $70,000, and its average grant was $91,828, across 37 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Jesse W Couch Charitable Foundation that year got $82K on average.
Where does Jesse W Couch Charitable Foundation give grants?
Jesse W Couch Charitable Foundation gives mostly in Texas: 57% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Florida (19%) and North Carolina (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were Houston, TX (13 grants), Santa Rose Beach, FL (2 grants) and Jackson, WY (2 grants).
Does Jesse W Couch Charitable Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 37 grants with a stated purpose on Jesse W Couch Charitable Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "To Fund Charitable Activities" (37 grants).
Who are Jesse W Couch Charitable Foundation's largest grantees?
Jesse W Couch Charitable Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Camp for All ($250,000), Grandfather Mountain Stewardship ($250,000) and Houston Audobon ($250,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 22% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Jesse W Couch Charitable Foundation?
Jesse W Couch Charitable Foundation reported $27.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $3.7M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $2.4M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Jesse W Couch Charitable Foundation fund?
The foundation’s website identifies Preservation, Education, and Wellness as its funding areas. Its program description also says it supports environmental protection, conservation and preservation, historic architecture that preserves community heritage, wellness and mental health, and education. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Jesse W Couch Charitable Foundation?
The foundation’s 2025 filing states that it does not accept unsolicited requests 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 Jesse W Couch Charitable Foundation's EIN?
Jesse W Couch Charitable Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 81-1587228. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 13, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Jesse W Couch Charitable Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Jesse W Couch Charitable Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/jesse-w-couch-charitable-foundation-morg_f0398c8cdbb74276bff5b5bf71321e03
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_811587228_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Jesse W Couch Charitable Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/jesse-w-couch-charitable-foundation-morg_f0398c8cdbb74276bff5b5bf71321e03},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Jesse W Couch Charitable 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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