Laverne & Thomas Howell Foundation
The Laverne & Thomas Howell Foundation is a private foundation based in Corpus Christi, Texas. Its website says it distributes grants annually, usually to charities selected by its Board or Advisory Board, and that it has made $11,474,351 in grants since 2004.
Laverne & Thomas Howell Foundation at a glance
In short: Laverne & Thomas Howell Foundation gave $784K across 25 grants in 2025 (avg $31K), mostly in Texas. 36% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $784,092
- +15.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 25
- +25.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $31,364
- -7.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $15,000
- Total assets
- $14,462,185
- +0.5% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 36% first-time grantees (9 of 25, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Texas (96% 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 Laverne & Thomas Howell Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- Invitation Only
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests, according to its 2025 filing. Its website also describes a letter-of-inquiry process for qualifying charities, followed by an invitation to submit a full proposal if the foundation is interested.
- Review Cycle
- The website asks that letters of inquiry be sent before May 1. That deadline has passed for 2026.
- Deadline
- The website asks that letters of inquiry be sent before May 1.
- Contact
Mailing address: 802 N Carancahua Ste 1500, Corpus Christi, TX 78401
Phone: (361) 882-2272
Website: https://howellfoundationtx.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 Laverne & Thomas Howell Foundation
Who Laverne & Thomas Howell Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was First United Methodist Church of CC ($357K). Together the top 10 received $617K.
Grant Size Distribution
109 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 99 grants of 109 (91%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The guidelines require eligible charities to be located in Nueces County, Texas. In 2025, 96% of grant dollars went to recipients in Texas, 3% to North Carolina, and 1% to Missouri.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 25 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Laverne & Thomas Howell Foundation open to new grantees?
36%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 9 of 25 grantees (36%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $14K; repeat grants $41K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $19K repeat.
- 60% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−4%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 93% 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 (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $660K (2019) to $819K (2022). In 2025 it made 25 grants totaling $784K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| First United Methodist Church of CC Corpus Christi, TX | Operating Expenses | $357,000 |
| Coastal Bend Community Foundation Corpus Christi, TX | Coastal Bend Day of Giving | $50,000 |
| American Heart Association Corpus Christi, TX | Community Outreach | $30,000 |
| Compassionate Care Medical Clinic Corpus Christi, TX | General Support | $30,000 |
| Timon's Ministries Corpus Christi, TX | Operating Expenses | $30,000 |
| Corpus Christi Metro Ministries Corpus Christi, TX | Operating Expenses | $25,000 |
| Foster Village Corpus Christi Corpus Christi, TX | GERNAL | $25,000 |
| Reformed University Fellowship Charlotte, NC | General | $25,000 |
| Tennis Success Inc Corpus Christi, TX | Operating Expenses | $25,000 |
| Agape Ranch Corpus Christi, TX | General Fund | $20,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Laverne & Thomas Howell Foundation?
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 | $14,462,185 | $1,107,062 | $1,036,658 | $784,092 | 25 | $888,854 | $984,797 | $951,198 |
| 2024 | $14,391,781 | $1,321,005 | $928,738 | $679,580 | 20 | $785,243 | $1,199,394 | $889,755 |
| 2023 | $13,999,514 | $1,574,368 | $935,959 | $732,420 | 24 | $826,167 | $1,466,938 | $773,327 |
| 2022 | $13,361,105 | $374,408 | $1,039,200 | $819,129 | 20 | $910,222 | $265,966 | $823,566 |
| 2021 | $14,025,897 | $1,589,092 | $899,729 | $683,658 | 20 | $766,229 | $1,477,462 | $901,647 |
| 2020 | $13,336,534 | $1,671,883 | $855,479 | $670,616 | 21 | — | $1,573,447 | $760,657 |
| 2019 | $12,520,130 | $1,043,691 | $864,608 | $659,662 | 25 | — | $942,831 | $749,719 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Laverne & Thomas Howell Foundation reported a distributable amount of $951K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s website does not state a mission. Its guidelines describe the charitable purposes it prefers to support, while its 2025 grants show giving to organizations addressing community needs, health care, homelessness, food insecurity, youth programs, and foster care.
For example, Compassionate Care Medical Clinic describes its mission as providing free medical services to uninsured and underserved people. Timon’s Ministries says it provides outreach and assistance to homeless people and needy families in the Coastal Bend. Tennis Success says it offers tennis, education, and healthy-living programs for at-risk youth. These are grantees’ stated missions, not a mission statement for the foundation.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 25 grants totaling $784,092. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $357,000, with a median grant of $15,000. The largest award was $357,000 to First United Methodist Church of Corpus Christi for operating expenses. Other notable grants included $50,000 to Coastal Bend Community Foundation for Coastal Bend Day of Giving; $30,000 each to American Heart Association for community outreach, Compassionate Care Medical Clinic for general support, and Timon’s Ministries for operating expenses; and $25,000 each to Corpus Christi Metro Ministries, Foster Village Corpus Christi, Reformed University Fellowship, and Tennis Success.
The foundation’s website says most grants originate with its Board or Advisory Board. It also describes a process in which qualifying charities may send a letter of inquiry, with an invitation to submit a full proposal if the foundation is interested. The inquiry guidance asks for a brief description of the organization’s mission, proposed program, needs addressed, desired outcomes, and amount requested. Grants require a formal agreement, and recipients must report to the Board on how funds were used. However, the foundation’s 2025 filing states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Martin C. Davis and Christopher Davis as Managing Directors and Gary B. Pearce as a Director. The foundation’s website identifies Christopher J. Davis and Martin C. Davis as Managing Co-Directors responsible for day-to-day operations.
Laverne & Thomas Howell Foundation is led by Martin C. Davis, Managing Director on every filing since 2019; all 3 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Martin C. Davis
Managing Director
On filings since 2019
8 hrs/week
$47K (2019) → $65K (2025)
Christopher Davis
Managing Director
On filings since 2022
8 hrs/week
$50K (2022) → $65K (2025)
Gary B. Pearce
Director
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
$7K (2019) → $9K (2025)
Former officers (1)
- Former: Sandra L. Garrison (2019–2022) — Managing Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 $65K, to Martin C Davis (Managing DIR). 3 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Laverne & Thomas Howell Foundation
How much does Laverne & Thomas Howell Foundation give each year?
Laverne & Thomas Howell Foundation gave $784K across 25 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $680K across 20 grants.
What is Laverne & Thomas Howell Foundation's typical grant size?
Laverne & Thomas Howell Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $15,000, and its average grant was $31,364, across 25 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Laverne & Thomas Howell Foundation that year got $14K on average.
Where does Laverne & Thomas Howell Foundation give grants?
Laverne & Thomas Howell Foundation gives mostly in Texas: 96% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Corpus Christi, TX (22 grants).
Does Laverne & Thomas Howell Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 80% of Laverne & Thomas Howell Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (20 of 25) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Laverne & Thomas Howell Foundation's largest grantees?
Laverne & Thomas Howell Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include First United Methodist Church of CC ($357,000), Coastal Bend Community Foundation ($50,000) and American Heart Association ($30,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 56% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Laverne & Thomas Howell Foundation?
Laverne & Thomas Howell Foundation reported $14.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $889K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $951K (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 Laverne & Thomas Howell Foundation fund?
The foundation’s website does not state a mission. Its guidelines describe the charitable purposes it prefers to support, while its 2025 grants show giving to organizations addressing community needs, health care, homelessness, food insecurity, youth programs, and foster care. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Laverne & Thomas Howell Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests, according to its 2025 filing. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Laverne & Thomas Howell Foundation's EIN?
Laverne & Thomas Howell Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 46-0501821. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Laverne & Thomas Howell 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 October 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 11, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 30, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 5, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 12, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 6, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 19, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 13, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
Live grants for the work Laverne & Thomas Howell Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Laverne & Thomas Howell Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 21, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/laverne-and-thomas-howell-foundation-morg_8583205905f14f4bafc233ad83445265
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_460501821_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Laverne \& Thomas Howell Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/laverne-and-thomas-howell-foundation-morg_8583205905f14f4bafc233ad83445265},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-21. 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 Laverne & Thomas Howell 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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