Laverne & Thomas Howell Foundation
The Laverne & Thomas Howell Foundation is a private foundation based in Corpus Christi, Texas. It makes annual grants to qualifying charitable organizations, with its guidelines requiring recipients to be located in Nueces County.
Key facts about Laverne & Thomas Howell Foundation
In short: Laverne & Thomas Howell Foundation gave $784K across 25 grants in 2025 (avg $31K), mostly in Texas. 32% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 46-0501821
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $784,092
- Grants made (2025)
- 25
- Average grant
- $31,364
- Median grant
- $15,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 32% first-time grantees (8 of 25, 2025)
- Total assets
- $14,462,185
- Primary geography
- Texas (96% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The Foundation’s 2025 filing states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Full details ↓
- Deadline
- The website requests letters of inquiry before May 1.
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 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 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$14.5M
+0.5% YoY
Annual Giving
$784K
+15.4% YoY
Grant Count
25
+25.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$31K
-7.7% YoY
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.
Is Laverne & Thomas Howell Foundation open to new grantees?
32%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 8 of 25 grantees (32%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $14K; repeat grants $39K. How we count
Medians: $13K first-time, $17K 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.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Foundation does not state a mission in the available materials. Its guidelines require grantees to qualify under sections 501(c)(3) and 509(a)(1) or 509(a)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code, appear in the IRS Cumulative List of Organizations, and be located in Nueces County, Texas. Grantees must sign a grant agreement and report to the Board on how funds were used.
The 2025 recipients illustrate the range of organizations supported. Timon’s Ministries describes its work as outreach and assistance to homeless people and families in need in the Coastal Bend. Compassionate Care Medical Clinic says it provides free medical services to uninsured and underserved people. Corpus Christi Metro Ministries describes work feeding people facing hunger, sheltering people experiencing homelessness, and building futures. Tennis Success says it provides tennis, education, and healthy-living programs for at-risk youth. These are descriptions supplied by the grantees, not a stated mission of the Foundation.
Grantmaking
The Foundation’s IRS filing data reports 25 grants totaling $784,092 in 2025. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $357,000, with a median of $15,000. The Foundation’s website says its grants are generally distributed annually, with the Board beginning its review in late May or early June and usually distributing grants by October. A grant-program listing gives an award range of $5,000–$5,000.
Review Cycle
The website requests letters of inquiry before May 1.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Laverne & Thomas Howell Foundation
Ready to take the next step with Laverne & Thomas Howell Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation’s guidelines limit eligible charities to organizations located in Nueces County, Texas. Its 2025 grants were concentrated in Texas: 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
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.
Grant Insights
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%).
Giving History
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 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Grant total | Number of grants |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $784,092 | 25 |
| 2024 | $679,580 | 20 |
| 2023 | $732,420 | 24 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $14,462,185 | $14,391,781 | $13,999,514 |
| Revenue | $1,107,062 | $1,321,005 | $1,574,368 |
| Expenses | $1,036,658 | $928,738 | $935,959 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $888,854 | $785,243 | $826,167 |
| Net Investment Income | $984,797 | $1,199,394 | $1,466,938 |
| Distributable Amount | $951,198 | $889,755 | $773,327 |
Data update history
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
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The Foundation’s Board of Directors consists of Christopher J. Davis, Martin C. Davis, and Gary B. Pearce. Christopher J. Davis and Martin C. Davis are the managing co-directors responsible for day-to-day operations. The 2025 filing lists Martin C. Davis and Christopher Davis as managing directors and Gary B. Pearce as a director.
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.
Contact
Mailing address: 802 N Carancahua Ste 1500, Corpus Christi, TX 78401
Phone: (361) 882-2272
Website: https://howellfoundationtx.org
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 does not state a mission in the available materials. Its guidelines require grantees to qualify under sections 501(c)(3) and 509(a)(1) or 509(a)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code, appear in the IRS Cumulative List of Organizations, and be located in Nueces County, Texas. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Laverne & Thomas Howell Foundation?
The Foundation’s 2025 filing states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. 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 September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Here's the math on researching Laverne & Thomas Howell Foundation by hand.
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