Mary E Bivins Foundation
The Mary E. Bivins Foundation is a public charity based in Amarillo, Texas, formed in 1949. Its stated programs include support for eldercare, Christian religious education, and charitable organizations addressing non-recurring needs in the 26 counties of the Texas Panhandle.
Mary E Bivins Foundation at a glance
In short: Mary E Bivins Foundation gave $2.7M across 63 grants in 2025 (avg $43K), mostly in Texas. 38% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $2,716,935
- +5.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 63
- +96.9% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $43,126
- -46.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $153,574,759
- +10.3% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 38% first-time grantees (23 of 60, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Texas (95% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Mary E Bivins Foundation
- Contact
Mailing address: 2311 West 16Th Avenue, Amarillo, TX 79102
Phone: (806) 379-9400
Website: https://bivinsfoundations.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
3 open opportunities from Mary E Bivins Foundation
Mary E. Bivins Foundation Rapid Response Grant
Mary E Bivins Foundation
Amount
Up to US $5,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Mary E. Bivins Foundation: Community Grants
Mary E Bivins Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Mary E. Bivins Foundation: Healthy Seniors Grant
Mary E Bivins Foundation
Amount
US $2,500 - US $25,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who Mary E Bivins Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Panhandle Community Services ($388K across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $1.5M.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($64,425), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
209 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 146 grants of 209 (70%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s 2024 filing describes community and regional funding for qualified nonprofits in the 26 counties of the Texas Panhandle. In 2025, 95% of grant dollars went to recipients in Texas, 4% to Colorado, and 1% to Ohio.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 63 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Mary E Bivins Foundation open to new grantees?
38%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 23 of 60 grantees (38%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $41K; repeat grants $48K. How we count
Medians: $25K first-time, $25K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 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 $899K (2022) to $2.7M (2025). In 2025 it made 63 grants totaling $2.7M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Panhandle Community Services Amarillo, TX | Mental Health | $375,000 |
| Meadows Mental Health Policy Instit Dallas, TX | Behavioral Health Ce | $300,000 |
| The Bridge Amarillo, TX | Building | $150,000 |
| Presbyterian Home for Children Amarillo, TX | Building Renovation | $138,000 |
| Downtown Women's Center Amarillo, TX | Equipment | $100,000 |
| Ogallala Commons Inc Springfield, CO | Food Hub | $100,000 |
| Storybridge Inc Amarillo, TX | Library Program | $96,000 |
| Perryton and Vicinity Activities Ce Perryton, TX | ROOF | $86,355 |
| 1 grant to individuals Recipients not named | — | $64,425 |
| Don Harrington Discovery Center Fou Amarillo, TX | ROOF | $50,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $153,574,759 | $6,679,938 | $4,717,386 | $2,716,935 | 63 | $3,886,889 |
| 2024 | $139,235,310 | $7,827,167 | $4,572,297 | $2,570,870 | 32 | $2,715,438 |
| 2023 | $109,322,513 | $7,251,451 | $4,131,474 | $2,353,058 | 54 | $940,546 |
| 2022 | $97,464,834 | $5,662,702 | $2,720,410 | $899,286 | 23 | $1,906,393 |
| 2021 | $114,509,781 | $7,900,290 | $3,329,303 | $1,794,270 | 37 | $4,440,874 |
| 2020 | $101,100,638 | $8,372,346 | $2,774,434 | $1,243,281 | 29 | $1,843,991 |
| 2019 | $90,115,909 | $8,930,263 | $2,829,087 | $1,131,359 | 27 | $2,099,465 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s stated purposes include benefiting nursing homes for worthy, aged, and needy people, including people with Alzheimer’s disease; supporting worthy Christian religious undertakings and the education of ministers; and supporting charitable organizations serving worthy, aged, or needy people. Its filing describes community and regional funding for non-recurring needs of qualified nonprofits in the 26 Texas Panhandle counties, with preference for purposes that further its eldercare objective. It also describes scholarships for upper-class and graduate students studying toward degrees that prepare them to preach the Christian religion.
The 2025 grants show support for organizations working in areas including mental health, children’s services, homelessness and recovery, literacy, community recreation, and food systems. For example, Panhandle Community Services says its mission is to help Panhandle families move from poverty toward self-sufficiency; The Bridge says it works to empower Texas Panhandle children through healing and justice; and Storybridge says it aims for children in the Amarillo area to own age-appropriate books and enter kindergarten ready to learn to read. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not the foundation’s.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 63 grants totaling $2,716,935. Grants ranged from $6,836 to $375,000, with a median grant of $25,000.
Among the largest reported grants were $375,000 to Panhandle Community Services for mental health, $300,000 to the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute for behavioral health, $150,000 to The Bridge for building, and $138,000 to Presbyterian Home for Children for building renovation. Other large awards included $100,000 to Downtown Women’s Center for equipment, $100,000 to Ogallala Commons for a food hub, and $96,000 to Storybridge for a library program.
The foundation’s 2024 filing says it requires a signed grant agreement before disbursing funds. Grantees must submit detailed monthly, quarterly, or annual financial statements to the grants program officer for review of continuing eligibility. The filing also says the foundation scrutinizes grantees’ Form 990 filings, financial stability, and good-standing status with the Texas Comptroller’s Office.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Officers and directors listed on the 2025 filing are Katharyn Wiegand, president; Paul Sneed, chief financial officer; Steve Urban, chairman; Mark Bivins, vice chairman; Puff Niegos, secretary; Julie Attebury, chair elect; and directors Ernie Boyd, Julie Bivins, Barbie Jones, and Gary Pitner.
Mary E Bivins Foundation is led by Katharyn Wiegand, President on every filing since 2019; 2 of 11 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Katharyn Wiegand
President
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
$109K (2019) → $223K (2025)
Steve Urban
Chairman
Director → Chairman, 2021
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Barbie Jones
Director
On filings since 2022
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Julie Bivins
Director
On filings since 2023
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kevin Mitchell
Director
On filings since 2023
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ernie Boyd
Director
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Gary Pitner
Director
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Paul Sneed
Chief Finance of
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
$161K (2019) → $173K (2025)
Julie Attebury
Chair Elect
Director → Chair Elect, 2025
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mark Bivins
Vice Chairman
Director → Vice Chairman, 2023
On filings since 2022
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Puff Niegos
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2023
On filings since 2022
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (11)
- Former: Bud Joyner (2019–2024) — Past Board C
- Former: Paul Matney PhD (2021–2024) — Director
- Former: Melvin Fowler (2019–2022) — Secretary
- Former: Tom Bivins (2019–2022) — Vice Chairman
- Former: Miles Childers (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Lulu Cowan (2021) — Director
- Former: Reagan Hales (2021) — Director
- Former: Alan Keister MD (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Deborah Kohler (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Gary Fletcher (2019–2020) — Chairman
- Former: Judy Day (2019–2020) — President -
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 $223K, to Katharyn Wiegand (President). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Mary E Bivins Foundation
How much does Mary E Bivins Foundation give each year?
Mary E Bivins Foundation gave $2.7M across 63 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $2.6M across 32 grants.
What is Mary E Bivins Foundation's typical grant size?
Mary E Bivins Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $25,000, and its average grant was $43,126, across 63 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Mary E Bivins Foundation that year got $41K on average.
Where does Mary E Bivins Foundation give grants?
Mary E Bivins Foundation gives mostly in Texas: 95% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Amarillo, TX (26 grants), Borger, TX (4 grants), Pampa, TX (3 grants) and Dumas, TX (3 grants).
Does Mary E Bivins Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 63 grants with a stated purpose on Mary E Bivins Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Food" (7 grants), "Senior Food" (3 grants) and "Operations" (3 grants).
Who are Mary E Bivins Foundation's largest grantees?
Mary E Bivins Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Panhandle Community Services ($387,500 across 2 grants), Meadows Mental Health Policy Instit ($300,000) and The Bridge ($150,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($64,425), which are not listed by name. Together they received 31% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Mary E Bivins Foundation?
Mary E Bivins Foundation reported $153.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $6.7M.
What does Mary E Bivins Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated purposes include benefiting nursing homes for worthy, aged, and needy people, including people with Alzheimer’s disease; supporting worthy Christian religious undertakings and the education of ministers; and supporting charitable organizations serving worthy, aged, or needy people. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Mary E Bivins Foundation?
Mary E Bivins Foundation has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check bivinsfoundations.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Mary E Bivins Foundation's EIN?
Mary E Bivins Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 75-0842370. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS August 12, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS August 12, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS August 8, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS August 13, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS August 12, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS August 12, 2020)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS July 30, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Mary E Bivins Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Mary E Bivins Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/mary-e-bivins-foundation-morg_1d7d4471be1e4c1990fa07b538551011
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_750842370_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Mary E Bivins Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/mary-e-bivins-foundation-morg_1d7d4471be1e4c1990fa07b538551011},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Mary E Bivins 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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