Mary Louise Dobson Foundation
The Mary Louise Dobson Foundation is a private foundation based in Wharton, Texas. Established in 2001 by Mary Louise Dobson, it supports charitable organizations, with an emphasis on improving the lives of young people in the Wharton County area.
Mary Louise Dobson Foundation at a glance
In short: Mary Louise Dobson Foundation gave $574K across 22 grants in 2025 (avg $26K), mostly in Texas. 50% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $574,188
- -22.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 22
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $26,099
- -22.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $12,850
- Total assets
- $15,220,435
- +4.5% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 50% first-time grantees (10 of 20, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Texas (100% 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 Mary Louise Dobson Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The website describes a two-step process: submit a qualification page for foundation approval, then complete the grant application. Applicants are asked for a one-page project description and proof of 501(c)(3) status. The website’s application materials include project and organizational budgets, year-to-date financial reports, current board information, and financial statements; it also lists a recent audited financial report among its application checklist items. The foundation states that it does not make grants to individuals or loans, and that it supports scholarship programs but does not select individual scholarship recipients.
- Review Cycle
- The website lists April 1 and October 1 for meetings occurring in the following months. The 2025 filing states that deadlines are continuous.
- Deadline
- The website lists April 1 and October 1 for meetings occurring in the following months.
- Contact
Application contact: Mary Louise Dobson Foundation
Mailing address: PO Box 588, Wharton, TX 77488
Phone: (979) 533-2441
Email: hello@marylouisedobsonfoundation.org
Website: https://marylouisedobsonfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Mary Louise Dobson Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Boys & Girls Club-Greater Houston ($300K). Together the top 10 received $504K.
Organizations only. It also paid 2 grants to individuals ($20,657), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
105 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 95 grants of 105 (90%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s stated primary geographic focus is the Wharton County area. Its guidelines say it considers applications from organizations in Wharton County and may consider projects outside that area when they benefit citizens of the specified counties. In 2025, all reported grant dollars went to Texas recipients, including organizations in Wharton, El Campo, Houston, and Boling.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 22 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Mary Louise Dobson Foundation open to new grantees?
50%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 10 of 20 grantees (50%) were first-time recipients. With only 20 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $13K; repeat grants $44K. How we count
Medians: $13K first-time, $20K repeat.
- 30% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−15%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 77% 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 $445K (2019) to $790K (2023). In 2025 it made 22 grants totaling $574K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Boys & Girls Club-Greater Houston Houston, TX | General Operating-Wharton Campus | $300,000 |
| Just Do It Now Inc Wharton, TX | General Operations | $30,000 |
| Wharton ISD-ROAR Wharton, TX | Provide dual credit courses | $30,000 |
| Boys & Girls Club of El Campo El Campo, TX | General Operations | $25,000 |
| Wharton ISD-CIS Wharton, TX | Community in Schools Program | $25,000 |
| Team Wharton Inc Wharton, TX | General Operations | $25,000 |
| Wharton County Junior College Wharton, TX | Scholarships | $24,000 |
| 2 grants to individuals Recipients not named | — | $20,657 |
| Blessing Cup Storehouse El Campo, TX | Upgrade Interior lighting | $15,350 |
| 20th Century Technology Museum Wharton, TX | General Operating Support | $15,141 |
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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 | $15,220,435 | $1,055,471 | $856,741 | $574,188 | 22 | $675,207 | $878,812 | $878,065 |
| 2024 | $14,568,621 | $1,650,585 | $1,011,757 | $735,882 | 22 | $825,599 | $1,473,916 | $755,634 |
| 2023 | $13,782,579 | $785,265 | $1,012,580 | $789,727 | 26 | $880,235 | $308,588 | $676,747 |
| 2022 | $15,621,515 | $1,209,858 | $934,245 | $678,525 | 23 | $788,169 | $327,073 | $773,419 |
| 2021 | $16,243,370 | $2,024,493 | $930,038 | $646,491 | 12 | $661,403 | $178,211 | $687,017 |
| 2020 | $14,952,254 | $571,522 | $875,254 | $627,946 | 15 | — | $133,659 | $630,814 |
| 2019 | $10,530,380 | $811,505 | $688,322 | $444,875 | 10 | — | $136,454 | $485,248 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Mary Louise Dobson Foundation reported a distributable amount of $878K 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 mission is to support charitable organizations, emphasizing the well-being of youth in the Wharton County area while not excluding other charitable organizations. Its stated areas of support include Boys & Girls Clubs, youth athletics, education from infant care through college and career readiness, capital projects, operating assistance for youth organizations, healthcare, and local family assistance.
The foundation considers applications from 501(c)(3) organizations and public charities. Its guidelines identify Wharton County as the primary service area; projects outside the area have sometimes been considered when they benefit people in the specified counties. In 2025, it funded organizations whose own stated missions included building community through education and support (Just Do It Now Inc.), helping young people reach their full potential (Boys & Girls Club of El Campo), and promoting longer, healthier lives (American Heart Association).
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 22 grants totaling $574,188. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $300,000, with a median of $12,850. All reported grant dollars went to recipients in Texas.
The largest 2025 grant was $300,000 to Boys & Girls Club-Greater Houston for general operating support at its Wharton campus. Other notable awards included $30,000 to Just Do It Now Inc. for general operations and $30,000 to Wharton ISD-ROAR for dual-credit courses. Additional grants included $25,000 to Boys & Girls Club of El Campo for general operations, $25,000 to Wharton ISD-CIS for its Community in Schools Program, and $24,000 to Wharton County Junior College for scholarships.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Abby King as executive director; Jimmy Schulz as president; Don Hillis as treasurer and director; Sarah Armour as secretary and director; Jane Dobson as vice president and director; and Ron Sanders, Dwight D King, John Dettling, and Terence Ward as directors.
Mary Louise Dobson Foundation is led by Abby King, Executive Director since 2024 (on filings since 2019); 1 of 9 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Abby King
Executive Director
Executive Director → Executive Di, 2023
Executive Di → Executive Director, 2024
On filings since 2019
35 hrs/week
$90K (2019) → $99K (2025)
Jimmy Schulz
President
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Dwight D King
Director
Executive Officio → Director, 2020
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ron Sanders
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sarah W. Armour
Secretary Director
Director → Secretary Director, 2024
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John Dettling
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Terence Ward
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Don Hillis
Treasurer Dr
Director → Treasurer Dr, 2024
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jane Dobson
Vice President Director
Vice President → Vice President Director, 2024
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Billie H. Jones (2019–2022) — Secretary & Treasurer
- Former: Jane Dobson Rice (2019–2021) — Vice 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 $99K, to Abby King (Exec Dir).
Frequently asked questions about Mary Louise Dobson Foundation
How much does Mary Louise Dobson Foundation give each year?
Mary Louise Dobson Foundation gave $574K across 22 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $736K across 22 grants.
What is Mary Louise Dobson Foundation's typical grant size?
Mary Louise Dobson Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $12,850, and its average grant was $26,099, across 22 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Mary Louise Dobson Foundation that year got $13K on average.
Where does Mary Louise Dobson Foundation give grants?
Mary Louise Dobson Foundation gives mostly in Texas: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Wharton, TX (11 grants), Houston, TX (4 grants) and El Campo, TX (2 grants).
Does Mary Louise Dobson Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 36% of Mary Louise Dobson Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (8 of 22) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Mary Louise Dobson Foundation's largest grantees?
Mary Louise Dobson Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Boys & Girls Club-Greater Houston ($300,000), Just Do It Now Inc ($30,000) and Wharton ISD-ROAR ($30,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 2 grants to individuals ($20,657), which are not listed by name. Together they received 63% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Mary Louise Dobson Foundation?
Mary Louise Dobson Foundation reported $15.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $675K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $878K (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 Mary Louise Dobson Foundation fund?
The foundation’s mission is to support charitable organizations, emphasizing the well-being of youth in the Wharton County area while not excluding other charitable organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Mary Louise Dobson Foundation?
The website describes a two-step process: submit a qualification page for foundation approval, then complete the grant application. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Mary Louise Dobson Foundation's EIN?
Mary Louise Dobson Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 76-0690889. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(4)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS January 6, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 11, 2023)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 12, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Mary Louise Dobson Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/mary-louise-dobson-foundation-morg_e5d4c1237a5b426a8761b3a20d0e5798
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_760690889_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Mary Louise Dobson Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/mary-louise-dobson-foundation-morg_e5d4c1237a5b426a8761b3a20d0e5798},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Louise Dobson 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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