Mercedes T Bass Charitable Corporation
Mercedes T Bass Charitable Corporation is a private foundation based in Fort Worth, Texas. Its 2025 grants supported organizations in the performing arts, education, hunger relief, animal care, and other fields.
Mercedes T Bass Charitable Corporation at a glance
In short: Mercedes T Bass Charitable Corporation gave $2.3M across 17 grants in 2025 (avg $138K), mostly in Texas. 29% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $2,337,500
- -27.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 17
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $137,500
- -27.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $1,149,806
- +81.6% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 29% first-time grantees (5 of 17, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Texas (95% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Mercedes T Bass Charitable Corporation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 201 Main Street 2300, Fort Worth, TX 76102
Phone: (817) 390-8400
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Mercedes T Bass Charitable Corporation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra ($2.1M). Together the top 10 received $2.3M.
Grant Size Distribution
93 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 71 grants of 93 (76%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 95% of grant dollars went to recipients in Texas, 3% to recipients in New York, and 1% to recipients in Washington, DC.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 17 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Mercedes T Bass Charitable Corporation open to new grantees?
29%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 5 of 17 grantees (29%) were first-time recipients. With only 17 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $23K; repeat grants $185K. How we count
Medians: $15K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 59% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+4%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above 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 $2.3M (2022) to $4.8M (2020). In 2025 it made 17 grants totaling $2.3M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra Fort Worth, TX | General Purpose | $2,051,500 |
| The Texas Cultural Trust Austin, TX | General Purpose | $50,000 |
| Dallas Symphony Orchestra Dallas, TX | General Purpose | $40,000 |
| Caminos Del Inka Fort Worth, TX | General Purpose | $35,000 |
| Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts Inc New York, NY | General Purpose | $35,000 |
| The Aspen Institute Washington, DC | General Purpose | $35,000 |
| Robert B Silvers Foundation New York, NY | General Purpose | $15,000 |
| Tarrant Area Food Bank Fort Worth, TX | General Purpose | $15,000 |
| Fort Worth Youth Orchestra Fort Worth, TX | General Purpose | $10,000 |
| Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth Fort Worth, TX | General Purpose | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Mercedes T Bass Charitable Corporation?
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 | $1,149,806 | $2,854,576 | $2,338,050 | $2,337,500 | 17 | $2,337,500 | $39,576 | $48,105 |
| 2024 | $633,064 | $3,247,847 | $7,231,294 | $3,230,950 | 17 | $3,230,950 | $24,014 | $48,788 |
| 2023 | $616,167 | $2,460,000 | $3,008,333 | $3,008,333 | 19 | $3,008,333 | — | $56,931 |
| 2022 | $1,164,500 | $3,000,333 | $2,251,333 | $2,251,333 | 21 | $2,251,333 | — | $51,522 |
| 2021 | $415,500 | $3,275,000 | $2,859,500 | $2,859,500 | 19 | — | — | $38,765 |
| 2020 | — | $3,502,489 | $4,784,863 | $4,783,163 | 23 | — | — | $21,815 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Mercedes T Bass Charitable Corporation reported a distributable amount of $48K 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
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its grants show support for organizations including arts and cultural institutions, a food bank, an animal medical center, and organizations serving students and families.
The Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra describes its mission as presenting symphonic music and music education programs. Tarrant Area Food Bank says its mission is to empower its community to alleviate hunger and improve health. The Animal Medical Center describes its work as providing animal care and advancing veterinary medicine through research and education. These are the grantees’ stated missions.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 17 grants totaling $2,337,500. Grant amounts ranged from $3,000 to $2,051,500, with a median of $10,000. The largest grant was $2,051,500 to the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra for general purposes. Other notable grants included $50,000 to The Texas Cultural Trust, $40,000 to the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and $35,000 each to Caminos del Inka, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, and The Aspen Institute; each was listed for general purposes.
The foundation reported 17 grants totaling $3,230,950 in 2024 and 19 grants totaling $3,008,333 in 2023.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Mercedes T Bass as president and director; Fernanda M Kellogg as vice president and director; Thomas W White as vice president, secretary, and treasurer; Gary W Reese as vice president and assistant treasurer; and Harriet O’Neill as vice president and director.
Mercedes T Bass Charitable Corporation is led by Mercedes T. Bass, President & Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 5 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Mercedes T. Bass
President & Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Fernanda M. Kellogg
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Harriet O'Neill
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Gary W. Reese
Vice President & Assistant Treasurer
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Thomas W. White
Vice President, Secretary & Treasurer
Vice President, Secretary & T → Vice President, Secretary & Treasurer, 2021
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Ann Hudson (2020–2022) — Vice President & Director
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.
Frequently asked questions about Mercedes T Bass Charitable Corporation
How much does Mercedes T Bass Charitable Corporation give each year?
Mercedes T Bass Charitable Corporation gave $2.3M across 17 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $3.2M across 17 grants.
What is Mercedes T Bass Charitable Corporation's typical grant size?
Mercedes T Bass Charitable Corporation's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $137,500, across 17 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Mercedes T Bass Charitable Corporation that year got $23K on average.
Where does Mercedes T Bass Charitable Corporation give grants?
Mercedes T Bass Charitable Corporation gives mostly in Texas: 95% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Fort Worth, TX (8 grants) and New York, NY (5 grants).
Does Mercedes T Bass Charitable Corporation give general operating support?
Yes: 94% of Mercedes T Bass Charitable Corporation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (16 of 17) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Mercedes T Bass Charitable Corporation's largest grantees?
Mercedes T Bass Charitable Corporation's largest 2025 grantees include Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra ($2,051,500), The Texas Cultural Trust ($50,000) and Dallas Symphony Orchestra ($40,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 92% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Mercedes T Bass Charitable Corporation?
Mercedes T Bass Charitable Corporation reported $1.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.3M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $48K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Mercedes T Bass Charitable Corporation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its grants show support for organizations including arts and cultural institutions, a food bank, an animal medical center, and organizations serving students and families. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Mercedes T Bass Charitable Corporation?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Mercedes T Bass Charitable Corporation's EIN?
Mercedes T Bass Charitable Corporation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-8666619. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Mercedes T Bass Charitable Corporation 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.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS April 29, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 2, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS January 20, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 20, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS December 9, 2024)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 5, 2026)
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Mercedes T Bass Charitable Corporation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/mercedes-t-bass-charitable-corporation-morg_adae63bb99d949d2ae32d535470f4f29
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_208666619_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Mercedes T Bass Charitable Corporation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/mercedes-t-bass-charitable-corporation-morg_adae63bb99d949d2ae32d535470f4f29},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-05. 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 Mercedes T Bass Charitable Corporation'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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