Morning Star Family Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation established in 1996 and located in Dallas, Texas. The foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) organization and focuses on distributing grants to charitable organizations across multiple sectors.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$2.0M
-23.4% YoY
Annual Giving
$2.0M
+60.3% YoY
Grant Count
36
+9.1% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$56K
+46.9% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation provides giving for:
- Education
- Youth programs
- Social services
- Christian and Protestant organizations, churches, and ministries
Grantmaking
Average Grant
amount: $36,000
Review Cycle
**Contact Information:**
How to Apply
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation concentrates its grantmaking primarily in Texas, with 99% of grants staying within the state. Grantmaking also reaches organizations in Florida and Arkansas, with support extending across four states total.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Most Recent (2024):
- Total Assets: $1,993,184
- Total Revenues: $1,428,008
- Total Expenses: $2,033,215
- Total Giving: $2,017,450
Historical Trend:
- Total assets have decreased from $6.5 million in 2011 to approximately $2 million in 2024
- Annual giving has grown from $539,000 in 2020 to $1.3 million in 2023
Distribution of Giving (by category):
- 35% to Social & Human Services
- 24% to Religion
- Nearly 10% to Community Development
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $1,993,184 | $2,601,218 | $3,161,108 |
| Revenue | $1,428,008 | $679,849 | $728,066 |
| Expenses | $2,033,215 | $1,287,215 | $1,518,435 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $2,029,115 | $1,258,832 | $1,486,700 |
| Net Investment Income | $191,208 | $114,622 | $153,305 |
| Distributable Amount | $186,942 | $220,527 | $263,030 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
168 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Ellen McStay (Trustee)
- John McStay (Trustee)
- Judge McStay (Trustee)
- Dee Howell (Director)
- Mary E McStay (Principal Officer)
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ELLEN MCSTAY | TRUSTEE/PRES | 8 | — |
| JUDGE MCSTAY | TRUSTEE | 0.1 | — |
| DEE HOWELL | TRUSTEE | 0.1 | — |
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
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Similar funders by location and focus area
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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