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
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Morning Star Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $187K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
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
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Dallas Leadership Foundation ($540,000), Highland Park Presbyterian Church ($520,250), Our Calling Inc ($360,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| ACT - ADVOCATE FOR COMMUNITY TRANSFORMATION DALLAS, TX | GENERAL OPERATING | $50,000 |
| AUSTIN STREET CENTER DALLAS, TX | GENERAL OPERATING | $20,000 |
| BEHIND EVERY DOOR DALLAS, TX | GENERAL OPERATING | $20,000 |
| BROTHER BILL'S HELPING HAND DALLAS, TX | GENERAL OPERATING | $20,000 |
| BWF PROJECT HAWKINS, TX | GENERAL OPERATING | $15,000 |
| CAMP JOHN MARC DALLAS, TX | YOUTH PROGRAMS | $20,250 |
| CARECENTER MINISTRIES DALLAS, TX | GENERAL OPERATING | $10,000 |
| CITYSQUARE DALLAS, TX | GENERAL OPERATING | $10,000 |
| COUNCIL FOR LIFE DALLAS, TX | GENERAL OPERATING | $11,500 |
| CRU MINISTRY ORLANDO, FL | GENERAL OPERATING | $5,000 |
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
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Morning Star Family Foundation fund?
The foundation provides giving for: • Education • Youth programs • Social services • Christian and Protestant organizations, churches, and ministries
How do I apply for a grant from Morning Star Family Foundation?
**Grant Activity:** • The foundation makes grants exclusively to preselected charitable organizations • Recent grants (2024) include: • Dallas Leadership Foundation: $540,000 (General Operating) • Highland Park Presbyterian Church: $520,250 (General Operating) • St Philips School & Community Center: $65,250 (General Operating) **Grant Characteristics:** • Typical award range: $250–$540,000 • Average grant amount: $36,000 • Median grant amount: $15,000 • Historical grantmaking: 132 grants totali…
Where does Morning Star Family Foundation make 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.
What size grants does Morning Star Family Foundation award?
In 2024, Morning Star Family Foundation awarded 36 grants totaling $2.0M — an average of about $56K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Morning Star Family Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Morning Star Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $187K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Morning Star Family Foundation's EIN?
Morning Star Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 75-2682211. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Morning Star Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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