Nelson Puett Foundation
The Nelson Puett Foundation is a private foundation based in Austin, Texas. Its 2024 filing reports 55 grants totaling $1,308,169, with recipients including Texas organizations working in areas such as historic preservation, education, child and family services, health, and community support.
Nelson Puett Foundation at a glance
In short: Nelson Puett Foundation gave $1.3M across 55 grants in 2024 (avg $24K), mostly in Texas. 31% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,308,169
- -1.5% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 55
- +10.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $23,785
- -10.5% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $5,100
- Total assets
- $17,397,863
- -1.0% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 31% first-time grantees (17 of 54, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Texas (93% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Nelson Puett Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The filing names Nelson Harwood Puett as the contact and requests a history of the organization and proposed use of funds. It states that giving is not restricted to preselected organizations and that there are no restrictions on awards.
- Review Cycle
- None listed.
- Deadline
- None listed.
- Contact
Application contact: Nelson Harwood Puett
Mailing address: PO Box 9038, Austin, TX 78756
Phone: (512) 453-6611
Website: https://nelsonpuettrealestate.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Nelson Puett Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Remember the Alamo Foundation ($510K). Together the top 10 received $1.0M.
Grant Size Distribution
289 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 259 grants of 289 (90%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation is based in Austin, and its 2024 grants were concentrated in Texas: 93% of grant dollars went to recipients in the state. The remaining reported shares were Indiana and Connecticut at 2% each, and Tennessee and North Carolina at 1% each.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 55 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Nelson Puett Foundation open to new grantees?
31%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 17 of 54 grantees (31%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $8K; repeat grants $32K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $8K repeat.
- 57% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+9%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 97% 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 (2020–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $1.2M (2020) to $1.4M (2022). In 2024 it made 55 grants totaling $1.3M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Remember the Alamo Foundation San Antiono, TX | Charitable, Educational, Religious, Scientific & Medical | $510,000 |
| Shikar Safari Club International Houston, TX | Charitable, Educational, Religious, Scientific & Medical | $175,100 |
| Texas Cavaliers Charitable Foundation San Antonio, TX | Charitable, Educational, Religious, Scientific & Medical | $58,000 |
| Communities in Schools Central Texas Austin, TX | Charitable, Educational, Religious, Scientific & Medical | $50,000 |
| Tivy High School Kerrville, TX | Charitable, Educational, Religious, Scientific & Medical | $49,000 |
| Ingram Independent School District Austin, TX | Charitable, Educational, Religious, Scientific & Medical | $48,294 |
| Seedling Foundation Austin, TX | Charitable, Educational, Religious, Scientific & Medical | $45,000 |
| Luling High School Luling, TX | Charitable, Educational, Religious, Scientific & Medical | $38,500 |
| Westminster Presbyterian Church San Antonio, TX | Charitable, Educational, Religious, Scientific & Medical | $26,000 |
| Austin Speech Labs Austin, TX | Charitable, Educational, Religious, Scientific & Medical | $25,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $17,397,863 | $1,158,225 | $1,355,244 | $1,308,169 | 55 | $1,308,169 | $1,127,408 | $1,352,475 |
| 2023 | $17,577,954 | $1,049,506 | $1,355,849 | $1,328,055 | 50 | $1,328,055 | $1,034,506 | $1,289,805 |
| 2022 | $17,803,291 | $934,500 | $1,440,352 | $1,414,503 | 62 | $1,414,503 | $921,565 | $1,343,180 |
| 2021 | $18,194,462 | $946,454 | $1,216,973 | $1,202,485 | 70 | $1,202,485 | $931,966 | $1,398,644 |
| 2020 | $18,140,835 | $792,586 | $1,208,158 | $1,191,053 | 52 | — | $775,481 | $1,202,288 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Nelson Puett Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.4M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No foundation mission statement is provided in the available information. The 2024 filing lists the purpose of its grants as “charitable, educational, religious, scientific & medical.” The reported recipients illustrate support for a range of organizations, but do not establish a narrower set of foundation priorities.
Among the 2024 grantees, the Remember the Alamo Foundation says its mission is to support the Alamo Trust and its preservation, educational outreach, and public programs. The Seedling Foundation describes its work as mitigating the impact of parental incarceration on children in Central Texas through school-based mentoring. Austin Speech Labs says it supports stroke survivors and their loved ones through speech and cognitive therapy. AugustHeart says it provides free heart screenings to teenagers. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not statements of the foundation’s own mission.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 55 grants totaling $1,308,169. Grants ranged from $240 to $510,000, with a median of $5,100.
Notable 2024 grants included $510,000 to the Remember the Alamo Foundation, $175,100 to Shikar Safari Club International, $58,000 to the Texas Cavaliers Charitable Foundation, $50,000 to Communities in Schools Central Texas, and $49,000 to Tivy High School. Other listed grants included $45,000 to the Seedling Foundation, $25,000 to Austin Speech Labs, $23,500 to AugustHeart, and $20,000 to Honduras Good Works.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Nelson Harwood Puett as president; Caroline C. Puett as secretary/treasurer; and Caroline Chenault Puett Price and Elizabeth Barrow Puett as directors. The foundation’s website identifies Nelson Harwood Puett as the son of Nelson Puett, Jr., founder of Nelson Puett & Associates.
Nelson Puett Foundation is led by Nelson Harwood Puett, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Nelson Harwood Puett
President
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Caroline Chenault Puett Price
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Elizabeth Barrow Puett
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Caroline C. Puett
Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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 Nelson Puett Foundation
How much does Nelson Puett Foundation give each year?
Nelson Puett Foundation gave $1.3M across 55 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.3M across 50 grants.
What is Nelson Puett Foundation's typical grant size?
Nelson Puett Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $5,100, and its average grant was $23,785, across 55 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Nelson Puett Foundation that year got $8K on average.
Where does Nelson Puett Foundation give grants?
Nelson Puett Foundation gives mostly in Texas: 93% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Austin, TX (20 grants), San Antonio, TX (5 grants), San Antiono, TX (2 grants) and Houston, TX (2 grants).
Does Nelson Puett Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 55 grants with a stated purpose on Nelson Puett Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable, Educational, Religious, Scientific & Medical" (55 grants).
Who are Nelson Puett Foundation's largest grantees?
Nelson Puett Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Remember the Alamo Foundation ($510,000), Shikar Safari Club International ($175,100) and Texas Cavaliers Charitable Foundation ($58,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 57% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Nelson Puett Foundation?
Nelson Puett Foundation reported $17.4M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.3M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.4M (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 Nelson Puett Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided in the available information. The 2024 filing lists the purpose of its grants as “charitable, educational, religious, scientific & medical.” See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Nelson Puett Foundation?
The filing names Nelson Harwood Puett as the contact and requests a history of the organization and proposed use of funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Nelson Puett Foundation's EIN?
Nelson Puett Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 74-6062365. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Nelson Puett Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/nelson-puett-foundation-morg_1c087db090ae40abb2998ba6459be102
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_746062365_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Nelson Puett Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/nelson-puett-foundation-morg_1c087db090ae40abb2998ba6459be102},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. 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 Nelson Puett 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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