Otter Island Foundation
The Otter Island Foundation is a private foundation established in 1993 and based in Houston, Texas. As a 501(c)(3) organization, it has maintained tax-exempt status since March 1994. The foundation operates with no employees and maintains total assets of $2.79 million as of 2024.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$2.8M
+2.0% YoY
Annual Giving
$181K
-6.8% YoY
Grant Count
82
-18.8% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$2K
+14.8% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation provides giving primarily for the arts, education, and health and human services. Recent grantmaking reflects diverse interests including annual fund campaigns, education initiatives, abortion access protection, Ukraine support, winter storm relief, and what the foundation describes as "wild causes."
Grantmaking
The foundation demonstrates active grantmaking with 104 grants distributed in 2024. Recent grants include:
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
2024 Financial Summary:
- Total Revenue: $262,783
- Total Expenses: $208,957
- Net Income: $53,826
- Total Assets: $2,788,509
- Total Liabilities: $0
The foundation's revenue composition shows interest revenue as a significant funding source, with contributions received at $0 in 2024.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $2,788,509 | $2,734,683 | $2,823,689 |
| Revenue | $262,783 | $114,611 | $56,194 |
| Expenses | $208,957 | $230,003 | $232,986 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $203,975 | $219,048 | $219,642 |
| Net Investment Income | $259,251 | $104,296 | $46,024 |
| Distributable Amount | $182,754 | $166,509 | $180,216 |
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
250 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
Wheeler Griffith serves as an Officer of the foundation with reported compensation of $25,000 as of November 2025.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ELLEN CL SIMMONS | PRESIDENT,VP,TREASURER | — | — |
| WHEELER ES GRIFFITH | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 10 | $25,000 |
| ABBY S WALKER | DIRECTOR | — | — |
| EMMA A SIMMONS ANSELMI | DIRECTOR | — | — |
| WINNIE B SIMMONS PHILLIPS | DIRECTOR | — | — |
| LYDIA F SIMMONS | DIRECTOR | — | — |
Contact Information
- Address: 1405 North Blvd, Houston, TX 77006-6325
- Phone: 713-220-4482
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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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