Otter Island Foundation

HOUSTON, TX EIN: 76-0421104

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

-18.8% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$2K

+14.8% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Otter Island Foundation reported a distributable amount of $183K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

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

Maine $177K (35%)

Texas $92K (18%)

New York $46K (9%)

California $43K (8%)

Colorado $35K (7%)

Connecticut $35K (7%)

Massachusetts $32K (6%)

New Hampshire $15K (3%)

+12 more states

States

Alabama California Colorado Connecticut District of Columbia Georgia Iowa Illinois Massachusetts Maine North Carolina New Hampshire New York Ohio Oregon Rhode Island Tennessee Texas Utah Virginia

Cities

ArvadaAtlantaAugustaAuroraAustinBar HarborBellaireBerkleyBostonBoulderBrewerCamdenCanterburyCape ElizabethCharlottesvilleChicagoCincinnatiColorado SpringsConcordDavis

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.

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

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

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Connecticut College ($27,000), Island Institute ($13,500), Friends of the Strand Theatre ($12,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
ALFORD LAKE CAMP CAPE ELIZABETH, ME	SCHOLARSHIPS	$500
ALLEY THEATRE HOUSTON, TX	ANNUAL FUND CAMPAIGN	$1,000
ALZHEIMER'S FOUNDATION OF AMERICA NEW YORK, NY	ANNUAL FUND CAMPAIGN	$3,000
AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION FOUNDATION NEW YORK, NY	ANNUAL FUND	$3,000
ANNUNCIATION ORTHODOX SCHOOL HOUSTON, TX	ANNUAL FUND CAMPAIGN	$1,000
AOS FOUNDATION FITZPATRICK, AL	ANNUAL FUND	$1,000
ARMS WIDE OPEN HOUSTON, TX	ANNUAL FUND	$250
BAY CHAMBER CONCERTS ROCKPORT, ME	ANNUAL FUND CAMPAIGN	$500
BERKLEY REPERTORY THEATER BERKLEY, CA	ANNUAL FUND	$500
BOULDER JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER BOULDER, CO	ANNUAL FUND CAMPAIGN	$500

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

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Otter Island Foundation fund?

How do I apply for a grant from Otter Island Foundation?

The foundation demonstrates active grantmaking with 104 grants distributed in 2024. Recent grants include: • Connecticut College (Education Fund): $27,000 • Island Institute (Annual Fund Campaign): $13,500 • Friends of the Strand Theatre (Annual Fund Campaign): $12,000 Total grant distributions in 2024 reached approximately $151,789 across 58 documented grants. The foundation's grantees have included the Farnsworth Art Museum and other organizations across multiple sectors.

What size grants does Otter Island Foundation award?

In 2024, Otter Island Foundation awarded 82 grants totaling $181K — an average of about $2K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Otter Island Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Otter Island Foundation reported a distributable amount of $183K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.