Paul L Foster Family Foundation
The Paul L. Foster Family Foundation is a private foundation based in El Paso, Texas. It supports scientific, literary, and educational endeavors through contributions to exempt charitable organizations.
Key facts about Paul L Foster Family Foundation
In short: Paul L Foster Family Foundation gave $1.1M across 21 grants in 2024 (avg $54K), mostly in Texas. 57% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 26-1939994
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,138,854
- Grants made (2024)
- 21
- Average grant
- $54,231
- Median grant
- $22,700
- New grantees (estimate)
- 57% first-time grantees (12 of 21, 2024; small sample)
- Total assets
- $11,642,595
- Primary geography
- Texas (96% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$11.6M
-36.5% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.1M
+98.7% YoY
Grant Count
21
+133.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$54K
-14.8% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Paul L Foster Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.5M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is Paul L Foster Family Foundation open to new grantees?
57%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 12 of 21 grantees (57%) were first-time recipients. With only 21 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $68K; repeat grants $35K. How we count
Medians: $15K first-time, $23K repeat.
- 29% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 344% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 76% 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.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s stated mission is to support scientific, literary, and educational endeavors by exempt charitable organizations. Its 2024 grants included general and operational support, a project contribution, a scholarship contribution, and donations to organizations working in areas such as community news, hunger relief, philanthropy, business leadership, health care, and opera.
The grantees describe their own missions in varied terms. For example, El Pasoans Fighting Hunger says it works to combat hunger in its region by procuring and distributing nutritious food; STARS Scholarship Fund says it awards college scholarships to students in 31 South and West Texas counties; and El Paso Matters says it produces and distributes original news and news-based materials of community value.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 21 grants totaling $1,138,854. Grants ranged from $2,500 to $300,000, with a median of $22,700.
Among its largest 2024 grants were $300,000 to Paso del Norte Children’s Development Center for general support; $256,824 to Amigo Airsho Inc. for general support; $110,000 to Paso del Norte Community Foundation for the EPMA Star Ceiling Project; and $100,000 each to El Paso Matters for operational support and El Pasoans Fighting Hunger for general support. The foundation also gave $90,000 to The University of Texas at El Paso for the Climb Higher Fund.
How to Apply
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
Ready to take the next step with Paul L Foster Family Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 96% of grant dollars went to recipients in Texas, 2% to recipients in the District of Columbia, and 2% to recipients in Colorado. Many of the listed Texas grantees are based in El Paso.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 21 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $256K (2021) to $3.8M (2020). In 2024 it made 21 grants totaling $1.1M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Paso Del Norte Childrens Development Center ($300K). Together the top 10 received $1.1M.
Grant Size Distribution
62 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 39 grants of 62 (63%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Paso Del Norte Childrens Development Center El Paso, TX | General Support | $300,000 |
| Amigo Airsho Inc El Paso, TX | General Support | $256,824 |
| Paso Del Norte Community Foundation El Paso, TX | Epma Star Ceiling Project | $110,000 |
| El Paso Matters El Paso, TX | Grant for Operational Support | $100,000 |
| El Pasoans Fighting Hunger El Paso, TX | General Support | $100,000 |
| The University of Texas at El Paso El Paso, TX | Climb Higher Fund | $90,000 |
| American National Red Cross Washington, DC | General Support | $25,000 |
| Texas Tech Foundation Inc Lubbock, TX | Donation: Weather Station Project | $25,000 |
| Stars Scholarship Fund McAllen, TX | Scholarship Grant Contribution | $23,500 |
| Texas Business Hall of Fame Foundation Houston, TX | TBHF 2024 Annual Induction Dinner Table Sponsorship | $23,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grant sum | Grant count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $11,642,595 | $1,361,503 | $4,162,873 | $1,138,854 | 21 |
| 2023 | $18,337,090 | $179,666 | $745,405 | $573,102 | 9 |
| 2022 | $20,502,761 | $199,394 | $2,882,870 | $2,091,950 | 13 |
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $11,642,595 | $18,337,090 | $20,502,761 |
| Revenue | $1,361,503 | $179,666 | $199,394 |
| Expenses | $4,162,873 | $745,405 | $2,882,870 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $1,156,158 | $582,842 | $2,566,950 |
| Net Investment Income | $818,845 | $918,108 | $5,637,260 |
| Distributable Amount | $1,514,104 | $893,841 | $2,345,236 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Paul L. Foster as president and director; Alejandra de la Vega Foster, Evelyn Janssen, and Brant Chandler as vice presidents and directors; Scott Weaver as secretary; and Kassandra R. Foster Nava as director.
Paul L Foster Family Foundation is led by Paul L. Foster, President & Director since 2022 (on filings since 2020); none of the 6 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Paul L. Foster
President & Director
Director, President & Treasurer → President & Director, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Evelyn Ann Janssen
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Alejandra De La Vega Foster
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Brant Chandler
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kassandra R. Foster Nava
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Scott Weaver
Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (4)
- Former: Kassandra R. Foster (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Alejandra De La Vega (2020–2021) — Director & Vice President
- Former: Preston Foster (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: William Brant Chandler (2020–2021) — Director & Vice President
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.
Contact
Mailing address: 123 West Mills Avenue Ste 600, El Paso, TX 79901
Phone: (915) 504-7130
Website: https://paulfosterfamilyfoundation.com
Frequently asked questions about Paul L Foster Family Foundation
How much does Paul L Foster Family Foundation give each year?
Paul L Foster Family Foundation gave $1.1M across 21 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $573K across 9 grants.
What is Paul L Foster Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Paul L Foster Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $22,700, and its average grant was $54,231, across 21 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Paul L Foster Family Foundation that year got $68K on average.
Where does Paul L Foster Family Foundation give grants?
Paul L Foster Family Foundation gives mostly in Texas: 96% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were El Paso, TX (16 grants).
Does Paul L Foster Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 48% of Paul L Foster Family Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (10 of 21) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Paul L Foster Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Paul L Foster Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Paso Del Norte Childrens Development Center ($300,000), Amigo Airsho Inc ($256,824) and Paso Del Norte Community Foundation ($110,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 59% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Paul L Foster Family Foundation?
Paul L Foster Family Foundation reported $11.6M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.2M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.5M (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 Paul L Foster Family Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated mission is to support scientific, literary, and educational endeavors by exempt charitable organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Paul L Foster Family Foundation?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Paul L Foster Family Foundation's EIN?
Paul L Foster Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-1939994. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Paul L Foster Family Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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