Permian Basin Area Foundation
Permian Basin Area Foundation is a public charity based in Midland, Texas. Established in 1989, it partners with donors to create permanent charitable funds and supports nonprofit organizations serving West Texas communities, including through grants and scholarships.
Key facts about Permian Basin Area Foundation
In short: Permian Basin Area Foundation gave $15.2M across 165 grants in 2025 (avg $92K), mostly in Texas. 18% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- EIN
- 75-2295008
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $15,222,127
- Grants made (2025)
- 165
- Average grant
- $92,255
- Median grant
- $47,925
- New grantees (estimate)
- 18% first-time grantees (29 of 165, 2025)
- Total assets
- $391,063,630
- Primary geography
- Texas (93% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- How to apply
- Applications are submitted online. Full details ↓
- Deadline
- The Fall 2026 application deadline is October 1.
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 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 2025 IRS Form 990 · View filing
Total Assets
$391.1M
+18.1% YoY
Annual Giving
$15.2M
+26.0% YoY
Grant Count
165
+1.9% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$92K
+23.8% YoY
Is Permian Basin Area Foundation open to new grantees?
18%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 29 of 165 grantees (18%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $68K; repeat grants $97K. How we count
Medians: $35K first-time, $50K repeat.
- 59% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−19%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2020–2025). 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 mission is to partner with donors in creating permanent charitable funds to enrich the quality of life in West Texas communities. Its community grants support qualified nonprofits in animal services, arts and culture, community development, education, environmental work, health and mental health, housing and shelter, human and social services, and youth development.
Examples of grantees illustrate the range of organizations receiving support. Sunshine House says its mission is to provide nourishment and social enrichment for seniors, home-bound people, and people with disabilities in Alpine and Marathon. Bynum School describes its work as providing personalized educational, behavioral, and vocational programs for people with special needs. Midland Habitat for Humanity says it works to change lives through affordable home ownership. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own missions.
Grantmaking
The Foundation runs two community grant cycles each year. In filing year 2025, it reported 165 itemized grants totaling $15,222,127. Grant amounts ranged from $5,339 to $2,254,485, with a median of $47,925. The filing also describes community capacity-building programs that made 549 grants to nonprofit organizations and awarded scholarships to 417 individuals during 2025; these are program figures reported separately from the itemized grant data.
Among the largest 2025 grants were $2,254,485 to Trinity School of Midland for general operating and program support, including its Light the Way Campaign, Annual Fund, and student support; $928,000 to Sunshine House for capital and facilities support; $720,000 to Historic Cane Hill for general operating and program support; and $500,000 to Bergheim Christian Fellowship for capital campaign support. Other notable awards included $497,996 to Bynum School, $436,334 to Manor Park, and $244,609 to Midland Habitat for Humanity.
Review Cycle
The Fall 2026 application deadline is October 1. The Foundation’s published procedure requires applicants to contact it by September 15 before submitting a fall application; that date has passed. The recurring Spring deadline is April 1, with contact required by March 15.
How to Apply
Applications are submitted online. Organizations may apply every two years; prior grantees must complete a required follow-up form before applying again. Applicants must be tax-exempt and in good standing with the IRS, serve the Foundation’s service area, and interview with the Foundation. Applications from outside the service area are not accepted, including from statewide or national organizations without local staff, board members, or an office. Private and charter schools are ineligible. For applications involving a school district, the district must contact the Foundation first and independently. Required uploads include the current-year budget, a current-year balance sheet or statement of financial position, and an audited or professionally prepared financial statement. The Foundation’s staff and Grants Committee review applications, and applicants may be asked for a site visit, meeting, or conference call.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Permian Basin Area Foundation
Ready to take the next step with Permian Basin Area Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation identifies the Permian Basin and Trans-Pecos regions as its community-grant service area. Its 2025 grant dollars went primarily to Texas recipients (93%), with 5% going to Arkansas and 1% to Colorado; Michigan and Montana each accounted for less than 1%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 165 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $8.5M (2020) to $18.8M (2022). In 2025 it made 165 grants totaling $15.2M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Trinity School of Midland ($2.3M). Together the top 10 received $6.4M.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($22,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
808 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 478 grants of 808 (59%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Trinity School of Midland Midland, TX | General operating and program support including the Light the Way Campaign and the Annual Fund and student support | $2,254,485 |
| Sunshine House Inc Alpine, TX | Support for capital and facilities including purchase and improvement | $928,000 |
| Historic Cane Hill Inc Lincoln, AR | General operating and program support | $720,000 |
| Bergheim Christian Fellowship Boerne, TX | Capital campaign support | $500,000 |
| Bynum School Midland, TX | General operating and program support including client expenses | $497,996 |
| Manor Park Inc Midland, TX | General operating and program and capital support including Age of Renewal Campaign | $436,334 |
| Amy Bell Sports Foundation Inc Odessa, TX | General support including the architecture phase of the Foundation project | $300,000 |
| Spectrum of Solutions Midland, TX | General operating and program support and capital and facilities and youth development | $289,888 |
| Family Crisis Center of the Big Bend Inc Alpine, TX | Capital and facilities support including paving for building | $248,750 |
| Midland Habitat for Humanity Midland, TX | General operating and program support including the Affordable Housing Procurement | $244,609 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $391,063,630 | $60,538,071 | $20,523,099 | $15,222,127 |
| 2024 | $331,047,670 | $43,674,667 | $17,002,081 | $12,076,575 |
| 2023 | $294,673,980 | $37,299,270 | $19,940,623 | $15,591,532 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $391,063,630 | $331,047,670 | $294,673,980 |
| Revenue | $60,538,071 | $43,674,667 | $37,299,270 |
| Expenses | $20,523,099 | $17,002,081 | $19,940,623 |
| Net Investment Income | $20,386,178 | $22,690,614 | $10,060,404 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 26, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 27, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 11, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 8, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS September 3, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS July 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Guy McCrary as President and CEO; Cyndi Vara as Chief Financial Officer; Jennifer Steadman as Chief Operating Officer; Cari Whitaker as Finance and Accounting Administrator; and Raymond Williams as Grants Officer. Listed directors are Wesley Bownds, Chair; R Alan Hale, Vice-Chair; Bryan Heflin, Secretary-Treasurer; Bethany Etheredge; and Mara Hobbs.
Permian Basin Area Foundation is led by Guy McCrary, President & CEO on every filing since 2020; 5 of 17 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Guy McCrary
President & CEO
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$252K (2020) → $438K (2025)
Wesley Bownds
Chair
Director → Vice Chair, 2022
Vice Chair → Chair, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Andrew Semer
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Steve Barron
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mara Hobbs
Director
Chair → Past Chair, 2022
Past Chair → Director, 2024
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Bethany Etheredge
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
G E Peterson
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Madison Rose
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Reggie Baker
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Blane Heflin
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lindsay Ridgeway
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Cyndi Vara
Chief Financial Officer
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$167K (2020) → $244K (2025)
Cari Whitaker
Finance & Accounting Administrator
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$102K (2024) → $115K (2025)
Jennifer Steadman
Chief Operating Officer
Development Officer → Chief Operating Officer, 2025
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$127K (2024) → $162K (2025)
Raymond Williams
Grants Officer
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$103K (2024) → $116K (2025)
Bryan Heflin
Secretary - Treasurer
Secretary & Treasurer → Director, 2022
Director → Secretary - Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
R Alan Hale
Vice Chair
Director → Secretary - Treasurer, 2022
Secretary - Treasurer → Vice Chair, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (9)
- Former: Todd Meade (2020–2024) — Past Chair
- Former: G Larry Lawrence (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Sherri Heiting (2022–2023) — Education Programs Officer
- Former: Cal Hendrick (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Ann Quaid (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Carolyn Stone (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Jerry Morales (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Aaron Bedell (2020) — Chief Operating Officer
- Former: Mara Barham (2020) — Chair
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $438K, to Guy McCrary (President and CEO). 5 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Contact
Mailing address: 3312 Andrews Highway, Midland, TX 79703
Phone: (432) 617-3213
Website: https://pbaf.org
Frequently asked questions about Permian Basin Area Foundation
How much does Permian Basin Area Foundation give each year?
Permian Basin Area Foundation gave $15.2M across 165 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $12.1M across 162 grants.
What is Permian Basin Area Foundation's typical grant size?
Permian Basin Area Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $47,925, and its average grant was $92,255, across 165 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Permian Basin Area Foundation that year got $68K on average.
Where does Permian Basin Area Foundation give grants?
Permian Basin Area Foundation gives mostly in Texas: 93% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Midland, TX (81 grants), Odessa, TX (16 grants), Alpine, TX (6 grants) and College Station, TX (4 grants).
Does Permian Basin Area Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 73% of Permian Basin Area Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (120 of 165) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990. Recurring purposes include "Scholarships and student aid" (4 grants).
Who are Permian Basin Area Foundation's largest grantees?
Permian Basin Area Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Trinity School of Midland ($2,254,485), Sunshine House Inc ($928,000) and Historic Cane Hill Inc ($720,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($22,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 26% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Permian Basin Area Foundation?
Permian Basin Area Foundation reported $391.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $60.5M.
What does Permian Basin Area Foundation fund?
The Foundation’s mission is to partner with donors in creating permanent charitable funds to enrich the quality of life in West Texas communities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Permian Basin Area Foundation?
Applications are submitted online. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Permian Basin Area Foundation's EIN?
Permian Basin Area Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 75-2295008. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Here's the math on researching Permian Basin Area Foundation by hand.
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