Permian Basin Area Foundation
Permian Basin Area Foundation is a community foundation headquartered in Midland, Texas. Established in 1989 with an initial charitable investment of $400,000, the foundation operates as a public charity and permanent charitable endowment. The organization partners with donors to create permanent charitable funds and provides grants to nonprofit organizations and individuals across West Texas.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$331.0M
+12.3% YoY
Annual Giving
$12.1M
-22.5% YoY
Grant Count
162
+0.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$75K
-22.5% YoY
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. The organization promotes a philosophy of "giving where you live" and seeks to meet charitable needs through flexible vehicles for donors with varied philanthropic interests.
Primary funding areas include:
- Education and youth development
- Arts and cultural offerings
- Family strengthening
- Health and human services
- Community capacity building
Grantmaking
Permian Basin Area Foundation offers two community grant cycles annually. The foundation provides grants to nonprofit organizations and awards scholarships to individuals based on approved applications.
Review Cycle
annually. The foundation provides grants to nonprofit organizations and awards scholarships to individuals based on approved applications.
How to Apply
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Permian Basin Area Foundation serves over 20 counties across West Texas. The foundation supports both regional initiatives and county-specific endowments through its network of permanent charitable funds.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets:
- $331 million (as of 2024)
- $295 million (as of 2023)
- $220 million (as of December 31, 2019)
Annual Activity (2023):
- Total revenue: $37.3 million
- Total expenses: $19.9 million
- Total liabilities: $9.58 million
Cumulative Impact: Since inception, the foundation has returned more than $184 million to West Texas communities through grants and scholarships.
Staffing: The foundation employs 11 staff members.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $331,047,670 | $294,673,980 | $251,108,203 |
| Revenue | $43,674,667 | $37,299,270 | $41,134,480 |
| Expenses | $17,002,081 | $19,940,623 | $22,816,810 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $22,690,614 | $10,060,404 | $7,865,871 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
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
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from Permian Basin Area Foundation
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Alpine Independent School District ($732,000), Communities In Schools of the Permian Basin ($300,000), Buckner Children and Family Services ($203,075).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 311 Ministries Midland, TX | Human Services | $35,000 |
| Addys Hope Adoption Agency Midland, TX | Human Services | $35,000 |
| African Childrens Schools Bakersfield, CA | Educational | $25,000 |
| Alamo Heights Baptist Church Midland, TX | Faith Based Ministries | $10,817 |
| Alpine Community Projects Austin, TX | Educational | $6,000 |
| Alpine Independent School District Alpine, TX | Educational | $732,000 |
| Amarillo Area Foundation Amarillo, TX | Disaster Relief | $7,500 |
| American National Red Cross and Its Constituent Chapters Austin, TX | Human Services | $50,000 |
| AQHA Foundation Amarillo, TX | Educational | $18,000 |
| Arise Africa Inc Fort Worth, TX | International | $40,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guy McCrary | President and CEO | 40 | $319,150 |
| Cyndi Vara | Chief Financial Officer | 40 | $204,377 |
| Jennifer Steadman | Development Officer | 40 | $126,966 |
| Cari Whitaker | Finance and Accounting Administrator | 40 | $101,576 |
| Raymond Williams | Grants Officer | 40 | $103,100 |
| Wesley Bownds | Chair | 1 | — |
| R Alan Hale | Vice-Chair | 1 | — |
| Bryan Heflin | Secretary - Treasurer | 1 | — |
| Todd Meade | Past Chair | 1 | — |
| Mara Hobbs | Director | 1 | — |
| Andrew Semer | Director | 1 | — |
| Bethany Etheredge | Director | 1 | — |
| G E Peterson | Director | 1 | — |
| Madison Rose | Director | 1 | — |
| Reggie Baker | Director | 1 | — |
| Steve Barron | Director | 1 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation continues to award significant grants through its twice-yearly grant cycles. Recent announcements include multiple grant distributions ranging from $1.5 million to $2.8 million per cycle, demonstrating consistent and substantial community investment.
Permian Basin Area Foundation Awards $2.3 million in Fall Grant Cycle - PermianThe foundation conducted 41 education meetings and events with nonprofits during 2023, providing capacity building support and best management practice guidance to nonprofit organizations.
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
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. The organization promotes a philosophy of "giving where you live" and seeks to meet charitable needs through flexible vehicles for donors with varied philanthropic interests. Primary funding areas include: • Education and youth development • Arts and cultural offerings • Family strengthening • Health and human services • Community capacity building
How do I apply for a grant from Permian Basin Area Foundation?
Permian Basin Area Foundation offers two community grant cycles annually. The foundation provides grants to nonprofit organizations and awards scholarships to individuals based on approved applications. **Recent Grant Activity:** • Fall 2025: $2.3 million awarded • Fall cycle (prior year): Nearly $1.5 million awarded • $1.8 million awarded in grants (recent cycle) • $2.8 million awarded in grants (recent cycle) **Grant Characteristics:** • Typical award range: $5,076–$8,122,475 • Total giving (…
Where does Permian Basin Area Foundation make grants?
Permian Basin Area Foundation serves over 20 counties across West Texas. The foundation supports both regional initiatives and county-specific endowments through its network of permanent charitable funds.
What size grants does Permian Basin Area Foundation award?
In 2024, Permian Basin Area Foundation awarded 162 grants totaling $12.1M — an average of about $75K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
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 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Permian Basin Area Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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