River Oaks Garden Club
River Oaks Garden Club is a Houston, Texas, public charity founded in 1927. It supports horticulture, conservation, education related to those fields, and civic beautification, with its giving and activities centered on the Houston community.
River Oaks Garden Club at a glance
In short: River Oaks Garden Club gave $359K across 12 grants in 2025 (avg $30K), mostly in Texas. 42% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $359,178
- +7.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 12
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $29,932
- +7.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $12,100
- Total assets
- $2,643,842
- -0.6% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 42% first-time grantees (5 of 12, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Texas (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to River Oaks Garden Club
- How to Apply
-
The club’s 2026–2027 guidelines state that it will not accept outside grant requests during that year. The club encourages organizations to revisit its website in spring 2027 to submit requests for 2028 funding. Published eligibility guidelines specify 501(c)(3) organizations and say requests must be written and accompanied by a copy of the organization’s tax-exemption letter. Private educational institutions may be considered; church organizations are not eligible. Funds are to be spent and accounted for in the year received unless otherwise specified.
- Contact
Mailing address: 2503 Westheimer, Houston, TX 77098
Phone: (713) 523-2483
Website: https://riveroaksgc.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from River Oaks Garden Club
Who River Oaks Garden Club funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Museum of Fine Arts Houston ($208K). Together the top 10 received $342K.
Grant Size Distribution
55 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 49 grants of 55 (89%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The club’s guidelines give priority consideration to eligible requests from the Houston area. All grant dollars listed for filing year 2025 went to recipients in Texas; the itemized 2025 recipients were in Houston.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 12 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is River Oaks Garden Club open to new grantees?
42%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 5 of 12 grantees (42%) were first-time recipients. With only 12 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $11K; repeat grants $43K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $12K repeat.
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.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $138K (2021) to $429K (2023). In 2025 it made 12 grants totaling $359K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Museum of Fine Arts Houston Houston, TX | Bayou Bend Gardens | $208,213 |
| Pro-Vision Inc Houston, TX | Program support | $30,000 |
| Forum of Civics Foundation Houston, TX | Program support | $20,400 |
| Family Service Center at Houston and Harris County Houston, TX | Program support | $15,000 |
| Casa Mateo Houston, TX | Program support | $15,000 |
| Houston Botanic Garden Houston, TX | Program support | $12,200 |
| Houston Arboretum & Nature Center Houston, TX | Program support | $12,000 |
| Urban Harvest Houston, TX | Program support | $10,000 |
| Covenant House Texas Houston, TX | Program support | $10,000 |
| The Saint Constantine School Houston, TX | Program support | $9,615 |
Ready to take the next step with River Oaks Garden Club?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $2,643,842 | $899,674 | $914,844 | $359,178 | 12 | $67,174 |
| 2024 | $2,659,012 | $1,539,796 | $1,145,108 | $333,387 | 12 | $10,611 |
| 2023 | $2,264,324 | $737,528 | $892,449 | $428,882 | 13 | $6,205 |
| 2022 | $2,419,245 | $1,013,084 | $840,820 | $280,387 | 11 | $1,735 |
| 2021 | $2,246,981 | $551,703 | $405,986 | $137,821 | 7 | $4,336 |
| 2020 | $2,101,264 | $903,151 | $714,335 | $225,512 | 7 | $10,036 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The club’s mission is to stimulate knowledge and love of gardening and to restore, improve, and protect the environment through education and action in conservation and civic improvement. Its stated grant priorities include local landscape and beautification projects, horticulture awareness, conservation, and education related to horticulture or conservation.
The club says it supports other educational and cultural organizations that advance its mission. In 2025, recipients included Pro-Vision, whose stated mission is to provide young people academic, economic, and social enrichment opportunities, and Casa Mateo, which describes itself as a community of care for women and children facing housing insecurity. Other recipients included Houston Botanic Garden, which says it works in plant and environmental conservation and education, and Houston Arboretum & Nature Center, which describes its work as environmental education and protecting native plants and animals.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the club gave 12 grants totaling $359,178. Grant amounts ranged from $7,700 to $208,213, with a median of $12,100. The largest award was $208,213 to the Museum of Fine Arts Houston for Bayou Bend Gardens. Other awards included $30,000 to Pro-Vision for program support, $20,400 to Forum of Civics Foundation for program support, $15,000 each to Family Service Center at Houston and Harris County and Casa Mateo, and $12,200 to Houston Botanic Garden.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The club’s 2025 filing lists Vaughan Clark as President, Madeleine Sheehy as President-Elect, Patti Hopson as Past President, Ellen Ohmstede as Recording Secretary, Louise Bland as Assistant Recording Secretary, Elizabeth Schiffer as Corresponding Secretary, Emily Sullivan as Treasurer, Debby Liesse as Assistant Treasurer, Susan Penland as Parliamentarian, and Nancy Abendshein as Director.
River Oaks Garden Club is led by Vaughan Clark, President since 2025 (on filings since 2024); none of the 56 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Vaughan Clark
President
President-Elect → President, 2025
On filings since 2024
20 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Amy Mueller
Director
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Anne French
Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Carol Butler
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Carolyn Utt
Director
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Cheri Fossler
Director
Assistant Record Secretary → Director, 2025
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
D'Anne Anderson
Director
President → Past President, 2021
Past President → Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Diane Langdon
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Elizabeth Stone
Director
President → Past President, 2024
Past President → Director, 2025
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Helen Maxson
Director
On filings since 2020
8 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kathryn Wilson
Director
Director → Recording Secretary, 2024
Recording Secretary → Director, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kim Strange
Director
Director → Corresponding Secretary, 2022
Corresponding Secretary → Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Laura Oden
Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lori Britton
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Martha McDougald
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Meredith Cocke
Director
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mimi Prioleau
Director
President-Elect → Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Nancy Abendshein
Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Nancy Gordon
Director
Past President → Director, 2021
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Carole Bailey
Director
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Cherie Flores
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Collier Blades
Director
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Marilyn Winters
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rosanna Blalock
Director
On filings since 2021
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kris Maclay
Director
On filings since 2022
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Molly Lamme
Director
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Pat Wallace
Director
Director → Assistant Recording Secretary, 2024
Assistant Recording Secretary → Director, 2025
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Carol Junell
Director
On filings since 2023
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Emily Bolin
Director
On filings since 2023
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Hilary Purcell
Director
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jane McAfee
Director
On filings since 2023
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Laura Sheffield
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sarah Eilers
Director
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ann McCarroll
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Carrie Miller
Director
On filings since 2024
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Maura Montgomery
Director
On filings since 2024
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Pam Ott
Director
On filings since 2024
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sally Matthews
Director
On filings since 2024
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Tracy Peddie
Director
On filings since 2024
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Vicki Lange
Director
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Carol Callaway
Director
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jill Oliver
Director
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Katharine Perrow
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lisa O'Leary
Director
New on the 2025 filing
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mary Peterson
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sharon McNearney
Director
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Susan Swann
Director
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Suzanne Goss
Director
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ellen Ohmstede
Recording Secretary
Director → Recording Secretary, 2025
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Madeleine Sheehy
President-Elect
Recording Secretary → Director, 2021
Director → President-Elect, 2025
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Elizabeth Schiffer
Corresponding Secretary
Recording Secretary → Director, 2024
Director → Corresponding Secretary, 2025
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Louise Bland
Assistant Recording Secretary
Director → Assistant Recording Secretary, 2025
On filings since 2021
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Debby Liesse
Assistant Treasurer
Director → Assistant Treasurer, 2025
On filings since 2022
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Susan Penland
Parliamentarian
Director → Parliamentarian, 2025
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Patti Hopson
Past President
President-Elect → President, 2024
President → Past President, 2025
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Emily Sullivan
Treasurer
On filings since 2024
20 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (78)
- Former: Amy Ragan (2020–2024) — Director
- Former: Connie Wright (2020–2024) — Director
- Former: Helen Chambers (2020–2024) — Director
- Former: Hope Lum (2020–2024) — Director
- Former: Janna Webber (2020–2024) — Director
- Former: Kay Lynn Kuper (2020–2024) — Director
- Former: Madeleine Elmer (2020–2024) — Director
- Former: Sandy Lucas (2020–2024) — Director
- Former: Terry Harmon (2020–2024) — Director
- Former: Kay Rice (2021–2024) — Parliamentarian
- Former: Betty Newton (2022–2024) — Director
- Former: Krissi Reid (2022–2024) — Director
- Former: Mary Margaret Greer (2022–2024) — Director
- Former: Cynthia Lange (2023–2024) — Director
- Former: Laura Leigh Smith (2023–2024) — Corresponding Secretary
- Former: Louise Symmes (2023–2024) — Assistant Treasurer
- Former: Adele Spalding (2024) — Director
- Former: Anita Elder (2024) — Director
- Former: Barbara Robertson (2024) — Director
- Former: Bess Wilson (2024) — Director
- Former: Carroll Ray (2024) — Director
- Former: Carroll Wessels (2024) — Director
- Former: Stephanie Hamilton (2024) — Director
- Former: Susie McGee (2024) — Director
- Former: Suzanne Caram (2024) — Director
- Former: Anne Suman (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Carol Ann Anderson (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Cynthia Nelson (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Kelty Crain (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Lisa Mears (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Patty Shepherd (2020–2023) — Recording Secretary
- Former: Tammy Jenkins (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Liz Rigney (2021–2023) — Director
- Former: Marilyn Gregg (2021–2023) — Director
- Former: Mary Collins Raun (2021–2023) — Corresponding Secretary
- Former: Terry Smith (2021–2023) — Parliamentarian
- Former: Molly Vaughan (2022–2023) — Director
- Former: Pam Rundle (2022–2023) — Assistant Recording Secretary
- Former: Risse Knight (2022–2023) — Director
- Former: Victoria Lange (2022–2023) — Past President
- Former: Virginia Mary Brown (2022–2023) — Director
- Former: Amy Greenwood (2023) — Director
- Former: Carroll Goodman (2023) — Director
- Former: Jackie Cathriner (2023) — Director
- Former: Karen Dye (2023) — Director
- Former: Lisa Fransisco (2023) — Director
- Former: Margaret Baker (2023) — Director
- Former: Pat Berry (2023) — Director
- Former: Sandra McBride (2023) — Director
- Former: Vivian O'Leary (2023) — Director
- Former: Dorothy Cuenod (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Melinda Wooten (2020–2022) — Assistant Treasurer
- Former: Miriam Prioleau (2021–2022) — Past President
- Former: Sue Botts (2021–2022) — Director
- Former: Amie Springmeyer (2022) — Director
- Former: Annette Harris (2022) — Director
- Former: Holly Mason (2022) — Director
- Former: Julia DeWalch (2022) — Assistant Recording Secretary
- Former: Susan Martin (2022) — Director
- Former: Christine Yordan (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Gayle Hightower (2020–2021) — Assistant Record Secretary
- Former: Patricia Hopson (2020–2021) — Treasurer
- Former: Susan Peterson (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Tara Eastland (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Charner Bolin (2021) — Director
- Former: Debra Liesse (2021) — Corresp Secretary
- Former: Karen Linville (2021) — Director
- Former: Marjorie Cain (2021) — Director
- Former: Marte Griffith (2021) — Director
- Former: Sallie Mansell (2021) — President-Elect
- Former: Soraya McClelland (2021) — Director
- Former: Alice Helms (2020) — Director
- Former: Bitsey Hail (2020) — Director
- Former: JoAnn Levering (2020) — Director
- Former: Kackie Dunwoody (2020) — Director
- Former: Laura McDaniel (2020) — Director
- Former: Mary Jane Wakefield (2020) — Director
- Former: Tina McCarthy (2020) — Corresp Secretary
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.
Frequently asked questions about River Oaks Garden Club
How much does River Oaks Garden Club give each year?
River Oaks Garden Club gave $359K across 12 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $333K across 12 grants.
What is River Oaks Garden Club's typical grant size?
River Oaks Garden Club's median grant in 2025 was $12,100, and its average grant was $29,932, across 12 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from River Oaks Garden Club that year got $11K on average.
Where does River Oaks Garden Club give grants?
River Oaks Garden Club gives mostly in Texas: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Houston, TX (12 grants).
Does River Oaks Garden Club give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 12 grants with a stated purpose on River Oaks Garden Club's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Program support" (11 grants).
Who are River Oaks Garden Club's largest grantees?
River Oaks Garden Club's largest 2025 grantees include Museum of Fine Arts Houston ($208,213), Pro-Vision Inc ($30,000) and Forum of Civics Foundation ($20,400), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 72% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is River Oaks Garden Club?
River Oaks Garden Club reported $2.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $900K.
What does River Oaks Garden Club fund?
The club’s mission is to stimulate knowledge and love of gardening and to restore, improve, and protect the environment through education and action in conservation and civic improvement. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from River Oaks Garden Club?
The club’s 2026–2027 guidelines state that it will not accept outside grant requests during that year. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is River Oaks Garden Club's EIN?
River Oaks Garden Club's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 74-1145998. 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.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 12, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 13, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 15, 2025)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 15, 2026)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS April 23, 2021)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Live grants for the work River Oaks Garden Club funds
Environment & Animals Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in River Oaks Garden Club's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). River Oaks Garden Club funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/river-oaks-garden-club-morg_7689ce40edfa48e4865d0a0031e9f8da
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_741145998_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{River Oaks Garden Club funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/river-oaks-garden-club-morg_7689ce40edfa48e4865d0a0031e9f8da},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from River Oaks Garden Club's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
River Oaks Garden Club down — hundreds of funders to go?