Russell Foundation
The Russell Foundation is a private foundation based in Irving, Texas. It supports charitable organizations and programs focused on children, youth, and young adults through age 23, with the stated purpose of helping them achieve their highest potential.
Russell Foundation at a glance
In short: Russell Foundation gave $116K across 21 grants in 2025 (avg $6K), mostly in Texas. 29% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $116,000
- +9.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 21
- -4.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $5,524
- +14.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $1,792,063
- +20.4% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 29% first-time grantees (6 of 21, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Texas (66% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Russell Foundation
- How to Apply
-
Contact John J Flowers. No specific format is required, and the filing states there are no deadlines or restrictions on awards.
- Contact
Application contact: John J Flowers
Mailing address: 2116 Aristocrat Dr, Irving, TX 75063-3476
Phone: (214) 274-5808
Website: https://therussellfoundation.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 Russell Foundation
Who Russell Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Honduras Educational Development Assistance Corp ($13K). Together the top 10 received $64K.
Grant Size Distribution
83 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 83 grants of 83 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation is based in Irving, Texas. In 2025, 66% of grant dollars went to recipients in Texas, 15% to Florida, 11% to Illinois, 4% to Virginia, and 4% to New York.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 21 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Russell Foundation open to new grantees?
29%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 6 of 21 grantees (29%) 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 $6K; repeat grants $6K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 71% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−2%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 113% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF 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 $83K (2020) to $119K (2022). In 2025 it made 21 grants totaling $116K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Honduras Educational Development Assistance Corp Oak Lawn, IL | Supporting the creation of infrastructure where children and young adults are offered a vocational and educational curriculum. | $12,500 |
| Synergy Indoor McAllen, TX | Provides a place where young performers from across the Rio Grande Valley discover their potential, their confidence, and their sense of belonging. | $8,000 |
| The Art of Manhood Inc Chipley, FL | Mentors young men to become productive men for their current and future endeavors. | $7,500 |
| Crossover Restoration Foundation Fort Worth, TX | After-school program that uses the restoration of classic vehicles to draw and train troubled teens | $5,500 |
| Association for Independent Living Dallas, TX | Elevate residents with intellectual and developmental disabilities to their highest independence and interdependence through life skills, education and vocational guidance. | $5,000 |
| Austin Bat Cave Austin, TX | Tutors work one-on-one with youth to inspire these burgeoning authors with a passion for reading, writing, and learning. | $5,000 |
| Be Strong Deerfield Beach, FL | National charity on mission to save and improve the lives of our youth using a peer-to-peer approach. | $5,000 |
| Children First Counseling Center Grand Prairie, TX | Dedicated to providing hope and healing through comprehensive counseling and education services for individuals of all ages | $5,000 |
| Community Partners of Dallas Dallas, TX | Provide what abused children urgently need today to thrive tomorrow. | $5,000 |
| Drug Prevention Resources Waxahachie, TX | To ignite communities to work together to protect and strengthen youth resiliency | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Russell Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,792,063 | $436,644 | $132,665 | $116,000 | 21 | $116,000 | $419,979 | $102,975 |
| 2024 | $1,488,084 | $106,286 | $120,461 | $106,000 | 22 | $106,000 | $91,825 | $104,162 |
| 2023 | $1,475,990 | $97,631 | $108,776 | $94,300 | 17 | $94,300 | $83,155 | $95,208 |
| 2022 | $1,484,812 | $45,280 | $132,456 | $118,800 | 14 | $118,800 | $31,624 | $96,844 |
| 2021 | $1,572,076 | $120,090 | $110,072 | $97,000 | 9 | $97,000 | $120,090 | $106,032 |
| 2020 | $1,563,766 | $86,612 | $95,707 | $83,300 | 9 | — | $81,165 | $90,823 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Russell Foundation reported a distributable amount of $103K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s stated purpose is to make a positive difference in the lives of children, youth, and young adults so they can achieve their highest potential. Its grant program describes support for education, character building, health, and intervention, including projects and research addressing issues affecting young people’s physical, intellectual, and emotional development.
The grantees’ own descriptions illustrate the kinds of work supported. For example, Crossover Restoration Foundation says it promotes young people’s educational and moral development through classic-vehicle restoration; Drug Prevention Resources says it works with communities to strengthen youth resilience; and Texas Diaper Bank says it addresses the diaper gap and its effects on people in crisis.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 21 grants totaling $116,000. Grants ranged from $2,500 to $12,500, with a median of $5,000. The grant program is listed as active, with an award range of $5,000–$10,000.
Notable 2025 grants included $12,500 to Honduras Educational Development Assistance Corp for vocational and educational infrastructure; $8,000 to Synergy Indoor for a place where young performers can develop their potential and confidence; and $7,500 to The Art of Manhood Inc for mentoring young men. Other recipients included Crossover Restoration Foundation ($5,500), Association for Independent Living ($5,000), Austin Bat Cave ($5,000), and Hero Kids Foundation ($5,000).
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists John J Flowers as CEO and President. Directors listed are J Jefferson Flowers, Harriett T Flowers, Michael K Bredemeier, Sarah Bredemeier Martin, Richmond C Flowers, and Laura R Freeman.
Russell Foundation is led by John J Flowers, CEO & President since 2023 (on filings since 2020); none of the 7 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
John J Flowers
CEO & President
CEO & Vice President → Chair & President, 2022
Chair & President → CEO & President, 2023
On filings since 2020
2.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Harriett T Flowers
Director
Director → Secretary, 2022
Secretary → Director, 2023
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
J Jefferson Flowers
Director
President → Director, 2022
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Laura R Freeman
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Michael K Bredemeier
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Richmond C Flowers
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Sarah Bredemeier Martin
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
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 Russell Foundation
How much does Russell Foundation give each year?
Russell Foundation gave $116K across 21 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $106K across 22 grants.
What is Russell Foundation's typical grant size?
Russell Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $5,524, across 21 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Russell Foundation that year got $6K on average.
Where does Russell Foundation give grants?
Russell Foundation gives mostly in Texas: 66% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Florida (15%) and Illinois (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were Dallas, TX (4 grants) and Fort Worth, TX (2 grants).
Does Russell Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 21 grants with a stated purpose on Russell Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are Russell Foundation's largest grantees?
Russell Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Honduras Educational Development Assistance Corp ($12,500), Synergy Indoor ($8,000) and The Art of Manhood Inc ($7,500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 24% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Russell Foundation?
Russell Foundation reported $1.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $116K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $103K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Russell Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated purpose is to make a positive difference in the lives of children, youth, and young adults so they can achieve their highest potential. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Russell Foundation?
Contact John J Flowers. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Russell Foundation's EIN?
Russell Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-2021512. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 14, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Russell Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Russell Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/russell-foundation-morg_0ed54615fe294e838fac8bdfe5236f4c
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_202021512_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Russell Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/russell-foundation-morg_0ed54615fe294e838fac8bdfe5236f4c},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. 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 Russell Foundation'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.
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