Ruth and Ted Bauer Family Foundation
The Ruth and Ted Bauer Family Foundation is a Form 990-PF private foundation located in Houston, Texas. Its 2024 filing reports grants to charitable organizations in areas including health, education, early childhood services, community development, and the arts.
Ruth and Ted Bauer Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Ruth and Ted Bauer Family Foundation gave $1.2M across 13 grants in 2024 (avg $92K), mostly in Texas. 0% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,190,000
- +10.7% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 13
- -18.8% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $91,538
- +36.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $19,422,864
- -1.8% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 0% first-time grantees (0 of 13, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Texas (97% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Ruth and Ted Bauer Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 4400 Post Oak Parkway 2160, Houston, TX 77027
Phone: (713) 623-8867
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Ruth and Ted Bauer Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Memorial Hermann Foundation ($850K). Together the top 10 received $1.2M.
Grant Size Distribution
81 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 63 grants of 81 (78%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 97% of grant dollars went to recipients in Texas and 3% went to recipients in Massachusetts. The listed Texas recipients were based in Houston; the Massachusetts recipient was Roxbury Latin School in West Roxbury.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Ruth and Ted Bauer Family Foundation open to new grantees?
0%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 0 of 13 grantees (0%) were first-time recipients. With only 13 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. How we count
- 92% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 31% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 122% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $905K (2021) to $1.2M (2024). In 2024 it made 13 grants totaling $1.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Memorial Hermann Foundation Houston, TX | General support | $850,000 |
| Agape Development Ministries Houston, TX | General support | $75,000 |
| Small Steps Nurturing Center Houston, TX | Teacher salary support | $60,000 |
| Houston Arboretum & Nature Center Houston, TX | Educational Programs | $30,000 |
| Roxbury Latin School West Roxbury, MA | Professional Development | $30,000 |
| Houston Grand Opera Assoc Houston, TX | Bauer Family High School Voice Studio | $25,000 |
| The Kinkaid School Inc Houston, TX | EMSI Program | $25,000 |
| The Monarch School Inc Houston, TX | Scholarship Assistance 2024-2025 | $25,000 |
| Houston SPCA Houston, TX | Shelter Medicine & Animal Partnership - Texas A&M | $20,000 |
| Houston Symphony Society Houston, TX | Student Concert Series | $15,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Ruth and Ted Bauer Family 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $19,422,864 | $877,048 | $1,232,064 | $1,190,000 | 13 | $1,207,182 | $859,866 | $991,804 |
| 2023 | $19,777,880 | $684,878 | $1,140,118 | $1,075,000 | 16 | $1,099,558 | $660,318 | $995,344 |
| 2022 | $20,233,120 | $468,065 | $1,003,615 | $970,000 | 12 | $1,002,456 | $449,390 | $1,053,303 |
| 2021 | $20,768,670 | $1,370,969 | $999,750 | $905,000 | 18 | $928,777 | $1,355,028 | $1,006,327 |
| 2020 | $20,397,451 | $1,637,424 | $1,088,002 | $1,045,000 | 22 | — | $1,622,755 | $1,013,926 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Ruth and Ted Bauer Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $992K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for organizations with varied missions. For example, Memorial Hermann Foundation describes its mission as improving health and creating healthier communities; Small Steps Nurturing Center says it provides early childhood education for economically at-risk children and their families; and Houston Arboretum & Nature Center describes its work as educating people about the natural environment and protecting native plants and animals. Other recipients include organizations focused on community leadership, therapeutic education, secondary education, orchestral performances, and student development, as described by those organizations.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 13 grants totaling $1,190,000. Grants ranged from $10,000 to $850,000, with a median of $25,000. The largest reported grants included $850,000 to Memorial Hermann Foundation for general support, $75,000 to Agape Development Ministries for general support, and $60,000 to Small Steps Nurturing Center for teacher salary support. Other listed grants included $30,000 to Houston Arboretum & Nature Center for educational programs, $30,000 to Roxbury Latin School for professional development, and $25,000 to Houston Grand Opera Association for the Bauer Family High School Voice Studio.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists C Douglas Bauer as president and trustee; Jeffrey C Lamberth as secretary and trustee; Jay C Houren as treasurer and trustee; and Ted Pulsifer, Meredith Cullen, and Henry JN Taub II as trustees.
Ruth and Ted Bauer Family Foundation is led by C Douglas Bauer, President & Trustee on every filing since 2020; none of the 6 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
C Douglas Bauer
President & Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Henry JN Taub II
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jay C Houren
Treasurer & Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jeffrey C Lamberth
Secretary & Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Meredith Cullen
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ted Pulsifer
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
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.
Frequently asked questions about Ruth and Ted Bauer Family Foundation
How much does Ruth and Ted Bauer Family Foundation give each year?
Ruth and Ted Bauer Family Foundation gave $1.2M across 13 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.1M across 16 grants.
What is Ruth and Ted Bauer Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Ruth and Ted Bauer Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $25,000, and its average grant was $91,538, across 13 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Ruth and Ted Bauer Family Foundation give grants?
Ruth and Ted Bauer Family Foundation gives mostly in Texas: 97% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Houston, TX (12 grants).
Does Ruth and Ted Bauer Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 15% of Ruth and Ted Bauer Family Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (2 of 13) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Ruth and Ted Bauer Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Ruth and Ted Bauer Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Memorial Hermann Foundation ($850,000), Agape Development Ministries ($75,000) and Small Steps Nurturing Center ($60,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 83% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Ruth and Ted Bauer Family Foundation?
Ruth and Ted Bauer Family Foundation reported $19.4M 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 $992K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Ruth and Ted Bauer Family Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for organizations with varied missions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Ruth and Ted Bauer Family Foundation?
The foundation states that it 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 Ruth and Ted Bauer Family Foundation's EIN?
Ruth and Ted Bauer Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 76-0537473. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Ruth and Ted Bauer 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 October 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Ruth and Ted Bauer Family Foundation funds
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Ruth and Ted Bauer Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 22, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/ruth-and-ted-bauer-family-foundation-morg_1fea6205e57346168f79198eeddaaa64
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_760537473_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Ruth and Ted Bauer Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/ruth-and-ted-bauer-family-foundation-morg_1fea6205e57346168f79198eeddaaa64},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-22. 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 Ruth and Ted Bauer Family 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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