Saenz Family Foundation
The Saenz Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Dallas, Texas. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, including recipients in Texas, New York, and Pennsylvania.
Saenz Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Saenz Family Foundation gave $243K across 13 grants in 2025 (avg $19K), mostly in Texas. 15% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $243,191
- +32.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 13
- -7.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $18,707
- +42.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $4,000
- Total assets
- $3,620,306
- -4.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 15% first-time grantees (2 of 13, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Texas (70% 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 Saenz 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.
- Contact
Mailing address: 5946 Park Lane, Dallas, TX 75225
Phone: (972) 556-1190
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Saenz Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was DAFGIVING360 ($102K). Together the top 10 received $236K.
Grant Size Distribution
70 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 64 grants of 70 (91%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 70% of grant dollars went to recipients in Texas, 29% to recipients in New York, and 1% to recipients in Pennsylvania.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Saenz Family Foundation open to new grantees?
15%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 2 of 13 grantees (15%) 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. First grants averaged $52K; repeat grants $13K. How we count
Medians: $52K first-time, $4K repeat.
- 69% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 109% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 90% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. 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 $52K (2020) to $243K (2025). In 2025 it made 13 grants totaling $243K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| DAFGIVING360 Dallas, TX | Support of Various 501(C)(3) Organizations | $102,191 |
| Cornell University Ithaca, NY | Support of Higher Education | $71,000 |
| Dallas Theater Center Dallas, TX | Support of the Arts & Sciences | $33,000 |
| Perot Museum Dallas, TX | Support of Education | $7,500 |
| St Marks Dallas, TX | Support of Healthcare | $5,000 |
| Hockaday School Dallas, TX | Support of Education | $4,000 |
| UNICEF Dallas, TX | Support of Healthcare | $4,000 |
| Dallas Holocaust Museum Dallas, TX | Support of Education | $3,500 |
| SMU Tate Lecture Series Dallas, TX | Support of Arts & Sciences | $3,000 |
| The Lamplighter School Dallas, TX | Support of Education | $3,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Saenz 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $3,620,306 | $74,614 | $259,352 | $243,191 | 13 | $243,191 | $103,856 | $270,240 |
| 2024 | $3,774,483 | $370,706 | $197,865 | $183,850 | 14 | $183,850 | $376,237 | $236,954 |
| 2023 | $3,612,071 | $561,278 | $163,188 | $151,931 | 12 | $151,931 | $390,561 | $183,831 |
| 2022 | $3,213,981 | $566,724 | $126,225 | $116,140 | 15 | $116,140 | $338,643 | $152,732 |
| 2021 | $2,773,191 | $820,848 | $84,658 | $76,217 | 16 | $76,217 | $373,671 | $149,944 |
| 2020 | $2,047,695 | $707,863 | $57,892 | $51,500 | 9 | — | $557,777 | $93,199 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Saenz Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $270K 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 available filing information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2025 grants included support for higher education, arts and sciences, education, healthcare, low-income families, and various charitable organizations.
Dallas Theater Center, which received $33,000, describes its mission as engaging, entertaining, and inspiring its diverse community through theater, educational programs, and other initiatives. Hockaday School, which received $4,000, says it develops girls into resilient, confident women prepared to lead lives of purpose and impact. Star Sponsorship Program Inc, which received $2,500, describes its work as providing tuition for students from low-income families.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 13 grants totaling $243,191. Grant amounts ranged from $2,000 to $102,191, with a median grant of $4,000.
Among the largest reported grants were $102,191 to DAFGIVING360 for support of various 501(c)(3) organizations, $71,000 to Cornell University for higher education, and $33,000 to Dallas Theater Center for arts and sciences. Other reported grants included $7,500 to Perot Museum for education, $5,000 to St Marks for healthcare, and $4,000 each to Hockaday School for education and UNICEF for healthcare.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Hernan JF Saenz III and Silvia E Cespedes as trustees.
Saenz Family Foundation's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Hernan Jf Saenz III
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Silvia E. Cespedes
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
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 Saenz Family Foundation
How much does Saenz Family Foundation give each year?
Saenz Family Foundation gave $243K across 13 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $184K across 14 grants.
What is Saenz Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Saenz Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $4,000, and its average grant was $18,707, across 13 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Saenz Family Foundation that year got $52K on average.
Where does Saenz Family Foundation give grants?
Saenz Family Foundation gives mostly in Texas: 70% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New York (29%). The most frequent recipient cities were Dallas, TX (9 grants).
Does Saenz Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 13 grants with a stated purpose on Saenz Family Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Support of Education" (5 grants).
Who are Saenz Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Saenz Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include DAFGIVING360 ($102,191), Cornell University ($71,000) and Dallas Theater Center ($33,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 85% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Saenz Family Foundation?
Saenz Family Foundation reported $3.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $243K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $270K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Saenz Family Foundation fund?
The available filing information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2025 grants included support for higher education, arts and sciences, education, healthcare, low-income families, and various charitable organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Saenz Family Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Saenz Family Foundation's EIN?
Saenz Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 83-2521180. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Saenz 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 September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS April 5, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS March 28, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 3, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS October 21, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 14, 2026)
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Saenz Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders that support many of the same organizations
The Rosewood Foundation
Dallas, TX
The Rosewood Foundation supports arts, education, environmental conservation, healthcare, and poverty alleviation, primarily through program grants aimed at improving quality of life in the Dallas area. Its stated award range is $2,500–$10,000, and it funds only preselected organizations, not unsolicited requests.
Assets
$19K
Grants
3
Total Given
$6K
Hoblitzelle Foundation
Dallas, TX
The Hoblitzelle Foundation primarily funds capital projects—such as construction, renovation, equipment, and technology—for eligible nonprofits in Texas, especially in the Dallas area; it generally does not fund operations. Recent grants ranged from $10,000 to $1 million, with a median of $67,300. It accepts online applications and encourages applicants to discuss a potential project with the foundation before applying.
Assets
$141.1M
Grants
59
Total Given
$7.7M
The Lightner Sams Foundation Inc
Wilmington, DE
The Lightner Sams Foundation supports preselected charitable organizations working in areas represented by its 2025 grants, including food access, family and crisis services, therapeutic support, LGBTQIA+ wellness, and animal welfare. Its 2025 grants ranged from $5,000 to $30,000, with a median of $15,000, and went to organizations in Texas and Colorado, mostly Texas. It does not accept unsolicited funding requests.
Assets
$11.4M
Grants
30
Total Given
$471K
Texas Women's Foundation
Dallas, TX
The Foundation funds organizations advancing women’s and girls’ economic security, stability, and success, including work in childcare, housing, healthcare, education, and leadership. Its 2025 grants had a median of $31,000; its 2026 Community Grant Cycle allowed requests up to $40,000 for eligible organizations serving the Dallas–Fort Worth area and nearby counties. The profile does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests.
Assets
$26.3M
Grants
62
Total Given
$3.1M
McKesson Foundation Inc
Dallas, TX
The McKesson Foundation funds cancer support and care, healthcare workforce pathways, and emergency response, with grants mainly supporting organizations in the United States and Canada. Its 2025 grants had a median of $100,000, though amounts ranged from $10,000 to about $2.47 million. Its filing says it does not accept unsolicited requests, while its application page describes an online application process with stated submission windows.
Assets
$1.6M
Grants
76
Total Given
$16.6M
Harry Bass Foundation
Dallas, TX
The Harry Bass Foundation primarily funds youth and education, especially early childhood education and literacy, and sometimes supports health and human services, civic work, research, and arts and culture. Recent awards ranged from $1,000 to $5 million, with a median of $30,000; it gives predominantly in Dallas County and rarely considers requests from outside the county. It accepts unsolicited Letters of Inquiry through its online portal, with full applications by invitation.
Assets
$71.2M
Grants
40
Total Given
$6.7M
More similar funders
More Funders in Texas
Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Saenz Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/saenz-family-foundation-morg_1bf1896a89b04111a796dd426845e3be
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_832521180_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Saenz Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/saenz-family-foundation-morg_1bf1896a89b04111a796dd426845e3be},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Saenz 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.
Saenz Family Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?