Saunders Foundation
The Saunders Foundation is a private foundation based in Houston, Texas. In its 2024 filing, it reported 22 grants totaling $363,433 to charitable organizations, including recipients working in education, religious activities, and medical care.
Saunders Foundation at a glance
In short: Saunders Foundation gave $363K across 22 grants in 2024 (avg $17K), mostly in Texas. 64% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $363,433
- +0.5% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 22
- +69.2% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $16,520
- -40.6% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $2,917
- Total assets
- $8,030,197
- +11.9% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 64% first-time grantees (14 of 22, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Texas (85% 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 Saunders 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: 602 Sawyer Street Suite 720, Houston, TX 77007
Phone: (713) 914-9778
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Saunders Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Heritage Ed ($241K). Together the top 10 received $352K.
Grant Size Distribution
133 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 128 grants of 133 (96%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, Texas recipients received 85% of grant dollars, followed by Tennessee at 7%, California at 4%, Colorado at 3%, and New York at 0%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 22 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Saunders Foundation open to new grantees?
64%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 14 of 22 grantees (64%) were first-time recipients. With only 22 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $37K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $7K repeat.
- 36% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+7%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 97% 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 (2020–2024). 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 $277K (2020) to $364K (2022). In 2024 it made 22 grants totaling $363K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Heritage Ed Houston, TX | Education | $241,000 |
| Chi Omega Foudnaton Memphis, TN | Education | $27,000 |
| Christ the King Church Houston, TX | Religious | $20,000 |
| Prager University Sherman Oaks, CA | Education | $15,000 |
| Alzheimers Association Houston Chap Houston, TX | Medical | $10,000 |
| Pine Cove Tyler, TX | Religious | $10,000 |
| Young Life Colorado Springs, CO | Religious | $10,000 |
| Hospice Austin Austin, TX | Medical | $8,500 |
| Texas Childrens Hospital Houston, TX | Medical | $5,100 |
| Cody Stephens Go Big or Go Home Houston, TX | Medical | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Saunders 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 | $8,030,197 | $460,949 | $394,264 | $363,433 | 22 | $363,433 | $428,162 | $373,932 |
| 2023 | $7,176,719 | $647,168 | $389,391 | $361,800 | 13 | $361,800 | $615,947 | $328,457 |
| 2022 | $7,345,166 | $580,635 | $408,161 | $363,550 | 35 | $363,550 | $542,583 | $359,416 |
| 2021 | $8,313,673 | $649,883 | $381,504 | $340,100 | 22 | $340,100 | $625,920 | $360,576 |
| 2020 | $6,220,185 | $10,302 | $301,300 | $276,800 | 41 | — | $146,616 | $303,032 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Saunders Foundation reported a distributable amount of $374K 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 mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for educational, religious, medical, philanthropic, and humanitarian organizations.
Grantees describe their work in varied terms. Heritage Ed says it aims to provide a focused classical K–8 education and prepare students to become self-governing citizens and leaders. Young Life describes its work as a ministry offering adolescents religious experiences. Hospice Austin says it provides care, education, and bereavement support to people facing the final months of serious illness. Texas Children’s Hospital describes its mission as creating a healthier future for children and women through patient care, education, and research.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 22 grants totaling $363,433. Grants ranged from $100 to $241,000, with a median of $2,916. Its largest reported grants included $241,000 to Heritage Ed in Houston for education, $27,000 to Chi Omega Foundation in Memphis for education, and $20,000 to Christ the King Church in Houston for religious purposes. Other grants included $15,000 to Prager University for education, $10,000 each to the Alzheimer’s Association Houston Chapter for medical purposes, Pine Cove for religious purposes, and Young Life for religious purposes, and $8,500 to Hospice Austin for medical purposes.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Fredric M Saunders, Gayle D Saunders, Meredith S Mason, and Stuart D Saunders as directors.
Saunders Foundation's 2024 filing lists 4 officers; none of the 4 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Fredric M. Saunders
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Gayle D. Saunders
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Meredith S. Mason
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Stuart D. Saunders
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/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 Saunders Foundation
How much does Saunders Foundation give each year?
Saunders Foundation gave $363K across 22 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $362K across 13 grants.
What is Saunders Foundation's typical grant size?
Saunders Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $2,917, and its average grant was $16,520, across 22 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Saunders Foundation that year got $5K on average.
Where does Saunders Foundation give grants?
Saunders Foundation gives mostly in Texas: 85% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Tennessee (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Houston, TX (12 grants) and Austin, TX (2 grants).
Does Saunders Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 22 grants with a stated purpose on Saunders Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Religious" (7 grants), "Medical" (6 grants) and "Education" (4 grants).
Who are Saunders Foundation's largest grantees?
Saunders Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Heritage Ed ($241,000), Chi Omega Foudnaton ($27,000) and Christ the King Church ($20,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 79% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Saunders Foundation?
Saunders Foundation reported $8.0M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $363K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $374K (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 Saunders Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for educational, religious, medical, philanthropic, and humanitarian organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Saunders 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 Saunders Foundation's EIN?
Saunders Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 76-0574880. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Saunders 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
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Saunders Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/saunders-foundation-morg_7df95df0b8c5421e8eea89dc4ae6db9f
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_760574880_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Saunders Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/saunders-foundation-morg_7df95df0b8c5421e8eea89dc4ae6db9f},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 Saunders 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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