The Scanlan Foundation is a private foundation based in Houston, Texas, established to further the Roman Catholic Church within the state of Texas through support of religious, charitable, and educational institutions. Founded on January 25, 1947, by sisters Lillian and Stella Scanlan, the foundation has grown from an initial $4 million estate to become a significant philanthropic force in Catholic philanthropy across Texas.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$260.1M
+9.4% YoY
Annual Giving
$5.3M
-3.5% YoY
Grant Count
77
+8.5% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$69K
-11.0% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission Statement: The Scanlan Foundation's mission is to contribute to the support of religious, charitable, and educational institutions and works within the fifteen dioceses in the State of Texas, exclusively in order to further the Roman Catholic religion within the State of Texas.
Strategic Pillars: The foundation organizes its grantmaking around a culture of vocations as the foundational cornerstone, supporting four main mission-furthering pillars:
- Vocations (foundational to all funding decisions)
- Marriage & Holy Families
- Catholic Education
- Evangelization & Discipleship
- Life & Human Dignity
The foundation adopted a 25-year strategic plan leading up to its 75th anniversary in 2022, with revised funding procedures implemented in October 2021.
Grantmaking
Grant Range
$10,000 to $200,000
Average Grant
Approximately $78,000 (2023)
How to Apply
**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Scanlan Foundation funds exclusively within the State of Texas, specifically supporting work across all fifteen Catholic dioceses in Texas.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Revenue (2023):
- Total Assets: $237.8 million to $238 million
- Total Revenue: $13.95 million to $14 million
- Total Expenses: $6.97 million to $6.97 million
- Total Liabilities: $5,740
Tax Status: 501(c)(3) organization; tax-exempt since September 1948; EIN: 74-1297212
Historical Impact: Over $150 million awarded in grants throughout the foundation's 75+ year history.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $260,148,700 | $237,809,800 | $213,789,376 |
| Revenue | $25,182,271 | $13,953,882 | $14,315,582 |
| Expenses | $6,859,535 | $6,968,481 | $7,714,368 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $23,977,656 | $12,513,519 | $12,052,152 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
250 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
6 open opportunities from Scanlan Foundation
Scanlan Foundation General Grants
SCANLAN FOUNDATION
Amount
Varies
Deadline
May 15, 2026
Scanlan Foundation Grant: Campus Ministry
SCANLAN FOUNDATION
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Scanlan Foundation Grant: Diocese
SCANLAN FOUNDATION
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Most Reverend Joe S. Vásquez — Archbishop of Galveston-Houston
- His Eminence Daniel Cardinal DiNardo — Archbishop Emeritus of Galveston-Houston
- Larry W. Massey, Jr. — President
- William H. Cravens — Executive Vice President
- Kirk M. Pfeffer — Treasurer
- Paul H. Layne — Secretary
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| KIRK M PFEFFER | TREASURER/DIRECTOR | 0.5 | — |
| LARRY W MASSEY JR | PRESIDENT/DIRECTOR | 50 | $90,000 |
| PAUL H LAYNE | SECRETARY/DIRECTOR | 0.5 | — |
| DANIEL CARDINAL DINARDO | DIRECTOR | 0.25 | — |
| WILLIAM H CRAVENS | EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT/D | 50 | $90,000 |
Contact Information
Address: 4550 Post Oak Place Drive, Suite 241, Houston, Texas 77027-3117
Phone: 713-783-3169
Email: grants@scanlanfoundation.org
Website: https://scanlanfoundation.org
Office Hours: Meetings by appointment only
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
What could you do with Scanlan Foundation on Grantable?
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