Soar Texas

Private foundation · Grantmaker Austin, TX EIN: 61-2025979

Soar Texas is an Austin, Texas, private foundation that supports educational opportunity through scholarships. Its website describes the program as supporting students pursuing college and graduate education as well as skilled trades, technical training, certifications, apprenticeships, and applied career training. It emphasizes support for first-generation students and people facing financial barriers.

Soar Texas at a glance

In short: Soar Texas gave $110K across 12 grants in 2024 (avg $9K), mostly in Texas. 83% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.

Annual giving (2024)
$110,000
+15.8% vs 2023
Grants made (2024)
12
+140.0% vs 2023
Average grant
$9,167
-51.8% vs 2023
Median grant
$5,000
Total assets
$6,043
+1.7% vs 2023
New grantees (estimate)
83% first-time grantees (10 of 12, 2024; small sample)
Primary geography
Texas (100% 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 Soar Texas

How to Apply

The 2024 filing says applications and required documents—proof of acceptance or enrollment at an applicable university, a school transcript, and a recommendation letter—must be submitted online or received by mail. It says eligibility requirements are available online and that scholarship funds are payable to the accredited university chosen by the recipient, for tuition, room and board, or other educational expenses through the university. The filing states that giving is not restricted to preselected organizations. The website also describes separate college and skills scholarship pathways, with the skills scholarship funds paid directly to approved training providers.

Review Cycle
The 2024 filing says application submission opens in December and closes in March of the following year. It does not identify a specific year for that cycle.
Deadline
The 2024 filing says application submission opens in December and closes in March of the following year.
Contact

Application contact: Amber Russell
Mailing address: 6101 W Courtyard Dr 1-150, Austin, TX 78730
Phone: (512) 777-3135

Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Who Soar Texas funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

University of Texas at Austin: $30KUniversity of Texas at Austin$30KTexas A&M University - College Station: $20KTexas A&M University - CollegeStation$20KBaylor University: $15KBaylor University$15KTexas A&M International University: $5KTexas A&M InternationalUniversity$5KSouthern Methodist University: $5KSouthern Methodist University$5KTexas Christian University: $5KTexas Christian University$5KUniversity of Texas at Dallas: $5KUniversity of Texas at Dallas$5KUniversity of Texas McGovern Medical School: $5KUniversity of Texas McGovernMedical School$5KUniversity of Texas Rio Grande Valley: $5KUniversity of Texas Rio GrandeValley$5KUniversity of Texas School of Dentistry: $5KUniversity of Texas School ofDentistry$5K

The largest 2024 recipient was University of Texas at Austin ($30K). Together the top 10 received $100K.

Organizations only. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($5,000), which are not listed by name.

Grant Size Distribution

20 grants across all recorded years

20<$50K$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 20 grants of 20 (100%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

All grant dollars reported for filing year 2024 went to recipients in Texas. The listed 2024 university recipients are located in Texas.

Grant Distribution by State

1state

Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 12 itemized grants.

States

Cities

AustinCollege StationHoustonWacoDallasDentonEdinburgFt WorthLaredoMcallenRichardsonCorpus Christi

Is Soar Texas open to new grantees?

83%

first-time grantees, 2024

In 2024, 10 of 12 grantees (83%) were first-time recipients. With only 12 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $9K; repeat grants $10K. How we count

Medians: $5K first-time, $10K repeat.

  • 17% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method

Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2022–2024). 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

$0$50K$100K$150K3 grants2022 5 grants2023 12 grants2024

From 2022 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $50K (2022) to $110K (2024). In 2024 it made 12 grants totaling $110K.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
University of Texas at Austin Austin, TXScholarships$30,000
Texas A&M University - College Station College Station, TXScholarships$20,000
Baylor University Waco, TXScholarships$15,000
1 individual scholarship Recipients not named —$5,000
Texas A&M International University Laredo, TXScholarships$5,000
Southern Methodist University Dallas, TXScholarships$5,000
Texas Christian University Ft Worth, TXScholarships$5,000
University of Texas at Dallas Richardson, TXScholarships$5,000
University of Texas McGovern Medical School Houston, TXScholarships$5,000
University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Edinburg, TXScholarships$5,000
Your AI grants department

Ready to take the next step with Soar Texas?

Fully replaces Grant database subscriptions Instrumentl · Foundation Directory · GrantStation & similar

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsQualifying Distributions
2024$6,043$111,919$111,816$110,00012$110,000
2023$5,940$48$96,637$95,0005$96,637
2022$102,529$152,529$50,000$50,0003$50,000

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

SOAR’s website describes its purpose as opening doors for students with drive and potential, particularly first-generation students and those navigating financial barriers. Its stated program areas include college and graduate education, skilled trades, technical certifications, apprenticeships, and applied career training. The website also describes mentorship and connections with alumni and professionals as part of its support for scholars.

The 2024 filing describes scholarships awarded to students at twelve Texas universities. Among those recipients, Baylor University says its mission is to educate students for worldwide leadership and service by integrating academic excellence and Christian commitment. Southern Methodist University describes its mission as education through research and teaching, creating and imparting knowledge to shape citizens who contribute to communities and lead professions. Texas Christian University describes itself as an institution of higher education with nine major academic units and says its mission is to educate individuals to think and act as ethical leaders and responsible citizens.

Grantmaking

In filing year 2024, Soar Texas reported 12 grants totaling $110,000. The grants ranged from $5,000 to $30,000, with a median of $5,000. The filing separately describes 22 scholarships of $5,000 each awarded to students at twelve Texas universities.

The largest reported grants were $30,000 to the University of Texas at Austin, $20,000 to Texas A&M University–College Station, and $15,000 to Baylor University. The remaining nine reported grants were $5,000 each, to Texas A&M University–an individual recipient, Texas A&M International University, Southern Methodist University, Texas Christian University, the University of Texas at Dallas, the University of Texas McGovern Medical School, the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, the University of Texas School of Dentistry, and the University of Houston.

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2024 filing lists Amber Russell as president and Robert Jaye and Ashley Pinto as directors. The website identifies Russell as founder of LOAR and SOAR.

Soar Texas is led by Amber Russell, President on every filing since 2022; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.

Officers on the 2024 filing

  • Amber Russell

    President

    On filings since 2022

    5 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Ashley Pinto

    Director

    On filings since 2022

    5 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Robert Jaye

    Director

    On filings since 2023

    5 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

Former officers (1)
  • Former: Brent Jaye (2022) — Director

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2022–2024. "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 Soar Texas

How much does Soar Texas give each year?

Soar Texas gave $110K across 12 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $95K across 5 grants.

What is Soar Texas's typical grant size?

Soar Texas's median grant in 2024 was $5,000, and its average grant was $9,167, across 12 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Soar Texas that year got $9K on average.

Where does Soar Texas give grants?

Soar Texas gives mostly in Texas: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Houston, TX (3 grants).

Does Soar Texas give general operating support?

Not in 2024: none of the 12 grants with a stated purpose on Soar Texas's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Scholarships" (12 grants).

Who are Soar Texas's largest grantees?

Soar Texas's largest 2024 grantees include University of Texas at Austin ($30,000), Texas A&M University - College Station ($20,000) and Baylor University ($15,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($5,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 59% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.

How large is Soar Texas?

Soar Texas reported $6K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Its revenue that year was $112K.

What does Soar Texas fund?

SOAR’s website describes its purpose as opening doors for students with drive and potential, particularly first-generation students and those navigating financial barriers. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from Soar Texas?

The 2024 filing says applications and required documents—proof of acceptance or enrollment at an applicable university, a school transcript, and a recommendation letter—must be submitted online or received by mail. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑

What is Soar Texas's EIN?

Soar Texas's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 61-2025979. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2022–2024.

Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.

Data update history

(1)

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2022–2024

Explore Open Grants

Browse active grant opportunities in Soar Texas's focus areas in our free grants database

Similar Funders

Funders that support many of the same organizations

Enterprise Holdings Foundation

Saint Louis, MO

The Enterprise Holdings Foundation supports charitable and educational nonprofits in communities where Enterprise Mobility operates, focusing on health, education, arts, and disaster relief; applicants must be actively supported by an Enterprise Mobility team member, spouse, or domestic partner. Giving varies widely: it reported 9,499 grants in 2024, but its 2025 filing showed one grant of $101.4 million, so that amount is not a typical award. Applications are accepted at any time through eligible Enterprise-affiliated applicants; the Foundation does not limit giving to preselected organizations.

Assets

$594.3M

Grants

1

Total Given

$101.4M

IBM International Foundation

Armonk, NY

The IBM International Foundation funds education and workforce programs that build 21st-century and technology job skills, including initiatives for underserved students and job seekers. Its 2024 grants ranged from $10,000 to $8.48 million, with a median of $100,000, and went to organizations across several U.S. states, especially Delaware and Massachusetts. It funds only preselected organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.

Assets

$357.7M

Grants

16

Total Given

$11.7M

Raul Tijerina Jr Foundation

Kingwood, TX

The Raul Tijerina Jr Foundation funds eligible 501(c)(3) nonprofits working in youth, education, health, community development, culture and heritage, and environmental conservation, as well as educational scholarships. It serves Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr, and Willacy counties in Texas; recent grants ranged from $1,881 to $30,000, with a median of $20,000. It accepts unsolicited requests year-round, with no submission deadline.

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

Assets

$13.3M

Grants

34

Total Given

$551K

The Leland Trust CO Carol Haynes

Holyoke, CO

The Leland Trust CO Carol Haynes primarily funds post-secondary scholarships for graduates of Holyoke or Haxtun High School, with awards paid to students’ chosen schools; its giving is concentrated in Colorado and also reaches nearby states. In 2025, grants ranged from $250 to $33,725, with a median of $5,000. Scholarship applications may be submitted in writing or online by March 15; unsolicited organizational requests are not addressed.

Education

Assets

$2.8M

Grants

41

Total Given

$280K

John and Deborah Gillis Foundation

Sulphur Springs, TX

The foundation funds scholarships for graduating seniors and education-related projects at eligible schools and districts in Hopkins County, Texas. In 2025, grants ranged from $134 to $18,598, with a median of $8,378; it states that it does not accept unsolicited requests, though its scholarship and school-grant programs have application processes.

Assets

$3.9M

Grants

48

Total Given

$386K

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

More similar funders

More Funders in Texas

Cite this profile

Grantable. (2026). Soar Texas funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/soar-texas-morg_c81da518e98d42198b04a4eb91f8869f

BibTeX
@misc{grantable_612025979_2026,
  author       = {{Grantable}},
  title        = {{Soar Texas funder profile}},
  howpublished = {GrantGraph},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://grantable.co/funders/soar-texas-morg_c81da518e98d42198b04a4eb91f8869f},
  note         = {Accessed 2026-10-17. 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 Soar Texas'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.

Soar Texas down — hundreds of funders to go?

Want AI to do this for you?