Stephen M Seay Foundation Inc

Private foundation · Grantmaker Dallas, TX EIN: 36-4613275

The Stephen M Seay Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Dallas, Texas. Its 2024 filing reports grants to charitable organizations including education, cultural, health, food-assistance, and conservation organizations.

Stephen M Seay Foundation Inc at a glance

In short: Stephen M Seay Foundation Inc gave $1.1M across 89 grants in 2024 (avg $12K), mostly in Texas. 6% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.

Annual giving (2024)
$1,110,000
+1.6% vs 2023
Grants made (2024)
89
+2.3% vs 2023
Average grant
$12,472
-0.7% vs 2023
Median grant
$10,000
Total assets
$19,277,497
+4.9% vs 2023
New grantees (estimate)
6% first-time grantees (5 of 89, 2024)
Primary geography
Texas (75% 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 Stephen M Seay Foundation Inc

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: 6060 N Central Expressway 500, Dallas, TX 75206
Phone: (214) 718-9047

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

Who Stephen M Seay Foundation Inc funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

The Woods Project: $75KThe Woods Project$75KChildren's Health: $60KChildren's Health$60KDallas Arboretum & Botanical Garden: $50KDallas Arboretum & BotanicalGarden$50KPerot Museum of Nature & Science: $50KPerot Museum of Nature &Science$50KSt Philip's School & Community Center: $50KSt Philip's School & CommunityCenter$50KTexas Scottish Rite Hospital: $50KTexas Scottish Rite Hospital$50KCrow Canyon Archaeological Center: $40KCrow Canyon ArchaeologicalCenter$40KDallas Museum of Art: $30KDallas Museum of Art$30KBreakthrough Central Texas: $25KBreakthrough Central Texas$25KCalifornia Institute of Technology: $25KCalifornia Institute ofTechnology$25K

The largest 2024 recipient was The Woods Project ($75K). Together the top 10 received $455K.

Grant Size Distribution

421 grants across all recorded years

391<$50K26$50–100K4$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 391 grants of 421 (93%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

In 2024, 75% of grant dollars went to recipients in Texas. The next-largest shares went to Colorado (6%), California (4%), Arizona (3%), and New Mexico (3%).

Grant Distribution by State

16states

Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 89 itemized grants.

Cities

DallasHoustonPrescottOklahoma CityAustinAbiquiuBellaireBig Bend National ParkBillingsChicagoCodyCortezDyerGoldenHonoluluJonas RidgeMissoulaMoorheadOklahomaPasadena

Is Stephen M Seay Foundation Inc open to new grantees?

6%

first-time grantees, 2024

In 2024, 5 of 89 grantees (6%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $8K; repeat grants $13K. How we count

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

  • 93% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
  • Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−16%). Method
  • In 2024 it paid out 93% 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

$0$500K$1M$1.5M76 grants2020 82 grants2021 87 grants2022 87 grants2023 89 grants2024

From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $1.1M (2022) to $1.3M (2021). In 2024 it made 89 grants totaling $1.1M.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
The Woods Project Houston, TXHelp Others$75,000
Children's Health Dallas, TXHelp Others$60,000
Dallas Arboretum & Botanical Garden Dallas, TXHelp Others$50,000
Perot Museum of Nature & Science Dallas, TXHelp Others$50,000
St Philip's School & Community Center Dallas, TXHelp Others$50,000
Texas Scottish Rite Hospital Dallas, TXHelp Others$50,000
Crow Canyon Archaeological Center Cortez, COHelp Others$40,000
Dallas Museum of Art Dallas, TXHelp Others$30,000
Breakthrough Central Texas Austin, TXHelp Others$25,000
California Institute of Technology Pasadena, CAHelp Others$25,000
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Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsQualifying DistributionsNet Investment IncomeDistributable Amount
2024$19,277,497$2,265,651$1,367,814$1,110,00089$1,137,112$2,036,978$1,223,415
2023$18,379,660$1,368,409$1,341,931$1,092,50087$1,128,449$1,242,051$1,172,414
2022$18,353,182$1,792,655$1,319,921$1,070,00087$1,093,823$1,587,751$1,212,090
2021$18,420,448$987,065$1,540,545$1,315,50082$1,339,837$781,574$1,317,456
2020$18,433,928$668,562$1,322,875$1,106,00076—$475,243$1,168,992

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Stephen M Seay Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $1.2M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

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

Mission & Focus Areas

No formal mission statement is provided in the available information. The 2024 grants show support for organizations with varied missions. For example, The Woods Project says it creates wilderness experiences for Houston high school students to promote academic success and college and career readiness. The Perot Museum of Nature & Science says it aims to inspire minds through nature and science, while Crow Canyon Archaeological Center describes its work as making the human past accessible through research and education.

Other 2024 grantees include the Dallas Museum of Art, which describes itself as a space for wonder and discovery through art; the Dallas Education Foundation, whose stated mission is to accelerate success for Dallas ISD students; and the North Texas Food Bank, which says it works to close the hunger gap in North Texas.

Grantmaking

In 2024, the foundation made 89 grants totaling $1,110,000. Grants ranged from $500 to $75,000, with a median grant of $10,000. Among the largest were $75,000 to The Woods Project, $60,000 to Children’s Health, $50,000 each to the Dallas Arboretum & Botanical Garden, Perot Museum of Nature & Science, St Philip’s School & Community Center, and Texas Scottish Rite Hospital, and $40,000 to Crow Canyon Archaeological Center.

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2024 filing lists Peter K Lutken III, Lee-Ann Graham, and David J Wood as directors.

Stephen M Seay Foundation Inc's 2024 filing lists 3 officers; all 3 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.

Officers on the 2024 filing

  • David J. Wood

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    2 hrs/week

    $6K (2020) → $7K (2024)

  • Lee-Ann Graham

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    2 hrs/week

    $5K (2020) → $4K (2024)

  • Peter K. Lutken III

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    2 hrs/week

    $2K (2020) → $3K (2024)

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.

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

David J Wood — Director: $7KDavid J WoodDirector$7KLee-Ann Graham — Director: $4KLee-Ann GrahamDirector$4KPeter K Lutken III — Director: $3KPeter K Lutken IIIDirector$3K

The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $7K, to David J Wood (Director). 3 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.

Frequently asked questions about Stephen M Seay Foundation Inc

How much does Stephen M Seay Foundation Inc give each year?

Stephen M Seay Foundation Inc gave $1.1M across 89 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.1M across 87 grants.

What is Stephen M Seay Foundation Inc's typical grant size?

Stephen M Seay Foundation Inc's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $12,472, across 89 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Stephen M Seay Foundation Inc that year got $8K on average.

Where does Stephen M Seay Foundation Inc give grants?

Stephen M Seay Foundation Inc gives mostly in Texas: 75% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Colorado (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Dallas, TX (38 grants), Houston, TX (12 grants), Prescott, AZ (5 grants) and Austin, TX (3 grants).

Does Stephen M Seay Foundation Inc give general operating support?

Not in 2024: none of the 89 grants with a stated purpose on Stephen M Seay Foundation Inc's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Help Others" (89 grants).

Who are Stephen M Seay Foundation Inc's largest grantees?

Stephen M Seay Foundation Inc's largest 2024 grantees include The Woods Project ($75,000), Children's Health ($60,000) and Dallas Arboretum & Botanical Garden ($50,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 17% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.

How large is Stephen M Seay Foundation Inc?

Stephen M Seay Foundation Inc reported $19.3M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.1M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.2M (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 Stephen M Seay Foundation Inc fund?

No formal mission statement is provided in the available information. The 2024 grants show support for organizations with varied missions. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from Stephen M Seay Foundation Inc?

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 Stephen M Seay Foundation Inc's EIN?

Stephen M Seay Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-4613275. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.

Does Stephen M Seay Foundation Inc 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

  1. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 4, 2021)
  2. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 14, 2022)
  3. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 15, 2023)
  4. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 15, 2024)
  5. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 17, 2025)
  6. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

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Cite this profile

Grantable. (2026). Stephen M Seay Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/stephen-m-seay-foundation-inc-morg_5850632e943d4d18b83d63440c66509e

BibTeX
@misc{grantable_364613275_2026,
  author       = {{Grantable}},
  title        = {{Stephen M Seay Foundation Inc funder profile}},
  howpublished = {GrantGraph},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://grantable.co/funders/stephen-m-seay-foundation-inc-morg_5850632e943d4d18b83d63440c66509e},
  note         = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 Stephen M Seay Foundation Inc'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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