Susan Smith Blackburn Prize Inc
Susan Smith Blackburn Prize Inc is a private foundation, based in Houston, TX. IRS filing data is available from 2020 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $4.6M in total assets. In 2025, it awarded 9 grants totaling $75K. Net investment income was $191K.
Susan Smith Blackburn Prize Inc at a glance
In short: Susan Smith Blackburn Prize Inc gave $75K across 9 grants in 2025 (avg $8K), mostly in Texas. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $75,000
- -6.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 9
- -30.8% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $8,333
- +35.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $4,642,719
- +3.3% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Texas (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026.
Who Susan Smith Blackburn Prize Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Grant Size Distribution
51 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 51 grants of 51 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 9 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Susan Smith Blackburn Prize Inc gives
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+7%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 103% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $60K (2023) to $80K (2024). In 2025 it made 9 grants totaling $75K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 9 grants to individuals Recipients not named | — | $75,000 |
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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 | $4,642,719 | $241,853 | $272,972 | $75,000 | 9 | $242,534 | $191,039 | $235,231 |
| 2024 | $4,494,937 | $183,940 | $268,673 | $80,000 | 13 | $253,974 | $156,865 | $211,031 |
| 2023 | $4,090,170 | $142,422 | $242,159 | $60,000 | 8 | $199,935 | $137,125 | $197,701 |
| 2022 | $4,223,312 | $42,088 | $174,351 | $70,000 | 10 | $160,121 | $29,253 | $73,076 |
| 2021 | $4,732,084 | $3,596,508 | $269,722 | $80,000 | 11 | $194,186 | $3,571,797 | $169,163 |
| 2020 | $4,142,677 | $54,684 | $181,627 | — | — | — | $34,159 | — |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Susan Smith Blackburn Prize Inc reported a distributable amount of $235K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Susan Smith Blackburn Prize Inc is led by Leslie Swackhamer, Executive Director on every filing since 2021; 1 of 18 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Leslie Swackhamer
Executive Director
On filings since 2021
20 hrs/week
$35K (2021) → $29K (2025)
Alexander Kilgore
President
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ann Gussow
Director
Board Member → Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Blair Brown
Director
Board Member → Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Evan Cabnet
Director
Board Member → Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jenny Jules
Director
Board Member → Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jenny Worton
Director
Board Member → Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jeremy Herrin
Director
Board Member → Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Leslie Samuels
Director
Board Member → Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Matt Wolf
Director
Board Member → Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sheila Hale
Director
Board Member → Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Brandon Jacobs-Jenkins
Director
Board Member → Director, 2024
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jason Butler Harner
Director
Board Member → Director, 2024
On filings since 2023
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Emilie Reid
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Elizabeth Marshall Black
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Adam Blackburn
Vice President
Board Member → Director, 2024
Director → Vice President, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Cabanne Gilbreath
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lucy Blackburn Reid
Vice President
Board Member → Vice President, 2021
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (7)
- Former: Ben Power (2020–2024) — Director
- Former: Indhu Rubasingham (2020–2024) — Director
- Former: Lucy Kerbel (2020–2024) — Director
- Former: Emily Reid (2020–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Emilie S Kilgore (2020–2022) — Chair
- Former: Rebecca Hall (2020–2022) — Board Member
- Former: Alex Kilgore (2020) — President
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $29K, to Leslie Swackhamer (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about Susan Smith Blackburn Prize Inc
How much does Susan Smith Blackburn Prize Inc give each year?
Susan Smith Blackburn Prize Inc gave $75K across 9 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $80K across 13 grants.
What is Susan Smith Blackburn Prize Inc's typical grant size?
Susan Smith Blackburn Prize Inc's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $8,333, across 9 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Susan Smith Blackburn Prize Inc give grants?
Susan Smith Blackburn Prize Inc gives mostly in Texas: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there.
Does Susan Smith Blackburn Prize Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 9 grants with a stated purpose on Susan Smith Blackburn Prize Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Prize award" (9 grants).
How large is Susan Smith Blackburn Prize Inc?
Susan Smith Blackburn Prize Inc reported $4.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $243K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $235K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What is Susan Smith Blackburn Prize Inc's EIN?
Susan Smith Blackburn Prize Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 74-1980804. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
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