The Alternatives Foundation
TAF accepts and liquidates illiquid assets such as closely held business interests and private equity interests to provide funds to educational research scholarship and arts organizations in alignment with our charitable mission. In 2025 TAF also sponsored donor-advised funds allowing donors to contribute assets receive immediate tax benefits and recommend grants to charitable organizations over time.
The Alternatives Foundation at a glance
In short: The Alternatives Foundation gave $55K across 2 grants in 2025 (avg $28K), mostly in Texas. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $55,000
- Grants made (2025)
- 2
- Average grant
- $27,500
- Median grant
- $27,500
- Total assets
- $1,007,892
- +833.5% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Texas (91% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026.
Who The Alternatives Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 2 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was University of Texas at Austin ($50K). Together the top 2 received $55K.
Grant Size Distribution
2 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 1 grant of 2 (50%).
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
In 2025 it made 2 grants totaling $55K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX | Educational research and charitable mission support | $50,000 |
| Washington and Lee University Lexington, VA | Educational grant - charitable mission support | $5,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,007,892 | $954,783 | $55,163 | $55,000 | 2 | $2,252 |
| 2024 | $107,973 | $107,733 | $79,815 | — | — | $7,221 |
| 2023 | $7,391 | $433,381 | $225,475 | — | — | — |
About The Alternatives Foundation
Based on IRS filings
The Alternatives Foundation is a public charity focused on Arts, Culture & Humanities, based in Austin, TX. IRS filing data is available from 2023 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $1.0M in total assets. In 2025, it awarded 2 grants totaling $55K. Net investment income was $2K.
Focus Areas
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
The Alternatives Foundation is led by Rudy Garza, Board President since 2025 (on filings since 2023); none of the 9 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Rudy Garza
Board President
Treasurer → Board President, 2025
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Brent Iverson
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jeff Nash
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kerry Hall
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Philip Sanger
Director
Chairman & President → Director, 2025
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Scott Holstead
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Joe Milam
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John Rippel
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jarett Rodriguez
Nonvoting Board Secretary
Executive Director → Nonvoting Board Secretary, 2025
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$205K (2023) → $0 (2025)
Former officers (3)
- Former: Cale McDowell (2023–2024) — Secretary
- Former: Pete Winstead (2023–2024) — Director
- Former: Jason Downie (2023) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2023–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $66K, to Jarett Rodriguez (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about The Alternatives Foundation
How much does The Alternatives Foundation give each year?
The Alternatives Foundation gave $55K across 2 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990.
How large is The Alternatives Foundation?
The Alternatives Foundation reported $1.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $955K.
What is The Alternatives Foundation?
The Alternatives Foundation is a public charity focused on Arts, Culture & Humanities, based in Austin, TX. It holds $1.0M in total assets as of 2025.
Where does The Alternatives Foundation operate?
The Alternatives Foundation has awarded grants in Texas, Virginia.
What is The Alternatives Foundation's EIN?
The Alternatives Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 87-3652885. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2023–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
Live grants for the work The Alternatives Foundation funds
Arts, Culture & Humanities Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Alternatives Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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The filing figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0. About GrantGraph Open
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The Alternatives Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?