The Brown Foundation Inc
The Brown Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Houston, Texas. Founded in 1951, it describes its grantmaking as flexible and focused on Houston’s evolving community needs, while selectively participating in distinctive opportunities across Texas and beyond. Its mission is to build, sustain, and enhance organizations that make Houston a stronger, more vibrant community.
The Brown Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: The Brown Foundation Inc gave $84.3M across 222 grants in 2025 (avg $380K), mostly in Texas. 8% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $84,269,500
- -28.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 222
- -73.4% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $379,592
- +169.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $50,000
- Total assets
- $1,147,001,983
- +4.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 8% first-time grantees (17 of 214, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Texas (85% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Brown Foundation Inc
- How to Apply
-
The Foundation provides general operating, program, and capital grants. New applicants begin with an online pre-application; applicants invited to proceed submit a full proposal through the online grantee portal. The full process takes at least three months, and the Foundation may request follow-up conversations, site visits, or supplemental data. Applicants must be tax-exempt charitable organizations under Section 501(c)(3); the Foundation does not support 509(a)(3) organizations, Type III organizations, or private operating foundations. It does not make grants to individuals, individual scholarship funds, endowments or endowment campaigns, debt retirement or past operating deficits, fundraising or marketing events, or activities intended to support political candidates or influence legislation. Applicants are asked for a mission statement, grant-purpose and strategy narratives, time-bound outcomes, budget and revenue information, board information, recent audited financial statements or Form 990, a recent-month balance sheet, and a tax ID number. Organizations may submit only one request during the Foundation’s July 1–June 30 fiscal year. Current grantees that typically apply for and receive annual funding are not required to submit a pre-application.
- Review Cycle
- The Foundation reviews pre-applications in four annual cycles. Requests of $1,000,000 or more are considered exclusively in Cycle 4 and must be submitted by that cycle’s January deadline. The website directs applicants to the online portal for cycle details.
- Deadline
- The Foundation reviews pre-applications in four annual cycles.
- Contact
Application contact: Ann Ziker The Brown Foundation Inc
Mailing address: 2217 Welch St, Houston, TX 77019-5617
Phone: (713) 523-6867
Email: bfi@brownfoundation.org
Website: https://brownfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from The Brown Foundation Inc
Who The Brown Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was National Philanthropic Trust ($11.0M). Together the top 10 received $54.6M.
Grant Size Distribution
3,687 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 2,671 grants of 3,687 (72%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation says it primarily makes grants in the Greater Houston area, and its website describes its work as focused on Houston’s community needs. It also says it selectively participates in distinctive grantmaking opportunities across Texas and beyond. In 2025, 85% of grant dollars went to recipients in Texas and 13% to recipients in Pennsylvania; the remaining reported shares were in New Mexico, New York, and Wisconsin.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 222 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Brown Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
8%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 17 of 214 grantees (8%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $1.2M; repeat grants $322K. How we count
Medians: $100K first-time, $50K repeat.
- 85% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−6%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 83% 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 (2021–2025). 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
From 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $79.4M (2021) to $117.9M (2024). In 2025 it made 222 grants totaling $84.3M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| National Philanthropic Trust Jenkintown, PA | Study Group and Matching Grant Programs | $11,000,000 |
| Harris Health Strategic Fund Bellaire, TX | Investing in a Healthier Harris County | $10,000,000 |
| Precinct4Forward Houston, TX | Burnett Bayland Park Improvements | $7,500,000 |
| YES Prep Public Schools Houston, TX | The Power of YES | $7,000,000 |
| Hermann Park Conservancy Houston, TX | 10-year plan (Phase I) | $6,000,000 |
| Greater Houston Community Foundation Houston, TX | Houston Charter Seed Fund | $5,000,000 |
| Houston Museum of Natural Science Houston, TX | Brown Hall of Entomology ($2,850,000) and Youth Education Support ($150,000) | $3,000,000 |
| Coalition for the Homeless of HoustonHarris County Houston, TX | Achieving Equilibrium ($1,500,000) and Operating Support ($75,000) | $1,575,000 |
| Thrive With Autism Foundation Magnolia, TX | Campaign of Hope | $1,550,000 |
| DePelchin Children's Center Houston, TX | Community Based Care | $1,500,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Brown Foundation Inc?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The Foundation’s 2024 filing also reports direct charitable activity to preserve and rehabilitate more than 6,000 acres of freshwater marsh on the Texas Gulf Coast damaged by saltwater intrusion after a levee breach associated with Hurricane Harvey and other significant rain events.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,147,001,983 | $145,856,621 | $92,692,676 | $84,269,500 | 222 | $86,473,880 | $142,190,460 | $103,624,424 |
| 2024 | $1,093,838,038 | $183,844,252 | $125,930,873 | $117,902,276 | 836 | $120,032,088 | $180,173,159 | $100,212,352 |
| 2023 | $1,004,415,123 | $89,635,504 | $91,981,368 | $84,864,132 | 883 | $86,885,701 | $85,950,026 | $86,500,905 |
| 2022 | $979,120,834 | $115,841,262 | $97,072,763 | $89,547,234 | 847 | $91,528,123 | $112,271,338 | $97,499,773 |
| 2021 | $949,233,281 | $114,311,330 | $87,052,558 | $79,447,463 | 899 | — | $111,087,784 | $89,035,663 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Brown Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $103.6M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Foundation’s stated mission is to build, sustain, and enhance organizations that make Houston a stronger, more vibrant community. Its website describes a community-driven approach and says it supports organizations with a proven track record, while remaining open to new ideas with potential for positive change.
Its areas of interest include education from early childhood through higher education; arts and culture, including performing and literary arts, museums, and community-based arts; healthcare; human services; and civic assets such as parks, public spaces, civic institutions, and conservation. The Foundation says public education grantmaking is concentrated almost exclusively in the greater Houston region.
Examples of grantees illustrate the range of supported work. YES Prep Public Schools describes its mission as preparing low-income youth for four-year colleges and universities through a rigorous academic program that emphasizes community service. Hermann Park Conservancy describes itself as dedicated to the stewardship and improvement of Hermann Park. Harris Health Strategic Fund says it mobilizes philanthropy to help ensure Harris County residents have access to care.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the Foundation reported 222 grants totaling $84,269,500. Grant amounts ranged from $20,000 to $11,000,000, with a median grant of $50,000.
Among the largest reported 2025 grants were $11,000,000 to National Philanthropic Trust for Study Group and Matching Grant Programs; $10,000,000 to Harris Health Strategic Fund for “Investing in a Healthier Harris County”; $7,500,000 to Precinct4Forward for Burnett Bayland Park Improvements; $7,000,000 to YES Prep Public Schools for The Power of YES; and $6,000,000 to Hermann Park Conservancy for its 10-year plan, Phase I. Other large grants included $5,000,000 to Greater Houston Community Foundation for the Houston Charter Seed Fund and $3,000,000 to Houston Museum of Natural Science for Brown Hall of Entomology and youth education support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists John O’Connor as Chair/Trustee; Isabel S. Lummis as President/Trustee; Lousia S. Sarofim as Secretary/Trustee; Ann Ziker as Executive Director/Assistant Secretary; and Jacklyn Tatge as CFO/Treasurer. Trustees listed are Ralph Abendshein, Holbrook F. Dorn, William N. Mathis, Maria Mathis-Kruser, and Caroline Negley. The Foundation’s website identifies Dr. Ann Ziker as Executive Director.
The Brown Foundation Inc is led by Ann Ziker, Executive Director & Assistant Secretary on the 2025 filing; 2 of 13 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Ann Ziker
Executive Director & Assistant Secretary
New on the 2025 filing
50 hrs/week
$423K (2025)
Isabel S Lummis
President & Trustee
On filings since 2021
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
John O'Connor
Chair & Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Christopher B Sarofim
Trustee
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Holbrook F Dorn
Trustee
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
William N Mathis
Trustee
Chair & Trustee → Trustee, 2025
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lousia S Sarofim
Secretary & Trustee
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ryan O'Connor
Trustee
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Caroline Negley
Trustee
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Elisa Pye
Trustee
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Maria Mathis-Kruser
Trustee
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ralph Abendshein
Trustee
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jacklyn Tatge
CFO & Treasurer
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$308K (2025)
Former officers (7)
- Former: George R O'Connor (2021–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Herman L Stude (2021–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Roxana M Richardson (2021–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Alexander McAllister (2022–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Nancy O Abendshein (2021–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Alexa B Negley (2021) — Trustee
- Former: Louisa S Sarofim (2021) — Secretary & Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "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 $423K, to Ann Ziker (ED/Asst Secretary). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Brown Foundation Inc
How much does The Brown Foundation Inc give each year?
The Brown Foundation Inc gave $84.3M across 222 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $117.9M across 836 grants.
What is The Brown Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
The Brown Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $50,000, and its average grant was $379,592, across 222 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Brown Foundation Inc that year got $1.2M on average.
Where does The Brown Foundation Inc give grants?
The Brown Foundation Inc gives mostly in Texas: 85% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Pennsylvania (13%). The most frequent recipient cities were Houston, TX (179 grants), San Antonio, TX (12 grants), Bellaire, TX (4 grants) and New York, NY (3 grants).
Does The Brown Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 70% of The Brown Foundation Inc's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (156 of 222) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Brown Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
The Brown Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include National Philanthropic Trust ($11,000,000), Harris Health Strategic Fund ($10,000,000) and Precinct4Forward ($7,500,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 34% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Brown Foundation Inc?
The Brown Foundation Inc reported $1.1B in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $86.5M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $103.6M (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 The Brown Foundation Inc fund?
The Foundation’s stated mission is to build, sustain, and enhance organizations that make Houston a stronger, more vibrant community. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Brown Foundation Inc?
The Foundation provides general operating, program, and capital grants. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Brown Foundation Inc's EIN?
The Brown Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 74-6036466. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
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
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
Live grants for the work The Brown Foundation Inc funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
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Browse active grant opportunities in The Brown Foundation Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Brown Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-brown-foundation-inc-morg_71c7133d3edf42009049d306fa0cdc69
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_746036466_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Brown Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-brown-foundation-inc-morg_71c7133d3edf42009049d306fa0cdc69},
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 The Brown 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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