The Crain Foundation is a private foundation established in 1997 and based in Longview, Texas. Operating as a 501(c)(3) organization, it functions as an independent grantmaking foundation focused on philanthropic giving across multiple sectors.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$32.2M
+2.0% YoY
Annual Giving
$2.7M
+49.1% YoY
Grant Count
145
+5.1% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$18K
+41.9% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Crain Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.3M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's primary funding interests include:
- Education
- Science and STEM education
- Arts and culture
- Human services
- Philanthropy and grantmaking
Grantmaking
Applications are accepted at any time. Grants are made only to tax-exempt organizations qualifying as 501(c)(3) organizations.
Grant Range
$5,000
Average Grant
$14,000
How to Apply
**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily supports organizations in Texas, New Jersey, and Tennessee, which account for 91% of all grants. Grantmaking reaches organizations across 13 states, with concentration in Texas.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of 2023:
- Total Assets: $31.6M
- Total Revenues: $2.12M
- Total Expenses: $2.02M
- Total Liabilities: $115,000
Revenue Composition (2023):
- Investment income and dividends: $856,777
- Net gain from sale of non-inventory assets: $913,894
Historical Asset Growth: Assets have grown from $26.4M in 2011 to $32.2M in 2024.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $32,203,724 | $31,579,417 | $31,474,804 |
| Revenue | $3,639,201 | $2,116,763 | $1,401,496 |
| Expenses | $3,031,346 | $2,021,655 | $2,397,839 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $2,664,848 | $1,787,319 | $2,013,262 |
| Net Investment Income | $3,338,204 | $2,082,516 | $1,078,053 |
| Distributable Amount | $2,295,409 | $2,120,641 | $2,134,971 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
250 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Episcopal High School ($760,000), Trinity School of Texas the ($101,600), St John's School ($86,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| AMAZING PLACE HOUSTON, TX | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION | $10,000 |
| ARTSVIEW CHILDREN'S THEATRE LONGVIEW, TX | FOR CHILDREN'S THEATER | $3,000 |
| BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE HOUSTON, TX | MEDICAL RESEARCH | $10,000 |
| BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA TYLER, TX | CHILD ENRICHMENT | $2,000 |
| BUFFALO BAYOU PARTNERSHIP HOUSTON, TX | DEVELOPMENT OF BUFFALO BAYOU WATERFRONT | $5,000 |
| CASA DE ESPERANZA DE LOS NINOS HOUSTON, TX | GENERAL OPERATIONS | $2,500 |
| COLGATE UNIVERSITY HAMILTON, NY | FUNDING OF PRIVATE UNIVERSITY | $20,000 |
| EAST TEXAS FOOD BANK TYLER, TX | COMMUNITY FOOD SUPPLY | $25,000 |
| EPISCOPAL HIGH SCHOOL HOUSTON, TX | PRIVATE RELIGIOUS HIGH SCHOOL | $760,000 |
| FAY SCHOOL THE SOUTHBOROUGH, MA | FOR PRIVATE EDUCATION | $1,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Ann Lacy Crain - Principal Officer
- Rogers L. Crain - President/Secretary/Director
- Kevin Gardner - Controller
- Jim Deborah - CFO
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| JON OWENS | Controller | 1 | — |
| ROGERS L CRAIN | VP/DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| B WALTER CRAIN III | VP/DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| ANN LACY CRAIN II | VP/DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| DARREN GROCE | VP & SECRETARY | 1 | — |
| JIM DEBORAH | VP & TREASURER | 1 | — |
Contact Information
Address: PO Box 2146, Longview, TX 75606-2146
Phone: 903-758-8276
EIN: 75-2698267
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does The Crain Foundation fund?
The foundation's primary funding interests include: • Education • Science and STEM education • Arts and culture • Human services • Philanthropy and grantmaking
How do I apply for a grant from The Crain Foundation?
**Grant Activity:** • Made 143 grants in 2023 • Historical grantmaking has ranged from $1.8M to $4M annually (2020-2023) • Peak grantmaking activity occurred in 2022 with $4M distributed across 298 grants • Total grants made: 587 grants totaling $7.9M across available records • Median grant size: $5,000 • Average grant size: $14,000 • Individual grants have ranged up to $386,000 **Recent Grant Examples (2023):** • Longview Museum of Fine Arts: $210,000 • The Lawrenceville School: $126,000 • Tri…
Where does The Crain Foundation make grants?
The foundation primarily supports organizations in Texas, New Jersey, and Tennessee, which account for 91% of all grants. Grantmaking reaches organizations across 13 states, with concentration in Texas.
What size grants does The Crain Foundation award?
In 2024, The Crain Foundation awarded 145 grants totaling $2.7M — an average of about $18K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is The Crain Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Crain Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.3M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is The Crain Foundation's EIN?
The Crain Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 75-2698267. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Crain Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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