The Crain Foundation
The Crain Foundation is a private foundation based in Longview, Texas. In 2024, it made 145 grants totaling $2,664,848 to organizations including schools, religious organizations, an arts museum, a hospital foundation, and organizations serving children and people with special needs.
The Crain Foundation at a glance
In short: The Crain Foundation gave $2.7M across 145 grants in 2024 (avg $18K), mostly in Texas. 7% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $2,664,848
- +49.1% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 145
- +5.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $18,378
- +41.9% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $32,203,724
- +2.0% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 7% first-time grantees (10 of 145, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Texas (88% 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 The Crain Foundation
- How to Apply
-
Contact Ann Lacy Crain. Submit an explanation of the requesting organization, the proposed amount and use, and proof of IRS exempt status or nonprofit status and exemption from income tax. Grants are restricted to tax-exempt organizations qualifying under Section 501(c)(3) or a similar exemption.
- Review Cycle
- Applications are accepted at any time.
- Deadline
- Applications are accepted at any time.
- Contact
Application contact: Ann Lacy Crain
Mailing address: P O Box 2146, Longview, TX 75606
Phone: (903) 758-8276
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Crain Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Episcopal High School ($760K). Together the top 10 received $1.6M.
Grant Size Distribution
733 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 681 grants of 733 (93%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 88% of grant dollars went to recipients in Texas. The remaining shares were Virginia, Tennessee, and New Jersey at 3% each, and New York at 1%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 145 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Crain Foundation open to new grantees?
7%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 10 of 145 grantees (7%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $20K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 83% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+10%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 116% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $1.8M (2023) to $2.7M (2024). In 2024 it made 145 grants totaling $2.7M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Episcopal High School Houston, TX | Private Religious High School | $760,000 |
| Longview Museum of Fine Arts Longview, TX | Promotion of Visual Arts | $195,000 |
| The Trinity School of Texas Longview, TX | For the Spring Gala | $101,600 |
| St Lukes United Methodist Church Houston, TX | General Support | $100,000 |
| St John's School Houston, TX | For Christian Education | $86,000 |
| The Lawrenceville School Lawrenceville, NJ | For Private Education | $78,000 |
| Austin Trinity School Austin, TX | General Contribution | $75,000 |
| Houston Methodist Hospital Foundati Houston, TX | General Support | $70,000 |
| Washington Lee University Lexington, VA | For Higher Education | $60,000 |
| First Presbyterian Church Longview, TX | Religious Organization | $55,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Crain Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $32,203,724 | $3,639,201 | $3,031,346 | $2,664,848 | 145 | $2,664,848 | $3,338,204 | $2,295,409 |
| 2023 | $31,579,417 | $2,116,763 | $2,021,655 | $1,787,319 | 138 | $1,787,319 | $2,082,516 | $2,120,641 |
| 2022 | $31,474,804 | $1,401,496 | $2,397,839 | $2,013,262 | 149 | $2,013,262 | $1,078,053 | $2,134,971 |
| 2021 | $32,471,147 | $2,751,178 | $2,774,002 | $2,426,348 | 150 | $2,426,348 | $2,252,073 | $2,258,677 |
| 2020 | $32,388,971 | $2,258,030 | $2,368,756 | $2,120,600 | 151 | — | $1,949,226 | $2,024,455 |
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.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for education, visual arts, religious organizations, health care, and human services. The supported organizations’ own descriptions illustrate their work: Longview Museum of Fine Arts says its mission is to enrich lives and ignite a passion for the arts; Camp For All Foundation says it transforms the world for children and adults with challenging illnesses, disabilities, or special needs; and Christian Community Service Center says it serves poor, hungry, disabled, and otherwise needy people while respecting their differences.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 145 grants totaling $2,664,848. Grant amounts ranged from $35 to $760,000, with a median of $5,000. The largest grants included $760,000 to Episcopal High School in Houston for a private religious high school; $195,000 to Longview Museum of Fine Arts for promotion of visual arts; $101,600 to Trinity School of Texas for its spring gala; and $100,000 to St. Luke’s United Methodist Church for general support. Other grants included $86,000 to St. John’s School for Christian education, $70,000 to Houston Methodist Hospital Foundation for general support, and $50,000 each to The Martin House Children’s Advocacy Center and Camp For All Foundation.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Jon Owens as Controller; Rogers L. Crain, B. Walter Crain III, and Ann Lacy Crain II as Vice Presidents/Directors; Darren Groce as Vice President and Secretary; and Jim Deborah as Vice President and Treasurer.
The Crain Foundation's 2024 filing lists 6 officers; none of the 6 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Ann Lacy Crain II
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
B. Walter Crain III
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rogers L. Crain
Vice President & Director
President, Secretary & Director → Vice President & Director, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Darren Groce
Vice President & Secretary
Vice President → Vice President & Secretary, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jim Deborah
Vice President & Treasurer
CFO → Vice President & Treasurer, 2022
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jon Owens
Controller
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (3)
- Former: Kevin Gardner (2021–2022) — Controller
- Former: Staci Reynolds (2020) — Controller
- Former: Terri Downing (2020) — Vice President & Treasurer
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.
Frequently asked questions about The Crain Foundation
How much does The Crain Foundation give each year?
The Crain Foundation gave $2.7M across 145 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.8M across 138 grants.
What is The Crain Foundation's typical grant size?
The Crain Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $5,000, and its average grant was $18,378, across 145 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Crain Foundation that year got $2K on average.
Where does The Crain Foundation give grants?
The Crain Foundation gives mostly in Texas: 88% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Houston, TX (43 grants), Longview, TX (32 grants), Dallas, TX (9 grants) and Tyler, TX (6 grants).
Does The Crain Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 48% of The Crain Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (69 of 145) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Public Safety" (5 grants), "Child Enrichment" (3 grants) and "Religious Organization" (3 grants).
Who are The Crain Foundation's largest grantees?
The Crain Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Episcopal High School ($760,000), Longview Museum of Fine Arts ($195,000) and The Trinity School of Texas ($101,600), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 40% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Crain Foundation?
The Crain Foundation reported $32.2M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.7M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $2.3M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Crain Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for education, visual arts, religious organizations, health care, and human services. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Crain Foundation?
Contact Ann Lacy Crain. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
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.
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 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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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Crain Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-crain-foundation-morg_a2bf00577a53485b954162b775a79b09
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_752698267_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Crain Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-crain-foundation-morg_a2bf00577a53485b954162b775a79b09},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 Crain Foundation'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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