The Dixon Water Foundation
The Dixon Water Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation based in Decatur, Texas, established in 1994 by the late Roger Dixon. The foundation promotes healthy watersheds and carbon sequestration through regenerative land management practices, with a focus on ensuring that present and future generations of Texans have access to adequate water resources.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$60.5M
+6.5% YoY
Annual Giving
$401K
+203.0% YoY
Grant Count
11
+0.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$36K
+203.0% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Dixon Water Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.0M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's mission centers on promoting healthy watersheds and sequestration of carbon through regenerative land management. Primary focus areas include:
- Land management and watershed protection
- Sustainable rangeland and ranch management
- Carbon sequestration through land stewardship
- Environmental education and outreach
- Natural resource management
The foundation has received recognition for its conservation work, including the 2017 Leopold Conservation Award, a Lone Star Land Steward Award, and a Texas Environmental Excellence Award for Agriculture.
Grantmaking
The foundation funds annual grants to programs supporting its mission in key Texas ecosystems. Based on recent tax filings, the foundation distributed approximately $132,200 in grants, with a median grant size of $20,000 and a range from $7,000 to $159,000.
Grant Range
of $20,000 and a range from $7,000 to $159,000.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation's work is concentrated in Texas, with particular emphasis on:
- North Texas (based at the Decatur office)
- West Texas (based at the Marfa office, serving the Presidio County area and surrounding regions)
- Key Texas ecosystems and watersheds
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of Fiscal Year 2023:
- Total Assets: $56.8 million
- Total Revenue: $1.23 million
- Total Expenses: $2.31 million
- Total Liabilities: $512,000
The foundation maintains substantial assets and operates with a staffed structure, indicating capacity for ongoing grantmaking and land stewardship activities.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $60,524,397 | $56,809,181 | $57,377,930 |
| Revenue | $4,684,921 | $1,233,870 | $1,354,737 |
| Expenses | $1,988,574 | $2,307,663 | $2,780,436 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $1,224,256 | $1,024,939 | $1,204,243 |
| Net Investment Income | $4,079,048 | $587,472 | $105,373 |
| Distributable Amount | $1,968,014 | $1,829,523 | $1,974,687 |
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
61 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from The Dixon Water Foundation
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Borderlands Research Institute Ar Srsu ($159,000), Holistic Management International ($50,000), National Audubon Society Inc Dba Audubon Texas ($40,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| BORDERLANDS RESEARCH INSTITUTE AR SRSU ALPINE, TX | RANCH MANAGEMENT | $159,000 |
| DEVILS RIVER CONSERVANCY AUSTIN, TX | PRESERVATION OF THE DEVILS RIVER | $10,000 |
| HILL COUNTRY ALLIANCE AUSTIN, TX | HEADWATERS CHALLENGE | $16,000 |
| HOLISTIC MANAGEMENT INTERNATIONAL ALBUQUERQUE, NM | LAND PROGRAM | $50,000 |
| NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY INC DBA AUDUBON TEXAS AUSTIN, TX | PRAIRE AND GRASSLAND CONSERVATION | $40,000 |
| NATIVE PRAIRIES ASSOCIATION OF TEXAS SAN MARCOS, TX | CHALLENGE GRANT | $15,000 |
| SAND COUNTY FOUNDATION MADISON, WI | LEOPOID AWARDS | $7,000 |
| TEXAS AGRICULTURAL LAND TRUST SAN ANOTONIO, TX | LAND MANAGEMENT | $25,000 |
| TEXAS LAND CONSERVANCY AUSTIN, TX | LAND CONSERVANCY | $40,000 |
| THE NATURE CONSERVANCY IN TEXAS SAN ANOTONIO, TX | CONSERVATION | $20,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Board of Directors:
- Robert J. Potts, Chairman
- Kathy Smyth, Vice Chairman
- Hugh Aljoe, Vice Chairman
- Laura Whiting, Board Member
- Leslie Rauscher, Board Member
- Jerry Addison, Board Member
- Melissa Bookhout, Board Member
- Dr. Richard Teague, Board Member
Staff:
- Casey Wade, President and CEO
- Philip Boyd, Vice President of Science and Research
- Rachel Vasquez, Vice President of Grants
- Hilary Knight, Vice President of Operations – North Texas Events
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ROBERT J POTTS | CHAIRMAN | 20 | $57,292 |
| KATHY SMYTH | VICE CHAIRMAN | 1 | — |
| HUGH ALJOE | VICE CHAIRMAN | 1 | — |
| LAURA WHITING | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| LESLIE RAUSCHER | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| JERRY ADDISON | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| MELISSA BOOKHOUT | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| DR RICHARD TEAGUE | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| CASEY WADE | PRESIDENT & CEO | 40 | $144,433 |
| KNIGHT HILARY | VP OPERATIONS | 40 | $87,152 |
| PHILLIP BOYD | VP SCIENCE & RESEARCH | 40 | $92,400 |
| RACHEL VASQUEZ | VICE PRESIDENT - GRANTS | 40 | $97,650 |
Recent Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation continues to engage in educational programming and research partnerships. Recent activities include:
Participation in webinars discussing bale grazing and soil health recovery on foundation ranches
Hosting of "Water in the Desert" conference (scheduled for February 11-13, 2026 in Alpine, Texas)
Organization of Alpine Wildlife Weekend (January 30-February 1, 2026)
Partnership with researchers to monitor environmental responses to land stewardship practices
Support for educational videos on the water cycle through the Presidio County Underground Water Conservation District
$1M secured for Dix water projectCollaboration with Bird Conservancy of the Rockies on winter grassland bird research at the Marfa ranch
Contact Information
North Texas Office: 4528 County Road 398 Decatur, TX 76234
West Texas Office: P.O. Box 177 Marfa, TX 79843
Key Contacts:
- Casey Wade (President and CEO): cwade@dixonwater.org
- Philip Boyd (Vice President of Science and Research): pboyd@dixonwater.org
- Rachel Vasquez (Vice President of Grants): rvasquez@dixonwater.org
- Hilary Knight (Vice President of Operations): hknight@dixonwater.org
- Media Inquiries: media@dixonwater.org
Frequently Asked Questions
What does The Dixon Water Foundation fund?
The foundation's mission centers on promoting healthy watersheds and sequestration of carbon through regenerative land management. Primary focus areas include: • Land management and watershed protection • Sustainable rangeland and ranch management • Carbon sequestration through land stewardship • Environmental education and outreach • Natural resource management The foundation has received recognition for its conservation work, including the 2017 Leopold Conservation Award, a Lone Star Land Ste…
How do I apply for a grant from The Dixon Water Foundation?
The foundation funds annual grants to programs supporting its mission in key Texas ecosystems. Based on recent tax filings, the foundation distributed approximately $132,200 in grants, with a median grant size of $20,000 and a range from $7,000 to $159,000. The foundation maintains a "preselected only" grantmaking approach and appears to have dedicated paid staff managing grant operations.
Where does The Dixon Water Foundation make grants?
The foundation's work is concentrated in Texas, with particular emphasis on: • North Texas (based at the Decatur office) • West Texas (based at the Marfa office, serving the Presidio County area and surrounding regions) • Key Texas ecosystems and watersheds
What size grants does The Dixon Water Foundation award?
In 2024, The Dixon Water Foundation awarded 11 grants totaling $401K — an average of about $36K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is The Dixon Water Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Dixon Water Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.0M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is The Dixon Water Foundation's EIN?
The Dixon Water Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 75-2521176. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Dixon Water 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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