The Dorothy Gaines Foundation
The Dorothy Gaines Foundation is a private foundation based in Hillsboro, Texas. Established in 2003, it supports organizations working to promote quality of life in Hill and Tarrant counties, Texas, including efforts addressing social problems and contributing to community wellbeing.
The Dorothy Gaines Foundation at a glance
In short: The Dorothy Gaines Foundation gave $74K across 13 grants in 2024 (avg $6K), mostly in Texas. 31% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $73,800
- -3.0% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 13
- +8.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $5,677
- -10.4% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $6,000
- Total assets
- $1,526,988
- +7.3% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 31% first-time grantees (4 of 13, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Texas (95% 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 Dorothy Gaines Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states on its 2024 filing that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. The filing directs applicants to grant application instructions on the foundation’s website. The website describes an application form and supporting documents, and says grants are limited to eligible organizations and projects benefiting Hill or Tarrant County, Texas. Recipients must submit a written project evaluation and accounting of grant expenses; unused funds are subject to review.
- Review Cycle
- The website and 2024 filing state an annual October 1 deadline. The website says distributions to selected organizations are completed by December 31. The maximum grant is $10,000.
- Deadline
- The website and 2024 filing state an annual October 1 deadline.
- Contact
Application contact: The Dorothy Gaines Foundation
Mailing address: PO Box 338, Hillsboro, TX 76645
Phone: (254) 582-2536
Website: https://www.dorothygainesfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Dorothy Gaines Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Hill County CPS Board ($10K). Together the top 10 received $66K.
Grant Size Distribution
59 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 59 grants of 59 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s stated geographic focus is Hill and Tarrant counties, Texas. In 2024, 95% of grant dollars went to recipients in Texas and 5% to recipients in Idaho. The listed Idaho grant, $3,500 to Sleep in Heavenly Peace TX, was for beds for children in need in Hill County.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Dorothy Gaines Foundation open to new grantees?
31%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 4 of 13 grantees (31%) were first-time recipients. With only 13 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $4K; repeat grants $6K. How we count
Medians: $4K first-time, $6K repeat.
- 54% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+6%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 102% 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 $68K (2020) to $79K (2022). In 2024 it made 13 grants totaling $74K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Hill County CPS Board Hillsboro, TX | Supplement Hill County Children Clothing and Other Needs | $10,000 |
| Friends of Hillsboro City Library Hillsboro, TX | Support Library Expansion Campaign | $10,000 |
| Hill County Kids Hillsboro, TX | Supplement Food Costs for Children's Backpack Program | $7,000 |
| Hill County Paw Pals Hillsboro, TX | Replace Aging Commercial Washer | $6,000 |
| Aquilla ISD Aquilla, TX | Tools of the Trade | $6,000 |
| Covington Volunteer Fire Department Covington, TX | Purchase Used Lucas 2 Device | $6,000 |
| Abbott Ag Booster Club Abott, TX | New Stock Trailer | $6,000 |
| Community Partners of Tarrant Count Fort Worth, TX | Clothing for Tarrant County Children in CPS System | $5,000 |
| Hillsboro Arts League Hillsboro, TX | Contribute to Cost of Downtown Murals-Promoting Arts | $5,000 |
| Hubbard ISD Education Foundation Hubbard, TX | Supplement teacher aids to help promote innovation in the classroom | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Dorothy Gaines 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 | $1,526,988 | $200,300 | $95,887 | $73,800 | 13 | $78,269 | $182,988 | $76,737 |
| 2023 | $1,422,575 | $60,484 | $102,222 | $76,070 | 12 | $83,327 | $41,589 | $71,534 |
| 2022 | $1,464,313 | $66,282 | $104,376 | $78,510 | 10 | $84,251 | $46,081 | $77,537 |
| 2021 | $1,502,407 | $191,501 | $97,152 | $69,895 | 13 | $76,695 | $171,044 | $85,579 |
| 2020 | $1,408,058 | $67,350 | $91,809 | $68,330 | 11 | — | $53,372 | $74,813 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Dorothy Gaines Foundation reported a distributable amount of $77K 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
The foundation’s stated purpose is to promote quality of life in Hill and Tarrant counties. Its website identifies interests including economic development, education, recreation, assisting the underprivileged, and the arts. It gives priority to promising projects that address community needs and have potential for continuity through other funding sources. It also prioritizes proposals showing volunteer leadership or grassroots participation and support.
The foundation says it awards grants to eligible nonprofit, charitable, educational, and governmental organizations for specific projects, building and capital-improvement campaigns, and general purposes. Its website excludes grants to individuals and scholarship requests, among other areas.
One 2024 grantee, Friends of Hillsboro City Library, describes its own mission as promoting and assisting the continued development, preservation, and programming of the Hillsboro City Library.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation awarded $73,800 across 13 grants. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $10,000, with a median of $6,000. Notable awards included $10,000 to Hill County CPS Board for children’s clothing and other needs, $10,000 to Friends of Hillsboro City Library for its expansion campaign, and $7,000 to Hill County Kids for its children’s backpack program. Other listed awards included $6,000 to Hill County Paw Pals to replace an aging commercial washer and $5,000 to Hillsboro Arts League for downtown murals.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Marcia Curtis-Hornsby as director, Michelle Curtis Wade as treasurer, Ronell Wade as director, and Stephen N Smith as secretary.
The Dorothy Gaines Foundation's 2024 filing lists 4 officers; all 4 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Marcia Curtis-Hornsby
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$1K (2020) → $1K (2024)
Ronell Wade
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$1K (2020) → $1K (2024)
Michelle Curtis Wade
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$1K (2020) → $1K (2024)
Stephen N Smith
Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$1K (2020) → $1K (2024)
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $1K, to Marcia Curtis-Hornsby (Director). 4 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Dorothy Gaines Foundation
How much does The Dorothy Gaines Foundation give each year?
The Dorothy Gaines Foundation gave $74K across 13 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $76K across 12 grants.
What is The Dorothy Gaines Foundation's typical grant size?
The Dorothy Gaines Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $6,000, and its average grant was $5,677, across 13 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Dorothy Gaines Foundation that year got $4K on average.
Where does The Dorothy Gaines Foundation give grants?
The Dorothy Gaines Foundation gives mostly in Texas: 95% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Hillsboro, TX (7 grants).
Does The Dorothy Gaines Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 13 grants with a stated purpose on The Dorothy Gaines Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are The Dorothy Gaines Foundation's largest grantees?
The Dorothy Gaines Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Hill County CPS Board ($10,000), Friends of Hillsboro City Library ($10,000) and Hill County Kids ($7,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 37% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Dorothy Gaines Foundation?
The Dorothy Gaines Foundation reported $1.5M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $78K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $77K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Dorothy Gaines Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated purpose is to promote quality of life in Hill and Tarrant counties. Its website identifies interests including economic development, education, recreation, assisting the underprivileged, and the arts. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Dorothy Gaines Foundation?
The foundation states on its 2024 filing that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Dorothy Gaines Foundation's EIN?
The Dorothy Gaines Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-1858697. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Dorothy Gaines Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
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
Live grants for the work The Dorothy Gaines Foundation funds
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Dorothy Gaines Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 26, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-dorothy-gaines-foundation-morg_9664223c4507462392ecb02108bff2ff
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_201858697_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Dorothy Gaines Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-dorothy-gaines-foundation-morg_9664223c4507462392ecb02108bff2ff},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-26. 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 Dorothy Gaines 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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