The Frill Foundation

Private foundation · Grantmaker Fort Worth, TX EIN: 31-1505628

The Frill Foundation is a private foundation based in Fort Worth, Texas. It makes grants to organizations, including schools, arts organizations, health and human-services providers, and a disease-focused foundation.

The Frill Foundation at a glance

In short: The Frill Foundation gave $1.1M across 31 grants in 2024 (avg $35K), mostly in Texas. 55% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.

Annual giving (2024)
$1,080,000
+108.3% vs 2023
Grants made (2024)
31
+63.2% vs 2023
Average grant
$34,839
+27.7% vs 2023
Median grant
$25,000
Total assets
$7,632,994
-1.2% vs 2023
New grantees (estimate)
55% first-time grantees (17 of 31, 2024)
Primary geography
Texas (87% 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 Frill Foundation

How to Apply

The foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Applicants should send a written form with a description of the charity, its tax-exempt status, and mission statements. The filing lists Katherine Lummis as the application contact and states that there are no restrictions on awards.

Review Cycle
October 1.
Deadline
October 1.
Contact

Application contact: Katherine Lummis
Mailing address: 301 Commerce Street Suite 1380, Fort Worth, TX 76102
Phone: (817) 992-1312

Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Who The Frill Foundation funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Trinity Valley School: $150KTrinity Valley School$150KThe Cliburn Foundation: $100KThe Cliburn Foundation$100KTexas Ballet Theater: $90KTexas Ballet Theater$90KBarth Syndrome Foundation: $75KBarth Syndrome Foundation$75KGill Children's Services Inc: $75KGill Children's Services Inc$75KUvalde Cisd Moving Forward Foundation: $50KUvalde Cisd Moving ForwardFoundation$50KEpiscopal High School: $50KEpiscopal High School$50KTexas Health Resources: $50KTexas Health Resources$50KMother's Milk Bank of North Texas: $43KMother's Milk Bank of NorthTexas$43KAlliance for Children: $40KAlliance for Children$40K

The largest 2024 recipient was Trinity Valley School ($150K). Together the top 10 received $723K.

Grant Size Distribution

107 grants across all recorded years

94<$50K11$50–100K2$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 94 grants of 107 (88%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

In 2024, 87% of grant dollars went to recipients in Texas, 7% to New York, 6% to Virginia, and 1% to Missouri.

Grant Distribution by State

9states

Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 31 itemized grants.

Cities

Fort WorthHoustonAlexandriaAustinLarchmontFort WothArlingtonBellaireCincinnatiHamiltonUvaldeAuroraBostonCharlottesvilleCrowleyDentonEldorado SpringsFort WorthtFriscoKansas City

Is The Frill Foundation open to new grantees?

55%

first-time grantees, 2024

In 2024, 17 of 31 grantees (55%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $18K; repeat grants $56K. How we count

Medians: $15K first-time, $47K repeat.

  • 39% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
  • Giving grew 190% from 2021 to 2024. Method
  • In 2024 it paid out 112% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method

Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2018–2024). 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

$0$5M$10M$15M$20M23 grants2018 17 grants2020 19 grants2021 21 grants2022 19 grants2023 31 grants2024

From 2018 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $348K (2020) to $18.3M (2018). In 2024 it made 31 grants totaling $1.1M.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Trinity Valley School Fort Worth, TXMscamardo - 11/05/25 03:22PM Worksheet Private Foundation$150,000
The Cliburn Foundation Fort Worth, TXTo Further Their Exclusively Charitable Purposes$100,000
Texas Ballet Theater Fort Worth, TXTo Further Their Exclusively Charitable Purposes$90,000
Barth Syndrome Foundation Larchmont, NYTo Further Their Exclusively Charitable Purposes$75,000
Gill Children's Services Inc Fort Worth, TXTo Further Their Exclusively Charitable Purposes$75,000
Uvalde Cisd Moving Forward Foundation Uvalde, TXTo Further Their Exclusively Charitable Purpose$50,400
Episcopal High School Alexandria, VATo Further Their Exclusively Charitable Purposes$50,000
Texas Health Resources Arlington, TXTo Further Their Exclusively Charitable Purpose$50,000
Mother's Milk Bank of North Texas Fort Worth, TXTo Further Their Exclusively Charitable Purposes$43,000
Alliance for Children Fort Woth, TXTo Further Their Exclusively Charitable Purposes$40,000
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Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsQualifying DistributionsNet Investment IncomeDistributable Amount
2024$7,632,994$1,198,542$1,291,599$1,080,00031$1,133,088$1,040,980$1,012,526
2023$7,726,365$963,265$747,507$518,50019$574,892$801,650$981,271
2022$7,510,607$1,036,270$615,590$448,44021$495,125$931,805$891,312
2021$7,089,927$1,502,018$535,371$373,00019$415,155$1,409,801$730,430
2020$6,123,280$1,652,145$527,717$348,37217—$1,546,634$564,124
2018$6,594,677$19,037,934$18,376,946$18,345,00023—$594,815$451,023

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Frill Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.0M 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 foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for organizations with varied missions. Trinity Valley School describes its objectives as including scholarship, constructive interests, citizenship, and students’ spiritual and moral development. Texas Ballet Theater says it creates, presents, and tours ballet and promotes its appreciation and accessibility. Gill Children’s Services says it provides last-resort funding for Tarrant County children whose needs have not been met by other community resources. The Barth Syndrome Foundation says its mission is saving lives through education, treatment advances, and finding a cure for Barth syndrome.

Grantmaking

In 2024, the foundation reported 31 grants totaling $1,080,000. Grants ranged from $3,500 to $150,000, with a median of $25,000. Among the largest reported grants were $150,000 to Trinity Valley School, $100,000 to The Cliburn Foundation, $90,000 to Texas Ballet Theater, and $75,000 each to the Barth Syndrome Foundation and Gill Children’s Services.

Other reported awards included $50,400 to the Uvalde CISD Moving Forward Foundation, $50,000 each to Episcopal High School and Texas Health Resources, and $43,000 to Mothers’ Milk Bank of North Texas. The Uvalde CISD Moving Forward Foundation says funds it collects support construction of a new elementary school in Uvalde and security enhancements for district schools. Texas Health Resources says it operates an integrated health-care system serving communities in North Central Texas. Mothers’ Milk Bank of North Texas says it works to improve infant health and survival through breastfeeding advocacy and the provision of pasteurized donor human milk.

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2024 filing lists Palmer Bradley Lummis as president; Katherine Lummis as vice president/treasurer; Anne L. Wright as vice president/secretary; and Gaylord G. Lummis and Palmer B. Lummis Jr. as vice presidents/assistant secretaries.

The Frill Foundation is led by Palmer Bradley Lummis, President on every filing since 2018; none of the 5 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.

Officers on the 2024 filing

  • Palmer Bradley Lummis

    President

    On filings since 2018

    0.5 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Anne L. Wright

    Vice President & Secretary

    On filings since 2018

    4 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Gaylord G. Lummis

    Vice President & Assistant Secretary

    On filings since 2018

    0.5 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Katherine M. Lummis

    Vice President & Treasurer

    On filings since 2018

    0.5 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Palmer B. Lummis Jr.

    Vice President & Assistant Secretary

    On filings since 2018

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

Former officers (3)
  • Former: Frederick R. Lummis II (2018) — Former President & Treasurer
  • Former: Ransom C. Lummis (2018) — Former Vice President & Secretary
  • Former: William R. Lummis Jr. (2018) — Former Vice President & Assistant Secretary

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2018–2024. "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 Frill Foundation

How much does The Frill Foundation give each year?

The Frill Foundation gave $1.1M across 31 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $519K across 19 grants.

What is The Frill Foundation's typical grant size?

The Frill Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $25,000, and its average grant was $34,839, across 31 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Frill Foundation that year got $18K on average.

Where does The Frill Foundation give grants?

The Frill Foundation gives mostly in Texas: 87% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were New York (7%) and Virginia (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Fort Worth, TX (17 grants) and Arlington, TX (2 grants).

Who are The Frill Foundation's largest grantees?

The Frill Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Trinity Valley School ($150,000), The Cliburn Foundation ($100,000) and Texas Ballet Theater ($90,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 31% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.

How large is The Frill Foundation?

The Frill Foundation reported $7.6M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.1M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.0M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).

What does The Frill Foundation fund?

No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for organizations with varied missions. Trinity Valley School describes its objectives as including scholarship, constructive interests, citizenship, and students’ spiritual and moral development. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from The Frill Foundation?

The foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑

What is The Frill Foundation's EIN?

The Frill Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 31-1505628. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2018–2024.

Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.

Data update history

(2)

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2018 (received by the IRS January 15, 2020)
  2. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2018–2024

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Cite this profile

Grantable. (2026). The Frill Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-frill-foundation-morg_3791f64c9c3144e9a62912d3cb7fff57

BibTeX
@misc{grantable_311505628_2026,
  author       = {{Grantable}},
  title        = {{The Frill Foundation funder profile}},
  howpublished = {GrantGraph},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-frill-foundation-morg_3791f64c9c3144e9a62912d3cb7fff57},
  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 Frill 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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