The Jacobson Family Foundation

HOUSTON, TX EIN: 76-0239810

The Jacobson Family Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation established in 1988 and based in Houston, Texas. The foundation supports organizations involved with higher education, family planning, patient services, children and youth, and Judaism.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

-100.0% YoY

Annual Giving

$3.1M

+573.3% YoY

Grant Count

15

-42.3% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$207K

+1067.1% YoY

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation's primary funding interests include:

  • Higher Education — Particularly supporting educational institutions and leadership programs
  • Jewish Causes — Supporting Jewish community organizations and religious initiatives
  • Health and Patient Services — Including public health access and medical care
  • Children and Youth — Supporting programs and services for young people
  • Family Planning
  • The Arts

Grantmaking

Based on available financial data, the foundation has demonstrated significant grantmaking capacity:

How to Apply

and grantmaking guidelines, making it difficult for prospective grantees to identify clear submission procedures.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation operates primarily in Texas, with its headquarters in Houston. However, grantmaking extends to multiple states including New York, California, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, and others.

Grant Distribution by State

9states
+1 more states

Cities

ArlingtonAshevilleAustinBellaireBostonDallasHoustonKemahLos AngelesMemphisMinneapolisN BesthesdaNew YorkRye BrookSanta BarbaraStatement

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

  • EIN: 76-0239810
  • Tax-Exempt Status: Since July 1988
  • Total Assets: $2,501,041 (2023)
  • Total Giving: $461,500 (2023)
  • Total Expenses: $3.13 million (2024)
  • Revenue: $753,000 (2024)
Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$859K$2M$3M$3M20202021202220232024
Metric202420232022
Total Assets$2,501,041$3,096,527
Revenue$753,362$167,374$116,077
Expenses$3,125,425$492,860$370,590
Qualifying Distributions$3,113,766$475,604$356,656
Net Investment Income$803,285$177,221$152,962
Distributable Amount$57,420$132,046$161,676

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$777K$2M$2M$3M1 grants202024 grants202122 grants202226 grants202315 grants2024

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

BNY MELLON CHARITABLE GI…$2.9MTHE SHLENKER SCHOOL$47KHOLOCAUST MUSEUM HOUSTON$25KTHE ROSE$25KMD ANDERSON CANCER CENTER$20KAVENUE CDC$15KA PURPOSEFUL RESCUE$5KARTHRITIS FOUNDATION$5KTHE TEXAS TRIBUNE$5KTHE GREATER HOUSTON COMM…$3K

Grant Size Distribution

88 grants across all recorded years

79<$50K5$50–100K2$100–250K1$250–500K$500K–1M1$1–5M$5M+

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

No grants recorded for .

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

  • Mitchell Jacobson — Director/Vice President (works without compensation)
  • Kathy Howard-Jacobson — Director/President (works without compensation)

Mitchell Jacobson is a businessman who began working for MSC Direct, an office and industrial equipment distributor founded by his father Sidney, in 1976. He served as CEO from 1995 to 2005 and is an Executive Officer of Central Street Capital, a private equity firm.

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

NameTitleHoursCompensation
ROCHELLE JACOBSONCO-TRUSTEE1
ALAN JACOBSONCO-TRUSTEE
JULIE JACOBSONCO-TRUSTEE
SCOTT JACOBSONCO-TRUSTEE

Recent News & Activity

Recent developments and announcements

The foundation has directed significant support to educational institutions, including a seven-figure gift to New York University School of Law through the foundation. NYU is home to the Jacobson Leadership Program in Law and Business, reflecting Mitchell Jacobson's strong support for his alma mater.

The Richard O. Jacobson Foundation gives $4.5 million to improve pediatric\

Related Funders

Similar funders by location and focus area

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

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