The John and Bonnie Strauss Foundation
The John and Bonnie Strauss Foundation is a private family foundation established in 2010 and based in Plano, Texas. The foundation provides funding primarily for scholarships and supports various charitable causes aligned with the personal values and interests of its founders.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$12.9M
-0.4% YoY
Annual Giving
$886K
+0.6% YoY
Grant Count
53
+20.5% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$17K
-16.5% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The John and Bonnie Strauss Foundation reported a distributable amount of $768K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's primary purpose is providing funding for scholarships. Beyond this core focus, the foundation supports organizations in the following areas:
- Education
- Philanthropy and grantmaking
- Human services
- Religious and faith-based initiatives
- Music education
Grantmaking
The foundation made 28 additional grants totaling $593,500 in 2023.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation's grantmaking focuses primarily on Texas, with some activity in New York and the District of Columbia.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of December 2023:
- Total assets: $12,975,667
- Total revenues: $384,358
- Total expenses: $1,500,965
- Number of employees: 0
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $12,928,124 | $12,975,667 | $14,092,274 |
| Revenue | $1,469,580 | $384,358 | $409,371 |
| Expenses | $1,517,123 | $1,500,965 | $1,431,423 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $1,176,649 | $1,167,378 | $1,087,001 |
| Net Investment Income | $1,131,868 | $54,154 | $94,846 |
| Distributable Amount | $767,945 | $718,843 | $769,264 |
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
238 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include UNT Foundation ($100,000), Dallas Leadership Foundation ($75,000), Prince of Peace Catholic Church ($50,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 222 Foundation Wheaton, IL | Towards Enabling & Sustaining Growth in Texas ($10,000) and end of year match campaign ($5,000) | $15,000 |
| ACT for America Education Inc Virginia Beach, VA | Towards ACT in Faith | $25,000 |
| American Wheelchair Foundation Henderson, NV | Towards providing wheelchairs | $2,500 |
| Biblica Inc Colorado Springs, CO | Towards the Treaure Hunt Bible for Central Asia | $5,000 |
| Birth Choice Dallas, TX | General pregnancy support | $25,000 |
| Bishop Dunne Catholic School Dallas, TX | Towards the Collegiate Institute | $20,000 |
| Boys Town Boys Town, NE | General support of a child in need | $1,000 |
| Camp Agape Buffalo, NY | Towards Camp in a Box | $40,000 |
| Canisius College Buffalo, NY | Towards the Luke J '30 and John L Strauss '61 Scholarship Fund | $30,000 |
| Canisius High School Buffalo, NY | Towards the Artist in Residence Program | $25,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
John Strauss serves as President of The John and Bonnie Strauss Foundation. John is a graduate of Canisius University (where he received an honorary doctoral degree in 1991) and earned an MBA from New York University. He had a diverse career including work on Wall Street, creating an investment management firm, and home building throughout the country.
Bonnie Strauss is co-founder of the foundation. She attended Marquette University and Rutgers College.
The couple has been married for 60 years and relocated to Texas 51 years ago. Both are influenced by their Catholic faith and are actively involved in their community through the foundation's grantmaking.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| John L Strauss | President | 3 | — |
| Bonnie P Strauss | V.P./Secretary | 1 | — |
| Chris P Stanton | Treas/Exec Dir | 40 | $160,000 |
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does The John and Bonnie Strauss Foundation fund?
The foundation's primary purpose is providing funding for scholarships. Beyond this core focus, the foundation supports organizations in the following areas: • Education • Philanthropy and grantmaking • Human services • Religious and faith-based initiatives • Music education
How do I apply for a grant from The John and Bonnie Strauss Foundation?
**Grant Activity:** • Made 44 grants in 2023 • Total giving in 2023: $886,250 • Typical grant awards range from $250 to $100,000 **Recent Grants (2023):** • Bloom Pregnancy Help Center: $75,000 (General Operating Support) • PSC Patriots: $50,000 (Lake Fork Challenge) • The Catholic Foundation: $50,000 (Project for the Institute of Homiletics Preaching for Encounter) The foundation made 28 additional grants totaling $593,500 in 2023.
Where does The John and Bonnie Strauss Foundation make grants?
The foundation's grantmaking focuses primarily on Texas, with some activity in New York and the District of Columbia.
What size grants does The John and Bonnie Strauss Foundation award?
In 2024, The John and Bonnie Strauss Foundation awarded 53 grants totaling $886K — an average of about $17K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is The John and Bonnie Strauss Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The John and Bonnie Strauss Foundation reported a distributable amount of $768K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is The John and Bonnie Strauss Foundation's EIN?
The John and Bonnie Strauss Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 27-2530561. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The John and Bonnie Strauss 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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