The Lindley Family Foundation
The Lindley Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Houston, Texas. Its 2025 filing reports 13 grants totaling $159,500, primarily to organizations in Texas, with one listed recipient in Washington.
The Lindley Family Foundation at a glance
In short: The Lindley Family Foundation gave $160K across 13 grants in 2025 (avg $12K), mostly in Texas. 54% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $159,500
- +9.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 13
- +44.4% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $12,269
- -24.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $2,595,114
- +3.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 54% first-time grantees (7 of 13, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Texas (94% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Lindley Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 3661 Piping Rock Lane, Houston, TX 77027
Phone: (713) 627-1101
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Lindley Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Friends of Pumpkin Park ($50K). Together the top 10 received $148K.
Grant Size Distribution
47 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 43 grants of 47 (91%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 94% of grant dollars went to recipients in Texas and 6% to recipients in Washington.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Lindley Family Foundation open to new grantees?
54%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 7 of 13 grantees (54%) 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 $9K; repeat grants $16K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $8K repeat.
- 31% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 33% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 90% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $72K (2020) to $160K (2025). In 2025 it made 13 grants totaling $160K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Friends of Pumpkin Park Houston, TX | General Support | $50,000 |
| Houston Zoo Houston, TX | General Support | $22,500 |
| Coastal Preservation & Restoration Houston, TX | General Support | $15,000 |
| Good Samaritan Foundation Houston, TX | General Support | $10,000 |
| Friends of Whidbey State Parks Coupeville, WA | General Support | $10,000 |
| Museum of Fine Arts Houston, TX | General Support | $10,000 |
| Wells Recovery Foundation Houston, TX | General Support | $10,000 |
| Cassie's Place San Angelo, TX | General Support | $10,000 |
| St Luke's United Methodist Church Houston, TX | General Support | $5,000 |
| Astros Foundation Houston, TX | General Support | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Lindley Family 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $2,595,114 | $282,352 | $202,011 | $159,500 | 13 | $159,500 | $245,886 | $176,860 |
| 2024 | $2,514,773 | $275,309 | $190,654 | $145,750 | 9 | $145,750 | $232,053 | $163,054 |
| 2023 | $2,430,118 | $159,362 | $159,896 | $131,270 | 6 | $131,270 | $102,031 | $139,412 |
| 2022 | $2,430,652 | $73,432 | $152,380 | $119,500 | 8 | $119,500 | $27,227 | $134,752 |
| 2021 | $2,510,113 | $1,345,907 | $104,031 | $77,440 | 11 | $77,440 | $324,441 | $112,442 |
| 2020 | $1,267,724 | $175,811 | $96,910 | $71,852 | 8 | — | $144,117 | $74,600 |
| 2019 | $1,188,823 | $-61,758 | $95,792 | $78,800 | 8 | — | $13,775 | $74,245 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Lindley Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $177K for 2025 — 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 mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations working in areas including community recreation, wildlife and animal rescue, conservation, arts, health, and education. For example, Friends of Pumpkin Park describes its work as supporting a place for fun and engaging experiences for the Houston community; Houston Zoo says its mission is to connect communities with animals and inspire action to save wildlife. Cassies Place describes itself as an animal rescue organization that finds homes for displaced dogs and rescues dogs from shelters.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation made 13 grants totaling $159,500. Grants ranged from $2,000 to $50,000, with a median grant of $10,000. Among the largest were $50,000 to Friends of Pumpkin Park, $22,500 to Houston Zoo, and $15,000 to Coastal Preservation & Restoration. Other grants included $10,000 each to Good Samaritan Foundation, Friends of Whidbey State Parks, Museum of Fine Arts, Wells Recovery Foundation, and Cassies Place; and $5,000 each to St Luke’s United Methodist Church, Astros Foundation, Buffalo Bayou Partnership, and The Menninger Clinic Foundation.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Steven J Lindley as president; Shelli M Lindley as vice president, secretary, and treasurer; and Matthew J Lindley and Jenna A Lindley as directors.
The Lindley Family Foundation is led by Steven J Lindley, President on every filing since 2019; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Steven J Lindley
President
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Jenna A Lindley
Director
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Matthew J Lindley
Director
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Shelli M Lindley
Vice President, Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 Lindley Family Foundation
How much does The Lindley Family Foundation give each year?
The Lindley Family Foundation gave $160K across 13 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $146K across 9 grants.
What is The Lindley Family Foundation's typical grant size?
The Lindley Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $12,269, across 13 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Lindley Family Foundation that year got $9K on average.
Where does The Lindley Family Foundation give grants?
The Lindley Family Foundation gives mostly in Texas: 94% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Washington (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Houston, TX (11 grants).
Does The Lindley Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Lindley Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (13 of 13) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Lindley Family Foundation's largest grantees?
The Lindley Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Friends of Pumpkin Park ($50,000), Houston Zoo ($22,500) and Coastal Preservation & Restoration ($15,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 55% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Lindley Family Foundation?
The Lindley Family Foundation reported $2.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $160K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $177K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does The Lindley Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations working in areas including community recreation, wildlife and animal rescue, conservation, arts, health, and education. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Lindley Family Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Lindley Family Foundation's EIN?
The Lindley Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 45-4084072. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The Lindley Family 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
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS August 19, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 19, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS July 13, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 13, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 13, 2024)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 11, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 12, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2023
Live grants for the work The Lindley Family Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
- Nixa Affiliate Grantmaking Program Up to US $10,000 · Due October 19, 2026
- Community and School Grants $28,000 total pool; 10-15 grants expected · Due October 19, 2026
- Mary Pinola/Crescenta Valley Chamber Education Fund $500 - $5,000 for ongoing programs; up to $15,000 for Strategic Initiative Grants · Due October 19, 2026
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Lindley Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Lindley Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 19, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-lindley-family-foundation-morg_296480a785604fc6a8687fe5efbda46d
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_454084072_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Lindley Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-lindley-family-foundation-morg_296480a785604fc6a8687fe5efbda46d},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-19. 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 Lindley Family 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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