The Lindley Family Foundation
The Lindley Family Foundation is a private foundation, based in Houston, TX. IRS filing data is available from 2019 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $2.6M in total assets. In 2025, it awarded 13 grants totaling $160K. Net investment income was $246K.
Key facts about The Lindley Family Foundation
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.
- EIN
- 45-4084072
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $159,500
- Grants made (2025)
- 13
- Average grant
- $12,269
- Median grant
- $10,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 54% first-time grantees (7 of 13, 2025)
- Total assets
- $2,595,114
- Primary geography
- Texas (94% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$2.6M
+3.2% YoY
Annual Giving
$160K
+9.4% YoY
Grant Count
13
+44.4% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$12K
-24.2% YoY
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.
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. 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.
Ready to take the next step with The Lindley Family Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 13 itemized 2025 grant dollars.
Cities
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.
Grant Insights
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%).
Giving History
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 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $2,595,114 | $2,514,773 | $2,430,118 |
| Revenue | $282,352 | $275,309 | $159,362 |
| Expenses | $202,011 | $190,654 | $159,896 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $159,500 | $145,750 | $131,270 |
| Net Investment Income | $245,886 | $232,053 | $102,031 |
| Distributable Amount | $176,860 | $163,054 | $139,412 |
Data update history
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
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
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).
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.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings.
Here's the math on researching The Lindley Family Foundation by hand.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Lindley Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders that support many of the same organizations
The Brown Foundation Inc
Houston, TX
The Brown Foundation funds education, arts and culture, healthcare, human services, and civic assets, with education and the arts as top priorities and public education giving focused almost exclusively on greater Houston. Its 2025 grants ranged from $20,000 to $11 million, with a median of $50,000; it primarily supports Houston organizations and selectively funds distinctive opportunities elsewhere in Texas and beyond.
Assets
$1.1B
Grants
222
Total Given
$84.3M
Greater Houston Community Foundation
Houston, TX
The Foundation makes grants through donor-advised and other donor-established funds for public benefit, human services, education, and health, including initiatives addressing economic mobility and poverty in Harris County. In 2024, its median grant was $25,000; it serves Greater Houston, while grants also go to recipients elsewhere in Texas and beyond. It does not accept proposals for the upcoming High-Impact Grantmaking cycle and plans to invite selected organizations or collaboratives to apply.
Assets
$1.1B
Grants
1,724
Total Given
$232.3M
The Powell Foundation
Houston, TX
The Powell Foundation funds public education, the arts, conservation, and human services, with a focus on Harris, Travis, and Walker Counties, Texas. Its 2025 grants ranged from $50 to $1.5 million, with a median grant of $15,000. Organizations can submit an online pre-application; full applications are by invitation.
Assets
$491.9M
Grants
271
Total Given
$20.4M
ESB3 Foundation
Houston, TX
ESB3 Foundation supports charitable organizations across areas including culture, health, disability services, community needs, and education, with 2024 grants going to recipients in Texas and Pennsylvania. Its 12 grants ranged from $5,000 to $1.35 million, with a median of $50,000; it does not accept unsolicited requests and gives only to preselected organizations.
Assets
$12.7M
Grants
12
Total Given
$2.3M
CenterPoint Energy Foundation Inc
Houston, TX
The CenterPoint Energy Foundation funds community vitality and education, including affordable housing, environmental stewardship, community spaces, literacy, STEM, and workforce development. It awarded grants from $250 to $2.9 million in 2025, with a median of $15,000, to eligible organizations in Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio, and Texas. Although it offers online application cycles, its 2025 filing says it does not accept unsolicited requests.
Assets
$52.6M
Grants
483
Total Given
$18.4M
Strake Foundation
Houston, TX
The Strake Foundation supports organizations in education, health, youth programs, and outdoor recreation, with most of its giving going to Texas organizations. In 2024, grants ranged from $1,000 to $600,000, with a median of $10,000. The profile does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests.
Assets
$47.3M
Grants
203
Total Given
$3.4M
Sterling-Turner Foundation
Houston, TX
The Sterling-Turner Foundation supports eligible nonprofits and government agencies working in food assistance, homelessness, education, the arts, mental health, and other areas in Tom Green, Kerr, Travis, Fort Bend, and Harris counties in Texas. Its 2024 grants ranged from $10,000 to $120,000, with a median of $25,000. It accepts requests from organizations that are not preselected; applications are typically accepted from August through February 15.
Assets
$14.0M
Grants
106
Total Given
$3.4M
Houston Endowment Inc
Houston, TX
Houston Endowment funds public education, civic engagement, arts and culture, and greenspaces, supporting work that benefits people in Greater Houston, including Harris County and its contiguous counties. Its 2024 grants ranged from $500 to $5 million, with a median of $125,000. Grants are by invitation only; it does not accept unsolicited requests.
Assets
$2.5B
Grants
355
Total Given
$99.6M
Willard And Ruth Johnson
Houston, TX
The foundation supports a wide range of charitable organizations, including churches, schools, universities, health care, animal rescue, and community organizations, with most 2024 grant dollars going to Texas. Its 55 grants ranged from $5,000 to $650,000, with a median of $25,000. It funds only preselected organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Assets
$26.0M
Grants
55
Total Given
$2.4M
Communities Foundation of Texas Inc
Dallas, TX
Communities Foundation of Texas funds charitable work in health, wealth, living, and learning, with much of its grantmaking supporting North Texas nonprofits; its 2025 grants had a median of $18,779, though award sizes varied widely. Nearly all opportunities are by invitation, and its Nonprofit Gateway profile is not a grant application.
Assets
$1.2B
Grants
2,209
Total Given
$209.2M
The Houston Food Bank
Houston, TX
The Houston Food Bank supports food distribution and related hunger-relief programs, including school, children’s, and senior food initiatives, through community organizations in 18 Southeast Texas counties. Its 2025 grants had a median of $33,402, though awards varied widely; the profile does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests.
Assets
$164.4M
Grants
1,128
Total Given
$210.7M
More Funders in Texas
The Lindley Family Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?