The Mary H Cain Foundation

Private foundation · Grantmaker Houston, TX EIN: 20-8483925

The Mary H Cain Foundation is based in Houston, Texas, and its filing type is 990T. In 2024, it made 21 grants totaling $3,500,000 to organizations including hospitals, a church, schools, educational and community foundations, and other nonprofits.

Key facts about The Mary H Cain Foundation

In short: The Mary H Cain Foundation gave $3.5M across 21 grants in 2024 (avg $167K), mostly in Texas. 14% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.

EIN
20-8483925
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2024
Annual giving (2024)
$3,500,000
Grants made (2024)
21
Average grant
$166,667
Median grant
$75,000
New grantees (estimate)
14% first-time grantees (3 of 21, 2024)
Total assets
$87,422,180
Primary geography
Texas (82% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$87.4M

+13.4% YoY

Annual Giving

$3.5M

+145.6% YoY

Grant Count

21

+10.5% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$167K

+122.2% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Mary H Cain Foundation reported a distributable amount of $4.1M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Is The Mary H Cain Foundation open to new grantees?

14%

first-time grantees, 2024

In 2024, 3 of 21 grantees (14%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $122K; repeat grants $174K. How we count

Medians: $125K first-time, $68K repeat.

  • 81% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
  • Giving grew 233% from 2021 to 2024. Method
  • In 2024 it paid out 86% 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 (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.

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

Mission & Focus Areas

No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for a range of organizations. Among the recipients, TIRR Foundation says it seeks to improve the lives of people with central nervous system damage; Surry Community College Foundation says it provides financial assistance to students and supports faculty and staff development; and The Goodness Web Foundation says it works to advance mental health. Other grantee missions include protecting natural and scenic lands, enhancing educational opportunities, preserving and improving a public park, and promoting health in a hospital service area. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not stated missions of the foundation.

Grantmaking

In 2024, the foundation awarded 21 grants totaling $3,500,000. Grant amounts ranged from $6,000 to $850,000, with a median of $75,000. The largest listed grants were $850,000 each to Houston Methodist Hospital and TIRR Foundation; $450,000 to St Martin’s Episcopal Church; $230,000 to Health Services District of Kershaw County; and $210,000 to Texas Innocence Network. Each was listed as unrestricted.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

In 2024, 82% of grant dollars went to recipients in Texas, 9% to North Carolina, 7% to South Carolina, 2% to Massachusetts, and less than 1% to Mississippi.

Grant Distribution by State

6states

Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 21 itemized grants.

Cities

HoustonHumbleBellaireCharlotteGreensboroHattiesburgLinvilleWaylandSplendoraCamdenFort WorthDobsonLexinngtonLinnvilleWillisWinston-Salem

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$1M$2M$3M$4M15 grants2020 17 grants2021 18 grants2022 19 grants2023 21 grants2024

From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $1.0M (2020) to $3.5M (2024). In 2024 it made 21 grants totaling $3.5M.

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Houston Methodist Hospital: $850KHouston Methodist Hospital$850KTirr Foundation: $850KTirr Foundation$850KSt Martin's Episcopal Church: $450KSt Martin's Episcopal Church$450KHealth Services District of Kershaw County: $230KHealth Services District ofKershaw County$230KTexas Innocence Network: $210KTexas Innocence Network$210KAvery County Schools Education Fund: $150KAvery County Schools EducationFund$150KSurry Community College Foundation: $125KSurry Community CollegeFoundation$125KAmon Carter Museum of American Art: $100KAmon Carter Museum of AmericanArt$100KTLR Foundation: $100KTLR Foundation$100KSheldon Independent School District: $95KSheldon Independent SchoolDistrict$95K

The largest 2024 recipient was Houston Methodist Hospital ($850K). Together the top 10 received $3.2M.

Grant Size Distribution

90 grants across all recorded years

45<$50K19$50–100K19$100–250K5$250–500K2$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 45 grants of 90 (50%).

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Houston Methodist Hospital Houston, TXUnrestricted$850,000
Tirr Foundation Houston, TXUnrestricted$850,000
St Martin's Episcopal Church Houston, TXUnrestricted$450,000
Health Services District of Kershaw County Camden, SCUnrestricted$230,000
Texas Innocence Network Houston, TXUnrestricted$210,000
Avery County Schools Education Fund Linville, NCUnrestricted$150,000
Surry Community College Foundation Dobson, NCUnrestricted$125,000
Amon Carter Museum of American Art Fort Worth, TXUnrestricted$100,000
TLR Foundation Houston, TXUnrestricted$100,000
Sheldon Independent School District Houston, TXUnrestricted$95,000

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Filing year Assets Revenue Expenses Grants
2024 $87,422,180 $6,434,621 $3,807,515 $3,500,000
2023 $77,113,415 $3,376,130 $1,729,162 $1,425,000
2022 $67,552,052 $45,991,847 $1,927,054 $1,425,000
Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$20M$40M$60M2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Metric202420232022
Total Assets$87,422,180$77,113,415$67,552,052
Revenue$6,434,621$3,376,130$45,991,847
Expenses$3,807,515$1,729,162$1,927,054
Qualifying Distributions$3,500,000$1,425,000$1,425,000
Net Investment Income$2,262,506$2,680,676$436,358
Distributable Amount$4,060,086$3,545,539$1,363,564

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2024 filing lists Margaret Weaver as chairman and president, Lucy Hanes Chatham as director, and Pamela Lynn Woods as secretary and treasurer.

The Mary H Cain Foundation is led by Margaret Weaver, Chairman & President on every filing since 2020; 2 of 3 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.

Officers on the 2024 filing

  • Margaret Weaver

    Chairman & President

    On filings since 2020

    20 hrs/week

    $50K (2023) → $50K (2024)

  • Lucy Hanes Chatham

    Director

    Vice President → Director, 2022

    On filings since 2020

    No compensation reported

  • Pamela Lynn Woods

    Secretary & Treasurer

    On filings since 2020

    40 hrs/week

    $129K (2023) → $129K (2024)

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

Pamela Lynn Woods — Secretary, Treasurer: $129KPamela Lynn WoodsSecretary, Treasurer$129KMargaret Weaver — Chairman, President: $50KMargaret WeaverChairman, President$50K

The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $129K, to Pamela Lynn Woods (Secretary, Treasurer). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.

Contact

Mailing address: 8 Greenway Plaza Suite 606, Houston, TX 77046
Phone: (713) 840-7896

Frequently asked questions about The Mary H Cain Foundation

How much does The Mary H Cain Foundation give each year?

The Mary H Cain Foundation gave $3.5M across 21 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.4M across 19 grants.

What is The Mary H Cain Foundation's typical grant size?

The Mary H Cain Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $75,000, and its average grant was $166,667, across 21 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Mary H Cain Foundation that year got $122K on average.

Where does The Mary H Cain Foundation give grants?

The Mary H Cain Foundation gives mostly in Texas: 82% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were North Carolina (9%) and South Carolina (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Houston, TX (7 grants) and Humble, TX (4 grants).

Does The Mary H Cain Foundation give general operating support?

Yes: 100% of The Mary H Cain Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (21 of 21) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.

Who are The Mary H Cain Foundation's largest grantees?

The Mary H Cain Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Houston Methodist Hospital ($850,000), Tirr Foundation ($850,000) and St Martin's Episcopal Church ($450,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 61% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.

How large is The Mary H Cain Foundation?

The Mary H Cain Foundation reported $87.4M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $3.5M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $4.1M (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 Mary H Cain Foundation fund?

No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for a range of organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from The Mary H Cain Foundation?

The Mary H Cain Foundation has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.

What is The Mary H Cain Foundation's EIN?

The Mary H Cain Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-8483925. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.

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

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