The Prayer Closet
The Prayer Closet is a private foundation based in Plano, Texas. Its 2025 filing reports $137,500 in grants to 16 organizations; the filing states that it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
The Prayer Closet at a glance
In short: The Prayer Closet gave $138K across 16 grants in 2025 (avg $9K), mostly in Texas. 7% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $137,500
- -14.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 16
- -11.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $8,594
- -3.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $7,500
- Total assets
- $3,651,624
- -1.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 7% first-time grantees (1 of 15, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Texas (92% 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 Prayer Closet
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 6505 W Park Blvd Suite 306-361, Plano, TX 75093
Phone: (972) 679-7273
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Prayer Closet funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was The Lifesavers Foundation ($20K). Together the top 10 received $112K.
Grant Size Distribution
91 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 91 grants of 91 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 92% of grant dollars went to recipients in Texas, 4% to Virginia, and 4% to North Carolina. The filing also lists New York at 0%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 16 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Prayer Closet open to new grantees?
7%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 1 of 15 grantees (7%) were first-time recipients. With only 15 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $9K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $8K repeat.
- 93% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−14%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 115% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $132K (2023) to $203K (2020). In 2025 it made 16 grants totaling $138K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Lifesavers Foundation Richardson, TX | To Provide Medical Services | $20,000 |
| The Storehouse of Collin County Plano, TX | To Feed and Cloth the Community | $20,000 |
| Dallas Theological Seminary Dallas, TX | Scholarships | $12,000 |
| Beyond Ordinary Women Plano, TX | Minister and Equip Women | $10,000 |
| Harvesters Reaching the Nations Plano, TX | Care for Orphans Worldwide | $10,000 |
| Helping Hand Home for Children Austin, TX | New Housing | $10,000 |
| Samaritan Inn McKinney, TX | Support Homeless | $10,000 |
| Thrive Women's Clinic Dallas, TX | Opertional Support | $10,000 |
| Alive at Last Newark, TX | Operational Support | $5,000 |
| Mission Massai McKinney, TX | To Provide Resources to Community | $5,000 |
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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 | $3,651,624 | $329,447 | $367,328 | $137,500 | 16 | $250,171 | $221,387 | $217,567 |
| 2024 | $3,697,006 | $317,496 | $386,520 | $161,000 | 18 | $273,671 | $206,339 | $215,763 |
| 2023 | $3,760,730 | $166,578 | $342,778 | $132,400 | 17 | $238,536 | $65,073 | $203,886 |
| 2022 | $3,937,749 | $-7,128 | $372,938 | $160,000 | 19 | $263,474 | — | $214,686 |
| 2021 | $4,315,953 | $388,600 | $376,111 | $177,000 | 21 | $241,561 | $264,452 | $240,898 |
| 2020 | $4,302,682 | $846,048 | $381,329 | $203,000 | 27 | — | $750,288 | $230,042 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Prayer Closet reported a distributable amount of $218K 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 grants include support for a range of charitable organizations. For example, Dallas Theological Seminary describes its mission as equipping servant-leaders to proclaim the Bible and build up the body of Christ worldwide. Harvesters Reaching the Nations describes its work as providing discipleship, education, and healthcare to orphans and vulnerable women. Samaritan Inn describes itself as a comprehensive housing program supporting people in gaining dignity and independence.
Other 2025 grantees describe work that includes trauma-informed care for children and families (Helping Hand Home for Children), support for people affected by sexual exploitation and trafficking (Alive at Last), and spiritual and physical aid to people in need (Samaritan’s Purse).
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 16 grants totaling $137,500. Grants ranged from $500 to $20,000, with a median grant of $7,500.
Among the largest reported grants were $20,000 to The Lifesavers Foundation for medical services and $20,000 to The Storehouse of Collin County to feed and clothe the community. Other grants included $12,000 to Dallas Theological Seminary for scholarships; $10,000 each to Beyond Ordinary Women, Harvesters Reaching the Nations, Helping Hand Home for Children, Samaritan Inn, and Thrive Women’s Clinic; and $5,000 each to Alive at Last, Mission Massai, the Salvation Army, and Samaritan’s Purse.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Sharon Thomas as president, Sam H Thomas as treasurer, Samuel Judson Thomas as secretary, and Sara Standerfer as director.
The Prayer Closet is led by Sharon Thomas, President on every filing since 2020; 3 of 4 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Sharon Thomas
President
On filings since 2020
30 hrs/week
$72K (2020) → $79K (2025)
Sara Standerfer
Director
On filings since 2020
15 hrs/week
$22K (2020) → $43K (2025)
Samuel Judson Thomas
Secretary
On filings since 2020
15 hrs/week
$14K (2020) → $42K (2025)
Sam H. Thomas
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $79K, to Sharon Thomas (President). 3 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Prayer Closet
How much does The Prayer Closet give each year?
The Prayer Closet gave $138K across 16 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $161K across 18 grants.
What is The Prayer Closet's typical grant size?
The Prayer Closet's median grant in 2025 was $7,500, and its average grant was $8,594, across 16 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Prayer Closet that year got $5K on average.
Where does The Prayer Closet give grants?
The Prayer Closet gives mostly in Texas: 92% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Dallas, TX (5 grants), Plano, TX (3 grants) and McKinney, TX (2 grants).
Does The Prayer Closet give general operating support?
Occasionally: 6% of The Prayer Closet's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (1 of 16) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Prayer Closet's largest grantees?
The Prayer Closet's largest 2025 grantees include The Lifesavers Foundation ($20,000), The Storehouse of Collin County ($20,000) and Dallas Theological Seminary ($12,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 38% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Prayer Closet?
The Prayer Closet reported $3.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $250K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $218K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Prayer Closet fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its grants include support for a range of charitable organizations. For example, Dallas Theological Seminary describes its mission as equipping servant-leaders to proclaim the Bible and build up the body of Christ worldwide. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Prayer Closet?
The foundation 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 Prayer Closet's EIN?
The Prayer Closet's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-1849802. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Prayer Closet 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
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 12, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Prayer Closet's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Prayer Closet funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-prayer-closet-morg_42a97d3ba6dd470395be2f683f16e633
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_201849802_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Prayer Closet funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-prayer-closet-morg_42a97d3ba6dd470395be2f683f16e633},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Prayer Closet'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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