The Ralph A Johnston Foundation Inc
The Ralph A Johnston Foundation Inc is a private foundation established in 1959 and incorporated in 1963, based in Houston, Texas. The foundation supports a broad range of social issues through charitable grantmaking, with a particular emphasis on education, health care, and human services.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$5.7M
+3.1% YoY
Annual Giving
$315K
-50.4% YoY
Grant Count
12
-33.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$26K
-25.6% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Ralph A Johnston Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $312K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's giving primarily focuses on:
- Education: Including higher education and educational institutions
- Health Care: In-patient medical care, hospital care, and diseases and conditions
- Human Services: Family services, child welfare, and community support programs
- Vulnerable Populations: Support for economically disadvantaged individuals, homeless people, parents and single parents, and people with disabilities (including physical and psychosocial disabilities)
Grantmaking
Additional recent grant activity includes:
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily funds projects in Texas, with a specific focus on:
- Austin
- Houston
The foundation also has documented giving in Wyoming and New York.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Metric | Amount |
|---|---|
| Total Assets | $5,749,747 |
| Total Revenues | $570,681 |
| Total Expenses | $396,523 |
| Total Giving | $315,000 |
The foundation generates revenue through investment income and asset appreciation, with a focus on preserving its corpus while funding distributions for charitable purposes.
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $5,749,747 | $5,575,589 | $5,462,160 |
| Revenue | $570,681 | $957,923 | $398,812 |
| Expenses | $396,523 | $844,494 | $87,504 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $319,252 | $639,700 | $21,700 |
| Net Investment Income | $535,635 | $896,563 | $438,518 |
| Distributable Amount | $311,965 | $301,024 | $325,734 |
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 2025
Grant Size Distribution
46 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2025 grants, the largest include St Martin's Episcopal Preschool ($75,000), TIRR Foundation ($50,000), Outreach Center of West Houston ($25,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Air Warriors Courage Foundation Silver Springs, MD | General support | $15,000 |
| Buffalo Bill Center of the West Memorial Foundation Cody, WY | General support | $15,000 |
| Life House Houston, TX | General support | $20,000 |
| Outreach Center of West Houston Houston, TX | General support | $25,000 |
| St Martin's Episcopal Preschool Houston, TX | General support | $75,000 |
| Texas Regional Para Sport Wimberley, TX | General support | $10,000 |
| The 100 Club Inc Houston, TX | General support | $25,000 |
| The Childrens Fund Inc Houston, TX | General support | $20,000 |
| The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX | Dobie Paisano Fellowship Program | $25,000 |
| TIRR Foundation Houston, TX | General support | $10,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The foundation's leadership team consists of:
- Cheryl Duff - President/Director
- Jill Lewis - Secretary/Director
- Brad Duff - Treasurer/Director
All board members serve voluntarily without compensation.
Contact Information: 713-461-3867
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
From 2025 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheryl Duff | President / Director | 1 | — |
| Jill Lewis | Secretary / Director | 1 | — |
| Brad Duff | Treasurer / Director | 1 | — |
| Darryl Cherry | Director | 1 | — |
| Jerry Duff Ryan | Director | 1 | — |
| John T Woolridge | Director | 1 | — |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does The Ralph A Johnston Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation's giving primarily focuses on: • **Education**: Including higher education and educational institutions • **Health Care**: In-patient medical care, hospital care, and diseases and conditions • **Human Services**: Family services, child welfare, and community support programs • **Vulnerable Populations**: Support for economically disadvantaged individuals, homeless people, parents and single parents, and people with disabilities (including physical and psychosocial disabilities)
How do I apply for a grant from The Ralph A Johnston Foundation Inc?
**Grant Amounts**: Typical awards range from $10,000 to $150,000. **Recent Grants**: The foundation made three grants in 2025: • St. Martin's Episcopal Preschool: $75,000 (General Support) • TIRR Foundation: $50,000 (Camp Xtreme) • The 100 Club: Grant amount not specified (General Support) Additional recent grant activity includes: • Outreach Center of West Houston: $65,000 (General Support, 2024) **Total Annual Giving**: $315,000 (based on most recent filing)
Where does The Ralph A Johnston Foundation Inc make grants?
The foundation primarily funds projects in Texas, with a specific focus on: • Austin • Houston The foundation also has documented giving in Wyoming and New York.
What size grants does The Ralph A Johnston Foundation Inc award?
In 2025, The Ralph A Johnston Foundation Inc awarded 12 grants totaling $315K — an average of about $26K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is The Ralph A Johnston Foundation Inc required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2025, The Ralph A Johnston Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $312K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is The Ralph A Johnston Foundation Inc's EIN?
The Ralph A Johnston Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 74-6051797. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.