The Robert and Lynn Murphy Foundation
The Robert and Lynn Murphy Foundation is a private foundation based in Houston, Texas. It made 11 grants totaling $4,255,500 in 2025, with listed grants supporting charitable organizations in several states.
The Robert and Lynn Murphy Foundation at a glance
In short: The Robert and Lynn Murphy Foundation gave $4.3M across 11 grants in 2025 (avg $387K), mostly in Louisiana. 18% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $4,255,500
- +104.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 11
- +120.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $386,864
- -6.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $15,000
- Total assets
- $6,494,072
- +66.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 18% first-time grantees (2 of 11, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Louisiana (71% 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 Robert and Lynn Murphy 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: Three Riverway 1900, Houston, TX 77056
Phone: (713) 888-3300
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Robert and Lynn Murphy Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Jesuit High School of New Orleans Foundation Inc ($3.0M). Together the top 10 received $4.3M.
Grant Size Distribution
51 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 39 grants of 51 (76%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 71% of grant dollars went to recipients in Louisiana and 29% to recipients in Texas. The listed recipients also included organizations in Arkansas, Colorado, and Tennessee; each state accounted for 0% of grant dollars in the reported state shares.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Robert and Lynn Murphy Foundation open to new grantees?
18%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 2 of 11 grantees (18%) were first-time recipients. With only 11 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 9 points. First grants averaged $51K; repeat grants $462K. How we count
Medians: $51K first-time, $15K repeat.
- 36% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 3543% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above 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 $117K (2022) to $4.3M (2025). In 2025 it made 11 grants totaling $4.3M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Jesuit High School of New Orleans Foundation Inc New Orleans, LA | General Fund | $3,000,000 |
| Cristo Rey Jesuit Houston, TX | General Fund | $1,050,000 |
| St Andrews Houston, TX | General Fund | $100,000 |
| Careerspring Foundation Bellaire, TX | General Fund | $50,000 |
| CASA Juan Diego Houston, TX | General Fund | $25,000 |
| Ashley County Museum Hamburg, AR | General Fund | $15,000 |
| Chapelwood United Methodist Church Houston, TX | General Fund | $5,000 |
| Craig Hospital Foundation Englewood, CO | General Fund | $5,000 |
| Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN | General Fund | $2,500 |
| Tulane University New Orleans, LA | General Fund | $2,000 |
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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 | $6,494,072 | $6,860,071 | $4,276,492 | $4,255,500 | 11 | $4,261,001 | $2,081,485 | $162,033 |
| 2024 | $3,909,997 | $3,206,258 | $2,084,306 | $2,078,000 | 5 | $2,081,134 | $893,596 | $179,622 |
| 2023 | $2,788,315 | $837,519 | $668,980 | $662,000 | 11 | $665,479 | $55,734 | $117,505 |
| 2022 | $2,620,795 | $425,052 | $129,075 | $116,800 | 11 | $120,415 | $39,819 | $117,422 |
| 2021 | $2,323,529 | $742,132 | $253,574 | $248,009 | 13 | $249,492 | $253,391 | $116,526 |
| 2020 | $1,834,972 | $453,316 | $165,603 | $160,274 | 10 | — | $158,999 | $82,210 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Robert and Lynn Murphy Foundation reported a distributable amount of $162K 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 foundation mission is stated in the available information. Its 2025 grants included general-fund support for schools, universities, and other charitable organizations. Among its grantees, CareerSpring Foundation describes its mission as unlocking the employment potential of first-generation college students through career information, social capital, and job placement services. Casa Juan Diego describes its mission as providing shelter and services to the poor. Craig Hospital Foundation says it raises funds and dedicates resources to support Craig Hospital and its community, including patient assistance, hospital programs, equipment, and research related to spinal cord and brain injuries.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation gave $4,255,500 through 11 grants. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $3,000,000, with a median grant of $15,000. The largest awards were $3,000,000 to Jesuit High School of New Orleans Foundation and $1,050,000 to Cristo Rey Jesuit. Other grants included $100,000 to St Andrews, $50,000 to CareerSpring Foundation, and $25,000 to Casa Juan Diego. All listed grants were for general fund purposes.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Robert D Murphy Jr, Rebecca Lynn Murphy, and Rebecca Murphy Elmore as directors.
The Robert and Lynn Murphy Foundation's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Rebecca Lynn Murphy
Director
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Rebecca Murphy Elmore
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Robert D. Murphy Jr.
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/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.
Frequently asked questions about The Robert and Lynn Murphy Foundation
How much does The Robert and Lynn Murphy Foundation give each year?
The Robert and Lynn Murphy Foundation gave $4.3M across 11 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $2.1M across 5 grants.
What is The Robert and Lynn Murphy Foundation's typical grant size?
The Robert and Lynn Murphy Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $15,000, and its average grant was $386,864, across 11 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Robert and Lynn Murphy Foundation that year got $51K on average.
Where does The Robert and Lynn Murphy Foundation give grants?
The Robert and Lynn Murphy Foundation gives mostly in Louisiana: 71% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Texas (29%). The most frequent recipient cities were Houston, TX (5 grants) and New Orleans, LA (2 grants).
Does The Robert and Lynn Murphy Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Robert and Lynn Murphy Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (11 of 11) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Robert and Lynn Murphy Foundation's largest grantees?
The Robert and Lynn Murphy Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Jesuit High School of New Orleans Foundation Inc ($3,000,000), Cristo Rey Jesuit ($1,050,000) and St Andrews ($100,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 98% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Robert and Lynn Murphy Foundation?
The Robert and Lynn Murphy Foundation reported $6.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $4.3M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $162K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Robert and Lynn Murphy Foundation fund?
No foundation mission is stated in the available information. Its 2025 grants included general-fund support for schools, universities, and other charitable organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Robert and Lynn Murphy 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 Robert and Lynn Murphy Foundation's EIN?
The Robert and Lynn Murphy Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 27-3594301. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Robert and Lynn Murphy 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
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS August 7, 2022)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 12, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Robert and Lynn Murphy Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Robert and Lynn Murphy Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-robert-and-lynn-murphy-foundation-morg_fc7dd623f3214372943cd6efa45e270b
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_273594301_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Robert and Lynn Murphy Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-robert-and-lynn-murphy-foundation-morg_fc7dd623f3214372943cd6efa45e270b},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 Robert and Lynn Murphy 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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