The Robertson-Finley Foundation
The Robertson-Finley Foundation is a private foundation based in Houston, Texas. Its 2025 filing reports grants for scientific research, public policy research, civil society, and education, among other stated purposes.
The Robertson-Finley Foundation at a glance
In short: The Robertson-Finley Foundation gave $205K across 57 grants in 2025 (avg $4K), top state Texas. 0% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $205,050
- +6.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 57
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $3,597
- +6.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,500
- Total assets
- $3,164,346
- +1.8% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 0% first-time grantees (0 of 57, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Texas (44% 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 Robertson-Finley 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: PO Box 967, Houston, TX 77001-0967
Phone: (713) 759-0450
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Robertson-Finley Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Amazing Place ($12K). Together the top 10 received $93K.
Grant Size Distribution
295 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 295 grants of 295 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, recipients in Texas received 44% of grant dollars, followed by recipients in Washington, DC (14%), Virginia (12%), California (10%), and Illinois (5%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 57 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Robertson-Finley Foundation open to new grantees?
0%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 0 of 57 grantees (0%) were first-time recipients. How we count
- 98% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+3%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 93% 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.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $164K (2021) to $205K (2025). In 2025 it made 57 grants totaling $205K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Amazing Place Houston, TX | Civil Society Support | $12,000 |
| Baylor Medical Foundation Houston, TX | Scientific Research Support | $12,000 |
| University of Texas at Austin Institute for Fusion Studies Austin, TX | Scientific Research Support | $12,000 |
| University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Dallas, TX | Scientific Research Support | $12,000 |
| Institute for Justice Arlington, VA | Public Policy Research Support | $10,000 |
| Pacific Legal Foundation Sacramento, CA | Public Policy Research Support | $10,000 |
| New Civil Liberties Alliance Washington, DC | Public Policy Research Support | $7,000 |
| State Policy Network Arlington, VA | Public Policy Research Support | $7,000 |
| The Leadership Institute Arlington, VA | Public Policy Research Support | $6,000 |
| American Federation for Children Growth Fund Columbia, MD | Education Support | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Robertson-Finley Foundation?
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 | $3,164,346 | $270,701 | $215,632 | $205,050 | 57 | $209,140 | $166,268 | $225,910 |
| 2024 | $3,109,277 | $260,428 | $204,070 | $192,700 | 57 | $196,557 | $156,007 | $211,642 |
| 2023 | $3,052,919 | $299,403 | $214,597 | $203,400 | 59 | $207,110 | $193,671 | $194,262 |
| 2022 | $2,968,113 | $267,184 | $209,714 | $198,700 | 63 | $202,188 | $162,218 | $207,851 |
| 2021 | $2,910,643 | $259,920 | $174,102 | $164,000 | 59 | $167,299 | $155,141 | $201,618 |
| 2020 | $2,824,825 | $220,347 | $186,287 | $178,000 | 59 | — | $116,827 | $166,701 |
| 2019 | $2,790,765 | $245,960 | $178,131 | $168,000 | 54 | — | $141,072 | $182,152 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Robertson-Finley Foundation reported a distributable amount of $226K 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 2025 grants included support designated for scientific research, public policy research, civil society, and education. The recipients span research institutions, policy organizations, a food bank, and a school.
Several grantees describe their own work in terms of civil liberties and public policy. The Institute for Justice says it uses litigation, training, communication, activism, and research to advance individual liberties, including economic liberty, educational choice, property rights, and freedom of speech. Pacific Legal Foundation says it litigates nationwide to secure Americans’ rights. State Policy Network describes its mission as catalyzing freedom movements anchored by independent think tanks. Other 2025 recipients include Judicial Watch, which says it promotes government integrity and accountability through advocacy, litigation, and monitoring; the Heartland Institute, which says it promotes free-market solutions; and Trinity Classical School of Houston, which describes itself as a Christian school using a classical curriculum.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation made 57 grants totaling $205,050. Grants ranged from $350 to $12,000, with a median of $2,500. Among the largest were $12,000 each to Amazing Place for civil society support, Baylor Medical Foundation for scientific research support, the University of Texas at Austin Institute for Fusion Studies for scientific research support, and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center for scientific research support. It also gave $10,000 each to the Institute for Justice and Pacific Legal Foundation for public policy research support.
Other 2025 grants included $7,000 each to New Civil Liberties Alliance and State Policy Network for public policy research support; $6,000 to The Leadership Institute for that purpose; $5,000 to the American Federation for Children Growth Fund for education support; $5,000 to the Claremont Institute for public policy research support; and $5,000 to Houston Food Bank for civil society support. Additional recipients included Judicial Watch ($5,000), the Heartland Institute ($5,000), Trinity Classical School of Houston ($4,600), Academic Freedom Alliance ($4,000), and National Taxpayers Union Foundation ($4,000).
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Daniel R Finley as Trustee and J H McMillian as Exec Dir.
The Robertson-Finley Foundation is led by J H McMillian, Executive Director on every filing since 2019; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
J H McMillian
Executive Director
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Daniel R Finley
Trustee
On filings since 2019
2.5 hrs/week
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 Robertson-Finley Foundation
How much does The Robertson-Finley Foundation give each year?
The Robertson-Finley Foundation gave $205K across 57 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $193K across 57 grants.
What is The Robertson-Finley Foundation's typical grant size?
The Robertson-Finley Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $2,500, and its average grant was $3,597, across 57 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Robertson-Finley Foundation give grants?
The Robertson-Finley Foundation's top state is Texas, with 44% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were District of Columbia (14%) and Virginia (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were Houston, TX (16 grants), Washington, DC (8 grants), Arlington, VA (3 grants) and Austin, TX (3 grants).
Does The Robertson-Finley Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 57 grants with a stated purpose on The Robertson-Finley Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Public Policy Research Support" (17 grants), "Education Support" (12 grants) and "Civil Society Support" (12 grants).
Who are The Robertson-Finley Foundation's largest grantees?
The Robertson-Finley Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Amazing Place ($12,000), Baylor Medical Foundation ($12,000) and University of Texas at Austin Institute for Fusion Studies ($12,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 18% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Robertson-Finley Foundation?
The Robertson-Finley Foundation reported $3.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $209K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $226K (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 Robertson-Finley Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support designated for scientific research, public policy research, civil society, and education. The recipients span research institutions, policy organizations, a food bank, and a school. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Robertson-Finley 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 Robertson-Finley Foundation's EIN?
The Robertson-Finley Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 76-0598999. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The Robertson-Finley 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
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 14, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 11, 2026)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 4, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 3, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 6, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 4, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 6, 2024)
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Robertson-Finley Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-robertson-finley-foundation-morg_9a7ce03085de4531b9b550f010bf84fb
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_760598999_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Robertson-Finley Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-robertson-finley-foundation-morg_9a7ce03085de4531b9b550f010bf84fb},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 Robertson-Finley 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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