The Sparrow Charitable Foundation
The Sparrow Charitable Foundation is a private foundation based in Dallas, Texas. Its 2025 filing reports grants for purposes including the Great Commission, educational purposes, world relief, and pro-family work.
The Sparrow Charitable Foundation at a glance
In short: The Sparrow Charitable Foundation gave $2.9M across 34 grants in 2025 (avg $86K), mostly in Georgia. 15% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $2,927,000
- +91.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 34
- +17.2% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $86,088
- +63.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $21,825
- -78.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 15% first-time grantees (5 of 34, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Georgia (51% 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 Sparrow Charitable 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: 6506 Orchid Lane, Dallas, TX 75230
Phone: (214) 794-1619
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Sparrow Charitable Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Illuminations ($1.5M). Together the top 10 received $2.8M.
Grant Size Distribution
168 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 139 grants of 168 (83%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, the largest shares of grant dollars by recipient state were Georgia (51%), Virginia (17%), California (17%), Colorado (6%), and Texas (5%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 34 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Sparrow Charitable Foundation open to new grantees?
15%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 5 of 34 grantees (15%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $101K. How we count
Medians: $500 first-time, $10K repeat.
- 68% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 194% 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 $488K (2020) to $2.9M (2025). In 2025 it made 34 grants totaling $2.9M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Illuminations Alpharetta, GA | I - Great Commission | $1,500,000 |
| International Justice Mission Arlington, VA | IV - World Relief | $500,000 |
| Lifenet Red Bluff, CA | III - Educational Purposes | $500,000 |
| Elevate USA Arvada, CO | III - Educational Purposes | $156,000 |
| The University of Oklahoma Foundation Norman, OK | III - Educational Purposes | $30,000 |
| Elevate Dallas Dallas, TX | III - Educational Purposes | $25,000 |
| Enright Foundational Ministries Post Orange, FL | IV - World Relief | $25,000 |
| Northway Church Dallas, TX | II - Pro Family | $25,000 |
| Samaritan's Purse Boone, NC | IV - World Relief | $25,000 |
| Spoken Worldwide Dallas, TX | I - Great Commission | $25,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Sparrow Charitable Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $21,825 | $2,852,161 | $2,930,420 | $2,927,000 | 34 | $2,928,714 | $3,041 |
| 2024 | $100,084 | $1,550,405 | $1,533,716 | $1,530,400 | 29 | $1,532,062 | $3,957 |
| 2023 | $83,395 | $800,405 | $727,227 | $687,750 | 34 | $725,604 | $4,524 |
| 2022 | $10,217 | $850,517 | $999,800 | $996,650 | 33 | $998,225 | $4,744 |
| 2021 | $159,500 | $2,001,366 | $1,866,730 | $1,863,720 | 38 | $1,865,225 | $21,472 |
| 2020 | $24,864 | $500,651 | $489,605 | $487,540 | 43 | — | $2,797 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Sparrow Charitable Foundation reported a distributable amount of $3K 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 statement is provided. The grant purposes listed in 2025 include “I - Great Commission,” “II - Pro Family,” “III - Educational Purposes,” and “IV - World Relief.”
Grantees’ stated missions illustrate the range of organizations supported. International Justice Mission says it works with partners to protect people in poverty from violence, rescue victims, and support survivors. Elevate USA and Elevate Dallas describe their work as building long-term relationships with urban youth. Dallas Baptist University says it provides Christ-centered higher education, while the North Texas Food Bank says it works to address hunger in North Texas.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 34 grants totaling $2,927,000. Grants ranged from $500 to $1,500,000, with a median grant of $5,000.
The largest reported grants included $1,500,000 to Illuminations for “I - Great Commission,” $500,000 to International Justice Mission for “IV - World Relief,” and $500,000 to LifeNet for “III - Educational Purposes.” Other notable grants included $156,000 to Elevate USA, $30,000 to the University of Oklahoma Foundation, and $25,000 each to Elevate Dallas, Enright Foundational Ministries, Northway Church, Samaritan’s Purse, and Spoken Worldwide.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Raymond H Harris, Marydel R Harris, Stephen R Harris, Elizabeth A Black, Carolyn E Arnold, and Timothy C Harris as directors.
The Sparrow Charitable Foundation's 2025 filing lists 6 officers; none of the 6 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Marydel R. Harris
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Raymond H. Harris
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Stephen R. Harris
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Carolyn E. Arnold
Director
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Elizabeth A. Black
Director
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Timothy C. Harris
Director
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Elizabeth A. Harris (2020) — Director
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 Sparrow Charitable Foundation
How much does The Sparrow Charitable Foundation give each year?
The Sparrow Charitable Foundation gave $2.9M across 34 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.5M across 29 grants.
What is The Sparrow Charitable Foundation's typical grant size?
The Sparrow Charitable Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $86,088, across 34 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Sparrow Charitable Foundation that year got $2K on average.
Where does The Sparrow Charitable Foundation give grants?
The Sparrow Charitable Foundation gives mostly in Georgia: 51% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Virginia (17%) and California (17%). The most frequent recipient cities were Dallas, TX (9 grants), Alpharetta, GA (2 grants), Plano, TX (2 grants) and Colorado Springs, CO (2 grants).
Does The Sparrow Charitable Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 34 grants with a stated purpose on The Sparrow Charitable Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "I - Great Commission" (14 grants), "III - Educational Purposes" (9 grants) and "IV - World Relief" (6 grants).
Who are The Sparrow Charitable Foundation's largest grantees?
The Sparrow Charitable Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Illuminations ($1,500,000), International Justice Mission ($500,000) and Lifenet ($500,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 85% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Sparrow Charitable Foundation?
The Sparrow Charitable Foundation reported $22K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.9M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $3K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Sparrow Charitable Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. The grant purposes listed in 2025 include “I - Great Commission,” “II - Pro Family,” “III - Educational Purposes,” and “IV - World Relief.” See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Sparrow Charitable 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 Sparrow Charitable Foundation's EIN?
The Sparrow Charitable Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-0488561. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Sparrow Charitable 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 2020 (received by the IRS April 9, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS February 28, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 3, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS February 21, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 12, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 18, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Sparrow Charitable Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Sparrow Charitable Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-sparrow-charitable-foundation-morg_c5e46c9a32d342bca7b1d5ac093a1660
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_200488561_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Sparrow Charitable Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-sparrow-charitable-foundation-morg_c5e46c9a32d342bca7b1d5ac093a1660},
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 Sparrow Charitable 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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