The Sumners Foundation
The Sumners Foundation is a private foundation based in Irving, Texas. It promotes the teaching, study, and practice of American self-governance and supports efforts to encourage civic engagement.
The Sumners Foundation at a glance
In short: The Sumners Foundation gave $2.8M across 30 grants in 2024 (avg $95K), mostly in Texas. 10% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $2,843,410
- +40.6% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 30
- +7.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $94,780
- +31.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $36,913
- Total assets
- $74,050,556
- +2.6% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 10% first-time grantees (3 of 29, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Texas (79% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Sumners Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The Foundation’s filing lists Charles Pierson as the contact and requests a letter, a résumé of the organization or person, and other supporting material. Deadlines are listed as various. Awards are limited to the study and teaching of the science of self-government. Grants are generally made to qualified 501(c)(3) organizations, except that the Foundation’s guidelines also refer to scholarships or fellowships. Funds must be used for the specific awarded purpose and may not cover indirect costs. The Foundation may require reports and certifications and may audit recipient records related to funded activities.
- Contact
Application contact: Charles Pierson
Mailing address: 2201 West Royal Lane 100, Irving, TX 75063
Phone: (214) 220-2128
Email: charles@sumnersfoundation.org
Website: https://sumnersfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from The Sumners Foundation
Who The Sumners Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Scholarships Given ($856K). Together the top 10 received $2.4M.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($25,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
216 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 157 grants of 216 (73%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation’s grant guidelines describe its geographic focus primarily as Texas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma; another guidelines page also names Colorado among the restricted-programming states. The pages say that grants may occasionally be made to qualified organizations outside the listed area. In 2024, 79% of grant dollars went to recipients in Texas, 8% to DC, 5% to Oklahoma, 4% to New Mexico, and 2% to New York.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 30 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Sumners Foundation open to new grantees?
10%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 3 of 29 grantees (10%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $6K; repeat grants $76K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $39K repeat.
- 62% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 27% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 113% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $2.0M (2023) to $2.8M (2024). In 2024 it made 30 grants totaling $2.8M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Scholarships Given Irving, TX | Educational Scholarships | $856,100 |
| Law Focused Educstate Bar of Texas Dallas, TX | Training the Next Generation | $666,190 |
| YMCA of Austin Austin, TX | Texas Youth and Government | $175,000 |
| United States Assn of Former Member Washington, DC | Sumners Scholars | $132,000 |
| YMCA Albuquerque Central NM Albuquerque, NM | Youth and Government | $125,000 |
| YMCA Oklahoma City Oklahoma City, OK | Youth and Government | $125,000 |
| Texas Tribune Austin, TX | Texas Tribune Festival | $100,000 |
| American Legion Texas Boys State Austin, TX | General Support | $75,000 |
| Fund for American Studies Washington, DC | Scholarships to Attend 2024 Tfas DC Summer Program | $65,400 |
| Texas FFA Foundation Austin, TX | Legislative Lead | $60,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $74,050,556 | $3,122,327 | $4,556,098 | $2,843,410 | 30 | $4,037,904 | $2,248,326 | $3,560,782 |
| 2023 | $72,152,068 | $2,514,541 | $3,420,435 | $2,022,171 | 28 | $3,035,226 | $2,047,892 | $3,668,300 |
| 2022 | $69,238,256 | $4,914,650 | $4,925,513 | $2,689,297 | 49 | $3,562,200 | $3,044,202 | $3,266,524 |
| 2021 | $72,072,117 | $5,041,325 | $3,856,748 | $2,232,036 | 55 | $3,088,234 | $4,088,082 | $3,325,759 |
| 2020 | $68,664,613 | $1,796,226 | $4,116,582 | $2,478,820 | 54 | — | $919,994 | $3,186,923 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Sumners Foundation reported a distributable amount of $3.6M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Foundation’s mission is to promote understanding of American self-governance and responsible civic engagement. It supports programs that involve people in political processes and government, as well as public-policy conferences and seminars, teacher training, and academic programs and contests on democratic self-government.
Grant recipients illustrate the range of supported work. The Texas Tribune says it promotes civic engagement and public education through statewide events, public data tools, and reporting on Texas public policy and politics. Fort Worth Report describes its work as producing objective local journalism to inform public decision-making and hold policymakers accountable. Braver Angels says it works to strengthen civil society and reduce social polarization.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the Foundation reported 30 grants totaling $2,843,410. Individual awards ranged from $1,000 to $856,100, with a median of $36,912. The largest listed grants included $856,100 for educational scholarships; $666,190 to the State Bar of Texas for “Training the Next Generation”; $175,000 to YMCA of Austin for Texas Youth and Government; and $132,000 to the United States Association of Former Members for Sumners Scholars.
Other 2024 awards included $125,000 each to YMCA Albuquerque Central and YMCA Oklahoma City for Youth and Government; $100,000 to Texas Tribune for its festival; $75,000 to American Legion Texas Boys State for general support; $65,400 to Fund for American Studies for scholarships to its 2024 DC summer program; $60,000 to Texas FFA Foundation for Legislative Lead; $57,000 to Braver Angels for a depolarization project; and $50,000 to Fort Worth Report for civic engagement.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Jerry D Reis as Chairman; Lon R Williams as Vice Chairman; David G Drumm as Treasurer; T Charles Pierson as Executive Director; and Brant Martin, Scott M Higginbotham, William W Meadows, and Shannon Hutcheson as Directors.
The Sumners Foundation is led by T Charles Pierson, Executive Director on every filing since 2020; all 8 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
T Charles Pierson
Executive Director
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$244K (2020) → $286K (2024)
Jerry D. Reis
Chairman
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$32K (2020) → $10K (2024)
Brant C. Martin
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$24K (2020) → $12K (2024)
Scott M. Higginbotham
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$27K (2020) → $18K (2024)
William W. Meadows
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$18K (2020) → $10K (2024)
Shannon Hutcheson
Director
New on the 2024 filing
2 hrs/week
$12K (2024)
David G. Drumm
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$29K (2020) → $20K (2024)
Lon R. Williams
Vice Chairman
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$31K (2020) → $26K (2024)
Former officers (2)
- Former: Beth Van Duyne (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Mike McElroy (2020–2021) — Controller · Filing note: Thru 112021
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $286K, to T Charles Pierson (Executive Dir.). 8 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Sumners Foundation
How much does The Sumners Foundation give each year?
The Sumners Foundation gave $2.8M across 30 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $2.0M across 28 grants.
What is The Sumners Foundation's typical grant size?
The Sumners Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $36,913, and its average grant was $94,780, across 30 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Sumners Foundation that year got $6K on average.
Where does The Sumners Foundation give grants?
The Sumners Foundation gives mostly in Texas: 79% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were District of Columbia (8%) and Oklahoma (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were Austin, TX (5 grants), Fort Worth, TX (4 grants), Dallas, TX (3 grants) and Washington, DC (3 grants).
Does The Sumners Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 10% of The Sumners Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (3 of 30) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Sumners Foundation's largest grantees?
The Sumners Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Scholarships Given ($856,100), Law Focused Educstate Bar of Texas ($666,190) and YMCA of Austin ($175,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($25,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 60% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Sumners Foundation?
The Sumners Foundation reported $74.1M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $4.0M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $3.6M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Sumners Foundation fund?
The Foundation’s mission is to promote understanding of American self-governance and responsible civic engagement. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Sumners Foundation?
The Foundation’s filing lists Charles Pierson as the contact and requests a letter, a résumé of the organization or person, and other supporting material. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Sumners Foundation's EIN?
The Sumners Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 75-2734032. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Sumners Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-sumners-foundation-morg_3c4cea3915904645abaf3f2fad10160e
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_752734032_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Sumners Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-sumners-foundation-morg_3c4cea3915904645abaf3f2fad10160e},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-20. 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 Sumners 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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