The Susman Foundation
The Susman Foundation is a private foundation based in Houston, Texas. Its 2025 filing is marked as a final return: the foundation states that it terminated operations on November 13, 2025, and that all bank and investment accounts were closed. It therefore appears to have wound down and stopped grantmaking.
The Susman Foundation at a glance
In short: The Susman Foundation gave $1.9M across 20 grants in 2025 (avg $95K), mostly in Texas. 45% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,908,372
- +421.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 20
- -9.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $95,419
- +473.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $4,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 45% first-time grantees (9 of 20, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Texas (86% 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 Susman Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- Contact
Mailing address: 2121 Kirby Dr 85, Houston, TX 77019
Phone: (713) 521-7888
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Susman Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was The Ellen Susman Fund - Donor Advised Fund ($1.6M). Together the top 10 received $1.9M.
Grant Size Distribution
98 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 89 grants of 98 (91%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, reported grant dollars went primarily to recipients in Texas (86%), followed by the District of Columbia (10%), Colorado (3%), Connecticut (1%), and New York (0%, as reported).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 20 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Susman Foundation open to new grantees?
45%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 9 of 20 grantees (45%) were first-time recipients. With only 20 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $183K; repeat grants $24K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 40% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 539% 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 $299K (2023) to $1.9M (2025). In 2025 it made 20 grants totaling $1.9M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Ellen Susman Fund - Donor Advised Fund Houston, TX | General Support | $1,576,522 |
| Hirshhorn Museum Washington, DC | General Support | $200,000 |
| Anderson Ranch Arts Center Snowmass Village, CO | General Support | $30,000 |
| Congregation Beth Israel Houston, TX | General Support | $21,000 |
| Anderson Ranch Council Membership Smowmass Village, CO | General Support | $20,000 |
| The Kincaid School Houston, TX | General Support | $20,000 |
| Rice University Houston, TX | General Support | $10,000 |
| NXTHVN New Haven, CT | General Support | $10,000 |
| Children's Museum of Manhattan New York, NY | General Support | $5,000 |
| Abundance Educational Academy Yazoo City, MS | General Support | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Susman 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 | — | $74,745 | $1,925,367 | $1,908,372 | 20 | $1,908,372 | $66,363 | $55,522 |
| 2024 | $2,667,522 | $97,475 | $377,877 | $366,000 | 22 | $366,000 | $91,072 | $134,544 |
| 2023 | $2,917,306 | $180,908 | $311,056 | $298,610 | 11 | $298,610 | $173,176 | $143,288 |
| 2022 | $3,047,107 | $68,714 | $313,475 | $298,850 | 21 | $302,542 | $59,059 | $160,811 |
| 2021 | $3,292,418 | $79,782 | $414,549 | $402,100 | 24 | $404,014 | $70,223 | $181,152 |
| 2020 | $3,651,884 | $106,630 | $478,010 | $456,100 | 18 | — | $91,702 | $207,023 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Susman Foundation reported a distributable amount of $56K 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. The 2025 grants show support for organizations with varied missions. Anderson Ranch Arts Center describes its work as fostering creativity and growth through visual arts and enriching lives with art, inspiration, and community. NXTHVN says it trains and develops emerging professional artists and seeks to help New Haven become a sustainable arts community. Other 2025 recipients include the Children’s Museum of Manhattan, which says it supports young children’s growth and development; Hermann Park Conservancy, which is dedicated to stewardship and improvement of Hermann Park; Glasstire, which aims to expand conversation about visual art in Texas; Rothko Chapel, which presents programs promoting spirituality, creativity, dialogue, and action; and Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, which advances education about craft.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 20 grants totaling $1,908,372. Grant amounts ranged from $100 to $1,576,522, with a median of $4,000. The largest grants included $1,576,522 to The Ellen Susman Fund – Donor Advised Fund for general support and $200,000 to the Hirshhorn Museum for general support. Other listed grants included $30,000 to Anderson Ranch Arts Center, $21,000 to Congregation Beth Israel, and $20,000 each to Anderson Ranch Council Membership and The Kinkaid School.
The foundation’s filing states that it contributed only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Because the foundation reports that it terminated operations in 2025, this policy should not be read as a current application opportunity.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Ellen Susman as president, Harry Susman as vice president/secretary, and Stacy Kuhn as vice president/treasurer.
The Susman Foundation is led by Ellen Susman, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Ellen Susman
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Harry Susman
Vice President & Secretary
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Stacy Kuhn
Vice President & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
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 Susman Foundation
How much does The Susman Foundation give each year?
The Susman Foundation gave $1.9M across 20 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $366K across 22 grants.
What is The Susman Foundation's typical grant size?
The Susman Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $4,000, and its average grant was $95,419, across 20 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Susman Foundation that year got $183K on average.
Where does The Susman Foundation give grants?
The Susman Foundation gives mostly in Texas: 86% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was District of Columbia (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Houston, TX (10 grants), New York, NY (3 grants) and New Haven, CT (2 grants).
Does The Susman Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Susman Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (20 of 20) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Susman Foundation's largest grantees?
The Susman Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include The Ellen Susman Fund - Donor Advised Fund ($1,576,522), Hirshhorn Museum ($200,000) and Anderson Ranch Arts Center ($30,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 95% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
What does The Susman Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. The 2025 grants show support for organizations with varied missions. Anderson Ranch Arts Center describes its work as fostering creativity and growth through visual arts and enriching lives with art, inspiration, and community. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Susman Foundation?
The Susman Foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals, according to Grantable's research on its published guidelines.
How much is The Susman Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2025, The Susman Foundation reported a distributable amount of $56K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is The Susman Foundation's EIN?
The Susman Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 76-0569093. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Susman 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
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS July 13, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Susman Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Susman Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-susman-foundation-morg_ffd0d1ec70ba448792eb022069263cdd
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_760569093_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Susman Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-susman-foundation-morg_ffd0d1ec70ba448792eb022069263cdd},
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 Susman 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.
The Susman Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?