The Tim and Karen Hixon Foundation
The Tim and Karen Hixon Foundation is a private foundation based in San Antonio, Texas. Its 2024 grants supported organizations working in areas including wildlife conservation, zoological organizations, and services for veterans.
The Tim and Karen Hixon Foundation at a glance
In short: The Tim and Karen Hixon Foundation gave $474K across 33 grants in 2024 (avg $14K), top state Texas. 3% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $474,028
- -5.7% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 33
- -2.9% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $14,364
- -2.8% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $5,143,745
- +1.7% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 3% first-time grantees (1 of 33, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Texas (47% 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 Tim and Karen Hixon Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 711 Broadway Suite 250, San Antonio, TX 78215
Phone: (210) 225-3053
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Tim and Karen Hixon Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was San Antonio Zoo ($40K). Together the top 10 received $296K.
Grant Size Distribution
162 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 158 grants of 162 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 47% of grant dollars went to recipients in Texas, 12% to Idaho, 9% to the District of Columbia, 8% to North Carolina, and 6% to Tennessee. The listed recipients also included organizations in other states.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 33 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Tim and Karen Hixon Foundation open to new grantees?
3%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 1 of 33 grantees (3%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $10K; repeat grants $15K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 97% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+9%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 94% 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 (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 $404K (2020) to $520K (2022). In 2024 it made 33 grants totaling $474K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| San Antonio Zoo San Antonio, TX | Operating Fund | $40,000 |
| Peregrine Fund Inc Boise, ID | Operating Fund | $40,000 |
| Special Forces Charitable Trust Southern Pines, NC | operating fund | $40,000 |
| Austin Hatcher Foundation Chattanooga, TN | Operating Fund | $30,528 |
| Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation Dallas, TX | Operating Fund | $30,000 |
| Caesar Kleburg Wildlife Research Institute Kingsville, TX | Operating Fund | $25,000 |
| National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Washington, DC | Operating Fund | $25,000 |
| Texas Wildlife Association New Braunfels, TX | Operating Fund | $25,000 |
| Wildlife Conservation Society Bronx, NY | Operating Fund | $20,000 |
| World Wildlife Fund Inc Chicago, IL | Operating Fund | $20,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Tim and Karen Hixon 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $5,143,745 | $644,238 | $556,224 | $474,028 | 33 | $475,420 | $526,891 | $507,368 |
| 2023 | $5,055,732 | $371,532 | $586,501 | $502,554 | 34 | $503,884 | $257,369 | $474,028 |
| 2022 | $5,270,700 | $502,635 | $608,504 | $519,876 | 34 | $521,083 | $424,632 | $502,554 |
| 2021 | $5,376,569 | $1,294,923 | $500,401 | $436,431 | 32 | $437,583 | $1,238,507 | $522,175 |
| 2020 | $4,582,047 | $802,464 | $474,275 | $403,809 | 29 | — | $644,804 | $436,431 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Tim and Karen Hixon Foundation reported a distributable amount of $507K 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
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for a range of organizations, including conservation and wildlife groups, a zoo, and organizations serving veterans.
Among its grantees, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation describes its work as fostering conservation solutions and awarding grants to sustain, restore, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and habitats. The Wildlife Conservation Society says it works to save wildlife and wild places through science, conservation action, education, and public engagement. The World Wildlife Fund describes its mission as conserving nature and reducing threats to life on Earth. Other 2024 grantees include the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust, which says it works to conserve and restore fisheries and habitats, and Bat Conservation International, which says it works to conserve bats and their ecosystems.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 33 grants totaling $474,028. Awards ranged from $2,500 to $40,000, with a median grant of $10,000. The largest listed grants included $40,000 each to the San Antonio Zoo, the Peregrine Fund, and the Special Forces Charitable Trust; $30,528 to the Austin Hatcher Foundation; and $30,000 to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation. These grants were listed for operating support.
Other 2024 recipients included the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute ($25,000), the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation ($25,000), the Texas Wildlife Association ($25,000), the Wildlife Conservation Society ($20,000), and World Wildlife Fund ($20,000).
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Karen J. Hixon and Jack J. Spector as directors; Kathryn N. Sanco as secretary and director; and Bryan S. Hixon and George S. Hixon as vice presidents and directors.
The Tim and Karen Hixon Foundation's 2024 filing lists 5 officers; none of the 5 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Bryan S. Hixon
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
George S. Hixon
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Jack J. Spector
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Karen J. Hixon
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Kathryn N. Sanco
Secretary & Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
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.
Frequently asked questions about The Tim and Karen Hixon Foundation
How much does The Tim and Karen Hixon Foundation give each year?
The Tim and Karen Hixon Foundation gave $474K across 33 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $503K across 34 grants.
What is The Tim and Karen Hixon Foundation's typical grant size?
The Tim and Karen Hixon Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $14,364, across 33 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Tim and Karen Hixon Foundation that year got $10K on average.
Where does The Tim and Karen Hixon Foundation give grants?
The Tim and Karen Hixon Foundation's top state is Texas, with 47% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Idaho (12%) and District of Columbia (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were San Antonio, TX (10 grants), Washington, DC (2 grants), Austin, TX (2 grants) and Arlington, VA (2 grants).
Does The Tim and Karen Hixon Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 97% of The Tim and Karen Hixon Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (32 of 33) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Tim and Karen Hixon Foundation's largest grantees?
The Tim and Karen Hixon Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include San Antonio Zoo ($40,000), Peregrine Fund Inc ($40,000) and Special Forces Charitable Trust ($40,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 25% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Tim and Karen Hixon Foundation?
The Tim and Karen Hixon Foundation reported $5.1M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $475K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $507K (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 Tim and Karen Hixon Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for a range of organizations, including conservation and wildlife groups, a zoo, and organizations serving veterans. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Tim and Karen Hixon Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Tim and Karen Hixon Foundation's EIN?
The Tim and Karen Hixon Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 74-2730275. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Tim and Karen Hixon 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work The Tim and Karen Hixon Foundation funds
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Tim and Karen Hixon Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 22, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-tim-and-karen-hixon-foundation-morg_4099bb9918cb4833b324fef2f11431a7
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_742730275_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Tim and Karen Hixon Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-tim-and-karen-hixon-foundation-morg_4099bb9918cb4833b324fef2f11431a7},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-22. 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 Tim and Karen Hixon 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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