The Vaughn Foundation
The Vaughn Foundation is a private foundation based in Houston, Texas. Its 2025 filing records grants to charitable organizations, with 93% of grant dollars going to recipients in Texas.
The Vaughn Foundation at a glance
In short: The Vaughn Foundation gave $488K across 57 grants in 2025 (avg $9K), mostly in Texas. 9% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $488,000
- +9.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 57
- -6.6% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $8,561
- +16.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $5,964,470
- -0.8% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 9% first-time grantees (5 of 57, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Texas (93% 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 Vaughn 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.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1333 West Loop South 1550, Houston, TX 77027
Phone: (713) 871-3901
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Vaughn Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was St Luke's United Methodist ($35K). Together the top 10 received $178K.
Grant Size Distribution
287 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 287 grants of 287 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In filing year 2025, 93% of grant dollars went to recipients in Texas. The remaining reported shares went to New York (3%), Kentucky (1%), Washington (1%), and North Carolina (1%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 57 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Vaughn Foundation open to new grantees?
9%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 5 of 57 grantees (9%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $6K; repeat grants $9K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $6K repeat.
- 84% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 25% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 115% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 $380K (2019) to $488K (2025). In 2025 it made 57 grants totaling $488K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| St Luke's United Methodist Houston, TX | General | $35,000 |
| Orange Show Foundation Houston, TX | General | $23,000 |
| Christian Community Service Center Houston, TX | General | $20,000 |
| Houston Food Bank Houston, TX | General | $20,000 |
| Ronald McDonald House Houston Houston, TX | General | $15,000 |
| Museum of Fine Arts Houston, TX | General | $15,000 |
| Nora's Home Houston, TX | General | $15,000 |
| The Forge for Families Inc Houston, TX | General | $15,000 |
| Covenant House Houston, TX | General | $10,000 |
| Texas Childern's Hospital Houston, TX | General | $10,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $5,964,470 | $487,803 | $533,587 | $488,000 | 57 | $510,793 | $465,009 | $443,169 |
| 2024 | $6,015,040 | $294,967 | $490,900 | $447,500 | 61 | $469,200 | $273,267 | $414,322 |
| 2023 | $6,212,858 | $110,619 | $445,733 | $405,000 | 57 | $425,367 | $199,028 | $412,244 |
| 2022 | $6,547,971 | $-142,025 | $481,974 | $391,000 | 59 | $436,709 | $101,141 | $424,784 |
| 2021 | $7,189,556 | $672,548 | $465,742 | $392,500 | 53 | $416,175 | $640,938 | $490,666 |
| 2020 | $6,984,192 | $494,364 | $493,034 | $400,000 | 47 | — | $444,106 | $408,528 |
| 2019 | $6,984,146 | $726,723 | $460,508 | $380,000 | 46 | — | $365,083 | $409,966 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Vaughn Foundation reported a distributable amount of $443K 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 grantees include organizations serving people and communities in several ways. Christian Community Service Center says it serves people who are poor, hungry, disabled, or otherwise in need while respecting their religious, ethnic, and cultural differences. Child Advocates says it mobilizes court-appointed volunteers to advocate for abused children and guide them toward safe environments. The Brookwood Community describes its work as providing adults with disabilities an educational environment, meaningful work, belonging, and purpose.
Other 2025 grantees describe their work as supporting children in need of permanent families (Spaulding for Children), providing grief support and education (Bo’s Place), creating theater and telling stories (Stages), and improving the lives of adults on the autism spectrum (Spectrum Fusion).
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation gave $488,000 through 57 grants. Awards ranged from $2,500 to $35,000, with a median grant of $5,000.
Among the largest reported grants were $35,000 to St Luke’s United Methodist, $23,000 to Orange Show Foundation, $20,000 each to Christian Community Service Center and Houston Food Bank, and $15,000 each to Ronald McDonald House Houston, Museum of Fine Arts, Nora’s Home, and The Forge for Families. Other 2025 recipients included Child Advocates, Spaulding for Children, The Brookwood Community, Bo’s Place, Stages, and Spectrum Fusion, each receiving $10,000.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Huntington Nat’l Bnk Cadence as co-trustee.
The Vaughn Foundation is led by Huntington Nat'l Bnk Cadence, Co-Trustee on the 2025 filing — the only officer listed, and compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Huntington Nat'l Bnk Cadence
Co-Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
$40K (2025)
Former officers (4)
- Former: Cadence Bank (2021–2024) — Co-Trustee
- Former: Bette V Benton (2021–2022) — Co-Trustee
- Former: JPMorgan Chase Bank N A (2021–2022) — Co-Trustee
- Former: JP Morgan Chase Bank N A (2019–2020) — Trustee
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $40K, to Huntington Nat'l Bnk Cadence (Co-Trustee).
Frequently asked questions about The Vaughn Foundation
How much does The Vaughn Foundation give each year?
The Vaughn Foundation gave $488K across 57 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $448K across 61 grants.
What is The Vaughn Foundation's typical grant size?
The Vaughn Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $8,561, across 57 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Vaughn Foundation that year got $6K on average.
Where does The Vaughn Foundation give grants?
The Vaughn Foundation gives mostly in Texas: 93% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Houston, TX (34 grants), Austin, TX (5 grants) and Dallas, TX (2 grants).
Does The Vaughn Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Vaughn Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (57 of 57) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Vaughn Foundation's largest grantees?
The Vaughn Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include St Luke's United Methodist ($35,000), Orange Show Foundation ($23,000) and Christian Community Service Center ($20,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 16% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Vaughn Foundation?
The Vaughn Foundation reported $6.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $511K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $443K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Vaughn Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grantees include organizations serving people and communities in several ways. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Vaughn Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Vaughn Foundation's EIN?
The Vaughn Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 75-6008953. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The Vaughn 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
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS June 10, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 8, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Vaughn Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Vaughn Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-vaughn-foundation-morg_83252ed6eb7146389673fe1724b6f5d0
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_756008953_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Vaughn Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-vaughn-foundation-morg_83252ed6eb7146389673fe1724b6f5d0},
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 Vaughn 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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