The William Stamps Farish Fund
The William Stamps Farish Fund is a private foundation based in Houston, Texas, established in 1951 to continue the philanthropic legacy of the Farish family. The foundation's wealth originated from the oil industry, with William Stamps Farish playing a key role in founding Humble Oil & Refining Co. (later Exxon Company, U.S.A.) in 1917. The foundation operates as a traditional private foundation with a staff of two employees.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$110.6M
+15.6% YoY
Annual Giving
$15.9M
+2.0% YoY
Grant Count
138
-8.6% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$115K
+11.6% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The William Stamps Farish Fund's stated mission is to "provide meaningful support to organizations of all sizes offering Social Service, Education and Health programs that alleviate suffering and promote the success of underserved populations."
Primary funding focus areas include:
- Faith-Based Programs
- Social Services
- Education
- Health programs
- Arts Access & Participation
- Historic Preservation
- STEM Education
- Science Education
Grantmaking
The foundation operates through proposal-based grantmaking. Recent grantmaking activity shows:
Grant Range
**: $103,000-$115,000
Average Grant
**: $103,000-$115,000
How to Apply
**: Written proposal submission
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
While based in Houston, Texas, the foundation's geographic reach extends across five states: Texas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Florida, and New York, with primary focus on the Houston, Texas area.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Current Assets & Giving (as of 2024):
- Total Assets: $110,592,796
- Annual Giving: $15,905,369
- Total Revenue: $32,703,085
- Total Expenses: $17,823,543
- Qualifying Distributions: $16,406,676
Financial History:
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $110,592,796 | $95,687,045 | $99,028,657 |
| Revenue | $32,703,085 | $14,115,418 | $12,367,599 |
| Annual Giving | $15,905,369 | $15,819,115 | $15,090,562 |
| Number of Grants | 138 | 134 | 144 |
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $110,592,796 | $95,687,045 | $99,028,657 |
| Revenue | $32,703,085 | $14,115,418 | $12,367,599 |
| Expenses | $17,823,543 | $17,324,976 | $16,746,898 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $16,406,676 | $15,819,115 | $15,090,562 |
| Net Investment Income | $31,650,994 | $13,133,221 | $11,196,316 |
| Distributable Amount | $16,398,229 | $15,442,037 | $15,056,566 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
250 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Carolyn Watson: Executive Director (appointed 2021), bringing extensive philanthropic experience from her work at the JPMorgan Chase Foundation, where she deployed nearly $40 million in grants across Texas cities
- Larry L Shryock: President
- Laura Farish Chadwick: Vice President
- Cornelia Gerry Corbett: Senior Vice President
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| LAURA FARISH CHADWICK | PRESIDENT | — | — |
| CORNELIA GERRY CORBETT | SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT | — | — |
| LARRY L SHRYOCK | FORMER PRESIDENT | — | $68,750 |
| LEANN STARNS | SECRETARY | — | — |
| CAROLYN WATSON | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 40 | $285,000 |
| LAUREN FROLICK | TREASURER | — | — |
| WILLIAM STAMPS FARISH | TRUSTEE | — | — |
| HEATHER GERRY CORBETT | TRUSTEE | — | — |
| MARY FARISH JOHNSTON | VICE PRESIDENT | — | — |
| RORY A BABICH | VICE PRESIDENT | — | — |
Contact Information
Address: 1100 Louisiana Street, Suite 2200, Houston, TX 77002-5245
Phone: (713) 757-7313
EIN: 74-6043019
IRS Classification: 501(c)(3) Private Foundation
Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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