The William Stamps Farish Fund
The William Stamps Farish Fund is a private foundation based in Houston, Texas. Its filing describes a focus on education, philanthropy, voluntarism and grantmaking, and human services; it also states that the fund focuses on social services, health, and education, with a preference for the Greater Houston area and limited out-of-state giving.
The William Stamps Farish Fund at a glance
In short: The William Stamps Farish Fund gave $16.7M across 134 grants in 2025 (avg $125K), mostly in Texas. 13% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $16,748,450
- +5.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 134
- -2.9% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $124,988
- +8.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $50,000
- Total assets
- $120,223,219
- +8.7% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 13% first-time grantees (18 of 134, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Texas (51% 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 William Stamps Farish Fund
- How to Apply
-
The 2024 filing says the fund does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Organizations are required to submit proof of exempt status. For application information, contact Carolyn Watson. The filing gives a preference to grants for the Greater Houston area and says out-of-state giving is limited.
- Review Cycle
- None listed.
- Deadline
- None listed.
- Contact
Application contact: Carolyn Watson
Mailing address: 1100 Louisiana Suite 2200, Houston, TX 77002
Phone: (713) 757-7300
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The William Stamps Farish Fund funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was University of Kentucky - Markey Cancer Foundation ($1.0M). Together the top 10 received $7.0M.
Grant Size Distribution
708 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 292 grants of 708 (41%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The fund’s filing identifies the Greater Houston area as its preference and says out-of-state giving is limited. In 2025, Texas received 51% of grant dollars, followed by Florida at 19%, Virginia at 8%, Kentucky at 7%, and New York at 6%. Grants that year also went to recipients in other states.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 134 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The William Stamps Farish Fund open to new grantees?
13%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 18 of 134 grantees (13%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $74K; repeat grants $133K. How we count
Medians: $50K first-time, $50K repeat.
- 72% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+12%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 98% 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 (2020–2025). 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 $11.2M (2020) to $16.7M (2025). In 2025 it made 134 grants totaling $16.7M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| University of Kentucky - Markey Cancer Foundation Lexington, KY | Contribution 4 of 5 -Excellence in Urologic Cancer | $1,000,000 |
| University of Virginia McIntire School Foundation Charlottesville, VA | Fulfillment of pledge towards creation of endowment at the mcintire school of commerce | $1,000,000 |
| Memorial Hermann Foundation Houston, TX | Capital Campaign for Life Flight | $1,000,000 |
| Boca Grande Health Clinic Foundation Inc Boca Grande, FL | Contribution 2 of 3 for clinic of the future capital campaign | $1,000,000 |
| Methodist Hospital Foundation Houston, TX | Fulfillment of Pledge for Alzheimer's Research Study | $750,000 |
| Tampa Museum of Art Inc Tampa, FL | General operations; contribution 3 of 10 - centennial campaign | $500,000 |
| Foundation for Fighting Blindness Columbia, MD | Contribution 4 of 5 - Retinitis Pigmentosa | $500,000 |
| The Brotherhoodsister Sol Inc New York, NY | Program Support and Capacity Building | $450,000 |
| Council on Recovery Houston, TX | Building renovations. Program support and capacity building for the development department | $445,000 |
| Protestant Episcopal High School of Virginia Alexandria, VA | Contribution 3 of 5 - Courage Campaign | $400,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The William Stamps Farish Fund?
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 | $120,223,219 | $28,435,615 | $18,781,782 | $16,748,450 | 134 | $17,223,319 | $27,264,804 | $17,574,208 |
| 2024 | $110,592,796 | $32,703,085 | $17,823,543 | $15,905,369 | 138 | $16,406,676 | $31,650,994 | $16,398,229 |
| 2023 | $95,687,045 | $14,115,418 | $17,324,976 | $15,594,938 | 151 | $15,819,115 | $13,133,221 | $15,442,037 |
| 2022 | $99,028,657 | $12,367,599 | $16,746,898 | $14,895,000 | 144 | $15,090,562 | $11,196,316 | $15,056,566 |
| 2021 | $103,264,363 | $15,087,687 | $13,980,611 | $12,323,775 | 141 | — | $14,013,466 | $12,446,240 |
| 2020 | $102,132,770 | $9,077,241 | $12,518,805 | $11,222,500 | 134 | — | $8,224,595 | $11,440,816 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The William Stamps Farish Fund reported a distributable amount of $17.6M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No separate mission statement is provided in the filings. The fund’s stated funding focus includes social services, health, and education. Its 2025 grants illustrate support for organizations working in areas such as cancer research, health care, education, arts, and services for families and survivors of human trafficking.
Grantees describe their own work in varied terms. The University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Foundation says it supports the Markey Cancer Center’s hospital expansion and research projects. Memorial Hermann Foundation describes Memorial Hermann Health System as a community-owned nonprofit health system dedicated to improving health. The Tampa Museum of Art says it collects, preserves, studies, and exhibits art to educate and engage its region and others. The W. Oscar Neuhaus Memorial Foundation describes its work as promoting reading success through educator training, family resources, and services for adult learners.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the fund reported 134 grants totaling $16,748,450. Grant amounts ranged from $10,000 to $1,000,000, with a median award of $50,000. Among its largest grants were $1,000,000 to the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Foundation for a contribution toward excellence in urologic cancer; $1,000,000 to Memorial Hermann Foundation for a capital campaign for Life Flight; and $1,000,000 to Boca Grande Health Clinic Foundation for its Clinic of the Future capital campaign. Other notable awards included $500,000 to the Tampa Museum of Art for general operations and its centennial campaign, and $400,000 to the W. Oscar Neuhaus Memorial Foundation for program support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Laura Farish Chadwick as president; Cornelia Gerry Corbett as senior vice president; Leann Starns as secretary; Carolyn Watson as executive director; Lauren Frolick as treasurer; William Stamps Farish and Heather Gerry Corbett as trustees; and Mary Farish Johnston and Rory A. Babich as vice presidents.
The William Stamps Farish Fund is led by Carolyn Watson, Executive Director on every filing since 2023; 1 of 9 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Carolyn Watson
Executive Director
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$265K (2023) → $300K (2025)
Laura Farish Chadwick
President
Vice President → President, 2024
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Heather Gerry Corbett
Trustee
On filings since 2023
No compensation reported
William Stamps Farish
Trustee
On filings since 2023
No compensation reported
Cornelia Gerry Corbett
Senior Vice President
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Leann Starns
Secretary
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Lauren Frolick
Treasurer
On filings since 2022
No compensation reported
Mary Farish Johnston
Vice President
Trustee → Vice President, 2024
On filings since 2023
No compensation reported
Rory A. Babich
Vice President
On filings since 2024
No compensation reported
Former officers (3)
- Former: Larry L. Shryock (2020–2024) — Former President
- Former: Joan Neuhaus Schaan (2020–2022) — Executive Director
- Former: Jo Beth Brister (2020) — Treasurer
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $300K, to Carolyn Watson (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about The William Stamps Farish Fund
How much does The William Stamps Farish Fund give each year?
The William Stamps Farish Fund gave $16.7M across 134 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $15.9M across 138 grants.
What is The William Stamps Farish Fund's typical grant size?
The William Stamps Farish Fund's median grant in 2025 was $50,000, and its average grant was $124,988, across 134 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The William Stamps Farish Fund that year got $74K on average.
Where does The William Stamps Farish Fund give grants?
The William Stamps Farish Fund gives mostly in Texas: 51% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Florida (19%) and Virginia (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Houston, TX (66 grants), Nashville, TN (11 grants), Tampa, FL (8 grants) and Boca Grande, FL (4 grants).
Does The William Stamps Farish Fund give general operating support?
Yes: 31% of The William Stamps Farish Fund's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (41 of 134) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Program Support" (28 grants) and "Program Support and Capacity Building" (3 grants).
Who are The William Stamps Farish Fund's largest grantees?
The William Stamps Farish Fund's largest 2025 grantees include University of Kentucky - Markey Cancer Foundation ($1,000,000), University of Virginia McIntire School Foundation ($1,000,000) and Memorial Hermann Foundation ($1,000,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 18% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The William Stamps Farish Fund?
The William Stamps Farish Fund reported $120.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $17.2M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $17.6M (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 William Stamps Farish Fund fund?
No separate mission statement is provided in the filings. The fund’s stated funding focus includes social services, health, and education. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The William Stamps Farish Fund?
The 2024 filing says the fund does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The William Stamps Farish Fund's EIN?
The William Stamps Farish Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 74-6043019. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 13, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 5, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 9, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 15, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 14, 2026)
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The William Stamps Farish Fund funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-william-stamps-farish-fund-morg_69c568610712443ab098a9784e2b5572
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_746043019_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The William Stamps Farish Fund funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-william-stamps-farish-fund-morg_69c568610712443ab098a9784e2b5572},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 William Stamps Farish Fund'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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