Vest Family Foundation
Vest Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Kermit, Texas. Its 2025 filing says it makes grants to organizations organized and operated exclusively for charitable and educational purposes.
Vest Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Vest Family Foundation gave $543K across 21 grants in 2025 (avg $26K), mostly in Texas. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $543,400
- +26.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 21
- +10.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $25,876
- +14.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $20,000
- Total assets
- $13,818,056
- +18.3% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Texas (96% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Vest Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 1179, Kermit, TX 79745
Phone: (432) 586-6661
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Vest Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was First Baptist Church ($108K). Together the top 10 received $428K.
Grant Size Distribution
86 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 78 grants of 86 (91%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 96% of grant dollars went to recipients in Texas, 2% to Oklahoma, 1% to Georgia, and 1% to Missouri.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 21 itemized grants.
Cities
How Vest Family Foundation gives
- 81% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 112% 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 (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 $25K (2020) to $543K (2025). In 2025 it made 21 grants totaling $543K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| First Baptist Church Monahans, TX | Support Ongoing Operations | $108,400 |
| The Odessa College Foundation Odessa, TX | Scholarship | $50,000 |
| Story Vest Memorial Childress, TX | Support Ongoing Operations | $50,000 |
| Transpecos Dusty Paws Inc Balmorhea, TX | Support Ongoing Operations | $50,000 |
| Winkler-Loving County Livestock Ass Kermit, TX | Support Ongoing Operations | $40,000 |
| Childress Christian Academy Childress, TX | Support Ongoing Operations | $30,000 |
| 238 Junior Livestock Association Monahans, TX | Support Ongoing Operations | $25,000 |
| Childress County Youth Project Show Childress, TX | Support for Youth in Livestock Show | $25,000 |
| Ward County Senior Citizens Center Monahans, TX | Meals on Wheels Program | $25,000 |
| West Texas Diamonds in the Ruff Kermit, TX | Supplying Care to Dogs | $25,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Vest Family 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 | $13,818,056 | $2,702,681 | $564,499 | $543,400 | 21 | $543,400 | $970,352 | $28,345 |
| 2024 | $11,679,828 | $2,822,633 | $450,795 | $429,000 | 19 | $429,000 | $999,111 | $53,330 |
| 2023 | $9,307,990 | $2,567,258 | $361,620 | $346,000 | 19 | $346,000 | $660,923 | $140,752 |
| 2022 | $7,102,352 | $2,442,382 | $268,889 | $256,000 | 19 | $256,000 | $475,409 | $142,290 |
| 2021 | $4,928,859 | $1,593,154 | $144,732 | $130,000 | 8 | $130,000 | $177,123 | $38,877 |
| 2020 | $3,480,437 | $3,522,972 | $42,535 | $25,000 | 1 | — | $9,625 | — |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Vest Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $28K 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
The foundation describes its charitable activity as making grants to organizations organized and operated exclusively for charitable and educational purposes. Its 2025 grants included support for churches, a college foundation, youth and livestock organizations, senior services, animal care, and grief support.
Among its grantees, Ward County Senior Citizens Center describes its mission as providing meals and entertainment for elderly and handicapped people. The 238 Junior Livestock Association says it plans and implements the Junior Livestock Show in Monahans and surrounding areas to support local FFA and 4-H educational programs and the West Texas livestock industry. Forget Me Not Frances says it provides faith-based grief counseling and support for women navigating stillbirth, miscarriage, and infertility.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 21 grants totaling $543,400. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $108,400, with a median grant of $20,000.
Among the largest reported grants were $108,400 to First Baptist Church in Monahans for ongoing operations; $50,000 each to The Odessa College Foundation for scholarships, Story Vest Memorial for ongoing operations, and Transpecos Dusty Paws for ongoing operations; and $40,000 to Winkler-Loving County Livestock Association for ongoing operations. Other reported grants included $25,000 to Ward County Senior Citizens Center for its Meals on Wheels program, $25,000 to West Texas Diamonds in the Ruff for care for dogs, and $20,000 to Forget Me Not Frances for support for grieving mothers.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Samann Vest Watkins as president and treasurer; Ty Watkins as vice president and secretary; Ryan Moss as a director; Sandy Greene as assistant secretary; and Janette Jennings as assistant treasurer.
Vest Family Foundation is led by Samann Vest Watkins, President & Treasurer on every filing since 2020; none of the 5 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Samann Vest Watkins
President & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Ryan Moss
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Janette Jennings
Assistant Treasurer
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Sandy Greene
Assistant Secretary
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Ty Watkins
Vice President & Secretary
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 Vest Family Foundation
How much does Vest Family Foundation give each year?
Vest Family Foundation gave $543K across 21 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $429K across 19 grants.
What is Vest Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Vest Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $20,000, and its average grant was $25,876, across 21 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Vest Family Foundation give grants?
Vest Family Foundation gives mostly in Texas: 96% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Monahans, TX (5 grants), Childress, TX (4 grants) and Kermit, TX (2 grants).
Does Vest Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 21 grants with a stated purpose on Vest Family Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Support Ongoing Operations" (13 grants).
Who are Vest Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Vest Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include First Baptist Church ($108,400), The Odessa College Foundation ($50,000) and Story Vest Memorial ($50,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 38% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Vest Family Foundation?
Vest Family Foundation reported $13.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $543K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $28K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Vest Family Foundation fund?
The foundation describes its charitable activity as making grants to organizations organized and operated exclusively for charitable and educational purposes. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Vest Family Foundation?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Vest Family Foundation's EIN?
Vest Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 84-3537116. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Vest Family 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 May 14, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Vest Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders that support many of the same organizations
Christian Community Foundation Inc
Colorado Springs, CO
WaterStone supports domestic and international nonprofits, including Christian ministries and charitable and educational organizations, through donor-directed grants; eligible organizations must be IRS-recognized 501(c)(3)s whose mission aligns with its Statement of Faith. Its 2025 grants had a median of $20,000, with awards ranging from $5,028 to $11 million, and were concentrated in Texas and Colorado. Grant recommendations come from donor-advised fund holders; the profile does not state that it accepts unsolicited requests.
Assets
$746.4M
Grants
1,651
Total Given
$161.8M
Lincoln Community Foundation Inc
Lincoln, NE
Lincoln Community Foundation funds nonprofit operations, programs, and capital projects in arts and culture, community improvement, education and youth, the environment and animals, and health and human services. Its 2024 grants had a median of $23,420, with awards ranging from $5,027 to $1,585,362; Open Door Grants serve organizations in or providing services in Lincoln/Lancaster County, Nebraska. It accepts Open Door Grant applications year-round and reviews them monthly.
Assets
$250.9M
Grants
379
Total Given
$21.9M
New York Landmarks Conservancy Inc
New York, NY
The Conservancy funds preservation and restoration of historic buildings, including work by congregations and nonprofits; it also offers low-interest loans for restoration projects in New York City. Its 2024 grants ranged from $6,000 to $104,847, with a median of $15,000, and all reported grant dollars went to New York State recipients. The profile does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests.
Assets
$25.0M
Grants
40
Total Given
$852K
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Princeton, NJ
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation funds efforts to improve health and health equity in the United States, including systems change addressing structural barriers to health. In 2024, its grants ranged from $125 to $12.15 million, with a median of $40,000. It typically funds through targeted programs and partnerships; whether it accepts unsolicited requests is not stated.
Assets
$13.4B
Grants
3,093
Total Given
$622.6M
Rod & Joyce Lucas Charitable Founda
Jackson, WY
The Rod & Joyce Lucas Charitable Foundation supports religious organizations and causes, including Bible teaching, religious-liberty advocacy, and community support. Its 2024 grants ranged from $300 to $15,000, with a median of $1,000, and went mainly to organizations in Kentucky, Wyoming, Georgia, Arizona, and Texas. It funds only preselected charities and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Assets
$834K
Grants
17
Total Given
$48K
Charles a Cannon Trust No 1
Concord, NC
The trust supports named charitable beneficiaries in areas including healthcare, human services, higher education, churches, and community projects, primarily in North Carolina, with some funding in South Carolina. Its 2026 grants ranged from $5,000 to $6.45 million, with a median of $48,000. It accepts applications only from named beneficiaries and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Assets
$415.5M
Grants
133
Total Given
$16.8M
More similar funders
More Funders in Texas
Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Vest Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/vest-family-foundation-morg_f368da951368478ea2e5bf354e5ffdb4
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_843537116_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Vest Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/vest-family-foundation-morg_f368da951368478ea2e5bf354e5ffdb4},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Vest Family 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.
Vest Family Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?