W C Payne Foundation
W C Payne Foundation is a private foundation based in Dallas, Texas. In 2024, it awarded 11 grants totaling $1,153,608; the filing lists each grant’s purpose as operations.
W C Payne Foundation at a glance
In short: W C Payne Foundation gave $1.2M across 11 grants in 2024 (avg $105K), top state Texas. 45% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,153,608
- +142.9% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 11
- +57.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $104,873
- +54.6% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $48,800
- Total assets
- $8,861,069
- -3.5% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 45% first-time grantees (5 of 11, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Texas (49% 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 W C Payne Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation’s 2024 filing says to contact W C Payne Foundation. It states that no specific application form has been developed, there are no deadlines, and there are no restrictions on awards.
- Contact
Application contact: W C Payne Foundation
Mailing address: 2525 Knight Street Suite 400, Dallas, TX 75219
Phone: (214) 931-9738
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who W C Payne Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Washington and Lee University ($500K). Together the top 10 received $1.1M.
Grant Size Distribution
47 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 27 grants of 47 (57%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 49% of grant dollars went to recipients in Texas, 43% to Virginia, 6% to Oklahoma, and 1% each to California and New York.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
Cities
Is W C Payne Foundation open to new grantees?
45%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 5 of 11 grantees (45%) were first-time recipients. With only 11 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 9 points. First grants averaged $24K; repeat grants $173K. How we count
Medians: $20K first-time, $138K repeat.
- 27% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 144% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 226% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 $473K (2021) to $1.2M (2024). In 2024 it made 11 grants totaling $1.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Washington and Lee University Lexington, VA | Operations | $500,000 |
| National Medal of Honor Museum Arlington, TX | Operations | $200,000 |
| The Lamplighter School Dallas, TX | Operations | $200,000 |
| The Commit Partnership Dallas, TX | Operations | $75,000 |
| YMCA of Greater Houston Houston, TX | Operations | $50,000 |
| Oklahoma City Museum of Art Oklahoma City, OK | Operations | $48,800 |
| University of Texas Arlington, TX | Operations | $25,000 |
| Casady School Oklahoma, OK | Operations | $20,000 |
| Jordan Spieth Family Foundation Dallas, TX | Operations | $14,808 |
| Faith Fight Finish Foundation Beverly Hills, CA | Operations | $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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $8,861,069 | $885,633 | $1,192,069 | $1,153,608 | 11 | $1,167,345 | $871,622 | $515,844 |
| 2023 | $9,184,446 | $341,935 | $618,536 | $475,000 | 7 | $475,000 | $212,651 | $470,072 |
| 2022 | $9,440,167 | $-648,022 | $708,201 | $535,000 | 8 | $541,352 | $74,382 | $472,277 |
| 2021 | $10,797,905 | $3,935,329 | $740,555 | $473,000 | 10 | $480,350 | $3,587,123 | $419,134 |
| 2020 | $7,603,131 | $203,290 | $730,777 | $517,500 | 11 | — | — | $452,850 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, W C Payne Foundation reported a distributable amount of $516K 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 went to organizations including a university, schools, museums, and other nonprofits. The National Medal of Honor Museum describes its mission as preserving and presenting the stories of Medal of Honor recipients. The Oklahoma City Museum of Art says its mission is to enrich lives through the visual arts. Teach for America describes its mission as finding, developing, and supporting exceptional leaders to teach the nation’s most underserved students.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 11 grants totaling $1,153,608. Grants ranged from $10,000 to $500,000, with a median of $48,800. The largest awards were $500,000 to Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia; $200,000 each to the National Medal of Honor Museum in Arlington, Texas, and The Lamplighter School in Dallas; and $75,000 to The Commit Partnership in Dallas. Other grants included $50,000 to YMCA of Greater Houston, $48,800 to Oklahoma City Museum of Art, and $25,000 to the University of Texas. All listed grants were for operations.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists William G Payne as president and director, Joan N Payne as secretary and director, and Caroline P Young as director.
W C Payne Foundation is led by William G. Payne, President & Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
William G. Payne
President & Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Caroline P. Young
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Joan N. Payne
Secretary & Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
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 W C Payne Foundation
How much does W C Payne Foundation give each year?
W C Payne Foundation gave $1.2M across 11 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $475K across 7 grants.
What is W C Payne Foundation's typical grant size?
W C Payne Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $48,800, and its average grant was $104,873, across 11 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from W C Payne Foundation that year got $24K on average.
Where does W C Payne Foundation give grants?
W C Payne Foundation's top state is Texas, with 49% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Virginia (43%) and Oklahoma (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Dallas, TX (3 grants) and Arlington, TX (2 grants).
Does W C Payne Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 11 grants with a stated purpose on W C Payne Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Operations" (11 grants).
Who are W C Payne Foundation's largest grantees?
W C Payne Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Washington and Lee University ($500,000), National Medal of Honor Museum ($200,000) and The Lamplighter School ($200,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 78% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is W C Payne Foundation?
W C Payne Foundation reported $8.9M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.2M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $516K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does W C Payne Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants went to organizations including a university, schools, museums, and other nonprofits. The National Medal of Honor Museum describes its mission as preserving and presenting the stories of Medal of Honor recipients. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from W C Payne Foundation?
The foundation’s 2024 filing says to contact W C Payne Foundation. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is W C Payne Foundation's EIN?
W C Payne Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 83-0343851. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). W C Payne Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/w-c-payne-foundation-morg_18b5693b630d455a8570da26f4881cee
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_830343851_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{W C Payne Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/w-c-payne-foundation-morg_18b5693b630d455a8570da26f4881cee},
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 W C Payne 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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