Willliam H & Mattie Wattis Harris Foundation
The William H. and Mattie Wattis Harris Foundation is a private foundation based in Las Vegas, Nevada, that supports organizations working to improve the well-being and safety of plants, animals, and human beings, with a stated geographic focus on the western United States. It was created in 1960 by William H. and Mattie Wattis Harris; their daughter Ruth Harris Hite and her husband William N. Hite later created a foundation that merged into it.
Willliam H & Mattie Wattis Harris Foundation at a glance
In short: Willliam H & Mattie Wattis Harris Foundation gave $740K across 108 grants in 2025 (avg $7K), top state Colorado. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $740,000
- +73.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 108
- +25.6% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $6,852
- +38.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $2,958,232
- -1.4% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Colorado (24% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated November 2026.
How to apply to Willliam H & Mattie Wattis Harris Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The website instructs applicants to submit an LOI by email. The 2024 filing lists a contact for applications and a separate set of required materials. The website’s LOI window is January 1 through March 1 each year; the 2026 cycle has passed. The filing lists May 1 as a deadline, without specifying a year.
- Next open deadline
- March 1, 2027 (Harris Foundation Grant)
- Contact
Application contact: Karen Winnefeld
Mailing address: 6655 West Sahara, Las Vegas, NV 89144-1525
Phone: (702) 253-1317
Email: harrisfoundation@lvcoxmail.com
Website: https://harrisfoundation.us
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Willliam H & Mattie Wattis Harris Foundation
Who Willliam H & Mattie Wattis Harris Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was YMCA of Rome-Floyd County ($51K). Together the top 10 received $204K.
Grant Size Distribution
198 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 194 grants of 198 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation says its giving is concentrated in the western United States, including the Rocky Mountain and Intermountain regions. It names Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. In 2024, the largest shares of grant dollars by recipient state were Colorado (27%), California (18%), Utah (8%), Georgia (8%), and New Mexico (7%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 108 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Willliam H & Mattie Wattis Harris Foundation gives
- 44% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 24% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 124% of 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 $323K (2020) to $740K (2025). In 2025 it made 108 grants totaling $740K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| YMCA of Rome-Floyd County Rome, GA | Charitable | $51,000 |
| Blue Rose Ranch Springfield, CO | Charitable | $24,000 |
| Planned Parenthood Mar Monte San Jose, CA | Charitable | $22,000 |
| Save the Manatee Maitland, FL | Charitable | $18,500 |
| Habitat for Humanity- Atlanta Atlanta, GA | Charitable | $15,000 |
| Pfleger Institute of Environmental Research Ft Collins, CO | Charitable | $15,000 |
| Sosa - Safe from Online Sex Abuse New Haven, CT | Charitable | $15,000 |
| St Johns College Santa Fe, NM | William Rohrbach Endowment | $15,000 |
| National Dance Institute of New Mexico Albuquerque, NM | Charitable | $14,000 |
| Wolf Sanctuary Laporte, CO | Charitable | $14,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Willliam H & Mattie Wattis Harris Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The 2024 filing reports 86 grants, compared with 2 in 2023 and 1 in 2022.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $2,958,232 | $965,289 | $1,008,426 | $740,000 | 108 | $827,533 | $755,291 | $668,836 |
| 2024 | $3,001,447 | $602,361 | $685,842 | $426,400 | 86 | $542,420 | $419,907 | $595,067 |
| 2023 | $2,908,819 | $807,005 | $663,923 | $418,007 | 2 | $529,169 | $641,713 | $507,430 |
| 2022 | $2,764,280 | $670,871 | $832,064 | $598,850 | 1 | $705,005 | $544,798 | $530,577 |
| 2021 | $3,104,499 | $632,324 | $733,162 | $542,600 | 1 | $608,052 | $507,914 | $557,308 |
| 2020 | $3,202,408 | $184,083 | $489,864 | $323,000 | 1 | — | $97,126 | $449,521 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Willliam H & Mattie Wattis Harris Foundation reported a distributable amount of $669K 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
The foundation’s stated vision is to make the world a better place for the well-being and safety of plants, animals, and human beings. Its five areas of support are the arts, particularly youth as participants or audiences; conservation of forests, rivers, lakes, wetlands, and deserts; educational camps, primarily for youth; preventative health for humans of any age; and wildlife and large animals.
Examples of grantees illustrate the range of organizations it supports. Blue Rose Ranch describes its work as horse rescue, rehabilitation, adoption, and sanctuary, with youth educational and riding opportunities. Rocky Mountain Raptor Program says it cares for and rehabilitates injured birds of prey, releases them back into the wild, and provides education and research. The Pablove Foundation describes its mission as investing in underfunded pediatric cancer research and improving the lives of children with cancer through the arts. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not the foundation’s.
The foundation says it does not fund candidates for public office, religious institutions or organizations, building funds or capital improvements, legal defense funds, lobbying or political organizations, private foundations or private schools, scholarships to individuals, student loans, or road improvements.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 86 grants totaling $426,400. Grant amounts ranged from $400 to $29,000, with a median of $4,000. Its 2025 filing, the latest on this page, reports 108 grants totaling $740,000.
Among its largest 2024 grants were $29,000 to YMCA of Rome-Floyd County; $13,917 to Punahou School; $13,350 to Save the Manatee; $13,000 to Your Community Connection for a youth family crisis program; $12,000 each to Blue Rose Ranch and St. John’s College for the William Rohrbach Endowment; and $11,000 to the Pablove Foundation. Other reported grants included $10,000 each to Donkey Dreams Sanctuary and Rocky Mountain Raptor Program, and $9,500 to Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains.
The website says directors consider projects that identify root causes and develop innovative solutions with far-reaching, lasting benefits. Its grant page says an organization should have plans to fulfill project goals and continue the work. The website requests a signed Letter of Inquiry (LOI) of no more than two pages, with supporting materials optional. The LOI should describe the project, intended results, duration, funding strategy, project budget, and the organization’s current-year budget, and include a statement certifying that the organization is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization and not a private foundation. The website states a maximum solicited request of $10,000. The 2024 filing separately lists four copies of foundation forms, a narrative covering purpose, program, and other funding sources, and an institution report; it says grants are generally unrestricted, but are not awarded to individuals.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Dustin Hite as president; Cody Anderson and Broderick Anderson as executive vice presidents; Elizabeth Rohrbach as treasurer; Traci Mayes as secretary; Sharon Lewis as historian; Haydn Hite as grantee visitor; Cassidy Harrison as student advisor; Jessica Hite as financial coordinator; and Darryl Lewis in grant management.
Willliam H & Mattie Wattis Harris Foundation is led by Elizabeth Rohrbach, President since 2025 (on filings since 2020); none of the 16 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Elizabeth Rohrbach
President
Financial Co → Treasurer, 2021
Treasurer → President, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Broderick Anderson
Secretary to
Executive Vice P → Executive Vice President, 2024
Executive Vice President → Secretary to, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Cassidy Harrison
Student Advisor
Director → Student Advisor, 2021
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Darryl Lewis
Conference O
Grant Mgnt V → Grant Management, 2024
Grant Management → Conference O, 2025
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Dustin Hite
Executive Vice President & Treasurer
Conference O → President, 2021
President → Executive Vice President & Treasurer, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Haydn Hite
Grants Management
Executive Vice Pr → Grantee Visi, 2021
Grantee Visi → Grants Management, 2025
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jessica Hite
Site Visitat
Grant Report → Financial Co, 2021
Financial Co → Site Visitat, 2025
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Marilyn Hite
Historian of
Director → Historian of, 2025
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sharon Lewis
Historian of
Historian → Historian of, 2025
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Tracy Mayes
Nominations
Secretary → Nominations, 2025
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Cody Anderson
Reimbursemen
Executive Vice P → Executive Vice President, 2024
Executive Vice President → Reimbursemen, 2025
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Alan Rohrbach
Financial Co
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Hailey Lewis
Newsletter O
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
James Hite
Governance O
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ruthanne Anderson
Grants Management
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Zane Anderson
Historian
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Henry Hite (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.
Frequently asked questions about Willliam H & Mattie Wattis Harris Foundation
How much does Willliam H & Mattie Wattis Harris Foundation give each year?
Willliam H & Mattie Wattis Harris Foundation gave $740K across 108 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $426K across 86 grants.
What is Willliam H & Mattie Wattis Harris Foundation's typical grant size?
Willliam H & Mattie Wattis Harris Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $6,852, across 108 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Willliam H & Mattie Wattis Harris Foundation give grants?
Willliam H & Mattie Wattis Harris Foundation's top state is Colorado, with 24% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were California (17%) and Georgia (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were Las Vegas, NV (8 grants), Santa Fe, NM (7 grants), Aspen, CO (6 grants) and Denver, CO (4 grants).
Does Willliam H & Mattie Wattis Harris Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 108 grants with a stated purpose on Willliam H & Mattie Wattis Harris Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable" (103 grants).
Who are Willliam H & Mattie Wattis Harris Foundation's largest grantees?
Willliam H & Mattie Wattis Harris Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include YMCA of Rome-Floyd County ($51,000), Blue Rose Ranch ($24,000) and Planned Parenthood Mar Monte ($22,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 13% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Willliam H & Mattie Wattis Harris Foundation?
Willliam H & Mattie Wattis Harris Foundation reported $3.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $828K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $669K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Willliam H & Mattie Wattis Harris Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated vision is to make the world a better place for the well-being and safety of plants, animals, and human beings. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Willliam H & Mattie Wattis Harris Foundation?
The website instructs applicants to submit an LOI by email. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Willliam H & Mattie Wattis Harris Foundation's EIN?
Willliam H & Mattie Wattis Harris Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-2841027. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated November 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS October 8, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS September 23, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Willliam H & Mattie Wattis Harris Foundation funds
Education Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Willliam H & Mattie Wattis Harris Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Willliam H & Mattie Wattis Harris Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/willliam-h-and-mattie-wattis-harris-foundation-morg_16b985dc350b4f36af431112ce9c2851
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_262841027_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Willliam H \& Mattie Wattis Harris Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/willliam-h-and-mattie-wattis-harris-foundation-morg_16b985dc350b4f36af431112ce9c2851},
note = {Accessed 2026-11-02. 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 Willliam H & Mattie Wattis Harris 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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