The Sumners Foundation
EIN 752734032 Private FoundationTotal Given 2016–2024
$18.6M
304 grants · $2.1M avg/year
based on 9 yrs of IRS 990-PF records on file
$1M+/yr
mid-tier
capacity
$25K
typical mid grants · $12K–$73K
grant size
47%
supporter · 60/128 multi-year
repeat
$74.1M
Assets (2024)
128
Distinct Recipients
Focus Areas
Application Information
Accepts Unsolicited Proposals
Unknown
Contact Person
CHARLES PIERSON
Phone
(214) 220-2128
Deadlines
VARIOUS
How to Apply
LETTER, RESUME OF ORGANIZATION OR PERSON AND OTHER SUPPORTING MATERIAL.
Restrictions
AWARDS ARE LIMITED TO THE STUDY AND TEACHING OF THE SCIENCE OF SELF-GOVERNMENT.
Financial Trends
Giving Over Time
Total Assets Over Time
View financial data as table
| Year | Total Giving | Total Assets | Revenue | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | $2.6M | $59.4M | $2.5M | 43 |
| 2017 | $2.5M | $66.1M | $5.5M | 39 |
| 2018 | $2.3M | $61.3M | $3.8M | 40 |
| 2019 | $1.2M | $66.5M | $2.4M | 21 |
| 2020 | $2.5M | $68.7M | $1.8M | 54 |
| 2022 | $2.7M | $69.2M | $4.9M | 49 |
| 2023 | $2.0M | $72.2M | $2.5M | 28 |
| 2024 | $2.8M | $74.1M | $3.1M | 30 |
Grant Size Distribution
Based on 304 grants on record
Minimum
$180
25th Pctl
$12K
Median
$25K
Average
$61K
75th Pctl
$73K
Maximum
$856K
Geographic Distribution
Texas Counties Served
60.2% of US grants
· Rank #1 of 22 states
$14.4M across
183 grants
18 of 254 counties
Top 10 counties
- 1 Dallas
- 2 Travis
- 3 Denton
- 4 Tarrant
- 5 Collin
- 6 McLennan
- 7 Williamson
- 8 Bexar
- 9 Kerr
- 10 Fort Bend
+8 more
counties
· 22 grants
· $130K
Officers & Directors
JR
Jerry D. REIS
8+ yrs
Chairman
Leadership
LW
LON R. Williams
8+ yrs
Vice Chairman
Leadership
DD
David G. Drumm
8+ yrs
Treasurer
Leadership
WM
William W. Meadows
8+ yrs
Director
SH
Shannon Hutcheson
Director
BM
Brant Martin
2 yrs
Director
SH
Scott M. Higginbotham
8+ yrs
Director
TP
T Charles Pierson
5 yrs
Executive Dir
LW
LON R. Williams
8+ yrs
Vice Chairman
Leadership
JR
Jerry D. REIS
8+ yrs
Chairman
Leadership
DD
David G. Drumm
8+ yrs
Treasurer
Leadership
BD
Beth Van Duyne
7 yrs
Director
SH
Scott M. Higginbotham
8+ yrs
Director
BM
Brant Martin
2 yrs
Director
WM
William W. Meadows
8+ yrs
Director
TP
T Charles Pierson
5 yrs
Executive Dir
JR
Jerry D. REIS
8+ yrs
Chairman
Leadership
LW
LON R. Williams
8+ yrs
Vice Chairman
Leadership
DD
David G. Drumm
8+ yrs
Treasurer
Leadership
BM
Brant C. Martin
6 yrs
Director
SH
Scott M. Higginbotham
8+ yrs
Director
WM
William W. Meadows
8+ yrs
Director
BD
Beth Van Duyne
7 yrs
Director
TP
T Charles Pierson
5 yrs
Executive Dir
JR
Jerry D. REIS
8+ yrs
Chairman
Leadership
LW
LON R. Williams
8+ yrs
Vice Chairman
Leadership
DD
David G. Drumm
8+ yrs
Treasurer
Leadership
BD
Beth Van Duyne
7 yrs
Secretary
Leadership
SH
Scott M. Higginbotham
8+ yrs
Director
WM
William W. Meadows
8+ yrs
Director
BM
Brant C. Martin
6 yrs
Director
MM
Mike McElroy
5 yrs
Controller
TP
T Charles Pierson
5 yrs
Executive Dir
JR
Jerry D. REIS
8+ yrs
Chairman
Leadership
LW
LON R. Williams
8+ yrs
Vice Chairman
Leadership
DD
David G. Drumm
8+ yrs
Treasurer
Leadership
BD
Beth Van Duyne
7 yrs
Secretary
Leadership
SH
Scott M. Higginbotham
8+ yrs
Director
WM
William W. Meadows
8+ yrs
Director
BM
Brant C. Martin
6 yrs
Director
MM
Mike McElroy
5 yrs
Controller
TP
T Charles Pierson
5 yrs
Executive Dir
DD
David G. Drumm
8+ yrs
Chairman
Leadership
WM
William W. Meadows
8+ yrs
Vice Chairman
Leadership
JR
Jerry D. REIS
8+ yrs
Treasurer
Leadership
BD
Beth Van Duyne
7 yrs
Secretary
Leadership
WC
W Dale Crane
3 yrs
Director
LW
LON R. Williams
8+ yrs
Director
CM
Charles L. Moore
3 yrs
Director
BM
Brant C. Martin
6 yrs
Director
SH
Scott M. Higginbotham
8+ yrs
Director
H9
Hugh C. Akin-Thru 92018
Executive Dir
MM
Mike McElroy
5 yrs
Controller
T1
T Charles Pierson-FROM 1018
Executive Dir
WM
William W. Meadows
8+ yrs
Vice Chairman
Leadership
DD
David G. Drumm
8+ yrs
Chairman
Leadership
JR
Jerry D. REIS
8+ yrs
Treasurer
Leadership
LW
LON R. Williams
8+ yrs
Secretary
Leadership
BD
Beth Van Duyne
7 yrs
Director
CM
Charles L. Moore
3 yrs
Director
WC
W Dale Crane
3 yrs
Director
SH
Scott M. Higginbotham
8+ yrs
Director
BM
Brant C. Martin
6 yrs
Director
HA
Hugh C. Akin
2 yrs
Executive Dir
MM
Mike McElroy
5 yrs
Controller
DD
David G. Drumm
8+ yrs
Chairman
Leadership
CM
Charles L. Moore
3 yrs
Vice Chairman
Leadership
JR
Jerry D. REIS
8+ yrs
Treasurer
Leadership
LW
LON R. Williams
8+ yrs
Secretary
Leadership
WC
W Dale Crane
3 yrs
Director
SH
Scott M. Higginbotham
8+ yrs
Director
WM
William W. Meadows
8+ yrs
Director
BD
Beth Van Duyne
7 yrs
Director
BM
Brant C. Martin
6 yrs
Director
HA
Hugh C. Akin
2 yrs
Executive Dir
MM
Mike McElroy
5 yrs
Controller
Grants Awarded (304 total)
| Purpose | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scholarships Given | Irving, TX | $856,100 | EDUCATIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS | 2024 |
| Law Focused Educstate Bar of Texas | Dallas, TX | $727,250 | TEXAS CITIZEN BEE AND WHAT UNITES PROGRAM | 2020 |
| Law Focused Educstate Bar of Texas | Dallas, TX | $666,190 | TRAINING THE NEXT GENERATION | 2024 |
| individual scholarships given | irving, TX | $577,171 | educational scholarships | 2023 |
| Communities Foundation of Texas | Dallas, TX | $495,000 | ESTABLISH AT-LARGE SCHOLAR PROGRAM | 2019 |
| individual scholarships given | irving, TX | $476,746 | educational scholarships | 2022 |
| Law Focused Educstate Bar of Texas | Dallas, TX | $453,263 | TEACHER TRAINING INSTITUTE ON THE FOUNDING DOCUMENTS | 2022 |
| Law Focused Educstate Bar of Texas | Dallas, TX | $374,300 | TEACHER TRAINING INSTITUTE ON THE FOUNDING DOCUMENTS | 2023 |
| Institute for Policy Innovation | Lewisville, TX | $300,000 | HWS DISTINGUISHED LECTURES | 2019 |
| Law Focused Educstate Bar of Texas | Dallas, TX | $300,000 | TEACHER TRAINING INSTITUTE ON THE FOUNDING DOCUMENTS | 2016 |
| Law Focused Educstate Bar of Texas | Dallas, TX | $300,000 | TEACHER TRAINING INSTITUTE ON THE FOUNDING DOCUMENTS | 2017 |
| Institute for Policy Innovation | Lewisville, TX | $300,000 | HWS DISTINGUISHED LECTURES (#1 OF 2) | 2018 |
| Law Focused Educstate Bar of Texas | Dallas, TX | $250,000 | TEACHER TRAINING INSTITUTE ON THE FOUNDING DOCUMENTS | 2018 |
| YMCA of Austin | Austin, TX | $225,000 | GENERAL SUPPORT | 2020 |
| Institute for Policy Innovation | Lewisville, TX | $225,000 | HWS DISTINGUISHED LECTURES (#1 OF 2) | 2017 |
| YMCA of Austin | Austin, TX | $200,000 | TEXAS YOUTH AND GOVERNMENT | 2023 |
| University of Texas at Austin | Austin, TX | $200,000 | ANNETTE STRAUS INSTITUTE- NEW POLITICS FORUM | 2017 |
| University of Texas at Austin | Austin, TX | $180,000 | LBJ SCHOOL LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE 2006-2018 | 2016 |
| University of Texas at Austin | Austin, TX | $180,000 | LBJ SCHOOL LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE 2006-2018 | 2017 |
| YMCA of Austin | Austin, TX | $175,000 | TEXAS YOUTH AND GOVERNMENT | 2024 |
| University of Texas at Austin | Austin, TX | $175,000 | ANNETTE STRAUS INSTITUTE- NEW POLITICS FORUM | 2016 |
| Texas State Alliance of of Ymcas | Austin, TX | $173,000 | YOUTH AND GOVERNMENT | 2018 |
| Texas State Alliance of of Ymcas | Austin, TX | $155,000 | YOUTH AND GOVERNMENT | 2016 |
| Texas Tribune | Austin, TX | $155,000 | FESTIVAL, CONVERSATION SERIES & SYMPOSIUMS PUBLIC POLICY EVENTS | 2018 |
| University of North Texas Foundation | Denton, TX | $153,500 | PUBLIC ADM. FELLOWSHIPS/LIVING ALLOWANCE | 2016 |
Looking for more funders like The Sumners Foundation? Open the free Texas funder database and search 178,000+ foundations by state, type, and giving size.
Want to compare open opportunities instead? Open the free Texas grant database for active grants from federal, state, foundation, and corporate funders.