Dan L Duncan Foundation
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.
Key takeaways
- The foundation makes grants only to organisations it has preselected and does not accept unsolicited requests, so a cold application is unlikely to be considered; approach it only through an existing relationship or a route it has invited.
- Its grant record leads with education, and it also funds medical, social-service, conservation and animal-welfare work, so your request fits best if your organisation works in those areas.
- Half of its grants to organisations were $60,000 or less, and about 8 in 10 fall between $5,000 and $1,100,000, so a modest request is more realistic for a small charity, though its largest grant was far bigger, so that band is not a ceiling.
- In the filing, 89% of grant dollars to organisations went to groups it had also funded in earlier filings, so repeat giving is strong and a prior connection with the foundation matters.
- The filings show grants mainly in Texas, but no geographic focus is stated, so treat that pattern as information rather than a rule about who may apply.
Overview
Dan L Duncan Foundation is a US private foundation based in Houston, TX.
What they fund
Profile based on the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) only: no website or other web source for the foundation was found. Every statement is checked against the filings. Sources read on 12 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The grant record is led by education, including educational services and education combined with historical preservation. It also records support for medical programmes and social services, alongside animal and wildlife habitat conservation and environmental services. Recipients include schools and universities, medical institutions, social-service organisations, museums, and conservation and animal-welfare groups. A sizeable allocation is recorded for education and support of the Houston community. The reported geography is overwhelmingly Texas, and the filing record shows repeated support for organisations that had received grants before.
Themes
From its grants, not stated by the foundation:
- Education
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in Texas.
How to apply
Contributions are made only to preselected charitable organisations; the foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. No further public application steps are given.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 89% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 or TY2023 filing.
- Grant size: Across its TY2022, TY2023 and TY2024 filings, half of its 200 grants to organisations were $60,000 or less.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
- The largest single recipient received 50% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 89% of grant dollars went to organisations Dan L Duncan Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- 53% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 79 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $50,000 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Greater Houston Community Foundation · Education and support of the houston community$19,759,7722024 tax year
- Houston Museum of Natural Science · Education and historical preservation$2,388,3662024 tax year
- Houston Zoo · Animal and wildlife habitat conservation$1,514,1122024 tax year
- Diamond Bar Conservation · Animal and wildlife habitat conservation$1,500,0002024 tax year
- University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston · Medical programs$1,454,0002024 tax year
- San Antonio Area Foundation · Educational services$1,323,5002024 tax year
- Baylor College of Medicine · Medical programs$1,071,3782024 tax year
- River Oaks Baptist School · Educational services$1,000,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Laura Liang — CGO / Secretary
- Gregg Hammer — CIO
- W Randall Fowler — CFO / Director
- Scott D Duncan — Vice President / Director
- Milane Duncan Frantz — Vice President / Director
- Dannine Gale Duncan — Vice President / Director
- Richard H Bachmann — Vice Chairman / Director
- Randa Duncan Williams — Chair / President / Director
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $44,603,183 | $42,916,516 | $764,087,831 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $41,627,989 | $40,536,108 | $828,415,100 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $40,608,636 | $39,519,544 | $878,596,130 | Filing for 2024 tax year |
Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.
Sources
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At a glance
Applying to Dan L Duncan Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Houston, TX
Applying to Dan L Duncan Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Houston, TX