Jerry C. Dearing Family Foundation - Grant Information & Application Details

Quick Stats

Annual Giving: $2,425,781 (2023)
Total Assets: $48.8 million
Grant Range: Varies (average $67,383)
Total Grants in 2023: 36 awards
Geographic Focus: Houston and Harris County, Texas
Application Method: Invitation only/closed process

Contact Details

Contact: Contact form available on website (no direct email or phone publicly listed)

Location: 310 Timberwilde Ln, Houston, TX 77024-6926

Note: The foundation explicitly states that unsolicited grant proposals will not be reviewed by staff.

Overview

Founded in 2009 by Jerry C. Dearing, the Jerry C. Dearing Family Foundation is a private family foundation that has distributed over $25 million to support Houston-based nonprofits. The foundation focuses exclusively on organizations providing health, education, and sustainability services within Houston and Harris County, with particular attention to at-risk women and children. With total assets exceeding $48 million, the foundation has experienced exceptional growth, increasing revenue by an average of 26% annually over the past eight years. The foundation employs a strategic, relationship-focused approach to grantmaking, working with multi-year partners rather than accepting open applications. In 2022, they worked with 29 multi-year partners and 15 new/returning partners. Kate Dearing Fowler, the founder's daughter, serves as Executive Director and is also the founder of Houston Improvement Project, which restores nonprofit-owned community spaces—reflecting the family's deep commitment to Houston's nonprofit sector.

Funding Priorities

Priority Areas

Career and College Readiness
Youth Leadership, Opportunity & Empowerment
Education and Community Engagement in Fine Arts and Humanities
Medical Research & Innovations within Houston's Medical Center (with particular focus on Alzheimer's disease research)
Community & Park Restorations (including capital campaigns)
Supporting Underserved Communities, including:
- Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD)
- Unhoused populations
- Veterans
- Foster care youth
- Previously incarcerated individuals

Representative Grant Recipients

Multi-year partners and recent recipients include:

Arts & Culture: Houston Ballet, Houston Symphony, Stages Houston, Inprint Houston, Young Audiences of Houston
Education & Youth Development: BridgeYear, OneGoal, DiscoverU, Kids Meals Inc., Camp Blessing Texas
Health & Medical: Houston Methodist, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
Social Services: Covenant House Texas, Dress for Success Houston, Angela House, Family Counseling and Assistance Center
Community Development: Hermann Park Conservancy, Greater Houston Community Foundation, Houston Improvement Project

Notable Commitments

Supported three groundbreaking Alzheimer's disease research studies at Houston Methodist Neurological Institute
Contributed to Buffalo Soldiers National Museum's $13 million capital campaign (2024)
Funded a fishing pier at Hermann Park named after Allan Dearing (Jerry's father)

Governance and Leadership

Board of Trustees:

Jerry C. Dearing - Founder, Board President, and Treasurer
Kate Dearing Fowler - Executive Director and Vice President
Kristin Dearing - Secretary

About the Leadership:

Kate Dearing Fowler brings extensive experience from broadcast journalism, audiobook production, and professional services marketing. Beyond her role at the foundation, she is:

Founder of Houston Improvement Project (restoring nonprofit-owned community spaces)
Board President of BridgeYear
Board Secretary for Dress for Success Houston
Board member of Greater Houston Community Foundation and The Hobby Center
Trustee for Houston Ballet
Member of Houston Methodist Neurological Institute National Council

Leadership Perspectives:

On Alzheimer's research, Kate Dearing Fowler stated: "With relatives and friends affected by Alzheimer's disease, we've seen firsthand what it can do to patients and families... There are therapies that can help, but there is no cure."

Jerry Dearing, on supporting patient connection technology during COVID-19: "If a picture is worth a thousand words, a video is worth 10 billion."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. Partners are selected through a closed grant process, and the foundation explicitly states that unsolicited grant proposals will not be reviewed by staff.

Grants are awarded by invitation only, based on trustee discretion and the foundation's strategic priorities. The foundation maintains long-term relationships with select nonprofit partners, with many organizations receiving multi-year support.

Getting on Their Radar

The foundation's closed grant process makes it challenging for new organizations to receive funding. However, specific pathways that may increase visibility include:

Board member connections: Kate Dearing Fowler serves on multiple Houston nonprofit boards (BridgeYear, Dress for Success Houston, Greater Houston Community Foundation, The Hobby Center, Houston Ballet). Organizations within these networks may have increased visibility.
Houston Improvement Project: Kate Fowler founded this organization, which restores nonprofit-owned community spaces. Organizations that have worked with Houston Improvement Project on facility restoration include Covenant House Texas, Collaborative for Children, Angela House, and Boys and Girls Club of Greater Houston—several of which are also Dearing Foundation grantees.
Greater Houston Community Foundation connection: The Dearing Foundation partners with GHCF, and Kate Fowler serves on their board. Organizations in GHCF's network may have increased visibility.
Houston Methodist connections: Given the foundation's significant support for Houston Methodist's Alzheimer's research and Kate Fowler's role on the Houston Methodist Neurological Institute National Council, organizations affiliated with Houston Methodist may have pathways to visibility.

Application Success Factors

Since the foundation operates by invitation only, traditional application success factors don't apply. However, based on their documented giving patterns, organizations most likely to receive consideration:

Geographic Alignment: Must serve Houston and Harris County, Texas. The foundation is explicitly focused on local impact.

Mission Alignment with Priority Areas: Organizations must work in health, education, or sustainability services, particularly those serving at-risk women and children or underserved populations (individuals with IDD, unhoused populations, veterans, foster care youth, previously incarcerated individuals).

Multi-Year Partnership Model: The foundation prefers sustained relationships. In 2022, 29 of their partners were multi-year recipients, suggesting they value ongoing partnerships over one-time grants.

Board Connections Matter: Many grant recipients have board-level connections to Kate Dearing Fowler or align with her other philanthropic interests, particularly Houston Improvement Project.

Capital Campaigns and Major Initiatives: The foundation has supported significant capital projects (Buffalo Soldiers National Museum's $13 million campaign, Hermann Park fishing pier) and medical research initiatives.

Personal Connection to Cause: The foundation's focus on Alzheimer's research stems from family members affected by the disease, suggesting personal experiences and stories may influence funding decisions.

Arts and Culture: Strong support for Houston's arts institutions (Ballet, Symphony, theater, literary organizations) indicates this is a priority area despite not being explicitly stated in mission documents.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

No unsolicited applications accepted: This foundation cannot be approached through traditional grant application processes
Relationship-based grantmaking: Multi-year partnerships and board connections appear to be the primary pathways to funding
Houston-focused only: Geographic restriction to Houston and Harris County is absolute
Strategic areas: Health (especially Alzheimer's research), education, arts/culture, youth development, and support for underserved populations
Multi-year commitment: The foundation prefers sustained partnerships, providing ongoing support rather than one-time grants
Average grant size: Approximately $67,000 per grant based on 2023 data, though amounts vary by project
Family foundation with personal motivations: Funding priorities reflect family experiences and connections, particularly around Alzheimer's disease and Houston community development

References

Jerry C. Dearing Family Foundation official website. "What We Do." www.dearingfoundation.org/what-we-do. Accessed January 7, 2026.
Jerry C. Dearing Family Foundation official website. "Partners." www.dearingfoundation.org/partners. Accessed January 7, 2026.
Jerry C. Dearing Family Foundation official website. "Contact Us." www.dearingfoundation.org/contact-us. Accessed January 7, 2026.
Cause IQ. "Jerry C Dearing Family Foundation | Houston, TX." www.causeiq.com/organizations/jerry-c-dearing-family-foundation,270454228/. Accessed January 7, 2026.
ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer. "Jerry C Dearing Family Foundation." projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/270454228. Accessed January 7, 2026.
Candid Foundation Directory. "Jerry C Dearing Family Foundation | Foundation Directory." fconline.foundationcenter.org/fdo-grantmaker-profile?key=THED337. Accessed January 7, 2026.
LinkedIn. "The Jerry C. Dearing Family Foundation." www.linkedin.com/company/dearingfoundation. Accessed January 7, 2026.
LinkedIn. "Kate Fowler - Executive Director at The Jerry C. Dearing Family Foundation." www.linkedin.com/in/katedfowler/. Accessed January 7, 2026.
Houston Methodist Foundation. "Family Calling" Annual Report 2020. issuu.com/instituteforacademicmedicine/docs/houston_methodist_foundation_annual_report_2020/s/14417971. Accessed January 7, 2026.
Volunteer Houston. "Houston Improvement Project." www.volunteerhou.org/agency/detail/?agency_id=73238. Accessed January 7, 2026.