Four Lee Foundation
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.
Key takeaways
- The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests and works by invitation only, so a cold application is not a realistic route in.
- Its grants span health, environmental, animal, social-service, educational, youth, civic and religious causes, and no funding priorities, application criteria or geographic focus are stated, so fit depends on whether the foundation chooses to invite you.
- Most of its grants are modest: about 8 in 10 of its 60 grants fall between $10,000 and $100,000, with a median of $20,000, though its largest grant was about $385,000, so that band is typical rather than a ceiling.
- Around 92% of its grant dollars to organisations went to groups it had also funded in an earlier filing, which suggests that support is concentrated in existing grantees and that a new organisation should expect the odds to be low.
Overview
Four Lee Foundation is a US private foundation based in Houston, TX.
What they fund
Profile based on the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2023, TY2022) only: no website or other web source for the foundation was found. Every statement is checked against the filings. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The filings describe the grants as charitable and show support going to several kinds of organisations. Recipients include medical and health charities, including disease-focused organisations and hospital foundations; environmental and public-space bodies such as arboreta and park conservancies; animal rescue organisations; and social-service organisations addressing recovery and homelessness. The recorded grants also went to educational institutions, youth organisations, civic bodies and religious organisations. This describes the recipient mix in the filings, rather than a stated set of funding priorities: the available material supplies no specific funding fields, application criteria or geographic limits.
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in Texas, New York, Georgia, Maine and North Carolina.
How to apply
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2023 filing, 92% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 filing.
- Grant size: Across its TY2022 and TY2023 filings, half of its 60 grants to organisations were $20,000 or less.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2023.
Grant dollars by state
5 other states: 4%
- The largest single recipient received 26% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2023, 92% of grant dollars went to organisations Four Lee Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- 7% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 33 grants in tax year 2023 by size
Median $20,000 (tax year 2023)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- National MS Socety · Charitable$364,3082023 tax year
- Memorial Hermann Foundation · Charitable$200,6062023 tax year
- Legionaries of Christ · Charitable$120,0002023 tax year
- United Way · Charitable$100,0002023 tax year
- Houston Arboretum and Nature Center · Charitable$55,0002023 tax year
- Houston Zoo · Charitable$53,3342023 tax year
- Texas Business Hall of Fame · Charitable$50,0002023 tax year
- Council on Recovery · Charitable$50,0002023 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Tylon L Armstrong — Director
- Melinda L Armstrong — Director
- Gregory L Armstrong — Director
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
2 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $1,600,580 | $1,318,194 | $33,098,261 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $1,807,514 | $1,538,248 | $38,096,841 | Filing for 2023 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
Registers and filings
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At a glance
Applying to Four Lee 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 Four Lee Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Houston, TX