Harry W. Bass, Jr. Foundation

Private foundation · EIN 75-1876307 · since 1983hbrf.org·Dallas County·Updated 13 October 2026

At a glance

$6.7M

Annual giving, 2025 tax year

From the Form 990-PF filing

A small fraction of the prior year ($33.4M in 2024 tax year).

$5,000 to $150k

Grant range

From grants in the 990-PF filings

$30,000

Typical grant (median)

40 grants in the latest filing

Open to applications

Rolling, no deadlines · unsolicited applications welcome

Key takeaways

This foundation, based in Dallas, TX, focuses its giving on Dallas County, with a particular emphasis on early childhood literacy for ages 0–8, so a nonprofit's programme should fit that theme or one of its occasional interests in health and human services, civic and community work, science and research, or arts and culture.
Most grants to organisations fall between $5,000 and $150,000, with a median of $27,500, so a request in that range is realistic, though the largest grant on record was $20,000,000.
Applicants should start with a Letter of Inquiry through the foundation's online grantmaking portal, reviewing its application guidelines first and contacting the foundation beforehand if any clarification is needed; if the inquiry sparks sufficient interest, a full application with attachments will be invited.
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, and grants are described as competitive and predominantly focused on Dallas County, with requests from outside the area rarely considered; 21% of grant dollars went to organisations also funded in the two previous filings, so while new applicants are welcomed, this suggests some weight given to established relationships.
The foundation does not fund private foundations, foreign organisations, individuals, disqualified supporting organisations, or 509(a)(3) Type III non-functionally integrated organisations, nor does it fund the construction of churches or seminaries, or underwriting such as fundraising events, professional conferences, symposia, out-of-state performances, or competition expenses; it also prefers funding specific programmes over capital projects or general operating support, with endowment gifts rare.

Overview

Harry W. Bass, Jr. Foundation is a US private foundation based in Dallas, TX.

What they fund

Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2025, TY2024, TY2023) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.

Priority Areas

The foundation seeks to enrich the lives of Texas residents through support for qualified organisations, primarily in youth and education, with a special emphasis on early childhood education and literacy in Dallas. Its main interests include early-childhood literacy for ages 0–8; it occasionally considers requests in health and human services, civic and community work, science and research, and arts and culture. It can fund qualified public entities, churches and nonprofit 501(c)(3) endeavours, although public entities and churches are rarely funded because of the Board’s early-childhood education focus. It prefers specific programmes over capital projects or general operating support, and endowment gifts are rare. Grants are competitive and predominantly focused on Dallas County; requests from outside the area are rarely considered.

Themes

Early childhood literacy
Health and human services
Civic and community
Science and research
Arts and culture

Geographic Focus

Dallas County.

What They Don't Fund

Private Foundations (Operating and Non-Operating)
Foreign Organizations
Individuals
Disqualified Supporting Organizations
509(a)(3) Type III – Non-functionally Integrated
To construct churches or seminaries
Underwriting including fundraising events, professional conferences, symposia, out-of-state performances or competition expenses

How to apply

Submit a Letter of Inquiry through the online grantmaking portal first. If it elicits sufficient interest, the foundation invites the organisation to submit a full application with the required attachments.

Application success factors

Repeat giving: In its TY2025 filing, 21% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2023 or TY2024 filing.
Grant size: Across its TY2023, TY2024 and TY2025 filings, half of its 152 grants to organisations were $27,500 or less.

What the foundation says:

The foundation encourages nonprofits to review its application guidelines before beginning the online application process.
If clarification is needed, it asks an organisational representative to contact the foundation before applying to determine whether a submission is advisable.
It prefers specific programmes; capital projects or general operating support are considered less often, and endowment gifts are rare.
The Grant Review Committee looks for programmes and projects that best meet the foundation’s stated areas of interest.
The staff member reviewing an application decides whether a site visit is needed and advises whether a Board member should attend.
A grantee must submit a Final Evaluative Report detailing the grant’s accomplishments and effectiveness at the end of the project.

Where grants go

From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2023–2025.

Grant dollars by state

Texas100%

North Carolina<1%

Hawaii<1%

Massachusetts<1%

Colorado<1%

The largest single recipient received 64% of grant dollars to organisations.
In tax year 2025, 21% of grant dollars went to organisations Harry W. Bass, Jr. Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
<1% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.

Grants

40 grants in the latest filing analysed · median $30,000

How much do they typically give?

Share of 40 grants in tax year 2025 by size

$1k–$2.5k3%

$2.5k–$5k0%

$5k–$10k3%

$10k–$25k25%

$25k–$50k40%

$50k–$100k10%

$100k–$250k18%

$250k–$500k0%

$500k–$1M0%

$1M and over3%

Median $30,000 (tax year 2025)

The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:

UT Southwestern Medical Foundation · Program
$5,000,0002025 tax year
Readers 2 Leaders · Program
$150,0002025 tax year
Child Care Group · Program
$100,0002025 tax year
Reading Partners North Texas · Program
$100,0002025 tax year
George W Bush Foundation · Program
$100,0002025 tax year
Southern Methodist University · Program
$100,0002025 tax year
Texans on Mission · Gos
$100,0002025 tax year
North Texas Food Bank · Program
$100,0002025 tax year

Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.

Officers and directors

Linda B Staley — Trustee
F David Calhoun — Executive Director
Michael L Calhoun — President, Trustee
Doris L Bass — Trustee

From the latest Form 990-PF filing

3 years of tax filings

Year	Total expenses	Grants paid	Assets	Filing document
2023 tax year	$23,907,975	$22,829,500	$107,492,453	Filing for 2023 tax year
2024 tax year	$35,215,785	$33,367,600	$83,011,074	Filing for 2024 tax year
2025 tax year	$8,058,171	$6,691,000	$86,071,111	Filing for 2025 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.