The Morris Foundation

Private foundation · EIN 75-2137184 · since 1987themorrisfoundation-fw.com·Fort Worth·Updated 13 October 2026

At a glance

$9.3M
Annual giving, 2023 tax year
From the Form 990-PF filing
$15,000 to $200k
Grant range
From grants in the 990-PF filings
$75,000
Typical grant (median)
102 grants in the latest filing
Invitation only
Unsolicited applications are not accepted

This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.

Key takeaways

  • The Morris Foundation does not accept unsolicited requests and works by invitation only, so a cold application is unlikely to succeed; focus instead on securing an introduction or being known to the foundation.
  • Its funding is aimed at education, healthcare and social services, with applicants expected to show direct impact on those outcomes for clients in Fort Worth, and to be ready to develop and share measures of programme effectiveness.
  • A realistic request would sit within its typical range of $15,000 to $200,000, with half of its 103 grants to organisations at $75,000 or less, so pitching around that median is sensible; larger sums up to $500,000 are possible but rare.
  • Only 5% of its grant dollars went to organisations it had also funded the previous year, so it tends to fund new organisations each cycle rather than relying heavily on repeat grantees.
  • Individuals, international organisations, capital programs, political organisations and scholarship programs are not funded, so organisations seeking support for those should not apply.

Overview

The Morris Foundation is a US private foundation based in Fort Worth, TX.

What they fund

Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2023, TY2022) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.

Priority Areas

The Morris Foundation makes strategic investments in nonprofit agencies and in organisations, programmes and systems intended to create lasting change in its communities. Its stated fields are education, healthcare and social services, with funding linked to improving those systems across Fort Worth. Organisations seeking funding must be eligible public charities or qualified public entities and demonstrate a direct impact on education, healthcare or social-service outcomes for clients in Fort Worth. The Foundation prioritises agencies that produce measurable outcomes and lasting community impact; it expects organisations to be prepared to develop and share measures of programme effectiveness. Its stated approach is to connect systems and support comprehensive interventions and solutions to achieve lasting change.

Themes

  • Education
  • Healthcare
  • Social services

Geographic Focus

Priority: Fort Worth.

What They Don't Fund

  • Individuals
  • International organizations
  • Capital programs
  • Political organizations
  • Scholarship programs

How to apply

The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests.

Application success factors

  • Repeat giving: In its TY2023 filing, 5% 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 103 grants to organisations were $75,000 or less.

What the foundation says:

  • Applicants must demonstrate a direct impact on education, healthcare or social service outcomes for clients in Fort Worth.
  • Applicants should be prepared to develop and share metrics measuring their programmes' effectiveness.
  • The Foundation prioritises agencies that produce measurable outcomes and lasting impact in the community.

Where grants go

From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2023.

Grant dollars by state

Texas97%
New York2%
Maryland<1%
Illinois<1%
California<1%
  • The largest single recipient received 5% of grant dollars to organisations.
  • In tax year 2023, 5% of grant dollars went to organisations The Morris Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
  • No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
  • 6% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.

Grants

102 grants in the latest filing analysed · median $75,000

How much do they typically give?

Share of 102 grants in tax year 2023 by size

$5k–$10k1%
$10k–$25k12%
$25k–$50k21%
$50k–$100k27%
$100k–$250k33%
$250k–$500k5%
$500k–$1M1%

Median $75,000 (tax year 2023)

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

  • Safe City Commission Dba One Safe Place · One safe place capital campaign
    $500,0002023 tax year
  • REV Tarrant County · Rev partnership
    $480,0002023 tax year
  • Cook Children's Health Foundation · The morris foundation center for innovation in children's health capital improvements
    $370,0002023 tax year
  • Camp Fire First Texas · Camp fire's school readiness program
    $275,0002023 tax year
  • Child Care Associates · Policy division at cca's institute to advance child care (iacc)
    $275,0002023 tax year
  • Texas Wesleyan University · Texas wesleyan ram retention program
    $250,0002023 tax year
  • Communities Foundation of Texas · 2023 north texas giving day
    $235,7552023 tax year
  • Presbyterian Night Shelter · Campaign for campus renewal
    $200,0002023 tax year

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

Officers and directors

  • Michelle Piotrowski — Trustee
  • Laura Liles — Trustee
  • Elizabeth Brands — President and CEO

From the latest Form 990-PF filing

2 years of tax filings

YearTotal expensesGrants paidAssetsFiling document
2022 tax year$2,401,505$7,250$219,595,890Filing for 2022 tax year
2023 tax year$11,991,832$9,328,872$240,497,150Filing 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

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