The Summerlee Foundation
At a glance
Key takeaways
- The Summerlee Foundation, based in Dallas, funds animal protection and Texas history, and its stated priority areas are The Americas, the British Isles and Texas, so a request fits best if it clearly sits in one of its two programmes and, for animal work, in those areas.
- About 8 in 10 of its grants to organisations fall between $5,000 and $25,000, and half are $10,000 or less, so a modest request in that range is typical, though its largest grant in the filing was $150,000.
- Animal Protection applicants must be 501(c)(3) public charities and submit an online Letter of Interest during open periods before its board meetings in February, May or September, and government agencies, capital campaigns, endowments and buildings are not funded there.
- Texas History applicants must first contact the Program Director, and that programme also excludes religious purposes, monuments and memorials, courthouse restoration, lobbying and organisations that do not share the foundation's mission.
- Because 24% of its grant dollars to organisations went to groups it had funded in earlier years, according to the filing, building a relationship early is sensible.
Overview
The Summerlee Foundation is a US private foundation based in Dallas, TX.
What they fund
Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The foundation makes grants for animal protection and Texas history. Its Animal Protection priorities cover the Americas and the British Isles, with special emphasis on underserved and challenged communities; they include cats, dogs, North American wildlife, animal sanctuaries, farmed animals and marine-mammal welfare. It also considers timely, creative and compelling projects outside its stated priorities. Its Texas History Programme supports work from all regions of Texas in archaeology, archives, libraries, media, museums, schools, higher education, preservation, publications and scholarly research. Animal Protection applicants must be 501(c)(3) public charities; Texas History also accepts eligible governmental units. In Texas History, projects serving underserved cultural and geographic areas, involving qualified participants and demonstrating strong community support make stronger proposals.
Themes
- Texas history
- Cats
- Dogs
- Wildlife
- Animal sanctuaries
- Farmed animals
- Marine mammals
Geographic Focus
Priority: The Americas; British Isles; Texas.
What They Don't Fund
- Any individuals
- Animal Protection Program only: capital campaigns; endowments; buildings; government agencies; organizations with large cash reserves; reintroduction of ‘listed’ endangered species; land preservation; animal sanctuaries that are not accredited or verified by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries
- Texas History Program only: religious purposes or operating churches; monuments and memorials; courthouse restoration; lobbying efforts; organizations that do not share the mission of the Foundation
How to apply
Animal Protection applicants submit an online Letter of Interest during announced open periods. Texas History applicants first contact the Program Director to discuss their proposal; if approved to proceed, they submit an online LOI and, if the LOI is accepted, are invited to complete a full application through Foundant.
Deadlines: Animal Protection Letters of Interest are submitted during open periods before board meetings held three times a year in February, May and September.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 24% 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 573 grants to organisations were $10,000 or less.
What the foundation says:
- Animal Protection gives special emphasis to the most underserved and challenged communities.
- Texas History seeks projects devoted to underserved cultural and geographic areas of the state.
- Well-qualified participants or consultants help make a proposal stronger.
- Strong community support through funding, in-kind support and volunteer participation strengthens a proposal.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
6 other states: 9%
Outside the US or with no state on the filing: 13%
- The largest single recipient received 3% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 24% of grant dollars went to organisations The Summerlee Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- <1% of grant dollars went directly to organisations outside the US (Canada).
- <1% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 195 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $10,000 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Museum of the Big Bend · General support$55,0002024 tax year
- Friends of the Texas Historical Commission · General support$55,0002024 tax year
- University of North Texas Foundation · General support$35,0002024 tax year
- Faunalytics · General support$30,0002024 tax year
- International Marine Mammal Project · General support$30,0002024 tax year
- Museum of South Texas History · General support$30,0002024 tax year
- Animal Protection New Mexico · General support$30,0002024 tax year
- Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries · General support$30,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Kimberly F Williams — Director
- Ron Tyler PhD — Director
- Melanie K Anderson — Director
- Jim Burseth PhD — Treasurer
- Hon David D Jackson — Assistant Secretary
- Joan Casey — Secretary
- Mary Volcansek PhD — Vice Chair
- Gary N Smith — President
- John W Crain — Chairman
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $4,268,713 | $2,663,170 | $76,395,297 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $3,917,799 | $2,945,000 | $80,616,840 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $3,750,419 | $2,237,049 | $83,710,533 | 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
Registers and filings
Other sources
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At a glance
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Applying to The Summerlee Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required