The Meadows Foundation

Private foundation · EIN 75-6015322 · since 1951mfi.org·Dallas, Texas·Updated 13 October 2026

At a glance

$24.1M

Annual giving, 2024 tax year

From the Form 990-PF filing

$10,000 to $250k

Grant range

From grants in the 990-PF filings

$75,000

Typical grant (median)

159 grants in the latest filing

Open to applications

Rolling, no deadlines · unsolicited applications welcome

Key takeaways

The Meadows Foundation funds work that benefits Texas, with particular priority for the Dallas area, including efforts to reduce homelessness there; an organisation's headquarters need not be in Texas, but the proposal must benefit the state.
Most grants to organisations fall between $10,000 and $250,000, with a median grant of $82,000, so a modest request in that range is realistic, although the largest grant was about $4,950,000.
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis through the online application portal, and applicants are encouraged to review the website and arrange a phone call with a program officer before applying.
Half of its grant dollars went to organisations it had also funded in the two prior filing years, suggesting a degree of continuity with existing grantees alongside support for others.
It does not fund for-profit organisations, individual persons, scholarships, fundraising event underwriting, annual fundraising drives, professional conferences and symposia unless directly related to its initiative areas, out-of-state travel expenses for performances or competitions, or single artistic events or performances, and it prefers programs over capital projects.

Overview

The Meadows 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 Meadows Foundation awards grants to qualified 501(c)(3) public charities and public entities serving people in Texas; proposals must benefit the state, although an organisation’s headquarters need not be there. Its stated program areas are arts and culture, civic and public affairs, education, environment, health and human services, with initiatives in postsecondary completion, educator preparation, water conservation, depression and homelessness. It provides grants throughout Texas and places particular emphasis on efforts to reduce homelessness in the Dallas area. It looks for well-planned programs or projects from organisations with the capacity to deliver them, support from other sources, measurable outcomes with potential to scale impact, and a vital role for Foundation support.

Themes

Arts & Culture
Civic & Public Affairs
Education
Environment
Health
Human Services

Geographic Focus

Texas. Priority: Dallas area.

What They Don't Fund

For-profit organizations
Individual persons
Scholarships
Fundraising event underwriting
Annual fundraising drives
Professional conferences and symposia unless directly related to our initiative areas
Out-of-state travel expenses for performances or competitions
Single artistic events or performances

How to apply

Organisations apply through the online application portal.

Application success factors

Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 50% 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 473 grants to organisations were $82,000 or less.

What the foundation says:

The Foundation looks for well-planned programmes or projects from organisations with the capacity to carry them out.
Requests should have secured or identified financial support from other sources.
The Foundation looks for quantitatively measurable outcomes with potential to scale impact.
Foundation support should be vital to the request’s success.
Applicants are encouraged to review the website and arrange a phone call with a program officer for additional questions.
The Foundation prefers programs over capital projects.

Where grants go

From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.

Grant dollars by state

Texas94%

California2%

District of Columbia1%

New York<1%

Massachusetts<1%

Utah<1%

6 other states: 1%

The largest single recipient received 19% of grant dollars to organisations.
In tax year 2024, 50% of grant dollars went to organisations The Meadows 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

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

How much do they typically give?

Share of 159 grants in tax year 2024 by size

Under $1k8%

$1k–$2.5k0%

$2.5k–$5k1%

$5k–$10k6%

$10k–$25k6%

$25k–$50k8%

$50k–$100k32%

$100k–$250k28%

$250k–$500k8%

$500k–$1M3%

$1M and over1%

Median $75,000 (tax year 2024)

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

Southern Methodist University · To sustain and build the Meadows School of the Arts and the Meadows Museum to standards of excellence
$4,929,1202024 tax year
Cafe Momentum · Donation of land to Cafe Momentum to build a new flagship location in the Wilson Historic District to house a restaurant and community services center.
$3,400,0002024 tax year
Commit2Dallas and Child Poverty Action Lab for Opportunity 2040 · Toward continued support for an initiative to accelerate economic mobility for Dallas County residents and continuing support for Commit and the Child Poverty Action Lab
$700,0002024 tax year
Communities Foundation of Texas for Educate Texas · Toward continued support to improve postsecondary education completion rates in Texas
$575,0002024 tax year
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas · Toward continued support for integrating a depression screening platform and technical assistance into hospital systems in North Texas
$500,0002024 tax year
Uvalde Cisd Moving Forward Foundation · Toward continued support for a new elementary school to replace Robb Elementary School in Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District
$500,0002024 tax year
Housing Forward · Toward reducing the unsheltered population in Dallas and Collin counties by 50% through behavioral healthcare and rehousing assistance
$500,0002024 tax year
Texas Tribune · Toward an initiative to rebuild local news across Texas, expand the reach of information, and increase earned revenue
$350,0002024 tax year

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

Officers and directors

Michael McCoy — Vice President of Climate Impact
Meghan Parry — Vice President of Communications
Candace Barnes — Vice President of Human Resources
Laura Bowers — Corporate Secretary
Charles Glover — Vice President of Grants
Paula Herring — Vice President and Treasurer
Michael Meadows — Director
Alfreda Norman — Director
Robert A Meadows — Director
Olin Lancaster — Director
Michael Fernandez — Director
Linda Evans — Director
Katherine Stone — Director
Karen Meadows — Director
John Broadfoot Jr — Director
Joel Williams — Director
Jean Silvertooth — Director
George Lancaster — Director
Deborah Gill — Director
David Rosenberg — Director

and 1 more

From the latest Form 990-PF filing

3 years of tax filings

Year	Total expenses	Grants paid	Assets	Filing document
2022 tax year	$40,232,653	$24,812,846	$676,424,889	Filing for 2022 tax year
2023 tax year	$55,799,592	$27,133,535	$694,306,466	Filing for 2023 tax year
2024 tax year	$44,989,627	$24,104,736	$718,015,871	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.