Douglas B. Marshall Jr. Family Foundation

Private foundation · EIN 76-0664812 · since 2002dbmjr.org·International·Updated 13 October 2026

At a glance

$2.2M
Annual giving, 2024 tax year
From the Form 990-PF filing
$5,000 to $350k
Grant range
From grants in the 990-PF filings
$50,000
Typical grant (median)
19 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

  • Work fits best if it is basic education, educational research or evidence on educational outcomes, and the filing gives priority to projects in developing countries.
  • The typical grant falls between $5,000 and $350,000, which covers about 8 in 10 of its 61 grants, and the median is $50,000, so a modest request in that range sits well; the $800,000 largest grant shows the range is not a ceiling.
  • Almost all (99%) of its grant dollars to organisations went to groups it had already funded, and the filing says it works by invitation only and does not accept unsolicited requests, so a cold approach is unlikely to be taken up; check the grant-guidelines page the filing points to before sending anything by email.
  • Applications should state clear goals, a credible plan for monitoring progress and evaluating impact, and a budget commensurate with the work, and individual research projects are normally not funded unless they have also won funding through a competitive process with expert review.
  • Funding decisions are made case by case, and initial grants are normally for one year, with the foundation prioritising committed and effective leadership and potential for multi-year work.

Overview

Douglas B. Marshall Jr. Family Foundation is a US private foundation based in Houston, 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 supports education and research at all levels, including cutting-edge research at universities, laboratories and similar institutions, and basic education, especially literacy, numeracy and science. It may also provide food, shelter, clothing or medicine when necessary to make education and research possible. It is especially interested in evidence-based, cost-effective projects that can scale, and in work that builds evidence on improving educational outcomes through applied research, monitoring and evaluation methods, and large-scale measurement. It expects the vast majority of its grants to support projects focused in developing countries. It funds both specific projects and core support for organisations or their divisions, prioritising committed and effective leadership and potential for multi-year work; initial grants are normally for one year. Funding decisions are made case by case.

Themes

  • Basic education
  • Educational research
  • Evidence on educational outcomes

Geographic Focus

Priority: Developing countries.

What They Don't Fund

  • Normally, individual research projects unless they have also received funding through a competitive process which includes review by experts in their field

How to apply

Applications should be submitted by email; the filing directs applicants to the grant-guidelines page for application forms.

Application success factors

  • Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 99% 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 61 grants to organisations were $50,000 or less.

What the foundation says:

  • It favours projects supported by evidence that they improve educational outcomes.
  • It favours projects that contribute to the evidence base on what works to improve educational outcomes.
  • Applications should have clearly stated goals and a credible plan for monitoring progress and evaluating impact, where appropriate.
  • Project budgets should be commensurate with their goals and activities.
  • It favours organisations and projects with strong leadership and management teams.
  • It prioritises committed and effective leadership and organisations it could support on multi-year projects.

Where grants go

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

Grant dollars by state

Texas26%
Massachusetts26%
District of Columbia15%
California9%
Connecticut6%
Delaware1%

3 other states: 1%

Outside the US or with no state on the filing: 15%

  • The largest single recipient received 22% of grant dollars to organisations.
  • In tax year 2024, 99% of grant dollars went to organisations Douglas B. Marshall Jr. Family Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
  • 14% of grant dollars went directly to organisations outside the US (India, United Kingdom, Pakistan).
  • 2% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.

Grants

19 grants in the latest filing analysed · median $50,000

How much do they typically give?

Share of 19 grants in tax year 2024 by size

$5k–$10k11%
$10k–$25k32%
$25k–$50k5%
$50k–$100k21%
$100k–$250k11%
$250k–$500k16%
$500k–$1M5%

Median $50,000 (tax year 2024)

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

  • GDI Solutions · General support
    $625,0002024 tax year
  • Pratham USA · Central MME and government partnerships programs
    $350,0002024 tax year
  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology · Post-primary education in developing countries, Phase II(J-PAL)/ Fol and IGI
    $350,0002024 tax year
  • President and Fellows of Harvard College · General support
    $250,0002024 tax year
  • Young 1ove Foundation · General support
    $150,0002024 tax year
  • Gyan Prakash Foundation · General support
    $100,0002024 tax year
  • Central Square Foundation · General support
    $75,0002024 tax year
  • Global School Leaders · School development in India and M&E Strengthening
    $75,0002024 tax year

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

Officers and directors

  • Tracy Kimmel — Director
  • Valmik Ahuja — Director
  • Robert T Arnold — Treasurer / Director
  • Rebecca Dietz — Secretary
  • Amrita Ahuja — Vice President / Director
  • Douglas B Marshall III — President / Director

From the latest Form 990-PF filing

3 years of tax filings

YearTotal expensesGrants paidAssetsFiling document
2022 tax year$2,558,367$2,087,402$36,935,134Filing for 2022 tax year
2023 tax year$3,732,637$3,355,081$41,360,563Filing for 2023 tax year
2024 tax year$2,697,740$2,202,500$44,909,522Filing 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

Other sources

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