Skip to content
Ruth and Ted Bauer Family Foundation at a glance

· Private foundation

Ruth and Ted Bauer Family Foundation

Its FY2025 filing reports that it funds preselected organizations and did not take unsolicited requests; check the foundation's own site before ruling it out.

$715k
Granted FY2025still arriving
10
Grants FY2025still arriving
2
States reached
$420k
Largest
01What it fundsRead
02The needRead
03Its granteesRead
04Its fieldRead
05Through PlinthRead
01What it funds
01100% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2020 to 2024.

Religion$1.7MHealth$1.4MEducation$1.2MEnvironment$400kArts & Culture$248kHousing & Shelter$100kAnimals$80kHuman Services$30kOther$0
02FY2025 · 10 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

By grant size · FY2025

  • $10k–50k8 grants · $195k
  • $50k–250k1 grant · $100k
  • $250k+1 grant · $420k
$25,000
Median grant
2
States reached
$21M
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
Second Baptist Church$420,000
Agape Development Ministries$100,000
The Roxbury Latin School$35,000
Houston Arboretum & Nature Center$35,000
The Monarch School Inc$25,000
Houston Grand Opera Assoc$25,000
The Kinkaid School Inc$25,000
Houston Symphony Society$20,000
The Forge for Families$20,000
Second Baptist School$10,000
02The need
03

Does the money reach high-need areas?

Each grant placed by the hardship in its grantee’s ZIP, against the area’s typical level.

show:

Its human-services grants (FY20–20, $30k) land where the poverty rate runs at 16%, against an area that typically sits at 14%. 100% of those dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Most of its grants land in higher-need ZIPs.

area typical 14%Today's Harbor for Children: $30k → 16%0%20%40%50%more need →
grant to an above-average-need area below average· circle size = grant amount
How this is measured
Matched: human-services grants are those whose grantee’s IRS cause code is Human Services. Placed by people below the poverty line in the grantee’s ZIP, averaged from the tracts in that ZIP.
How this is measured
US grants placed by each grantee’s ZIP, which can differ from where services are delivered. Need from public data (U.S. Census/ACS, CDC PLACES, Eviction Lab, USDA), shown as context about the area, never attributed to the funder’s giving.
03Its grantees
repeat funding

Who it funds again

Organizations funded in more than one year, against those funded once.

94%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$5.5M · 20 repeat orgs$370k to everyone else

Grantees it renews have grown median revenue +60% since the first grant, against +42% for those funded once.

20 repeat relationships: 9 still active in FY2025, 11 since wound down; 1 grantees were first funded in FY2025 (too recent to call).

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

20
6

Total granted

$5.5M
$350k

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+60%
+42%

Still filing today

85%
100%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2025, 97% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $20k went to new ones.

50%100%’20’21’22’23’24’25
RenewedFirst-time

Where new relationships form · theme of each grantee’s first grant

’20’21’22’23’24’25
EducationHealthArts & CulturePhilanthropyEnvironmentHousing & ShelterOther
How this is measured
First-time means a grantee’s first year in the filing window; renewed means funded in an earlier year too. The renewed share climbs naturally as a portfolio matures, so the signal is a year that bucks it (a wave of new grantees). The earliest year is left-censored: relationships that predate the data read as new. Theme is the grantee’s IRS cause.

Backed again, and grew

  • MH
    Memorial Hermann Foundation
    2× · 2020–2024 · $1.1M · revenue +88%
  • SS
    Small Steps Nurturing Center
    5× · 2020–2024 · $285k · revenue +19%
  • TF
    Trees For Houston
    2× · 2020–2021 · $250k · revenue +62%

Funded once

  • HC
    Harris County Hospital District Foundation
    one grant, 2020 · $150k · revenue -51%
  • NH
    New Hope Housing Inc
    one grant, 2020 · $100k · revenue +23%
  • TH
    TODAYS HARBOR FOR CHILDREN
    one grant, 2020 · $30k · revenue -99%
How this is measured

Repeat means funded in two or more distinct years. Growth and survival are read from each grantee’s own subsequent IRS filings.

04Its field

Closest unfunded matches

The nonprofits that most resemble its grantees but are not funded by it, scored along the direction from the rest of the field toward the portfolio. A resemblance in what they say they do, not a recommendation.

1
St John's School

See Schedule OSt. John's School is an independent, co-educational day school presenting a 13-year sequence of college preparatory training. A non-profit institution, it was founded in 1946 to provide the community with a school of exacting…

—
2
The Fay School

See Schedule O. The Fay School ("the School") is a nonsectarian, not-for-profit, co-educational school in which children of diverse talents and backgrounds with strong academic abilities are offered a high-quality education in a secure,…

—
3
Houston Botanic Garden

To enrich life through discovery, education, and the conservation of plants and the natural environment.

Environment
4
The Awty International School

See Schedule OThe purpose of Awty International School (Awty) is to create an environment where students experience excellence every day to make their mark on the world alongside their community, in a spirit of curiosity, courage and…

—
5
St Stephen's Episcopal School

St. Stephen's Episcopal School - Houston ("St. Stephen's", "the School") nurtures each child's academic, creative, and spiritual potential.

Education
6
Houston Independent School District Foundation

The HISD Foundation is dedicated to mobilizing the local community to support innovative priorities in HISD to improve outcomes for all students in the district. Our mission is to fund projects and programs of merit that fall outside of…

—
7
Houston Museum of Natural Science

The mission of the Houston Museum of Natural Science shall be to preserve and advance the general knowledge of natural science; to enhance in individuals the knowledge of and delight in natural science and related subjects; and to maintain…

Arts & Culture
8
Made Houston

MADE Houston was formed to create a school community focused on nurturing and developing the unique academic and social needs of students with learning differences and to successfully transition students into mainstream schools.

Education
9
Presbyterian School

Family, School, and Church united in the education and support of each child - this is the founding premise upon which Presbyterian School nurtures and challenges its students. The school provides an educational program of the highest…

Education
10
Lutheran Education Association of Houston

The mission of the Lutheran Education Association of Houston (LEAH) is to operate and champion exemplary Lutheran schools in the Houston area to expand Christ's Kingdom.

—
11
The Brenda & John H Duncan Rise School of Houston

The mission of The Rise School of Houston is to provide the highest quality of early education services to children with developmental disabilities and those without disabilities.

Education
12
The Woodlands Christian Academy

TWCA is an independent, Christ-centered college preparatory school that integrates learning with biblical faith and challenges our students to reach their highest potential - intellectually, creatively, physically, and socially - for the…

—
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is Small Steps Nurturing Center; the most unlike its peers is Agape Development Ministries. Resemblance is measured on each organization’s own IRS 990 mission text; it reflects how work is described, not its quality or impact.
04the grantee network

24 grantees tracked through their own filings, 2017–2026.

Each grant beside the grantee’s revenue from every source, year by year.

How this is measured

Counted here: distinct organizations funded across 2017 to 2026, not grant rows in a single year, so this will not match the grant count on the cover. 24 of the 27 grantees resolved in that span have returns of their own we could reconcile.

Each grantee is resolved to its own IRS returns. Association, dated; never a causal claim.

0
Load-bearing (≥25% of a budget)
5
Early backer (in before they grew)
24/24
Grantees still filing
20/24
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

SECOND BAPTIST CHURCH: $2,145,000 · OtherSECOND BAPTIST CHURCHTrees For Houston: $250,000 · OtherTrees For HoustonThe Parish School: $110,000 · Other+5 more: $115,000 · OtherSmall Steps Nurturing Center: $285,000 · EducationSmall Steps Nurturing Cente…Agape Development Ministries: $250,000 · EducationAgape Development Ministrie…THE ROXBURY LATIN SCHOOL: $185,000 · EducationTHE ROXBURY LATIN SCHOOLThe Kinkaid School Inc: $155,000 · EducationThe Kinkaid School IncThe Monarch School Monarch Institute for Neurological Diff: $125,000 · EducationThe Monarch School Monarch …YES Prep Public Schools Inc: $100,000 · EducationYES Prep Public Schools InciEDUCATE: $100,000 · EducationiEDUCATEYELLOWSTONE ACADEMY INC DBA YELLOWSTONE SCHOOLS: $90,000 · EducationYELLOWSTONE ACADEMY INC DBA…YOUNG AUDIENCES INC OF HOUSTON: $47,500 · Education+2 more: $70,000 · EducationMemorial Hermann Foundation: $1,087,500 · HealthMemorial Hermann Foundat…Harris County Hospital District Foundation: $150,000 · HealthHarris County Hospital D…+1 more: $25,000 · HealthHouston Grand Opera Association Inc: $150,000 · Arts & CultureHouston Symphony Society: $95,000 · Arts & CultureHouston Arboretum & Nature Center: $185,000 · EnvironmentNew Hope Housing Inc: $100,000 · Housing & ShelterHOUSTON SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS: $80,000 · Animals
Other$2,620,000Education$1,407,500Health$1,262,500Arts & Culture$245,000Environment$185,000Housing & Shelter$100,000Animals$80,000

Each grantee by its size and the funder’s share of it; top left is load-bearing

25%50%75%100%$10M$100Mgrantee revenue →↑ funder's share of their budgetMemorial Hermann Foundation: $1,087,500 over 2y, 1.0% of budgetSmall Steps Nurturing Center: $285,000 over 5y, 1.1% of budgetTrees For Houston: $250,000 over 2y, 5.0% of budgetAgape Development Ministries: $250,000 over 3y, 3.1% of budgetTHE ROXBURY LATIN SCHOOL: $185,000 over 6y, 0.1% of budgetHouston Arboretum & Nature Center: $185,000 over 6y, 0.9% of budgetThe Kinkaid School Inc: $155,000 over 6y, 0.1% of budgetHarris County Hospital District Foundation: $150,000 over 1y, 1.6% of budgetHouston Grand Opera Association Inc: $150,000 over 6y, 0.1% of budgetThe Monarch School Monarch Institute for Neurological Diff: $125,000 over 5y, 0.5% of budgetYES Prep Public Schools Inc: $100,000 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetiEDUCATE: $100,000 over 3y, 5.0% of budgetNew Hope Housing Inc: $100,000 over 1y, 0.8% of budgetHouston Symphony Society: $95,000 over 6y, 0.1% of budgetYELLOWSTONE ACADEMY INC DBA YELLOWSTONE SCHOOLS: $90,000 over 5y, 0.4% of budgetHOUSTON SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS: $80,000 over 5y, 0.1% of budgetYOUNG AUDIENCES INC OF HOUSTON: $47,500 over 5y, 1.1% of budgetJoy Development School: $40,000 over 2y, 0.2% of budgetEMERGE Fellowship: $30,000 over 4y, 0.2% of budgetTexas Children's Hospital: $25,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetHouston Parks Board: $25,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetTHE FORGE FOR FAMILIES: $20,000 over 1y, 1.1% of budget
Grantee by grantee: a decade per organization, before and after funding

A decade per grantee: revenue shaded, grants as bars, all rows on one timeline.

Co-funders

Grantmakers whose grantees overlap with this funder’s far more than size alone predicts. Closer means stronger alignment; arcs show where they also fund each other. Here they form a tightly interlocked group: most of these funders back each other's grantees too.

Greater Houston Commu…Strake FoundationThe Brown Foundation …Shell USA Company Fou…Vivian L Smith Founda…Albert & Ethel Herzst…MD Anderson FoundationThe Elkins FoundationThe William Stamps Fa…John P McGovern Found…The Powell FoundationHouston Endowment Inc
Greater Houston Community FoundationTX28.7× affinity13 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: Greater Houston Community Foundation · Strake Foundation · The Brown Foundation Inc · Shell USA Company Foundation · Vivian L Smith Foundation · Albert & Ethel Herzstein Charitable Foundation · MD Anderson Foundation · The Elkins Foundation · The William Stamps Farish Fund · John P McGovern Foundation · The Powell Foundation · Houston Endowment Inc

How this is measured
Affinity is a Gamma-Poisson posterior co-funding rate, re-centered on the typical rate, so thin evidence shrinks toward no signal. Overlap is association, not proof of shared intent.

How much its grantees rely on government

Each dot is one organization Ruth and Ted Bauer Family Foundation funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from Ruth and Ted Bauer Family Foundation. Bigger dots raise more.

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 10%0%1%3%5%funder's share of their income ↑0%3%5%8%10%share of the org’s income from government →
    no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
    1get no government money at all
    4report government grants on their 990 we could not trace to a source (not plotted)
    0rely on government for over half their income
    ⤢ axis zoomed · 0–10%
    typical government reliance, FY20–25
    How this is measured
    Government income is each org’s traced federal awards (USASpending grants and contracts) plus state payments (open checkbooks) as a share of its total revenue (IRS Form 990); the self-reported government-grant line (990 line 1e) is carried for cross-check: a grantee that reports government grants we could not trace to a source is left off the chart rather than shown as receiving none. An association, not a claim that a grant caused the public funding. Coverage is precision-first, a floor rather than a census; state records exist for 9 states, so a grantee outside them shows no state figure (dimmed) rather than a false zero. Federal award amounts are obligations, which can span years, so a single-year share is indicative. 990 filings lag 12 to 24 months.
    05Through Plinth

    Warm introductions · Powered by PlinthPlus

    How do I get to Ruth and Ted Bauer Family Foundation?

    Find your warmest path to Ruth and Ted Bauer Family Foundation through trustees and officers whose names appear on both boards. Search for your organization and Plinth traces the shortest route it can evidence.

    Each link is a name appearing on two organizations’ public IRS 990 filings, matched on that name and, where the filings support it, on location. A same-state match has geographic support, which is a second matching feature rather than confirmation that the two are one person; a cross-state one is the likeliest to be two people who share a name. Every hop shows its tier, low-confidence and distant paths are held back rather than guessed, and it is worth confirming the person before you use the introduction.

    On method. Every financial figure here is read from IRS e-file XML, the funder’s own 990/990-PF, and from the multi-year returns of the 27 grantees we resolved, each linked to its source. Grantee outcomes are each organization’s own program-service reporting (Form 990, Part III), read as association with funding, never as caused by it. Low-confidence name matches are suppressed rather than guessed. How we build these →

    How this is measured
    Each figure carries one of six labels. Filed is what the funder reported on its return. Official is another government record about an organization, such as a federal award or a charity register, joined by name where no shared identifier exists. Resolved is an identity we worked out where the filing named a recipient without an EIN, kept only above a measured confidence threshold. Computed is arithmetic over those, like themes, portfolio clusters and co-funder strength. Context is a statistic about a place rather than about an organization, which is what the need overlay is: it describes the area a grantee’s address sits in, not where its work lands. Inferred is drawn by a model from text, like the partnerships read out of public news and organization websites. Each is labeled where it appears.

    Generated from the IRS Form 990-PF e-file return for fiscal year 2025, released 2025. Filings run roughly 12 to 24 months behind; figures are dated accordingly.

    Source object · view filing

    Play a game based on Ruth and Ted Bauer Family’s filings →

    More from the funding graph

    The unnamed billions
    grants reported with no recipient in the public record
    The regranting layer
    51% of grant dollars land in the regranting layer
    The DAF merry-go-round
    $9.7B circulates between donor-advised funds
    The endowment market
    who holds foundation money, and what just moved
    The camps
    funders cluster by geography, not ideology
    By state
    where grant money is based, and what stays home