Houston Bar Foundation

Tax-deductible

Houston, TX501(c)(3)Crime & LegalEIN 76-0029594

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The Houston Bar Foundation is the charitable arm of the Houston Bar Association. The Foundation supports pro bono legal services to the community and promotes community understanding of our legal system.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
89¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 16 volunteers and 1 employee.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · People: Part I, lines 5–6

Before you give

FY2025 · Form 990Independent: from IRS data, not the org
Download 990
IRS status
501(c)(3)
not on the IRS revocation list
Looks good: listed by the IRS and not on the revocation list.
IRS BMF · Auto-Revocation List
Tax-deductible gifts
Yes
Donations are tax-deductible
Looks good: the IRS lists gifts to it as deductible.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS BMF
Latest return
FY2025
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2025, 1 tax year back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
6 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $761K a year · 31% of revenue · last 6 filings
Looks good: a surplus in 6 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
89%
of spending
Looks good: 89% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Cash reserves
2 mo
of spending, in cash
Fine: 2.0 months of spending in cash; 1 to 3.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $3K
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$1.1M
4% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 4% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
13
of 13 voting members
Looks good: 13 of 13 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$2.6M
+8% vs prior year
Spent
$2.1M
To programs
89%
Net assets
$25.2M
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$2.6M
FY2025▲ +8%
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$3.7M
FY2021$2.0M
FY2022$2.0M
FY2023$2.1M
FY2024$2.4M
FY2025$2.6M
Expenses
$2.1M
FY2025▲ +40%
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$1.5M
FY2021$1.7M
FY2022$1.6M
FY2023$1.9M
FY2024$1.5M
FY2025$2.1M
Net assets
$25.2M
FY2025▲ +9%
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$17.0M
FY2021$20.7M
FY2022$18.0M
FY2023$19.9M
FY2024$23.2M
FY2025$25.2M

From the FY2025 Form 990 (year ending June 2025) · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Nov 1982.

IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File

Where the money goes

89 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 89% · $1.9M Management & general 11% · $226K Fundraising 1% · $19K

Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.

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Who runs it and what they're paid

17 people listed on the 990.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2024); the FY2025 filing did not itemize Part VII
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Chair Elect
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Vice Chair Thru 2/2025
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Vice Chair
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Treasurer Thru 2/2025
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Immediate Past Chair
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Past Chair Thru 2/2025
$0Pt VII · Sec A
See Houston Bar Foundation executive salaries →

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Questions the 990 asks

The form asks each of these directly. These are the filed answers.

  • Family or business ties among officersPt VI · Ln 2No
  • Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aYes

Programs and updates

Provides free legal help and educates the public about the law.

Provided by the organization

This section is blank until Houston Bar Foundation claims this page.

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1 program service account for $1.9M of program spending, described in the organization's own filed words · FY2024.
01

The primary beneficiary of the Houston Bar Foundation is Houston Volunteer Lawyers, the pro bono service arm of the Houston Bar Association. The Houston Bar Foundation also supports the Houston Bar Association's programming, which is consistent with its HBA's mission to serve Houston lawyers and foster the administration of justice.

$1.9Mprogram expense

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Funders

Who pays for it.

From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.

Grants

Schedule I · received and paid
Grants received · FY2025
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$3K
Grants paid · 33 grants · $8.7M · 2019–2024
The Center for PursuitTX · FY2024$128,751
Harris County Jury AssemblyFY2024$24,500
Hay Center FoundationTX · FY2024$10,000
Harris County Jury AssemblyFY2023$33,000
Harris County Criminal Justice CenterFY2023$33,000
Harris County Civil CourthouseFY2023$33,000
Hay Center FoundationTX · FY2023$10,000
The Center for PursuitTX · FY2023$7,747
Combined ArmsTX · FY2023$6,469
The Center for PursuitTX · FY2022$47,612
Combined ArmsTX · FY2022$11,000
See all 33 grants →

By the numbers

The FY2025 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$2.6M
Ln 12
Investment incomeLn 3$1.3M
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$1.1M
Other incomeLn 4–11$246K
Money outPt IX
$2.1M
Ln 25
Programscol B$1.9M
Managementcol C$226K
Fundraisingcol D$19K
Owns and owesPt X
$25.2M
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$358K
Total assetsLn 16$26.3M
LiabilitiesLn 26$1.1M
PeoplePt VI, VII
17
listed · VII A
PaidVII A0
Voting boardVI 1a13
IndependentVI 1b13
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$1.1M
Fundraising eventsLn 1c$866K
Investment incomeLn 3$1.3M
Other incomeLn 4–11$246K
Gains on assetsLn 7$608K
Total revenueLn 12$2.6M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$325K
SavingsLn 2$32K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$358K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$25.4M
Total assetsLn 16$26.3M
LiabilitiesLn 26$1.1M
Net assetsLn 32$25.2M
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 51
VolunteersI 616
Fiscal year endsHeaderJune
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13No
Records policyVI 14Yes
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY25End FY25
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$543K$358K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$23.2M$25.4M
Total assetsLn 16$24.3M$26.3M
LiabilitiesLn 26$1.1M$1.1M
Net assetsLn 32$23.2M$25.2M
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic organizationsLn 1$1.9M$1.9M
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$83K$83K
Payroll taxesLn 10$7K$7K
Accounting feesLn 11c$15K$15K
Investment management feesLn 11f$113K$113K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$35$35
Advertising and promotionLn 12$10K$407$10K
Office expensesLn 13$7K$7K
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$32K$24K$8K
Total functional expensesLn 25$2.1M$1.9M$226K$19K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest Viewing $2.6M$2.1M$484K$25.2M 990 PDF
FY2024 $2.4M$1.5M$905K$23.2M 990 PDF
FY2023 $2.1M$1.9M$249K$19.9M 990 PDF
FY2022 $2.0M$1.6M$432K$18.0M 990 PDF
FY2021 $2.0M$1.7M$290K$20.7M 990 PDF
FY2020 $3.7M$1.5M$2.2M$17.0M 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs I · Grants R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons A · Public support F · Foreign M · Noncash
See the full FY2025 990 (4 parts)
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $2,616,674 across 8 lines filed
VIII-1c Fundraising events$865,691
VIII-1d Related organizations$116,451
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$125,426
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$1,107,568
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $654,769$654,769
VIII-7 Net gain or loss on sales of assetsExcluded from tax $608,278$608,278
VIII-8 Net income from fundraising eventsExcluded from tax $246,059$246,059
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $0 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $1,509,106$2,616,674
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $2,133,165 across 9 lines filed
IX-1 Grants to domestic organizationsPrograms $1,864,208$1,864,208
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesManagement $83,372$83,372
IX-10 Payroll taxesManagement $6,628$6,628
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $15,192$15,192
IX-11f Investment management feesManagement $113,433$113,433
IX-11g Other fees for servicesManagement $35$35
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $407 · Fundraising $10,074$10,481
IX-13 Office expensesManagement $7,490$7,490
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $23,852 · Fundraising $8,474$32,326
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $1,888,467 · Management $226,150 · Fundraising $18,548$2,133,165
Part X · Balance sheet $26,263,580 assets, 14 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $218,843$325,341
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $323,941$32,435
X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $473,804$507,989
X-4 Accounts receivable$15,823
X-11 Publicly traded securitiesStart of year $23,240,120$25,381,992
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $24,272,136$26,263,580
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expenses$121,012
X-19 Deferred revenueStart of year $383,932$63,288
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $733,870$897,528
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $1,120,847$1,084,341
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $20,174,332$22,439,907
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $2,976,957$2,739,332
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $23,151,289$25,179,239
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $24,272,136$26,263,580
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $25,179,239 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$2,616,674
XI-2 Total expenses$2,133,165
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$483,509
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$23,151,289
XI-5 Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments$1,544,441
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$25,179,239

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2025 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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