Earl C Sams Foundation Inc C/O Bruce S Hawn
ActiveMutual & Membership BenefitFunds Individuals
About Earl C Sams Foundation Inc C/O Bruce S Hawn
The Earl C Sams Foundation concentrates substantial, place-based support on South Texas cultural and wildlife institutions and a small set of health and university research causes. Its giving is dominated by large gifts to local attractions—particularly the Gladys Porter Zoo and the Texas State Aquarium—plus targeted grants to medical research and a children’s hospital. The foundation favors capital and general operating support for repeat grantees that serve the coastal Texas region.
Focus Areas
Regional zoological and wildlife institutions in South Texas (Gladys Porter Zoo)Marine conservation and wildlife rescue/capital projects (Texas State Aquarium)Medical research tied to the University of Texas system (named research grants)Pediatric cardiac/children’s health philanthropic support (Driscoll Children’s Hospital)
Who They Fund
wildlife (rescued animals)children and youth (including foster children)students (K-12 learners receiving tutoring / classroom supplies)people experiencing homelessness / emergency shelter clients
About Earl C Sams Foundation Inc C/O Bruce S Hawn
The Earl C Sams Foundation Inc C/o Bruce S Hawn’s recent giving is anchored by a long-running cluster of large gifts to South Texas institutions, especially Valley Zoological Society Gladys Porter Zoo and Texas State Aquarium. Those grants sit alongside support for Driscoll Children's Hospital Development Foundation and University of Texas Foundation, showing a mix of wildlife, health, and research priorities tied to the region. The foundation also makes smaller operating grants to local schools, ministries, libraries, and community groups, suggesting a broad but clearly place-based approach to charitable support. A recurring pattern is repeated support for the same core grantees across multiple years. Valley Zoological Society Gladys Porter Zoo appears with grants of $170,500 in 2025, $115,000 in 2024, and $112,000 in 2023. Texas State Aquarium received $100,000 in both 2023 and 2024, and another $100,000 in 2025 for capital wildlife rescue support. The foundation’s newer, smaller awards extend that same local orientation into community-serving organizations in Corpus Christi, Brownsville, San Antonio, and other Texas cities.
What Earl C Sams Foundation Inc C/O Bruce S Hawn Funds
Wildlife and marine conservation are central to this funder’s identity. In 2025, Earl C Sams Foundation Inc C/o Bruce S Hawn gave $100,000 to Texas State Aquarium for capital wildlife rescue, following the same $100,000 award in 2024 and another in 2023. It also backed Valley Zoological Society Gladys Porter Zoo with $170,500 in 2025 for Zoofari 2024 and general support. Health-related grants also appear in the recent record. Driscoll Children's Hospital Development Foundation received $100,000 in 2023 for saving children and heart disease. On the research side, the University of Texas Foundation received $100,000 in 2023 for Dr Nambian PF research. The foundation also funds community-serving organizations, including Hill Country Daily Bread Ministry, Coastal Bend Community Fund, and Corpus Christi Pregnancy Center, through general operating support and event-linked gifts.
How Earl C Sams Foundation Inc C/O Bruce S Hawn Gives
Typical grants cluster around a median of $10,000, with the middle half falling between $5,000 and $15,000. The recent-grants list also shows a long tail of larger awards, including six-figure gifts to repeat recipients. Giving is not limited to one-off awards: several organizations appear across multiple years, especially zoo, aquarium, and community partners. The foundation is structured to make charitable grants rather than program-related investments, and it funds individuals as well as organizations. It also does not accept unsolicited applications through the listed general grantmaking program.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$777K
Total Assets
$20.7M
Total Revenue
$1.9M
Total Expenses
$1.4M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $5K and $15K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$15K
Geographic Reach
Local3 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
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