The Hal & Diane Brierley Foundation concentrates its giving on cultural institutions in Dallas and on international wildlife conservation. Most dollars support major performing arts organizations in Dallas (notably theater and opera), while a significant portion is directed to great-ape conservation through repeated support for the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund. Grants are few but large, aimed at established organizations.
Concentrated giving: a small number of large grants, including repeat funding to the same international conservation grantee and sizeable gifts to flagship local arts organizations.
A single $250,000 grant to Dallas Theater Center stands out as the clearest signal of how the Hal & Diane Brierley Foundation gives: large, concentrated support to established institutions. The foundation’s recent activity shows a strong preference for Dallas cultural organizations, especially theater and opera, alongside repeated support for great ape conservation through the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International. It also backs a smaller set of community organizations in Dallas, with grants to groups such as Shakespeare Dallas, Dallas Black Dance Theatre, and the Dallas Holocaust Museum. The pattern is not broad or exploratory; it is selective and centered on recognizable organizations that can absorb operating or charitable support at meaningful scale. Internationally, the foundation’s conservation giving extends beyond Texas through the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International, indicating that its priorities are not limited to local arts alone. Across the recent grants list, the same broad themes recur: major performing arts, conservation, and support for longstanding nonprofits with visible public missions.
Dallas performing arts is the clearest program area. The foundation gave $50,000 to Dallas Opera in 2024 and $25,000 to Shakespeare Dallas in both 2024 and 2025, while also supporting Dallas Black Dance Theatre with $10,000 in 2025. That cluster points to a sustained interest in the city’s theatrical and performance infrastructure. Cultural heritage and education appear as well: in 2024, it awarded $10,400 to the Dallas Holocaust Museum and $2,500 to the Dallas County Heritage Society. The foundation also supports youth and service-oriented organizations, including $12,000 to Junior Players in 2024 and $5,000 to Teach for America in 2025. Outside the arts, conservation remains a distinct lane, with giving to Elephant Havens Wildlife Foundation in 2025 and recurring support for the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International.
Typical grants are modest to mid-sized for this portfolio, with a p25 of $5,000, a median of $8,950, and a p75 of $23,750. The distribution shows a mix of many $5,000 to $10,000 grants and a few much larger awards, led by one $250,000 grant. Recurrence is clear in the recent record: several recipients appear in multiple years, including Shakespeare Dallas, Junior Players, Senior Source, Turtle Creek Park Conservatory, and Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International. The foundation gives only to organizations, not individuals, and it does not make program-related investments. The recent grants list also suggests a straightforward charitable grantmaking model rather than an application-driven one.
$395K
$5.2M
$260K
$397K
Most grants fall between $5K and $24K, with a median of $9K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$9K
75th Percentile
$24K
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Notable grantees: Dallas Theater Center, Dallas Opera, Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International
Grantmaking is heavily concentrated in Texas, with 93% of grants going to recipients in the foundation’s HQ state. Dallas dominates the map: Dallas Theater Center, Dallas Opera, Shakespeare Dallas, Orchestra of New Spain, Junior Players, Dallas Holocaust Museum, Dallas Black Dance Theatre, and SMU all received support there. Outside Dallas, the record includes Plano’s North Texas Food Bank and Houston’s MD Anderson. Most grants stay in the United States, and the country distribution shows 100% of grants to U.S. recipients.
Its recent grants center on Dallas performing arts and cultural institutions, plus a separate line of support for great ape conservation. In the recent record, Dallas Theater Center, Dallas Opera, Shakespeare Dallas, and Dallas Black Dance Theatre sit alongside recurring support for Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International.
The foundation’s grant sizes cluster in the low thousands to low tens of thousands: p25 is $5,000, median grant size is $8,950, and p75 is $23,750. The list also includes a much larger $250,000 grant, showing that a small number of awards can be much larger than the typical gift.
Yes. Several recipients appear more than once in the recent grants list. Examples include Shakespeare Dallas in 2024 and 2025, Junior Players in 2024 and 2025, Senior Source in 2024 and 2025, Turtle Creek Park Conservatory in 2024 and 2025, and Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International in 2024 and 2025.
Its giving is highly concentrated in Texas, and 93% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state. Dallas is the main recipient city, with most listed grants going to organizations there.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas Theater Center | Dallas, TX | $250,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International | Atlanta, GA | $50,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International | Atlanta, GA | $50,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Shakespeare Dallas | Dallas, TX | $25,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| Shakespear Dallas | Dallas, TX | $25,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| Dallas Opera | Dallas, TX | $25,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| Orchestra of New Spain | Dallas, TX | $20,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| Perot Museum of Nature and Science | Dallas, TX | $15,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| Second Thought Theater | Dallas, TX | $15,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Junior Players | Dallas, TX | $12,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| Texas Winds | Dallas, TX | $10,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| Dallas Black Dance Theatre | Dallas, TX | $10,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Junior Players | Dallas, TX | $10,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| SPCA | Dallas, TX | $10,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Equest | Dallas, TX | $10,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| Dallas Symphony Orchestra League | Dallas, TX | $5,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| Teach for America | Dallas, TX | $5,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Elephant Havens Wildlife Foundation | Dallas, TX | $5,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| The Senior Source | Dallas, TX | $5,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| SMU | Dallas, TX | $5,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Titas | Dallas, TX | $5,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra (GDYO) | Dallas, TX | $3,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| Titas Dance Unbound | Dallas, TX | $2,500 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| Turtle Creek Park Conservatory | Dallas, TX | $2,500 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| Aware Affair 2022 | Dallas, TX | $1,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| Dallas Opera | Dallas, TX | $50,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International | Atlanta, GA | $50,000 | 2024 | Charitable |
| Shakespeare Dallas | Dallas, TX | $25,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| North Texas Food Bank | Plano, TX | $25,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| Orchestra of New Spain | Dallas, TX | $20,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| Junior Players | Dallas, TX | $12,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| Dallas Holocaust Museum | Dallas, TX | $10,400 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| Perot Museum of Nature and Science | Dallas, TX | $7,500 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| MD Anderson | Houston, TX | $5,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| Turtle Creek Park Conservatory | Dallas, TX | $5,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| Junior League | Dallas, TX | $5,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| Senior Source | Dallas, TX | $5,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| Vogel Alcove | Dallas, TX | $3,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| Dallas County Heritage Society | Dallas, TX | $2,500 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
Shakespeare Dallas
$25,000CHARITABLE
Shakespear Dallas
$25,000CHARITABLE
CHARITABLE
Orchestra of New Spain
$20,000CHARITABLE
Second Thought Theater
$15,000Charitable
Junior Players
$12,000CHARITABLE
Texas Winds
$10,000CHARITABLE
SPCA
$10,000Charitable
Dallas Symphony Orchestra League
$5,000CHARITABLE
Teach for America
$5,000Charitable
Elephant Havens Wildlife Foundation
$5,000Charitable
SMU
$5,000Charitable
Titas
$5,000CHARITABLE
Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra (GDYO)
$3,000CHARITABLE
Titas Dance Unbound
$2,500CHARITABLE
Turtle Creek Park Conservatory
$2,500CHARITABLE
Aware Affair 2022
$1,000CHARITABLE
Shakespeare Dallas
$25,000CHARITABLE
Orchestra of New Spain
$20,000CHARITABLE
MD Anderson
$5,000CHARITABLE
Turtle Creek Park Conservatory
$5,000CHARITABLE
Junior League
$5,000CHARITABLE
Senior Source
$5,000CHARITABLE