The Platt Family Charitable Foundation concentrates big, targeted gifts to a small set of organizations that advance national security/foreign-policy research, local Jewish communal life in Dallas, and academic brain‑health research. Their grantmaking mixes national policy think tanks (notably FDD) with local philanthropic vehicles and university research centers, suggesting both ideological/philosophic priorities and community ties to Dallas. Grants tend to be high-dollar and infrequent rather than many small awards.
Concentrated, high‑value gifts to a small number of organizations with repeat funding to the same national policy grantee; a mix of national ideological beneficiaries and local community/university recipients rather than broad, diversified small grants.
The Laurie and Todd Platt Family Charitable Foundation has made large, targeted gifts to a narrow set of organizations in national security and foreign-policy research, Dallas Jewish communal life, and brain-health science. Its largest recent grant was $500,000 to the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, with another $250,000 going to the same organization in 2025. That pattern points to sustained support for policy research rather than broad, dispersed philanthropy. The foundation also backs Dallas institutions with substantial awards, including $150,900 and $135,110 to the Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas, plus $225,000 to Communities Foundation of Texas Fbo Utd Center for Brain Health. Smaller but still significant gifts extend to organizations connected to Jewish education, community building, military service, and health research. Across the recent record, the foundation appears to favor a compact portfolio of recipients and repeat support for select organizations over many one-off awards. The grant list shows a mix of national organizations and Dallas-area institutions, suggesting both ideological interests and local commitments. The grants are charitable donations rather than program-related investments, and the foundation does not fund individuals.
In national security and foreign-policy research, the foundation gave $500,000 in 2024 and $250,000 in 2025 to the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, plus $210,000 in 2023 to Fdd Founder of Defense Democracies. These grants make FDD the clearest anchor in the recent record. Dallas Jewish communal support is another recurring theme. The Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas received $150,900 in 2023, $135,110 in 2024, and $115,000 in 2025. Related local gifts include $32,500 to Torah Day School of Dallas and $29,806 to Temple Emanu-el Dallas. The foundation also supports health and research-oriented work. It gave $225,000 to Communities Foundation of Texas Fbo Utd Center for Brain Health in 2024 and $25,150 to MD Anderson Cancer in 2025. These gifts sit alongside other education- and research-linked grants such as Greenhouse Scholars.
Typical grants are modest relative to the foundation’s annual giving, with a p25 of $2,000, a median of $5,000, and a p75 of $10,000. The recent record still includes a handful of much larger awards, which suggests a two-track pattern: many smaller charitable gifts and a small number of major commitments. The same recipients appear across multiple years, including the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, the Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas, Greenhouse Scholars, Temple Emanu-el Dallas, and North Texas Food Bank. The foundation is a family charitable foundation, gives charitable donations, and does not fund individuals or make program-related investments.
$1.1M
$3.9M
$268K
$1.1M
Most grants fall between $2K and $10K, with a median of $5K.
25th Percentile
$2K
Median
$5K
75th Percentile
$10K
Sign up for a free Kindora account to access AI-generated insights into this funder's giving patterns, decision-makers, and fit signals.
Get Started FreeFree Kindora accounts unlock side-by-side comparisons with foundations that share this funder's focus areas and giving profile.
Get Started FreeSign up free to see how well your nonprofit fits this funder, get an AI-generated pitch, and unlock similar foundations.
Notable grantees: Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD), FDD Founder of Defense Democracies, Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas, Communities Foundation of Texas / UTD Center for Brain Health
Grantmaking is regional, with 56% of grants going to recipients in Texas and the strongest concentration in Dallas-area organizations. Dallas recipients include the Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas, Communities Foundation of Texas Fbo Utd Center for Brain Health, Torah Day School of Dallas, Temple Emanu-el Dallas, and North Texas Food Bank. Outside Texas, the foundation also supports organizations in Washington, DC; New York, NY; Bozeman, MT; Ashburn, VA; Boulder, CO; Boston, MA; and other U.S. cities. All recorded grants in the dataset went to U.S. recipients.
The recent record centers on national security and foreign-policy research, Dallas Jewish communal life, and brain-health science. Examples include the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, the Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas, and Communities Foundation of Texas Fbo Utd Center for Brain Health.
Yes. The Foundation for the Defense of Democracies appears in 2023, 2024, and 2025; the Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas appears in 2023, 2024, and 2025; Greenhouse Scholars appears in 2023, 2024, and 2025; and Temple Emanu-el Dallas appears in 2024 and 2025.
Typical grant size is $2,000 at the 25th percentile, $5,000 at the median, and $10,000 at the 75th percentile. The record also includes a few much larger gifts, including $500,000, $250,000, and $225,000.
Texas receives 56% of the foundation’s grants, with Dallas-area recipients showing up repeatedly. The top state by grant count is Nevada, even though the largest share of grants goes to Texas recipients.
No. The foundation does not fund individuals; its grants in the record are charitable donations to organizations and institutions.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FOUNDATION FOR THE DEFENSE OF DEMOCRACIES | WASHINGTON, DC | $250,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE DONATION |
| FRIENDS OF THE ISRAEL DEFENSE FORECES | NEW YORK, NY | $115,705 | 2025 | CHARITABLE DONATION |
| JEWISH FEDERATION OF GREATER DALLAS | DALLAS, TX | $115,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE DONATION |
| ISRAEL CHARITABLE FOUNDATION | DENVER, CO | $40,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE DONATION |
| GREENHOUSE SCHOLARS | BOULDER, CO | $35,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE DONATION |
| THE BIRTHRIGHT ISRAEL FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $35,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE DONATION |
| TORAH DAY SCHOOL OF DALLAS | DALLAS, TX | $32,500 | 2025 | CHARITABLE DONATION |
| GREENLIGHT FUND | BOSTON, MA | $30,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE DONATION |
| TEMPLE EMANU-EL DALLAS | DALLAS, TX | $29,806 | 2025 | CHARITABLE DONATION |
| MD ANDERSON CANCER | HOUSTON, TX | $25,150 | 2025 | CHARITABLE DONATION |
| ISRAEL AMERICA ACADEMIC EXCHANGE | BEVERLY HILLS, CA | $25,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE DONATION |
| NORTH TEXAS FOOD BANK | DALLAS, TX | $25,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE DONATION |
| NORTH TX GIVING DAY | MARIANNA, FL | $21,115 | 2025 | CHARITABLE DONATION |
| CENTRAL FUND OF ISRAEL | CEDARHURST, NY | $20,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE DONATION |
| URBAN LAND INSTITUTE FOUNDATION | BOSTON, MA | $18,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE DONATION |
| THE ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE (ADL) | NEW YORK, NY | $16,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE DONATION |
| GEORGE W BUSH PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY | DALLAS, TX | $16,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE DONATION |
| JEWISH FOUNDATION OF MEMPHIS | MEMPHIS, TN | $15,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE DONATION |
| JINSA | WASHINGTON, DC | $15,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE DONATION |
| FERGUSON CHARITABLE FOUNDATION | CHICAGO, IL | $15,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE DONATION |
| CHABAD OF DALLAS | DALLAS, TX | $13,500 | 2025 | CHARITABLE DONATION |
| CHABAD INTOWN | DALLAS, TX | $11,800 | 2025 | CHARITABLE DONATION |
| VOGEL ALCOVE | DALLAS, TX | $11,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE DONATION |
| DALLAS HOLOCAUST MUSEUM | DALLAS, TX | $10,400 | 2025 | CHARITABLE DONATION |
| FORT FREEDOM | PALM BEACH GARDENS, FL | $10,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE DONATION |
| JEWISH NEVADA | LAS VEGAS, NV | $10,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE DONATION |
| ZAKA NORTH INC | BROOKLYN, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE DONATION |
| IMPACT FORUM FOUNDATION | ENCINO, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE DONATION |
| BLAIR HOUSE RESTORATION FUND | WASHINGTON, DC | $10,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE DONATION |
| JDC | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE DONATION |
| SHIELD GIVING FOUNDATION | PHOENIX, AZ | $10,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE DONATION |
| TORCHE CENTER | HOUSTON, TX | $8,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE DONATION |
| CHRISTIANS UNITED FOR ISRAEL | SAN ANTONIO, TX | $7,500 | 2025 | CHARITABLE DONATION |
| DATA FOUNDATIONS | WASHINGTON, DC | $7,500 | 2025 | CHARITABLE DONATION |
| BOULDER CREST VETERANS WELLNESS | BLUEMONT, VA | $7,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE DONATION |
| NATIONAL MS SOCIETY | NEW YORK, NY | $6,500 | 2025 | CHARITABLE DONATION |
| JEWISH FAMILY SERVICE OF GREATER DALLAS | DALLAS, TX | $5,259 | 2025 | CHARITABLE DONATION |
| JORDAN ELIZABETH HARRIS FOUNDATION | FORT WORTH, TX | $5,100 | 2025 | CHARITABLE DONATION |
| UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA FOUNDATION | NORMAN, OK | $5,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE DONATION |
| SOCIAL VENTURE PARTNERS INTERNATIONAL (SVPI) | SEATTLE, WA | $5,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE DONATION |
| SALVATION ARMY | DALLAS, TX | $5,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE DONATION |
| STATION FOUNDATION | BOZEMAN, MT | $4,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE DONATION |
| CAMP JOHN MARC | DALLAS, TX | $3,500 | 2025 | CHARITABLE DONATION |
| RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE OF DALLAS | DALLAS, TX | $3,500 | 2025 | CHARITABLE DONATION |
| JEWISH COMMUNITY | DALLAS, TX | $3,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE DONATION |
| PEROT MUSEUM | DALLAS, TX | $2,500 | 2025 | CHARITABLE DONATION |
| RETT SYNDROME RESEARCH TRUST (RSRT) | TRUMBULL, CT | $2,500 | 2025 | CHARITABLE DONATION |
| COMMIT FOUNDATION | BOZEMAN, MT | $2,500 | 2025 | CHARITABLE DONATION |
| CAMP NEBAGAMON | LAKE NEBAGAMON, WI | $2,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE DONATION |
| JEWISH HISTORIC DALLAS | DALLAS, TX | $1,854 | 2025 | CHARITABLE DONATION |
FRIENDS OF THE ISRAEL DEFENSE FORECES
$115,705CHARITABLE DONATION
ISRAEL CHARITABLE FOUNDATION
$40,000CHARITABLE DONATION
CHARITABLE DONATION
TEMPLE EMANU-EL DALLAS
$29,806CHARITABLE DONATION
MD ANDERSON CANCER
$25,150CHARITABLE DONATION
NORTH TEXAS FOOD BANK
$25,000CHARITABLE DONATION
NORTH TX GIVING DAY
$21,115CHARITABLE DONATION
GEORGE W BUSH PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY
$16,000CHARITABLE DONATION
CHABAD OF DALLAS
$13,500CHARITABLE DONATION
CHABAD INTOWN
$11,800CHARITABLE DONATION
FORT FREEDOM
$10,000CHARITABLE DONATION
SHIELD GIVING FOUNDATION
$10,000CHARITABLE DONATION
TORCHE CENTER
$8,000CHARITABLE DONATION
CHRISTIANS UNITED FOR ISRAEL
$7,500CHARITABLE DONATION
DATA FOUNDATIONS
$7,500CHARITABLE DONATION
BOULDER CREST VETERANS WELLNESS
$7,000CHARITABLE DONATION
NATIONAL MS SOCIETY
$6,500CHARITABLE DONATION
JEWISH FAMILY SERVICE OF GREATER DALLAS
$5,259CHARITABLE DONATION
SOCIAL VENTURE PARTNERS INTERNATIONAL (SVPI)
$5,000CHARITABLE DONATION
SALVATION ARMY
$5,000CHARITABLE DONATION
CAMP JOHN MARC
$3,500CHARITABLE DONATION
JEWISH COMMUNITY
$3,000CHARITABLE DONATION
PEROT MUSEUM
$2,500CHARITABLE DONATION
JEWISH HISTORIC DALLAS
$1,854CHARITABLE DONATION