The Luke and Merle Soules Family Foundation concentrates its giving on higher education in Texas, demonstrated by a single large grant to Texas A&M to create a reformed course of study in economics. The foundation appears to fund institutional academic program development rather than broad community services, suggesting an interest in shaping curriculum and strengthening university departments, likely with a local or state affiliation to Texas institutions.
Highly concentrated: one large, single grant to a university foundation for program development (suggests targeted, possibly one-off or capital-style gifts rather than many small awards).
A single $800,000 grant to the Texas A&M Foundation to establish a reformative course of study in the Department of Economics at Texas A&M University defines the Luke and Merle Soules Family Foundation’s recent giving. That award points to a foundation interested in shaping academic curriculum, especially in economics, rather than dispersing support broadly across many unrelated causes. The same pattern shows up in a smaller 2025 grant to the Texas A&M Foundation Chancellor and in earlier support for Texas A&M-related entities, suggesting a sustained relationship with the university network. Beyond higher education, the foundation’s recent grants also touch a handful of Texas-based civic, cultural, and community organizations. It has given to the San Antonio Livestock Exposition Inc, Classical Music Institute, Thrivewell Cancer Foundation, and San Antonio Am Club, with awards generally in the low-thousands. The overall picture is of a family foundation making mostly local, institution-focused gifts, with economics and university program development at the center of its most distinctive grantmaking.
Higher education dominates the foundation’s identifiable themes. In 2025, it gave $800,000 to the Texas A&M Foundation for a reformative course of study in the Department of Economics at Texas A&M University, making economics curriculum development its clearest funding priority. The foundation also supports Texas A&M-linked institutions in other ways. It gave $5,000 in 2025 to the Texas A&M Foundation Chancellor for general purpose, and $100 in 2024 to The Association of Former Students for general purpose. Those grants show continued attention to the university’s broader institutional ecosystem. Outside academia, the foundation has made smaller Texas grants to the San Antonio Livestock Exposition Inc for general purpose, to the Classical Music Institute for general purpose, and to Thrivewell Cancer Foundation for general purpose. These awards suggest a local giving pattern that includes cultural and community organizations alongside education.
Typical grants are modest: p25 is $2,500, median is $5,000, and p75 is $5,000. The distribution is highly skewed by one large 2025 gift of $800,000, while most other awards cluster at $5,000 or below. Recent years show repeat giving to the same recipients, including multiple grants to Fidelity Charitable, Texas A&M Foundation Chancellor, Classical Music Institute, and San Antonio Livestock Exposition Inc. The foundation is structured as a family foundation, funds individuals, and does not make program-related investments. The recent grants list also shows a mix of restricted-purpose and general-purpose gifts, plus one scholarship award.
$810K
$1.4M
$329K
$815K
Most grants fall between $3K and $5K, with a median of $5K.
25th Percentile
$3K
Median
$5K
75th Percentile
$5K
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Notable grantees: Texas A&M Foundation
Grantmaking is overwhelmingly Texas-centered: 92% of grants go to recipients in Texas, and the top state by grant count is TX. Recent recipient cities include College Station, San Antonio, Dallas, Bryan, Austin, Hondo, Lubbock, and Dhanis. Outside Texas, the only recipient location in the recent grants list is Cincinnati, Ohio, through Fidelity Charitable. The geographic pattern is local rather than national, with awards concentrated around San Antonio and Texas A&M-linked institutions.
Its most distinctive recent grant was $800,000 to the Texas A&M Foundation to establish a reformative course of study in the Department of Economics at Texas A&M University. That, plus other Texas A&M-related grants, shows a strong emphasis on higher education and economics curriculum development.
The foundation’s typical grant size is $2,500 at the 25th percentile, $5,000 at the median, and $5,000 at the 75th percentile. That suggests most awards are concentrated around the $5,000 level, with one much larger outlier in the recent record.
Yes. 92% of its grants go to recipients in Texas, and Texas is the top state by grant count. Recent Texas recipient cities include College Station, San Antonio, Dallas, Bryan, Austin, Hondo, Lubbock, and Dhanis.
Yes. The recent grants list shows repeat awards to Fidelity Charitable in 2023 and 2024, Texas A&M Foundation Chancellor in 2023, 2024, and 2025, Classical Music Institute in 2023, 2024, and 2025, and San Antonio Livestock Exposition Inc in 2023 and 2024.
The foundation also gives to Texas-based civic, cultural, and community organizations. Recent recipients include San Antonio Livestock Exposition Inc, Classical Music Institute, Thrivewell Cancer Foundation, San Antonio Am Club, Alamo Community Group, D'hanis Volunteer Fire Dept, and Medina County Junior Livestock Show.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TEXAS AM FOUNDATION | COLLEGE STATION, TX | $800,000 | 2025 | TO ESTABLISH A REFORMATIVE COURSE OF STUDY IN THE DEPT OF ECONOMICS AT TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY. |
| TEXAS AM FOUNDATION CHANCELLOR | COLLEGE STATION, TX | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| CLASSICAL MUSIC INSTITUTE | SAN ANTONIO, TX | $3,500 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| SAN ANTONIO AM CLUB | SAN ANTONIO, TX | $1,000 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| FIDELITY CHARITABLE | CINCINNATI, OH | $70,401 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| SAN ANTONIO LIVESTOCK EXPOSITION IN | SAN ANTONIO, TX | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| NASHER SCULPTURE CENTER | DALLAS, TX | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| AMERICAN AGAPE FOUNDATION | SAN ANTONIO, TX | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| TEXAS TECH LAW SCHOOL FOUNDATION | LUBBOCK, TX | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| TEXAS AM FOUNDATION CHANCELLOR | COLLEGE STATION, TX | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| CLASSICAL MUSIC INSTITUTE | SAN ANTONIO, TX | $3,500 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| D'HANIS VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPT | DHANIS, TX | $2,500 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| THRIVEWELL CANCER FOUNDATION | SAN ANTONIO, TX | $2,500 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| SABINAL ALUMNI SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATI | AUSTIN, TX | $1,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| MEDINA COUNTY JUNIOR LIVESTOCK SHOW | HONDO, TX | $200 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| FIDELITY CHARITABLE | CINCINNATI, OH | $60,000 | 2023 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| SAN ANTONIO LIVESTOCK EXPOSITION IN | SAN ANTONIO, TX | $10,000 | 2023 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| TEXAS AM FOUNDATION CHANCELLOR | COLLEGE STATION, TX | $5,000 | 2023 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| TEXAS AGGIE CORP OF CADETS ASSOCIAT | BRYAN, TX | $5,000 | 2023 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| ALAMO COMMUNITY GROUP | SAN ANTONIO, TX | $5,000 | 2023 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| CLASSICAL MUSIC INSTITUTE | SAN ANTONIO, TX | $5,000 | 2023 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| THRIVEWELL CANCER FOUNDATION | SAN ANTONIO, TX | $3,000 | 2023 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| SAN ANTONIO AM CLUB | SAN ANTONIO, TX | $500 | 2023 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| THE ASSOCIATION OF FORMER STUDENTS | COLLEGE STATION, TX | $100 | 2023 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
TEXAS AM FOUNDATION
$800,000TO ESTABLISH A REFORMATIVE COURSE OF STUDY IN THE DEPT OF ECONOMICS AT TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY.
TEXAS AM FOUNDATION CHANCELLOR
$5,000GENERAL PURPOSE
CLASSICAL MUSIC INSTITUTE
$3,500GENERAL PURPOSE
SAN ANTONIO AM CLUB
$1,000SCHOLARSHIP
FIDELITY CHARITABLE
$70,401GENERAL PURPOSE
SAN ANTONIO LIVESTOCK EXPOSITION IN
$10,000GENERAL PURPOSE
NASHER SCULPTURE CENTER
$5,000GENERAL PURPOSE
AMERICAN AGAPE FOUNDATION
$5,000GENERAL PURPOSE
TEXAS TECH LAW SCHOOL FOUNDATION
$5,000GENERAL PURPOSE
TEXAS AM FOUNDATION CHANCELLOR
$5,000GENERAL PURPOSE
CLASSICAL MUSIC INSTITUTE
$3,500GENERAL PURPOSE
D'HANIS VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPT
$2,500GENERAL PURPOSE
THRIVEWELL CANCER FOUNDATION
$2,500GENERAL PURPOSE
SABINAL ALUMNI SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATI
$1,000GENERAL PURPOSE
MEDINA COUNTY JUNIOR LIVESTOCK SHOW
$200GENERAL PURPOSE
FIDELITY CHARITABLE
$60,000GENERAL PURPOSE
SAN ANTONIO LIVESTOCK EXPOSITION IN
$10,000GENERAL PURPOSE
TEXAS AM FOUNDATION CHANCELLOR
$5,000GENERAL PURPOSE
TEXAS AGGIE CORP OF CADETS ASSOCIAT
$5,000GENERAL PURPOSE
ALAMO COMMUNITY GROUP
$5,000GENERAL PURPOSE
CLASSICAL MUSIC INSTITUTE
$5,000GENERAL PURPOSE
THRIVEWELL CANCER FOUNDATION
$3,000GENERAL PURPOSE
SAN ANTONIO AM CLUB
$500GENERAL PURPOSE
THE ASSOCIATION OF FORMER STUDENTS
$100GENERAL PURPOSE