The Marinelle and Kip Sowden Foundation concentrates giving in the Dallas area, blending one-time large investments in urban public space with regular small-dollar scholarships and tuition assistance for individual students. Their grants also include support for local social service/health providers and occasional religious parish donations, indicating a neighborhood-focused, family-oriented philanthropic approach. They favor direct, tangible outcomes—park infrastructure and individual educational support—over broad national initiatives.
Concentrated pattern: one very large flagship grant to a local park foundation alongside multiple small, targeted individual scholarships and tuition awards. Mix of repeat small grants to the same education intermediary (ForGenow) and one-off donations/pledge payments to local nonprofits.
A $200,000 donation to Woodall Rodgers Park Foundation is the clearest signal in the Marinelle and Kip Sowden Foundation’s recent giving: the foundation backs Dallas public-space projects alongside direct support for individuals. In the same year, it also made a $75,000 pledge payment to Mercy Street, showing a mix of civic infrastructure funding and local social-service support. The grant list then shifts to many smaller awards, especially scholarships and tuition assistance for students in Harlingen, San Benito, and Lewisville. Those awards are typically restricted to education costs or support for people enrolled in a training program, which points to a hands-on, purpose-specific style of philanthropy. The foundation also appears in parish-level giving through Our Lady of Perpetual Help, suggesting that faith community support is part of the portfolio as well. Across the recent grants shown here, the pattern is local, direct, and highly specified: one large urban-park investment, a significant community-service payment, and a series of modest educational grants to named individuals. The result is a grantmaking profile centered on tangible outcomes for Dallas-area civic life and individual learners.
Capital support for public space is a clear part of the foundation’s work. The largest recent grant, $200,000 to Woodall Rodgers Park Foundation, was listed for donations, linking the funder to Dallas urban-park infrastructure. Social services are another thread: the foundation paid out a $75,000 pledge to Mercy Street, a Dallas-based organization. Education-focused support is especially direct. It awarded $5,000 scholarships for education to Makena Silva, Ashlynn Burns, Christian Cervantes, Vianey Quinez Martinez, Ruben Gonzalez, Lauren Lopez, Anna Gonzalez, and Vanessa Delgado, with tuition assistance also appearing for Jacob Cano. The foundation further supported people enrolled at ForgeNow through tuition assistance grants to individual learners, tying its educational giving to specific participants rather than institutions alone.
The recent grants show a wide spread in size, from $2,000 to $200,000. The middle of the distribution is small: several awards sit at $5,000, while the ForgeNow tuition-assistance grants range from $2,000 to $3,500. The foundation also makes larger, one-off payments for civic and service work, including the park and Mercy Street grants. One recurring pattern is direct support to individuals, especially for education and training. The ForgeNow entries explicitly note tuition assistance grants made directly to four enrolled individuals during the tax year, and the scholarship awards are also individualized. The foundation’s 990 data show it funds individuals.
$337K
$5K
$344K
$339K
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: Woodall Rodgers Park Foundation, Mercy Street, ForGenow, Our Lady of Perpetual Help
All of the recent grants shown here went to U.S. recipients. Dallas is the main city appearing in the organizational grants, through Woodall Rodgers Park Foundation, Mercy Street, and Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Individual education grants are concentrated in Harlingen, with additional support in San Benito. ForgeNow appears in Lewisville. The giving profile in this sample is therefore clustered in North Texas and the Rio Grande Valley rather than spread across multiple states or countries.
Its recent grants include Dallas park and public-space support, local social services, parish-level Catholic giving, and tuition assistance or scholarships for individual learners. The largest grant in the sample went to Woodall Rodgers Park Foundation, while multiple $5,000 awards supported students in Harlingen and San Benito.
Yes. The foundation’s recent grants include multiple scholarships for named individuals and tuition assistance paid directly to learners. The 990 summary also says it funds individuals, and the recent grants include support for four people enrolled at ForgeNow.
The sample ranges from $2,000 to $200,000, but many awards are at the $5,000 level. ForgeNow tuition-assistance grants appear at $2,000, $3,000, and $3,500, while the largest organizational grant is much higher at $200,000.
The grants shown are all in the United States. Dallas appears repeatedly in the organizational grants, while individual education awards are concentrated in Harlingen and San Benito, with ForgeNow in Lewisville.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WOODALL RODGERS PARK FOUNDATION | DALLAS, TX | $200,000 | 2025 | DONATIONS |
| MERCY STREET | DALLAS, TX | $75,000 | 2025 | PLEDGE PAID OUT |
| JACOB CANO | HARLINGEN, TX | $5,000 | 2025 | TUITION ASSISTANCE |
| CHRISTIAN CERVANTES | HARLINGEN, TX | $5,000 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIP FOR EDUCATION |
| MAKENA SILVA | HARLINGEN, TX | $5,000 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIP FOR EDUCATION |
| ASHLYNN BURNS | HARLINGEN, TX | $5,000 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIP FOR EDUCATION |
| VANESSA DELGADO | HARLINGEN, TX | $5,000 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIP FOR EDUCATION |
| OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP | DALLAS, TX | $5,000 | 2025 | DONATIONS |
| ANNA GONZALEZ | SAN BENITO, TX | $5,000 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIP FOR EDUCATION |
| LAUREN LOPEZ | HARLINGEN, TX | $5,000 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIP FOR EDUCATION |
| RUBEN GONZALEZ | HARLINGEN, TX | $5,000 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIP FOR EDUCATION |
| VIANEY QUINEZ MARTINEZ | HARLINGEN, TX | $5,000 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIP FOR EDUCATION |
| FORGENOW | LEWISVILLE, TX | $3,500 | 2025 | TUITION ASSISTANCE FOR KHA'MARI JOHNSON. DURING THE TAX YEAR, THE FOUNDATION MADE TUITION ASSISTANCE GRANTS DIRECTLY TO FOUR INDIVIDUALS ENROLLED AT FORGENOW. THE FOUNDATION WAS UNABLE TO OBTAIN THE INDIVIDUAL ADDRESSES FROM FORGENOW, DESPITE REASONABLE EFFORTS TO REQUEST THIS INFORMATION. THE FOUNDATION HAS LISTED THE INDIVIDUALS' NAMES AND THE AMOUNTS RECEIVED IN PART XV OF FORM 990-PF AND IS PROVIDING THIS STATEMENT TO EXPLAIN THE ABSENCE OF ADDRESS INFORMATION FOR THESE RECIPIENTS. |
| FORGENOW | LEWISVILLE, TX | $3,500 | 2025 | TUITION ASSISTANCE FOR DEVAN BREWER. DURING THE TAX YEAR, THE FOUNDATION MADE TUITION ASSISTANCE GRANTS DIRECTLY TO FOUR INDIVIDUALS ENROLLED AT FORGENOW. THE FOUNDATION WAS UNABLE TO OBTAIN THE INDIVIDUAL ADDRESSES FROM FORGENOW, DESPITE REASONABLE EFFORTS TO REQUEST THIS INFORMATION. THE FOUNDATION HAS LISTED THE INDIVIDUALS' NAMES AND THE AMOUNTS RECEIVED IN PART XV OF FORM 990-PF AND IS PROVIDING THIS STATEMENT TO EXPLAIN THE ABSENCE OF ADDRESS INFORMATION FOR THESE RECIPIENTS. |
| FORGENOW | LEWISVILLE, TX | $3,000 | 2025 | TUITION ASSISTANCE FOR DRAVEN CANTLY. DURING THE TAX YEAR, THE FOUNDATION MADE TUITION ASSISTANCE GRANTS DIRECTLY TO FOUR INDIVIDUALS ENROLLED AT FORGENOW. THE FOUNDATION WAS UNABLE TO OBTAIN THE INDIVIDUAL ADDRESSES FROM FORGENOW, DESPITE REASONABLE EFFORTS TO REQUEST THIS INFORMATION. THE FOUNDATION HAS LISTED THE INDIVIDUALS' NAMES AND THE AMOUNTS RECEIVED IN PART XV OF FORM 990-PF AND IS PROVIDING THIS STATEMENT TO EXPLAIN THE ABSENCE OF ADDRESS INFORMATION FOR THESE RECIPIENTS. |
| FORGENOW | LEWISVILLE, TX | $2,000 | 2025 | TUITION ASSISTANCE FOR ABRAN LOPEZ. DURING THE TAX YEAR, THE FOUNDATION MADE TUITION ASSISTANCE GRANTS DIRECTLY TO FOUR INDIVIDUALS ENROLLED AT FORGENOW. THE FOUNDATION WAS UNABLE TO OBTAIN THE INDIVIDUAL ADDRESSES FROM FORGENOW, DESPITE REASONABLE EFFORTS TO REQUEST THIS INFORMATION. THE FOUNDATION HAS LISTED THE INDIVIDUALS' NAMES AND THE AMOUNTS RECEIVED IN PART XV OF FORM 990-PF AND IS PROVIDING THIS STATEMENT TO EXPLAIN THE ABSENCE OF ADDRESS INFORMATION FOR THESE RECIPIENTS. |
JACOB CANO
$5,000TUITION ASSISTANCE
CHRISTIAN CERVANTES
$5,000SCHOLARSHIP FOR EDUCATION
MAKENA SILVA
$5,000SCHOLARSHIP FOR EDUCATION
ASHLYNN BURNS
$5,000SCHOLARSHIP FOR EDUCATION
VANESSA DELGADO
$5,000SCHOLARSHIP FOR EDUCATION
OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP
$5,000DONATIONS
ANNA GONZALEZ
$5,000SCHOLARSHIP FOR EDUCATION
LAUREN LOPEZ
$5,000SCHOLARSHIP FOR EDUCATION
RUBEN GONZALEZ
$5,000SCHOLARSHIP FOR EDUCATION
VIANEY QUINEZ MARTINEZ
$5,000SCHOLARSHIP FOR EDUCATION
FORGENOW
$3,500TUITION ASSISTANCE FOR KHA'MARI JOHNSON. DURING THE TAX YEAR, THE FOUNDATION MADE TUITION ASSISTANCE GRANTS DIRECTLY TO FOUR INDIVIDUALS ENROLLED AT FORGENOW. THE FOUNDATION WAS UNABLE TO OBTAIN THE INDIVIDUAL ADDRESSES FROM FORGENOW, DESPITE REASONABLE EFFORTS TO REQUEST THIS INFORMATION. THE FOUNDATION HAS LISTED THE INDIVIDUALS' NAMES AND THE AMOUNTS RECEIVED IN PART XV OF FORM 990-PF AND IS PROVIDING THIS STATEMENT TO EXPLAIN THE ABSENCE OF ADDRESS INFORMATION FOR THESE RECIPIENTS.
FORGENOW
$3,500TUITION ASSISTANCE FOR DEVAN BREWER. DURING THE TAX YEAR, THE FOUNDATION MADE TUITION ASSISTANCE GRANTS DIRECTLY TO FOUR INDIVIDUALS ENROLLED AT FORGENOW. THE FOUNDATION WAS UNABLE TO OBTAIN THE INDIVIDUAL ADDRESSES FROM FORGENOW, DESPITE REASONABLE EFFORTS TO REQUEST THIS INFORMATION. THE FOUNDATION HAS LISTED THE INDIVIDUALS' NAMES AND THE AMOUNTS RECEIVED IN PART XV OF FORM 990-PF AND IS PROVIDING THIS STATEMENT TO EXPLAIN THE ABSENCE OF ADDRESS INFORMATION FOR THESE RECIPIENTS.
FORGENOW
$3,000TUITION ASSISTANCE FOR DRAVEN CANTLY. DURING THE TAX YEAR, THE FOUNDATION MADE TUITION ASSISTANCE GRANTS DIRECTLY TO FOUR INDIVIDUALS ENROLLED AT FORGENOW. THE FOUNDATION WAS UNABLE TO OBTAIN THE INDIVIDUAL ADDRESSES FROM FORGENOW, DESPITE REASONABLE EFFORTS TO REQUEST THIS INFORMATION. THE FOUNDATION HAS LISTED THE INDIVIDUALS' NAMES AND THE AMOUNTS RECEIVED IN PART XV OF FORM 990-PF AND IS PROVIDING THIS STATEMENT TO EXPLAIN THE ABSENCE OF ADDRESS INFORMATION FOR THESE RECIPIENTS.
FORGENOW
$2,000TUITION ASSISTANCE FOR ABRAN LOPEZ. DURING THE TAX YEAR, THE FOUNDATION MADE TUITION ASSISTANCE GRANTS DIRECTLY TO FOUR INDIVIDUALS ENROLLED AT FORGENOW. THE FOUNDATION WAS UNABLE TO OBTAIN THE INDIVIDUAL ADDRESSES FROM FORGENOW, DESPITE REASONABLE EFFORTS TO REQUEST THIS INFORMATION. THE FOUNDATION HAS LISTED THE INDIVIDUALS' NAMES AND THE AMOUNTS RECEIVED IN PART XV OF FORM 990-PF AND IS PROVIDING THIS STATEMENT TO EXPLAIN THE ABSENCE OF ADDRESS INFORMATION FOR THESE RECIPIENTS.