The Melza M and Frank Theodore Barr Foundation concentrates its giving in a small number of high-dollar awards that back biomedical research and the visual/performing arts. Its largest, repeat gifts fund glaucoma and neuro‑degenerative disease research, while substantial grants also support ballet productions and museum collections; it additionally makes targeted investments in advanced scientific fellowships. The foundation gives few, sizable grants rather than many small awards and shows willingness to fund both local (Houston) and premier California institutions.
A defining feature of Melza M and Frank Theodore Barr Foundation Inc is its repeated use of large grants to sustain a few specific lines of work over multiple years. The clearest example is glaucoma and neuro-degenerative disease research, where the foundation has made several seven-figure and six-figure awards to the Glaucoma Research Foundation for research on glaucoma, Alzheimer and other neuro-degenerative diseases. It also backs the visual and performing arts at a similar scale, including a $1.5 million grant to Houston Ballet Foundation for production of a new ballet and a $100,000 grant to the Museum of Fine Arts Houston for its Conservation Center Completion Project. In the sciences, the foundation has supported postdoctoral training through California Institute of Technology’s Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, including a three-year post-doc fellowship and other fellowship and chair support. The grant record shows a funder that concentrates resources in high-value awards rather than many small transactions, and that pairs research funding with arts, collections, and fellowship support.
In biomedical research, the foundation’s recent giving centers on glaucoma and related neuro-degenerative disease work. The Glaucoma Research Foundation received $1,000,000 in 2025 for research on glaucoma and other neuro-degenerative diseases, followed by another $1,000,000 the same year for research on glaucoma, Alzheimer and other neuro-degenerative diseases. For scientific training, California Institute of Technology received $320,000 in 2025 for a three-year post-doc fellowship in the Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences. Its arts support covers both performance and collection care. Houston Ballet Foundation received $1,500,000 in 2024 to support production of a new ballet, while Museum of Fine Arts Houston received $100,000 in 2025 for the Conservation Center Completion Project. The foundation also made a $231,075 grant to Crocker Art Museum for support for its art collection. Beyond those core areas, the foundation has also given to Sustainable Harvest Int'l for Central American agricultural programs and to Wild Earth Allies for the Prey Lang Forrest environmental project in Cambodia.
$1.1M
$5M
$1.2M
$1.1M
Most grants fall between $20K and $205K, with a median of $20K.
25th Percentile
$20K
Median
$20K
75th Percentile
$205K
About 15% of grants go to recipients in CA.
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Concentrated, high-dollar grants to a small set of organizations with several repeat recipients; mix of health/science and arts-focused awards rather than broad, distributed grantmaking.
Notable grantees: Glaucoma Research Foundation, Houston Ballet Foundation, California Institute of Technology, Crocker Art Museum
Typical grant sizes cluster at $20,000, with the median at $20,000 and the 75th percentile at $205,000; the 25th percentile is also $20,000. That spread fits a pattern of many smaller awards alongside a short list of much larger grants. The recipient list shows repeated support to the same organizations across multiple years, including several awards to the same research, arts, and conservation grantees. The foundation is a private family foundation, and it funds individuals. The grant record does not show an application process or unsolicited submission pathway.
The foundation gives nationally, but its grants are heavily concentrated in California, which is the top state by grant count. Texas accounts for 18% of grants, reflecting a meaningful Houston presence as well. Recipient cities in the recent grants include San Francisco, Pasadena, Sacramento, Houston, Davis, Newark, Millington, Chevy Chase, and Washington. All recent grants in the provided list went to U.S. recipients.
The recent record shows four main areas: glaucoma and neuro-degenerative disease research, performing arts and ballet production, museum collection and conservation support, and postdoctoral fellowships in geological and planetary sciences. It also includes smaller grants for Central American agricultural programs, forest conservation in Cambodia, wildlife rehabilitation, and support for children affected by HIV/AIDS.
The grant-size distribution is concentrated at $20,000: the 25th percentile is $20,000, the median is $20,000, and the 75th percentile is $205,000. That suggests many grants are at the smaller end, with a smaller number of larger awards pulling the average upward.
Yes. The recent grants list shows repeated support for several organizations across 2023, 2024, and 2025, including the Glaucoma Research Foundation, Houston Ballet Foundation, California Institute of Technology, Museum of Fine Arts Houston, Sustainable Harvest Int'l, Raptor Trust, Wild Earth Allies, and Aids Resource Foundation for Childr.
California is the top state by grant count. Texas is also a significant recipient state, with 18% of grants going to recipients there. The recent grants are all to U.S. organizations.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glaucoma Research Foundation | San Fransico, CA | $1,000,000 | 2026 | Support research on glaucoma, Alzheimer and other neuro-degenerative diseases. |
| Sustainable Harvest Int'l | Washington, DC | $20,000 | 2026 | Support of Central American agricultural programs. |
| Wild Earth Allies | Chevy Chase, MD | $20,000 | 2026 | Support for Prey Lang Forrest environmental project, Cambodia. |
| Raptor Trust | Millington, NJ | $20,000 | 2026 | Support for education programs & care of injured wild birds. |
| Center for Amazon Community Ecology | Lemoyne, PA | $10,000 | 2026 | Support for conservation in the Amazon region. |
| People and Plants International | Bristol, VT | $10,000 | 2026 | Support ecology of Nantu Forest Area, Indonesia. |
| Glaucoma Research Foundation | San Fransico, CA | $1,000,000 | 2025 | Support research on glaucoma and other neuro-degenerative diseases. |
| California Institute of Technology | Pasadena, CA | $320,000 | 2025 | Three Year Post-DOC Fellowship, Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences. |
| UC Davis Foundation | Davis, CA | $100,000 | 2025 | Endowment UC Davis Eye Center |
| Museum of Fine Arts Houston | Houston, TX | $100,000 | 2025 | Support Conservation Center Completion Project |
| Aids Resource Foundation for Childr | Newark, NJ | $20,000 | 2025 | Support of Children in Families Affected by HIV/AIDS. |
| Wild Earth Allies | Chevy Chase, MD | $20,000 | 2025 | Support for Prey Lang Forrest environmental project, Cambodia. |
| Raptor Trust | Millington, NJ | $20,000 | 2025 | Support for education program & care of injured wild birds. |
| Sustainable Harvest Int'l | Boston, MA | $20,000 | 2025 | Support of Central American agricultural programs. |
| Houston Ballet Foundation | Houston, TX | $1,500,000 | 2024 | Support production of new ballet. |
| Glaucoma Research Foundation | San Fransico, CA | $800,000 | 2024 | Support research on glaucoma and other neuro-degenerative diseases. |
| California Institute of Technology | Pasadena, CA | $210,000 | 2024 | Two Year Post-DOC Fellowship, Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences. |
| California Institute of Technology | Pasadena, CA | $50,000 | 2024 | Endowment of Leadership Chair,Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences. |
| Museum of Fine Arts Houston | Houston, TX | $25,000 | 2024 | Support Armand Hammer Collection Exhibition. |
| Aids Resource Foundation for Childr | Newark, NJ | $20,000 | 2024 | Support of Children in Families Affected by HIV/AIDS. |
| Raptor Trust | Millington, NJ | $20,000 | 2024 | Support for education program & care of injured wild birds. |
| Sustainable Harvest Int'l | Boston, MA | $20,000 | 2024 | Support of Central American agricultural programs. |
| Wild Earth Allies | Chevy Chase, MD | $20,000 | 2024 | Support for Prey Lang Forrest environmental project, Cambodia. |
| The Menil Collection | Houston, TX | $10,000 | 2024 | Exhibit Support: Art of the Cameroon Grassfields. |
| Glaucoma Research Foundation | San Fransico, CA | $600,000 | 2023 | Support research on glaucoma and other neuro-degenerative diseases. |
| Crocker Art Museum | Sacramento, CA | $231,075 | 2023 | Support for Crocker art collection. |
| California Institute of Technology | Pasadena, CA | $200,000 | 2023 | Two Year Post-DOC Fellowship, Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences. |
| Houston Ballet Foundation | Houston, TX | $100,000 | 2023 | Support of Ballet operations |
| Wild Earth Allies | Chevy Chase, MD | $20,000 | 2023 | Support for Prey Lang Forrest environmental project, Cambodia. |
| Raptor Trust | Millington, NJ | $20,000 | 2023 | Support for education program & care of injured wild birds. |
| Aids Resource Foundation for Childr | Newark, NJ | $20,000 | 2023 | Support of Children in Families Affected by HIV/AIDS. |
| Sustainable Harvest Int'l | Boston, MA | $20,000 | 2023 | Support of Central American agricultural programs. |
| Sacha Runa Research Foundation | Urbana, IL | $10,000 | 2023 | Support research & medical assistance to Canelos Quichua people of Ecuador. |
Glaucoma Research Foundation
$1,000,000Support research on glaucoma, Alzheimer and other neuro-degenerative diseases.
Sustainable Harvest Int'l
$20,000Support of Central American agricultural programs.
Support for Prey Lang Forrest environmental project, Cambodia.
Center for Amazon Community Ecology
$10,000Support for conservation in the Amazon region.
People and Plants International
Support ecology of Nantu Forest Area, Indonesia.
Support research on glaucoma and other neuro-degenerative diseases.
Three Year Post-DOC Fellowship, Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences.
UC Davis Foundation
$100,000Endowment UC Davis Eye Center
Aids Resource Foundation for Childr
$20,000Support of Children in Families Affected by HIV/AIDS.
Support for Prey Lang Forrest environmental project, Cambodia.
Glaucoma Research Foundation
$800,000Support research on glaucoma and other neuro-degenerative diseases.
Two Year Post-DOC Fellowship, Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences.
Endowment of Leadership Chair,Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences.
Aids Resource Foundation for Childr
$20,000Support of Children in Families Affected by HIV/AIDS.
Support for Prey Lang Forrest environmental project, Cambodia.
The Menil Collection
$10,000Exhibit Support: Art of the Cameroon Grassfields.
Support research on glaucoma and other neuro-degenerative diseases.
Two Year Post-DOC Fellowship, Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences.
Support for Prey Lang Forrest environmental project, Cambodia.
Aids Resource Foundation for Childr
$20,000Support of Children in Families Affected by HIV/AIDS.
Sacha Runa Research Foundation
$10,000Support research & medical assistance to Canelos Quichua people of Ecuador.