The Rhines Foundation concentrates its philanthropy on higher education, making large, targeted gifts to university endowments that support faculty positions, course development, and doctoral fellowships. Grants are focused and strategic rather than broad-based, favoring institutional gifts that build long-term academic capacity. While based in Dallas, the foundation funds both local (SMU) and out-of-state (University of Florida) research and scholarship priorities.
The Rhines Foundation’s most distinctive recent pattern is a series of large gifts to higher education institutions that build long-term academic capacity. Its two biggest grants in the file went to the University of Florida Foundation for course development and an endowed professorship, followed by a $1.25 million endowed professorship gift to Southern Methodist University. Those awards show a preference for institutional support rather than short-term project funding. Across the recent grants list, the foundation backs faculty positions, doctoral training, and curriculum work at research universities. That emphasis appears again in a $300,000 PhD fellowship endowment to SMU and in funding for Stanford University’s Hoover Institution and science and engineering work. The foundation also extends this approach beyond universities, with grants to children’s health programs, medical research, judicial responsibility, homelessness reduction, and cultural programming. The giving profile suggests targeted, strategic grants aimed at building capacity inside organizations. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including the University of Florida Foundation, SMU, Stanford University, Scottish Rite Hospital, Dallas Summer Musicals, Cato Institute, Crystal Charity Ball, and Retina Foundation of the Southwest. The Rhines Foundation also makes grants to individuals, placing it among funders that can support both institutions and people.
Higher education is the clearest throughline in The Rhines Foundation’s recent grants. It gave $1,520,000 in 2024 and $1,420,000 in 2025 to the University of Florida Foundation for course development and an endowed professorship, and $1,250,000 in 2023 to Southern Methodist University for an endowed professorship. Those gifts point to long-horizon support for faculty and academic programming. Graduate training is another visible area. In 2025, the foundation awarded $300,000 to Southern Methodist University for a PhD fellowship endowment, extending its interest in research training and doctoral support. The foundation also funds public-interest and civic institutions. It gave $20,000 in 2025 and $5,000 in 2023 to the Institute for Justice for judicial responsibility, and it made three grants to Cato Institute between 2023 and 2025 for educational organization support. Outside academia and policy, it has backed medical and health-related work, including a $15,000 grant to Teamizzy Foundation for cancer research.
$2.2M
$36.5M
$2.1M
$2.4M
Most grants fall between $5K and $78K, with a median of $9K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$9K
75th Percentile
$78K
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Very concentrated giving: a small number of large grants directed to university endowments and fellowships, with repeat grants to the same institutions rather than many small or one-off awards.
Notable grantees: University of Florida Foundation, Southern Methodist University
The Rhines Foundation’s typical grant size is modest compared with its largest awards: the 25th percentile is $5,000, the median is $9,000, and the 75th percentile is $77,750. That spread shows a mix of small recurring gifts and occasional large institutional commitments. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including the University of Florida Foundation, Southern Methodist University, Stanford University, Scottish Rite Hospital, Cato Institute, Crystal Charity Ball, Dallas Summer Musicals, and Retina Foundation of the Southwest. The foundation is not limited to institutions only; it also funds individuals. The grant list indicates a regional pattern with repeated support to the same organizations over time.
Grant activity is heavily centered in Texas, which accounts for 57% of grants and is also the top state by grant count. Dallas appears frequently, including Southern Methodist University, Scottish Rite Hospital, Dallas Summer Musicals, Crystal Charity Ball, The Salvation Army, Friends of the Katy Trail, and Dallas Arboretum-related support. Outside Texas, sizable awards went to Gainesville, Florida; Stanford, California; and Arlington, Virginia. The grant list is entirely U.S.-based, with 30 grants in the United States.
Its clearest focus is higher education, especially endowed professorships, PhD fellowship endowments, and course or curriculum development. Recent grants include $1,520,000 and $1,420,000 to the University of Florida Foundation for course development and an endowed professorship, plus $1,250,000 to Southern Methodist University for an endowed professorship.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including the University of Florida Foundation, Southern Methodist University, Stanford University, Scottish Rite Hospital, Cato Institute, Crystal Charity Ball, Dallas Summer Musicals, and Retina Foundation of the Southwest.
The grant distribution is mixed, with a 25th percentile of $5,000, a median of $9,000, and a 75th percentile of $77,750. That indicates many smaller gifts alongside a smaller number of much larger institutional awards.
Texas receives 57% of the foundation’s grants and is the top state by grant count. Dallas is especially prominent among recipient cities, with grants to organizations such as Southern Methodist University, Scottish Rite Hospital, Dallas Summer Musicals, Crystal Charity Ball, and The Salvation Army.
The foundation also funds children’s health, medical research, judicial responsibility, homelessness reduction, and arts and park-related programs. Recent examples include Scottish Rite Hospital for hospital programs for children, Institute for Justice for judicial responsibility, The Salvation Army for reducing homelessness, and Dallas Summer Musicals for program support.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY | DALLAS, TX | $1,200,000 | 2026 | PHD FELLOWSHIP ENDOWMENT |
| STANFORD UNIVERSITY | STANFORD, CA | $510,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT HOOVER INSTITUTION AND SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING FUND |
| UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA FOUNDATION | GAINSVILLE, FL | $250,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT COURSE DEVELOPMENT AND ENDOWED PROFESSORSHIP |
| SCOTTISH RITE HOSPITAL | DALLAS, TX | $154,400 | 2026 | SUPPORT HOSPITAL PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN AND ENDOWED FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM |
| RETINA FOUNDATION OF THE SOUTHWEST | DALLAS, TX | $15,000 | 2026 | MEDICAL RESEARCH |
| INSTITUTE FOR JUSTICE | ARLINGTON, VA | $15,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT JUDICIAL RESPONSIBILITY |
| CATO INSTITUTE | WASHINGTON, DC | $10,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT OF EDUCATIONAL ORGANIZATION |
| DALLAS SUMMER MUSICALS | DALLAS, TX | $9,429 | 2026 | SUPPORT DALLAS SUMMER MUSICALS |
| TAU BETA PI | KNOXVILLE, TN | $1,000 | 2026 | IMPROVE ENGINEERING EDUCATION |
| UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA FOUNDATION | GAINSVILLE, FL | $1,420,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT COURSE DEVELOPMENT AND ENDOWED PROFESSORSHIP |
| SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY | DALLAS, TX | $300,000 | 2025 | PHD FELLOWSHIP ENDOWMENT |
| SCOTTISH RITE HOSPITAL | DALLAS, TX | $104,400 | 2025 | SUPPORT HOSPITAL PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN AND ENDOWED FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM |
| STANFORD UNIVERSITY | STANFORD, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT HOOVER INSTITUTION AND SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING FUND |
| INSTITUTE FOR JUSTICE | ARLINGTON, VA | $20,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT JUDICIAL RESPONSIBILITY |
| DALLAS SUMMER MUSICALS | DALLAS, TX | $10,187 | 2025 | SUPPORT DALLAS SUMMER MUSICALS |
| CATO INSTITUTE | WASHINGTON, DC | $5,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT OF EDUCATIONAL ORGANIZATION |
| RETINA FOUNDATION OF THE SOUTHWEST | DALLAS, TX | $5,000 | 2025 | MEDICAL RESEARCH |
| TAU BETA PI | KNOXVILLE, TN | $1,000 | 2025 | IMPROVE ENGINEERING EDUCATION |
| UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA FOUNDATION | GAINSVILLE, FL | $1,520,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT COURSE DEVELOPMENT AND ENDOWED PROFESSORSHIP |
| STANFORD UNIVERSITY | STANFORD, CA | $110,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT HOOVER INSTITUTION AND SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING FUND |
| SCOTTISH RITE HOSPITAL | DALLAS, TX | $104,400 | 2024 | SUPPORT HOSPITAL PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN AND ENDOWED FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM |
| TEAMIZZY FOUNDATION | PLANO, TX | $15,000 | 2024 | CANCER RESEARCH |
| METHODIST HEALTH SYSTEM FOUNDATION | SLIDELL, LA | $10,000 | 2024 | PROVIDE MEDICAL CARE |
| CRYSTAL CHARITY BALL | DALLAS, TX | $9,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT DALLAS CHARITIES |
| DALLAS SUMMER MUSICALS | DALLAS, TX | $8,904 | 2024 | SUPPORT DALLAS SUMMER MUSICALS |
| CATO INSTITUTE | WASHINGTON, DC | $5,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT OF EDUCATIONAL ORGANIZATION |
| THE SALVATION ARMY | DALLAS, TX | $5,000 | 2024 | REDUCE HOMELESSNESS |
| RETINA FOUNDATION OF THE SOUTHWEST | DALLAS, TX | $2,500 | 2024 | MEDICAL RESEARCH |
| DALLAS ARBORETUM WOMEN'S SOCIETY | DALLAS, TX | $1,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT DALLAS ARBORETUM |
| SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY | DALLAS, TX | $1,250,000 | 2023 | ENDOWED PROFESSORSHIP |
| BAYLOR UNIVERSITY | WACO, TX | $87,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT SCHOLARSHIP FUND IN ECONOMICS |
| STANFORD UNIVERSITY | STANFORD, CA | $10,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT HOOVER INSTITUTION |
| CRYSTAL CHARITY BALL | DALLAS, TX | $9,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT DALLAS CHARITIES |
| DALLAS SUMMER MUSICALS | DALLAS, TX | $8,800 | 2023 | SUPPORT DALLAS SUMMER MUSICALS |
| INSTITUTE FOR JUSTICE | ARLINGTON, VA | $5,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT JUDICIAL RESPONSIBILITY |
| CATO INSTITUTE | WASHINGTON, DC | $5,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT OF EDUCATIONAL ORGANIZATION |
| SCOTTISH RITE HOSPITAL | DALLAS, TX | $4,400 | 2023 | SUPPORT HOSPITAL PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN |
| FRIENDS OF THE KATY TRAIL | DALLAS, TX | $1,000 | 2023 | PUBLIC PARK |
| OREGON HEALTH AND SCIENCE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION | PORTLAND, OR | $1,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT MEDICAL TRAINING |
STANFORD UNIVERSITY
$510,000SUPPORT HOOVER INSTITUTION AND SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING FUND
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA FOUNDATION
$250,000SUPPORT COURSE DEVELOPMENT AND ENDOWED PROFESSORSHIP
SUPPORT HOSPITAL PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN AND ENDOWED FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
MEDICAL RESEARCH
DALLAS SUMMER MUSICALS
$9,429SUPPORT DALLAS SUMMER MUSICALS
TAU BETA PI
$1,000IMPROVE ENGINEERING EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA FOUNDATION
$1,420,000SUPPORT COURSE DEVELOPMENT AND ENDOWED PROFESSORSHIP
SCOTTISH RITE HOSPITAL
$104,400SUPPORT HOSPITAL PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN AND ENDOWED FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
STANFORD UNIVERSITY
$50,000SUPPORT HOOVER INSTITUTION AND SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING FUND
DALLAS SUMMER MUSICALS
$10,187SUPPORT DALLAS SUMMER MUSICALS
TAU BETA PI
$1,000IMPROVE ENGINEERING EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA FOUNDATION
$1,520,000SUPPORT COURSE DEVELOPMENT AND ENDOWED PROFESSORSHIP
STANFORD UNIVERSITY
$110,000SUPPORT HOOVER INSTITUTION AND SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING FUND
SUPPORT HOSPITAL PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN AND ENDOWED FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
TEAMIZZY FOUNDATION
$15,000CANCER RESEARCH
DALLAS SUMMER MUSICALS
$8,904SUPPORT DALLAS SUMMER MUSICALS
THE SALVATION ARMY
$5,000REDUCE HOMELESSNESS
DALLAS ARBORETUM WOMEN'S SOCIETY
$1,000SUPPORT DALLAS ARBORETUM
STANFORD UNIVERSITY
$10,000SUPPORT HOOVER INSTITUTION
DALLAS SUMMER MUSICALS
$8,800SUPPORT DALLAS SUMMER MUSICALS