The Linda Houston Foundation concentrates its giving in the Kansas City area with a clear emphasis on performing and visual arts alongside local education and youth services. Grants are typically program or departmental support to institutions—frequently repeat recipients—reflecting a preference for sustaining established cultural organizations and neighborhood colleges/schools. Smaller allocations also target family- and youth-focused social services (foster care, domestic violence education), indicating an interest in community wellbeing beyond the arts.
The Linda Houston Foundation’s largest recent grant went to Kansas City Ballet, a $15,000 award to support ballet and the arts. That single gift reflects a broader pattern: the foundation regularly supports performing arts institutions, quilting and textile heritage, local colleges, and selected youth and family services. Recent awards also show repeat giving to Kansas City Symphony, which received $10,000 in 2023 and another $10,000 in 2025 for performers and performances, alongside support for arts groups in Kansas City and beyond. The grant list points to a funder that favors established organizations and program-specific support rather than one-off individual assistance; it does not fund individuals. Its giving volume is modest, with annual grants totaling $103,590 and assets of $1,197,166 on the latest filing year. The portfolio includes both major cultural institutions and smaller community organizations, such as foster care services, domestic violence education, and faith-based programs, showing a mix of arts, education, and community wellbeing in the same grantmaking pattern.
Performing arts are a major thread in the foundation’s grantmaking. Kansas City Symphony received $10,000 in 2023 and another $10,000 in 2025 to support the symphony’s performers and performances, while Kansas City Ballet received $15,000 in 2024 to support ballet and the arts. The foundation also backs quilting and textile heritage. National Quilt Museum in Paducah, Kentucky was awarded $10,000 in 2023 and $6,000 in 2025 to support the advancement of the art of quilting. Education is another clear area: Kansas City Kansas Public Schools USD 500 received $10,000 in 2024 for educational opportunities for students and families, and Mitchell Hamline School of Law received $10,000 in 2025 to support an academic department. Community-based social services appear as well, including foster care support and domestic violence education.
Typical grant size is small to mid-sized, with a p25 of $724, a median of $3,788, and a p75 of $9,000. The pattern includes both larger anchor gifts and many smaller awards, suggesting a mix of institutional support levels rather than a single grant band. Repeat recipients appear across multiple years, including several organizations funded in 2023, 2024, and 2025. The foundation’s giving is conducted through grants rather than individual support, and the recent record shows program and departmental support as the dominant structure.
$104K
$1.2M
$34K
$77K
Most grants fall between $724 and $9K, with a median of $4K.
25th Percentile
$724
Median
$4K
75th Percentile
$9K
About 41% of grants go to recipients in KY.
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Concentrated, local giving: many mid-sized one-time or occasional repeat grants to established Kansas City cultural and educational institutions rather than broad national funding. Mix of repeat grantees and targeted smaller awards to community social-service nonprofits.
Notable grantees: Kansas City Symphony, National Quilt Museum, Kansas City Ballet, Donnelly College, FosterAdopt Connect
Grantmaking is concentrated in the Kansas City region. Recipient locations include Kansas City, Missouri; Kansas City, Kansas; Overland Park; Leawood; Lawrence; and Saint Paul. Kentucky also appears through Paducah, and there are smaller out-of-region awards to Santa Cruz and Cupertino in California and Saint Paul, Minnesota. By count, Kansas is the top recipient state, while 41% of grants went to recipients in Kansas, the same state as the foundation’s headquarters.
Its recent grants support performing arts institutions, quilt and textile arts organizations, local schools, colleges, and selected youth and family service groups. Examples in the data include performing arts, K-12 education, academic departments, foster care services, domestic violence education, and church programs.
No. The foundation’s profile shows that it does not fund individuals, and the recent grants list consists entirely of organizational awards.
The foundation’s typical grant size is modest: p25 is $724, median grant size is $3,788, and p75 is $9,000. Recent awards range from small gifts like $20 up to $15,000.
Yes. The largest share of grants goes to Kansas recipients, and 41% of grants are made to recipients in Kansas. The recent list also shows a strong cluster in the Kansas City area, especially Kansas City, Missouri and Kansas City, Kansas.
Yes. The recent grants show repeat support to Kansas City Symphony in 2023 and 2025, National Quilt Museum in 2023 and 2025, Donnelly College in 2023 and 2024, and Ku Endowment in 2023 and 2024.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KANSAS CITY SYMPHONY | KANSAS CITY, MO | $10,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT THE SYMPHONY'S PERFORMERS AND PERFORMANCES. |
| MITCHELL HAMLINE SCHOOL OF LAW | SAINT PAUL, MN | $10,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT ACADEMIC DEPARTMENT. |
| NATIONAL QUILT MUSEUM | PADUCAH, KY | $6,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE ART OF QUILTING. |
| YWCA SANTA CRUZ | SANTA CRUZ, CA | $1,858 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE ART OF QUILTING. |
| JOHNSON COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOUNDATION | OVERLAND PARK, KS | $1,396 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT ACADEMIC DEPARTMENTS. |
| SAINT PATRICKS CHURCH | KANSAS CITY, MO | $200 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT CHURCH PROGRAMS. |
| KANSAS CITY QUILT GUILD | KANSAS CITY, MO | $20 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE ART OF QUILTING. |
| KANSAS CITY BALLET | KANSAS CITY, MO | $15,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT BALLET AND THE ARTS. |
| KANSAS CITY KANSAS PUBLIC SCHOOLS USD 500 | KANSAS CITY, KS | $10,000 | 2024 | EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS AND FAMILIES OF KANSAS CITY KANSAS PUBLIC SCHOOLS |
| DONNELLY COLLEGE | KANSAS CITY, KS | $4,150 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT ACADEMIC DEPARTMENTS. |
| KU ENDOWMENT | LAWRENCE, KS | $2,500 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT ACADEMIC DEPARTMENTS. |
| NATIONAL QUILT MUSEUM | PADUCAH, KY | $10,000 | 2023 | TO SUPPORT THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE ART OF QUILTING. |
| KANSAS CITY SYMPHONY | KANSAS CITY, MO | $10,000 | 2023 | TO SUPPORT THE SYMPHONY'S PERFORMERS AND PERFORMANCES. |
| NEWHOUSE-DOMESTIC VIOLENCE | KANSAS CITY, MO | $5,780 | 2023 | TO SUPPORT THE EDUCATION OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. |
| FOSTERADOPT CONNECT | KANSAS CITY, KS | $5,000 | 2023 | TO SUPPORT YOUTH IN FOSTER CARE. |
| DONNELLY COLLEGE | KANSAS CITY, KS | $4,235 | 2023 | TO SUPPORT ACADEMIC DEPARTMENTS. |
| JCCC FOUNDATION | OVERLAND PARK, KS | $3,427 | 2023 | TO SUPPORT THE OVERALL MISSION OF JCCC, ITS STRATEGIC GOALS AND ITS INITIATIVES. |
| KU ENDOWMENT | LAWRENCE, KS | $2,500 | 2023 | TO SUPPORT ACADEMIC DEPARTMENTS. |
| KANSAS CITY QUILT GUILD | KANSAS CITY, MO | $500 | 2023 | TO SUPPORT THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE ART OF QUILTING. |
| CHURCH OF THE RESURRECTION | LEAWOOD, KS | $500 | 2023 | TO SUPPORT CHURCH PROGRAMS. |
| PENN VALLEY COLLEGE | KANSAS CITY, MO | $424 | 2023 | TO SUPPORT ACADEMIC DEPARTMENTS. |
| DE ANZA COLLEGE | CUPERTINO, CA | $100 | 2023 | TO SUPPORT ACADEMIC DEPARTMENTS. |
KANSAS CITY SYMPHONY
$10,000TO SUPPORT THE SYMPHONY'S PERFORMERS AND PERFORMANCES.
MITCHELL HAMLINE SCHOOL OF LAW
$10,000TO SUPPORT ACADEMIC DEPARTMENT.
NATIONAL QUILT MUSEUM
$6,000TO SUPPORT THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE ART OF QUILTING.
YWCA SANTA CRUZ
$1,858TO SUPPORT THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE ART OF QUILTING.
JOHNSON COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOUNDATION
$1,396TO SUPPORT ACADEMIC DEPARTMENTS.
SAINT PATRICKS CHURCH
$200TO SUPPORT CHURCH PROGRAMS.
KANSAS CITY QUILT GUILD
$20TO SUPPORT THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE ART OF QUILTING.
KANSAS CITY BALLET
$15,000TO SUPPORT BALLET AND THE ARTS.
KANSAS CITY KANSAS PUBLIC SCHOOLS USD 500
$10,000EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS AND FAMILIES OF KANSAS CITY KANSAS PUBLIC SCHOOLS
DONNELLY COLLEGE
$4,150TO SUPPORT ACADEMIC DEPARTMENTS.
KU ENDOWMENT
$2,500TO SUPPORT ACADEMIC DEPARTMENTS.
NATIONAL QUILT MUSEUM
$10,000TO SUPPORT THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE ART OF QUILTING.
KANSAS CITY SYMPHONY
$10,000TO SUPPORT THE SYMPHONY'S PERFORMERS AND PERFORMANCES.
NEWHOUSE-DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
$5,780TO SUPPORT THE EDUCATION OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
FOSTERADOPT CONNECT
$5,000TO SUPPORT YOUTH IN FOSTER CARE.
DONNELLY COLLEGE
$4,235TO SUPPORT ACADEMIC DEPARTMENTS.
JCCC FOUNDATION
$3,427TO SUPPORT THE OVERALL MISSION OF JCCC, ITS STRATEGIC GOALS AND ITS INITIATIVES.
KU ENDOWMENT
$2,500TO SUPPORT ACADEMIC DEPARTMENTS.
KANSAS CITY QUILT GUILD
$500TO SUPPORT THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE ART OF QUILTING.
CHURCH OF THE RESURRECTION
$500TO SUPPORT CHURCH PROGRAMS.
PENN VALLEY COLLEGE
$424TO SUPPORT ACADEMIC DEPARTMENTS.
DE ANZA COLLEGE
$100TO SUPPORT ACADEMIC DEPARTMENTS.