Rees-Jones Foundation

The Rees-Jones Foundation operates as a deeply relationship-driven, faith-centered funder with a mission rooted in Christian stewardship. Founded in 2006 by Jan and Trevor Rees-Jones — whose wealth derived from Trevor's success as a Dallas-area energy entrepreneur — the foundation frames its philanthropy explicitly: 'Serve God by serving others — sharing His resources in ways that provide opportunities for the disadvantaged, relief for the suffering, and encouragement in the growth and well-being of children and families.' That language is not incidental. It shapes who gets funded, how large grants grow over time, and what language resonates in proposals.

The foundation gravitates toward organizations that share its Christian values, particularly in the youth formation, evangelism and discipleship, and family support portfolios. Secular nonprofits — children's hospitals, animal welfare organizations, spay/neuter coalitions — also receive significant grants, but faith-based language and mission alignment accelerate trust-building. Top grantees like International Justice Mission ($37.9M across 12 grants), CURE International ($25.3M across 14 grants), Hope Walks ($9.2M across 12 grants), and Young Life ($4.4M across 2 grants) reflect a funder comfortable making large, multi-year bets on mission-driven organizations with strong evidence of impact.

Organizationally, Rees-Jones strongly favors established North Texas nonprofits. Of 1,112 documented grants, 992 (89%) went to Texas-based recipients, with the Dallas-Fort Worth metro receiving the overwhelming majority. The foundation caps grants at 25% of a project budget and 10% of an organization's annual operating budget — structural limits that naturally advantage larger, well-capitalized organizations with diversified revenue and substantial budgets. A $200,000 annual budget organization can realistically request at most $20,000; a $5 million budget organization can request up to $500,000.

For first-time applicants, the relationship progression matters. Submit a Letter of Inquiry through the Grantee Portal (rees-jones.my.site.com) to test fit before investing time in a full application — staff provide a written response within 30 days. Once invited, plan for a four-month staff review window before board consideration. The board meets approximately 10 times annually with no fixed calendar deadlines, making rolling application timing viable year-round. Organizations must wait 12 months between grant requests, and final reports must be submitted and accepted before any new application is considered.

The Rees-Jones Foundation holds approximately $666 million in assets and has maintained consistent annual grantmaking in the $36-61 million range from 2019 through 2023. FY2024 represents a significant outlier: total giving reached $156.75 million with $103.9 million in grants actually paid, driven almost entirely by the $100 million commitment to Children's Medical Center Foundation for the new Dallas pediatric campus. Applicants should treat $40-60 million as the realistic annual distribution baseline rather than extrapolating from 2024.

Across 1,112 documented grants totaling $345.4 million, the average grant was $310,611 — but this figure is heavily skewed by mega-gifts to anchor institutions. In practice, most grants to North Texas community nonprofits land in the $75,000-$500,000 range, with multi-year pledges structured as 2-4 year commitments. The foundation makes approximately 160+ grants per year.

Concentration is the defining feature of this foundation's giving. The top 10 grantees received an estimated $175 million — roughly 50% of total documented giving — across sustained multi-year relationships averaging 8-12 grants per partner. Children's Medical Center Foundation alone received $54.35 million across 7 grants spanning more than a decade. International Justice Mission received $37.9 million across 12 grants. Living Water International received $20.2 million across 15 grants. These numbers signal a funder that builds deep, trust-based partnerships and grows giving over time rather than rotating through a broad grantee pool.

By portfolio area, children's healthcare commands the largest domestic share. International programs — funded exclusively by invitation — account for approximately 30% of total documented dollar volume despite representing a fraction of grant count. Animal welfare is a consistent, meaningful portfolio with capital and operational grants both funded. Child welfare, foster care, disability services, and youth formation consistently attract mid-range grants of $500,000-$3 million for established local partners. Neighborhood development and community benefit are smaller portfolios. Faith-based youth formation (scouting, camping, mentoring) receives sustained multi-grant support.

The following table compares the Rees-Jones Foundation to four peer foundations matched by asset size and NTEE classification. Note that giving figures for peers are estimated based on publicly available IRS data; Rees-Jones annual giving excludes the FY2024 anomaly driven by the $100M pediatric campus pledge.

Rees-Jones stands out among asset-equivalent peers for its operational transparency: a public website with detailed portfolio areas, application instructions, FAQ pages, grant writing resources, and a named Grantee Portal makes the application pathway unusually clear for a private foundation of this scale. Most peer foundations at this asset level maintain low public profiles with invitation-only or referral-based access. The foundation's 8 domestic portfolio areas and 3 international portfolio areas, combined with rolling deadlines and a structured LOI process, give it a more institutionalized grantmaking infrastructure than most comparably sized private foundations. This sophistication means applicants encounter clearer expectations — but also more rigorous fit screening.

The most significant recent development is the October 1, 2024 groundbreaking ceremony for Children's Health and UT Southwestern's new Dallas pediatric campus, where Rees-Jones Foundation announced a $100 million commitment — naming the central hospital tower 'Rees-Jones Tower.' Jan Rees-Jones stated at the event: 'Our family is thankful to be involved in building the new Dallas pediatric hospital and campus, a facility that will change lives both in our community and around the world.' This gift followed the foundation's prior $35+ million commitment to the Rees-Jones Center for Foster Care Excellence at Children's Health (established 2012), cementing a cumulative giving relationship with Children's Medical Center Foundation exceeding $54 million.

In 2026, the foundation is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a content series from senior staff. President Terese Stevenson published 'Wisdom From 20 Years,' Senior Program Officer Lynn Gibson contributed '20 Years: Investing in Animal Welfare,' and Director of Research & Evaluation Adrian Cook wrote 'Continued Persistence for Justice.' These pieces signal institutional stability and a deepening of existing relationships rather than strategic pivots. No leadership changes, board transitions, or new program launches were identified in current research. The founding Rees-Jones family — Trevor (Chairman), Jan (Vice Chairman), and David Rees-Jones — continues to lead the board, underscoring that this remains a family-controlled, values-driven institution now two decades into its grantmaking history.

Confirm geographic eligibility before anything else. The foundation will not fund programs serving constituencies outside North Texas — even if the program type falls squarely within their portfolio areas. If your work is multi-state or national, only the portion directly serving Dallas-Fort Worth residents may qualify. International organizations are funded exclusively by invitation.

Lead with measurable impact, not narrative need. The foundation employs a Director of Research & Evaluation (Adrian Cook) and program officers who collaborate with grantees on outcome metrics. Enter the metrics your organization already tracks in the application; staff will engage on goal-setting. Proposals that lack quantitative outcome tracking will struggle in review.

Use the LOI strategically for new programs. Even if your organization has received prior funding, any new program area requires an LOI to test alignment before you invest in a full application. The 30-day response window is one of the fastest in major foundation philanthropy — use it.

Match your language to the foundation's vocabulary. The mission statement ('Serve God by serving others'), portfolio area descriptions, and staff articles on their Stories & Insights page contain the words and frames that resonate with this foundation. Phrases like 'disadvantaged,' 'relief for the suffering,' 'God-given potential,' and 'measurable difference' appear in their own communications. Mirror this language where authentic.

Size your request correctly before applying. The 25%-of-project-budget and 10%-of-annual-operating-budget caps are hard limits. Calculate your grant ceiling before drafting. If the resulting ask is too small to be worth a four-month review cycle, consider whether the timing and organizational fit are right.

Do not apply mid-grant. Existing grantees must submit and have their final report accepted before submitting a new application. Plan your renewal timeline accordingly — if your grant ends in June, begin your final report immediately to enable a fall application.

Expect site visits for larger grants. While not publicly documented in their process materials, relationships with top grantees (averaging 8-15 grants over multi-year histories) suggest site visits and relationship-building with program officers are part of larger grant development. Cultivate relationships with relevant program officers — Lynn Gibson (Animal Welfare), Trey Hill, and Shellie Velasco — through legitimate engagement opportunities.