Harold Simmons Foundation
The Harold Simmons Foundation is a Dallas, Texas-based private philanthropic foundation established in 1988 and funded by Contran Corporation. It distributes grants of approximately $6.9 million annually to local nonprofits across education, healthcare, social welfare, civic improvement, and arts & culture.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1988
- HeadquartersDallas, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Harold Simmons Foundation does
The Harold Simmons Foundation, Inc. is a private philanthropic foundation established in 1988 by Harold Clark Simmons and headquartered at Three Lincoln Centre, 5430 LBJ Freeway, Suite 1700, Dallas, Texas. It is funded primarily by Contran Corporation, an investment holding company also founded by Harold Simmons that currently includes four NYSE-listed corporations. The Foundation operates as a single-focus grantmaking entity, distributing funds to nonprofit organizations exclusively in the Dallas, Texas area across five program areas: education, health care, social welfare, civic improvement, and arts & culture.
Grant proposals are accepted year-round with no application deadlines, submitted via USPS mail or email. The Foundation funds operating expenses, capital needs, and special projects, with first-time applicant grants typically ranging from $5,000 to $20,000. In 2025, the Foundation distributed approximately $6.9 million in grants. Its 2025 grantee portfolio spans organizations such as Agape Clinic at Grace United Methodist Church, Grant Halliburton Foundation, HHM Health, Dallas Black Dance Theatre, Communities in Schools, Texas Appleseed, Uplift Education, and The Texas Tribune, among roughly 30+ named nonprofits.
The Foundation is managed by a lean staff of three — Lisa K. Simmons (President since 1988, B.A. from Duke University), Betsy Healy (VP of Grants, joined 2006), and Jennifer Molina-Garcia (Executive Assistant). Operations rely on Blackbaud web-based grants management software for proposal processing and annual reporting. Following Harold Simmons' death in 2013 and Serena Simmons Connelly's death in 2020, Lisa Simmons continues to oversee the Foundation under family-controlled governance, with Contran Corporation remaining the primary funding source.
Harold Simmons Foundation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Harold Simmons Foundation
- Legal name
- Harold Simmons Foundation, Inc.
- Website
- https://haroldsimmonsfoundation.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1988
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Harold Simmons Foundation is a Dallas, Texas-based private philanthropic foundation established in 1988 and funded by Contran Corporation. It distributes grants of approximately $6.9 million annually to local nonprofits across education, healthcare, social welfare, civic improvement, and arts & culture.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Harold Simmons Foundation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Philanthropic Grantmaking
- NAICS
- Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Arts, Culture & Humanities Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAJ), Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK), Corporate Foundations & CSR Grantmaking (BPAGAKAC)
Keywords
Where Harold Simmons Foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Dallas
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Harold Simmons Foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations
Revenue model
- Foundation Grant Distribution: The Harold Simmons Foundation is funded primarily by Contran Corporation and distributes grants to Dallas area nonprofit organizations. In 2025, the Foundation distributed approximately $6.9 million dollars in grants for operating expenses, capital needs, and special projects.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels2 records
Harold Simmons Foundation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Harold Simmons Foundation is a private philanthropic foundation that distributes grants to Dallas, Texas area nonprofit organizations across five focus areas: education, health care, social welfare, civic improvement, and arts and culture. Grants support operating expenses, capital needs, and special projects, generally ranging from $5,000 to $20,000 for first-time applicants, with approximately $6.9 million distributed in 2025.
Product overview
The Harold Simmons Foundation is a single-focus philanthropic grantmaking organization established in 1988. It distributes grants to Dallas, Texas area nonprofit organizations across five focus areas: education, health care, social welfare, civic improvement, and arts & culture. The foundation makes grants for operating expenses, capital needs, and special projects, typically ranging from $5,000 to $20,000 for first-time applicants. In 2025, the foundation distributed approximately $6.9 million. There are no modular products, platform add-ons, or distinct service offerings beyond the core grantmaking program.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Grantmaking Program for Dallas-Area Nonprofits Core grantmaking program that distributes funds to Dallas-area nonprofit organizations across five focus areas (education, healthcare, social welfare, civic improvement, and arts and culture) for operating expenses, capital needs, and special projects. Typical grant sizes range from $5,000 to $20,000 for first-time applicants, with approximately $6.9 million distributed in 2025.
Quantifiable outcome
- $6.9 million distributed in grants in 2025
Companies that use Harold Simmons Foundation
Customer profileNamed customers36 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles6 records
Harold Simmons Foundation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Harold Simmons Foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Harold Simmons Foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Moody Foundation: Large Texas private foundation distributing grants across education, social services, and community development. Comparable as a Texas-headquartered family foundation with broad community impact funding.
- Communities Foundation of Texas: Largest Texas-based community foundation, also headquartered in Dallas and distributing grants to local nonprofits. Comparable mission, geography, and grantmaking model to the Harold Simmons Foundation.
- Hoblitzelle Foundation: Dallas-based private foundation supporting education, health, human services, and civic/cultural projects. Directly comparable Dallas grantmaker with similar funding priorities.
- The Dallas Foundation: Dallas-focused community foundation making grants to nonprofits in education, health, social services, and the arts. Direct peer in both geography and grantmaking scope.
- Sid W. Richardson Foundation: Fort Worth-based private foundation funding Texas nonprofits in education, health, human services, and arts/culture. Comparable as a Texas-focused family foundation.
- Meadows Foundation: Dallas-based private foundation supporting Texas nonprofits in education, health, social services, and arts/culture. Highly comparable as a Dallas-area private foundation with similar thematic focus areas.
- Carl B. & Florence E. King Foundation: Dallas-based private foundation distributing grants to Texas nonprofits in education, health, and human services. Similar size and grantmaking scope as the Harold Simmons Foundation.
- Robert D. and Catherine R. Alexander Foundation: Dallas-based private family foundation supporting education, human services, and community initiatives. Comparable as a Dallas-area family-controlled private foundation.
Regional players
- United Way of Metropolitan Dallas: Dallas-based nonprofit funder supporting education, income, and health programs across the same local nonprofit ecosystem. Comparable as a major Dallas-area grant distributor with overlapping thematic focus.
- Texas Women's Foundation: Texas-focused foundation that funds women's and family economic security, education, and health. Comparable focus on health, education, and social welfare with a Texas/regional orientation.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Harold Simmons Foundation social profiles
Digital presenceHarold Simmons Foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Harold Simmons Foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Harold Simmons Foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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Harold Simmons Foundation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Harold Simmons Foundation
What does Harold Simmons Foundation do?
The Harold Simmons Foundation is a private philanthropic foundation that distributes grants to Dallas, Texas area nonprofit organizations across five focus areas: education, health care, social welfare, civic improvement, and arts and culture. Grants support operating expenses, capital needs, and special projects, generally ranging from $5,000 to $20,000 for first-time applicants, with approximately $6.9 million distributed in 2025.
Is Harold Simmons Foundation a public or private company?
Harold Simmons Foundation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Harold Simmons Foundation founded?
Harold Simmons Foundation was founded in 1988. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Harold Simmons Foundation based?
Harold Simmons Foundation is headquartered in Dallas, United States, in the North America region.
How does Harold Simmons Foundation make money?
One revenue line is on record: foundation Grant Distribution.
Who are Harold Simmons Foundation's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Moody Foundation, Communities Foundation of Texas, Hoblitzelle Foundation, The Dallas Foundation, Sid W. Richardson Foundation, Meadows Foundation, Carl B. & Florence E. King Foundation and Robert D. and Catherine R. Alexander Foundation. Regional players are United Way of Metropolitan Dallas and Texas Women's Foundation.
Does Harold Simmons Foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for Harold Simmons Foundation.
What industry is Harold Simmons Foundation in?
Harold Simmons Foundation's product category is Philanthropic Grantmaking. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAA, Private Foundations, with a secondary code of BPAGAKAJ, Arts, Culture & Humanities Grantmaking Foundations. Its NAICS code is 813211.