Sarah and Ross Perot Jr. Foundation

OVERVIEW: The Sarah and Ross Perot Jr. Foundation is the philanthropic vehicle of billionaire Ross Perot Jr. and his wife, Sarah, who give towards education, arts and culture, environment, and religious organizations in Dallas and Texas at large.

IP TAKE: The foundation's largest sums appear to be going to higher education, but the foundation spreads its money around, giving around $4 million annually in recent years. Local grantseekers looking for funding would do well to network here to get on this funder’s radar.

PROFILE: Founded in 2002, the Sarah and Ross Perot Jr. Foundation is the philanthropic vehicle of billionaire Ross Perot Jr. and his wife, Sarah. Son of businessman and politician Ross Perot and his wife, Margot, Henry Ross Perot, Jr. was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. Perot graduated from St. Mark's School of Texas in 1977, and later went to Vanderbilt University. He served in the U.S. Air Force for eight and a half years and then as chairman of the Air Force Memorial Foundation. Perot has also expanded his family fortunes, largely through real estate. Grantmaking areas of interest include education, arts and culture, environment, and religious organizations.

Grants for Higher Education, Arts and Culture, and Environment

The foundation does not have a website to guide grant seekers. However, the couple is very active in the Texas community and serves on many boards. In addition to serving as president of the foundation, Sarah is on the board of Southern Methodist University in Dallas and also served as development chair of the AT&T Performing Arts Center. Much of the couple's Texas philanthropy fellows a trail of board memberships and personal connections. The foundation has supported family-affiliated organizations like St. Mark's School of Texas, Southern Methodist University, and the Episcopal School of Dallas. Perot also established the Jerome M. Fullinwider Chair in Economic Freedom at Southern Methodist University, in Sarah's father's name. The couple has been a strong funder of arts and culture in the Dallas area and beyond, and a major part of this has included Dallas' own Perot Museum of Nature and Science. The foundation has also supported the AT&T Performing Arts Center in Dallas, the Dallas Museum of Art, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth. A component of the couple's philanthropy also appears to involve the environment. They have been supporters of the UT Austin Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, for example. The couple supports human services organizations as well, such as Nexus and the Salvation Army in Dallas. Also, in 2022, the foundation gave a $50 million endowment to UT Southwestern to provide a permanent endowment for the Perot Family Scholars Medical Scientist Training Program.

Important Grant Details

Foundation grants have ranged anywhere from $300,000 to $50 million each. The foundation’s giving is largely focused on Dallas, Texas. However, it supports causes nationally and internationally as well.

It does not appear that this foundation accepts unsolicited grant applications from nonprofits. The phone number to reach the foundation staff is 214-528-2225.

PEOPLE:

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