Welcome to the Summerlee Foundation
Founded in 1988, The Summerlee Foundation is a mission-driven, proactive organization dedicated to the support of animal protection and the preservation of Texas history.
Today, the foundation is governed by a seven member board of directors composed of animal and history experts and community leaders and remains actively involved in the broader philanthropic sector as members of national and regional philanthropy serving organizations including Animal Grantmakers, Exponent Philanthropy, and Philanthropy Southwest.
Since inception, The Summerlee Foundation has awarded $65 million dollars in grants and has been recognized as the Outstanding Foundation by the Greater Dallas Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.
Please note that the Summerlee Foundation is no longer accepting Letters of Interest (LOI) or grant applications by mail or email. We are transitioning to a new and convenient online application and grants management system designed to assist you in submitting an LOI and a full proposal. For detailed instructions, please go to the How to Apply sections for either the Animal Program or the History Program.
Animal Protection Program
The Animal Protection application portal will open for Letters of Intent on July 1, 2025 and will close upon reaching 150 submissions. This is for organizations wishing to apply for our September 2025 grant cycle. (The May grant cycle is by invitation only.) Thank you.
Texas History Program
The Texas History application portal will be open for Letters of Intent from May 1 – May 30 for organizations wishing to apply for our September 2025 grant cycle. Please email Gary Smith at gnsmith@summerlee.org to set up an appointment to visit about your project prior to entering the portal.
What We Fund
The Foundation makes grants for two specific purposes: to alleviate fear, pain and suffering of animals and to promote animal protection and the prevention of cruelty to animals, and to research, promote and document all facets of Texas History.
