The Perry & Ruby Stevens Charitable Foundation
At a glance
Key takeaways
- A request fits best if the organisation is a 501(c)(3) with at least three years of operating history, is not a private foundation, and is located in or directly serves residents of Bandera, Edwards, Gillespie, Kendall, Kerr, Kimble, Mason or Real counties, with requests from the Texas Hill Country receiving particular responsiveness.
- The foundation does not fund general operating expenses, so the request should name a specific project within its themes, such as disability support, volunteer firefighting, disaster assistance, animal welfare, Parkinson's disease, elderly support or abused or neglected women.
- Half of its 125 grants to organisations were $25,000 or less and about 8 in 10 fell between $10,000 and $170,000, so a request near $25,000 is a sensible starting point, though its largest grant was $500,000.
- The filing shows that 59% of its grant dollars to organisations went to groups it had also funded in earlier years, so an existing relationship is worth building before the first request.
- Register in the E-Grant System and submit a Letter of Inquiry at least two weeks before one of its four annual deadlines, since only approved enquiries are invited to a full proposal.
Overview
The Perry & Ruby Stevens Charitable Foundation is a US private foundation based in Kerrville, TX.
What they fund
Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The Foundation gives grants to qualified charitable organisations for specific goals within its stated charitable purposes, rather than general operating expenses. Its purposes include assistance, care and treatment for people with mental or physical disabilities and abused or neglected women; support for volunteer firefighting, people affected by natural disasters, animal welfare, Parkinson’s disease, and elderly people unable to support themselves. It also considers requests addressing financially disadvantaged children and young adults or those who have suffered abuse or neglect. Applicants must be federally tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organisations, not private foundations, with at least three years of operating history. They must be located in or directly serve residents of eight named counties, while requests originating in the Texas Hill Country receive particular responsiveness. The process begins with a Letter of Inquiry; only approved enquiries proceed by invitation to a full proposal.
Themes
- Disability support
- Abused or neglected women
- Volunteer firefighting
- Disaster assistance
- Animal welfare
- Parkinson’s disease
- Elderly support
Geographic Focus
Bandera; Edwards; Gillespie; Kendall; Kerr; Kimble; Mason; Real. Priority: Texas Hill Country.
What They Don't Fund
- General operating expenses of a grantee
- Organisations that are not exempt from federal tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code
- Private foundations under section 509(a) of the Code
- Qualified non-profits with less than three years of operating history
How to apply
Applicants register in the E-Grant System and submit a Letter of Inquiry first. If approved, they are invited by email to complete the grant application with required attachments.
Deadlines:
- There are four opportunities to apply annually.
- Letters of Inquiry are due two weeks before each application deadline.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 59% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 or TY2023 filing.
- Grant size: Across its TY2022, TY2023 and TY2024 filings, half of its 125 grants to organisations were $25,000 or less.
What the foundation says:
- Requests should fall within the Foundation’s guidelines and charitable purposes.
- A Letter of Inquiry must establish that the proposal fits the eligibility guidelines before a full proposal is invited.
- Foundation staff may arrange phone interviews or site visits, or request further information during review.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
- The largest single recipient received 13% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 59% of grant dollars went to organisations The Perry & Ruby Stevens Charitable Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 42 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $25,000 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- University of Texas Foundation for the Benefit of University of Texas Health Science Center · Parkinsons research$500,0002024 tax year
- Hill Country Community Needs Council · Program support for mental health$500,0002024 tax year
- Frio Canyon Ems · Fire and ambulance support$300,0002024 tax year
- Texas Lions Camp · Support for individuals with disabilities$175,0002024 tax year
- Hill Country Youth Ranch · Arts and wellness support$170,0002024 tax year
- Mountain Home Volunteer Fire Department · Fire and ambulance support$140,0002024 tax year
- Dietert Center · Hvac replacement and senior center$125,0002024 tax year
- San Antonio Food Bank · Food distribution$120,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Mark Milton — Executive Director / Trustee
- Carolyn Paterson — Trustee
- Laurie Milton — Trustee
- Allan G Paterson — Trustee
- Leon Jeffcoat — Trustee
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $3,236,837 | $2,384,000 | $60,273,858 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $3,302,080 | $2,385,000 | $65,724,456 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $3,815,908 | $3,081,500 | $70,504,172 | Filing for 2024 tax year |
Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.
Sources
Registers and filings
Other sources
🎯 You've done the research. Now write an application they can't refuse.
Hinchilla combines funder's specific priorities with your organisation's past successful grants and AI analysis of what reviewers want to see.
Data privacy and security by default
Your organisation's past successful grants and experience
AI analysis of what reviewers want to see
A compelling draft application in 10 minutes instead of 10 hours
Spotted something that needs correcting? Let us know
At a glance
Applying to The Perry & Ruby Stevens Charitable Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (830) 896-0630
- stevensfoundation@hctc.net
- STEVENSFDN@HCTC.NET
- Kerrville, TX
- stevensfdn.org
Applying to The Perry & Ruby Stevens Charitable Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (830) 896-0630
- stevensfoundation@hctc.net
- STEVENSFDN@HCTC.NET
- Kerrville, TX
- stevensfdn.org