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Nancy Smith Hurd Foundation Trust

Annual Giving
$4.1M
Grant Range
$100K - $0.3M
Decision Time
2mo

Nancy Smith Hurd Foundation Trust

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $4,068,780 (2023)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly available
  • Decision Time: Approximately 6-8 weeks (applications in March, decisions in May; applications in September, decisions in November)
  • Grant Range: $100,000 - $250,000
  • Geographic Focus: Bexar County, Texas
  • Number of Awards: 55 grants (2023)

Contact Details

Foundation Manager: Broadway Bank Wealth Management
Website: https://broadway.bank/wealth-management/foundations-grants/foundations-we-manage/nancy-smith-hurd-foundation

Overview

The Nancy Smith Hurd Foundation Trust was established in 2007 and is managed by Broadway Bank Wealth Management in San Antonio, Texas. With annual giving exceeding $4 million, the foundation has awarded 366 individual grants totaling $37,254,509 since 2015. The foundation's mission is to be a trusted funder in Bexar County by supporting programs that improve education, health, family well-being, arts, culture, and animal welfare. The foundation is classified as a corporate foundation (NTEE Classification T21) and focuses exclusively on 501(c)(3) organizations operating within Bexar County, Texas.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

General Grantmaking Program: $100,000 - $250,000

  • The foundation considers significant grant requests between $100,000 and $250,000 where the award would make a major impact in the community
  • Applications accepted through online grant management portal
  • Semi-annual distribution cycle with fixed deadlines (March 31 and September 30)

Priority Areas

The foundation supports programs in the following areas within Bexar County:

  • Education: Programs that improve educational outcomes and opportunities
  • Health: Health-related initiatives and services
  • Family Well-being: Programs supporting family stability and development
  • Arts: Arts and cultural programs
  • Culture: Cultural preservation and enrichment initiatives
  • Animal Welfare: Programs supporting animal care and welfare

Grant Priorities

The foundation prioritizes grants that:

  • Make a major impact in the community
  • Create opportunities to partner with other philanthropic funders, encouraging community collaboration
  • Fund capital campaigns in progress
  • Advance an organization in ways that would not occur without the grant

What They Don't Fund

  • Organizations outside Bexar County, Texas
  • Organizations that are not 501(c)(3) tax-exempt entities
  • Organizations not described in Sections 170(c), 2055(a), and 2522(a) of the Internal Revenue Code

Governance and Leadership

The Nancy Smith Hurd Foundation Trust is managed by Broadway Bank Wealth Management. Specific trustee information is available in the foundation's annual Form 990-PF filings through ProPublica's Nonprofit Explorer or other public charity databases.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Applications must be submitted online through the foundation's grant management portal. Only completed grant applications submitted by the stated deadlines will be considered. Applications submitted after the deadline are deferred to the following grant cycle.

Eligibility Requirements:

  • Must be a registered 501(c)(3) organization
  • Must be described in Sections 170(c), 2055(a), and 2522(a) of the Internal Revenue Code
  • Must operate within or serve Bexar County, Texas
  • Must fall within the foundation's principal charitable purposes

Decision Timeline

The Nancy Smith Hurd Foundation operates on a semi-annual distribution schedule:

  • Spring Cycle: Applications due March 31, decisions announced in May
  • Fall Cycle: Applications due September 30, decisions announced in November

This represents approximately a 6-8 week decision timeline from application deadline to notification.

Success Rates

Specific acceptance rates are not publicly available. However, based on the foundation's 2023 activity:

  • 55 grants awarded
  • Total giving of $4,068,780
  • Average grant size of approximately $74,000

The foundation has consistently made between 38-55 awards annually in recent years (38 in 2021, 41 in 2022, 55 in 2023), suggesting a selective but active grantmaking program.

Reapplication Policy

Specific reapplication policies are not publicly stated. Organizations should contact the foundation through Broadway Bank for guidance on reapplication procedures.

Application Success Factors

While specific guidance from the foundation is limited in public sources, the following factors appear important based on their stated priorities:

Focus on Significant Impact: The foundation explicitly seeks grants that would make a "major impact in the community" and advance organizations "in ways that would not occur without the grant." Applications should clearly articulate transformational impact rather than incremental improvement.

Community Collaboration: The foundation values opportunities to partner with other philanthropic funders and encourages community collaboration. Applications that demonstrate partnerships or leverage funding from multiple sources may be viewed favorably.

Capital Campaigns: The foundation specifically mentions funding capital campaigns in progress, suggesting openness to infrastructure and capacity-building projects, not just programmatic support.

Bexar County Focus: The foundation is exclusively focused on Bexar County. Applications must demonstrate clear benefit to Bexar County residents and communities.

Grant Size Expectations: With a stated range of $100,000-$250,000 for "significant" requests, organizations should consider whether their request aligns with this threshold and can demonstrate commensurate impact.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Submit significant requests: The foundation explicitly seeks grant requests between $100,000-$250,000 that will make major community impact; smaller requests may not align with their strategic priorities
  • Emphasize transformational impact: Focus on how the grant would create change that "would not occur without the grant" rather than describing incremental improvements
  • Highlight collaboration opportunities: Demonstrate how the grant could create partnership opportunities with other funders or community organizations
  • Meet the deadlines: The foundation operates on a strict semi-annual schedule with March 31 and September 30 deadlines; late applications are deferred to the next cycle
  • Ensure Bexar County focus: All programs must serve Bexar County residents; the foundation does not support work outside this geographic area
  • Consider the full funding cycle: Plan your application timeline carefully, as decisions are made 6-8 weeks after the deadline, with only two opportunities per year
  • Understand the competitive landscape: With 55 grants awarded from total giving of over $4 million, the foundation makes selective but substantial investments in Bexar County nonprofits

References

Information accessed December 2024

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