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Kate Marmion Charitable Foundation

Annual Giving
$2.9M
Grant Range
$15K - $30.0M

Kate Marmion Charitable Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $2.9 million (2024), with exceptional gifts including $30M to UTSA in 2024
  • Total Assets: $636.8 million (2024)
  • Grant Range: $15,000 - $30,000,000 (documented range)
  • Geographic Focus: Uvalde, San Antonio, and South Texas region
  • Application Method: Website indicates application process exists
  • Grants Made: 5 grants (2023), 8 grants (2022), 9 grants (2021)

Contact Details

Website: https://katebriscoemarmionfoundation.org/

Location: San Antonio, TX

Note: The foundation's website includes a "How To Apply for a Grant" page and "Contact Us" section. Visit the website directly for current application guidelines and contact information.

Overview

The Kate Marmion Charitable Foundation was established in 2008 to honor the memory of Kate Marmion, daughter of Janey Briscoe Marmion and granddaughter of former Texas Governor Dolph Briscoe Jr. The foundation has experienced remarkable growth, expanding from $2.4 million in assets (2020) to $636.8 million (2024), reflecting a major influx of contributions totaling $227.5 million in 2024. The foundation's mission centers on encouraging, supporting, and promoting people, places, and programs in Uvalde and South Texas that were important to Kate and her family. The foundation has made transformational gifts including $30 million to UT San Antonio School of Public Health (renamed the Kate Marmion School of Public Health in recognition) and $10 million plus a $5 million matching grant to the Uvalde CISD Moving Forward Foundation for a new elementary school.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation awards grants through a discretionary process, with awards ranging from modest grants (documented as low as $15,000) to transformational eight-figure gifts ($30 million). Recent major grants include:

  • Major Institutional Gifts: $10M - $30M (for transformational projects aligned with foundation mission)
  • Community Grants: Amounts vary (typical historical range $15,000 - $300,000 based on documented grants)
  • Matching Grants: Foundation has deployed $5M matching grant strategy for community campaigns

The foundation website indicates a formal application process exists through their "How To Apply for a Grant" page.

Priority Areas

The foundation focuses on four core areas:

  1. Children's Interests: Supporting programs benefiting children, including educational facilities and child-focused initiatives (e.g., new elementary school in Uvalde following the 2022 tragedy)

  2. Education: Major investments in educational institutions, particularly those serving South Texas communities and addressing workforce development needs (e.g., fellowships, scholarships, and endowments for public health education)

  3. Agriculture: Supporting agricultural programs and initiatives in the South Texas region

  4. Southwestern American History, Culture, Art, and Literature: Promoting understanding and appreciation of the region's heritage

Special Focus: The foundation demonstrates strong commitment to rural health care, addressing healthcare disparities in underserved rural South Texas communities with limited access to medical services.

Geographic Priority: Strong emphasis on Uvalde, Texas, and surrounding South Texas areas, with particular attention to San Antonio-region institutions.

What They Don't Fund

Specific exclusions are not publicly documented. However, the foundation's focus on South Texas geography and its four core program areas (children, education, agriculture, and Southwestern culture) indicates a relatively narrow geographic and thematic scope.

Governance and Leadership

Key Officers

  • Dolph Briscoe IV - President & CEO
  • Barbara Woodman - Vice President
  • Carol Kothmann - Secretary
  • James Leigh Briscoe - Treasurer

All officers report zero compensation, indicating a volunteer board structure.

Leadership Philosophy

Dolph Briscoe IV has articulated the foundation's approach in public statements:

On rural health care needs: "A tremendous health care need exists in South Texas, and we are humbled by the opportunity to support the amazing faculty, staff, and students at UT San Antonio in this critical effort."

On community healing and legacy: "The Kate Marmion Charitable Foundation is committed to honoring the victims and survivors of the tragedy that occurred two years ago," expressing hope that foundation support "will continue a process of support, remembrance, and healing for the community."

The foundation's approach emphasizes long-term commitment through perpetual endowments, systematic multifaceted strategies addressing community needs, and partnerships with established institutions to develop sustainable solutions.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The foundation's website (katebriscoemarmionfoundation.org) includes a dedicated "How To Apply for a Grant" page, indicating a formal application process is available. Prospective applicants should visit the website directly for current application guidelines and requirements.

The foundation also maintains a "Prior Grants" page documenting previously funded projects, which can provide valuable insight into funding patterns and successful applications.

Decision Timeline

Specific decision timelines are not publicly documented. Based on the foundation's grant-making pattern (5-9 grants per year), decisions appear to be made on a selective, discretionary basis rather than rolling or fixed deadline cycles.

Success Rates

The foundation makes a limited number of grants annually:

  • 2023: 5 grants awarded
  • 2022: 8 grants awarded
  • 2021: 9 grants awarded

With total annual giving of approximately $2.9 million in typical years (excluding exceptional eight-figure commitments), the foundation is highly selective. However, the 2024 fiscal year shows extraordinary growth with $227.5 million in contributions received, suggesting potential for increased grant-making capacity.

Reapplication Policy

No specific reapplication policy is documented publicly. Given the foundation's small number of annual grants and focus on long-term partnerships with grantees, relationship-building and mission alignment appear to be critical factors.

Application Success Factors

Based on documented grants and leadership statements, successful applications align with these factors:

Geographic Nexus: The foundation prioritizes Uvalde and South Texas, with particular emphasis on communities and institutions connected to the Briscoe family legacy. As Dolph Briscoe IV noted regarding the Uvalde school donation, "Three generations of the Briscoe family attended Uvalde schools," demonstrating the importance of personal and family connections to funded projects.

Long-Term Impact: The foundation favors investments with sustainable, lasting impact. Their $30M gift to UTSA specifically included "perpetual endowments" supporting community outreach, scholarships, and health interventions, indicating preference for endowed programs over short-term operating support.

Addressing Critical Community Needs: Leadership emphasizes responding to "tremendous health care need" and community crises. The foundation's major investments in rural public health and school rebuilding following the Uvalde tragedy demonstrate responsiveness to documented community challenges.

Evidence-Based Approaches: The UTSA gift emphasizes "evidence-based solutions focused on community-specific health needs," suggesting the foundation values data-driven interventions with measurable outcomes.

Partnership with Established Institutions: Recent major gifts have gone to established universities and school districts rather than direct service provision, suggesting the foundation prefers working through established institutions with infrastructure and accountability.

Alignment with Core Mission Areas: Review the foundation's "Prior Grants" page to understand how your project fits within children's interests, education, agriculture, or Southwestern culture/history.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Geographic alignment is critical: Strong Uvalde/South Texas connection and demonstrated community ties significantly strengthen applications. The Briscoe family's multi-generational connection to Uvalde appears to influence funding priorities.

  • Think transformational, not transactional: The foundation makes relatively few grants but can provide substantial support for the right projects. Recent gifts range from five to eight figures for projects aligned with core mission.

  • Emphasize long-term sustainability: Structure requests around endowments, permanent improvements, or capacity-building rather than annual operating support. The foundation seeks lasting legacy impact.

  • Document community need: Use evidence-based data to demonstrate the critical nature of the problem you're addressing, particularly for underserved rural populations.

  • Research prior grants thoroughly: Visit the foundation's "Prior Grants" page to understand funding patterns and successful project types before applying.

  • Consider matching grant opportunities: The foundation has deployed matching grant strategies ($5M match for Uvalde school campaign), which may be attractive for community capital campaigns.

  • Apply through official channels: Use the "How To Apply for a Grant" process on the foundation website rather than attempting to reach board members directly.

References

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