Betty Stieren Kelso Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: $3,174,000 (2024)
• Assets: $51,501,745
• Grant Range: $1,500 - $800,000
• Median Grant: $20,000
• Number of Grants: 73 awards in 2024
• Geographic Focus: Bexar County (San Antonio), Texas, with additional support in New York and Washington
• Application Deadlines: March 21, June 20, August 19, and November 14

Contact Details

Address: 7373 Broadway Suite 406, San Antonio, TX 78209

Phone: (210) 820-0113

Website: bettystierenkelsofoundation.org

EIN: 74-2442790

Overview

Established in 1988, the Betty Stieren Kelso Foundation is a private family foundation based in San Antonio, Texas, with total assets of approximately $51.5 million. The foundation's legacy is to support the diverse needs of the community, with an emphasis on Bexar County, in keeping with the long-standing generosity established by the Coates, Stieren, Roberts, and Kelso families. Named after Betty Stieren Kelso (1932-2017), a prominent San Antonio philanthropist and art collector, the foundation continues her commitment to the arts, education, and community welfare. In 2024, the foundation distributed $3,174,000 through 73 grants, making it a significant contributor to San Antonio's nonprofit sector. The foundation maintains a family-led governance structure with all officers serving without compensation, reflecting its deep commitment to community service.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation operates on a quarterly application cycle with fixed deadlines throughout the year. Grants are awarded across a wide range of sizes, from small grants of $1,500 to transformational gifts exceeding $800,000, with a median award of $20,000.

Priority Areas

Arts and Culture: The foundation has a strong legacy in supporting San Antonio's cultural institutions, including museums, performing arts organizations, and arts education programs. Notable past support includes funding for the San Antonio Museum of Art (where Betty Kelso endowed the Kelso Director Chair), McNay Art Museum, San Antonio Symphony, and Tobin Center for the Performing Arts.

Education: Children's education is a core focus, with significant support for higher education institutions. The foundation established the $1 million Betty Stieren Kelso Endowed Scholarship for Fine Arts at the University of the Incarnate Word (UIW), designed to help talented arts students graduate with minimal debt. The foundation also funded the Kelso Art Center at UIW and has provided grants to UIW Libraries.

Health and Wellness: The foundation supports health-related organizations and biomedical research, including substantial grants to the Texas Biomedical Research Institute (receiving $400,000 in recent years).

Animal Protection and Welfare: Animal welfare is an explicit priority area. The foundation supported the Humane Society of San Antonio, which named the Chula Marie Kelso Puppy Palace after one of Betty Kelso's dogs.

Religion and Faith-Based Organizations: The foundation has an interest in Christianity and has supported religious organizations and institutions affiliated with faith-based missions.

Geographic Emphasis: While the foundation primarily focuses on Bexar County and San Antonio, it also makes grants in other parts of Texas, as well as in New York and Washington states.

What They Don't Fund

Specific exclusions are not publicly documented, but the foundation's historic giving patterns suggest a strong preference for established institutions and organizations with clear missions in their priority areas. As a family foundation, they appear to support organizations with which the family has personal connections or demonstrated community impact.

Governance and Leadership

The foundation is led by a small family-based board:

Barry Roberts - President/Treasurer (son of Betty Stieren Kelso, born September 7, 1959)

Robert Kelso - Vice President (Betty's husband, Lt. Col. Robert E. Kelso, Ret.)

Elizabeth McAllen Roberts - Secretary

Carolina Roberts Lewis - Vice President (noted in some filings)

All officers serve without compensation, demonstrating the family's commitment to maximizing the foundation's charitable impact. The foundation operates with no full-time employees, reflecting its family-managed structure.

Betty Stieren Kelso, the foundation's namesake, was described by the director of the Kelso Foundation at the San Antonio Museum of Art as "an extraordinary dreamer and visionary." She passed away in 2017 but left a lasting legacy of support for the arts and community. She famously said, "Art is an extremely important part of one's life. It's food for the soul." Betty served on numerous boards including the University of the Incarnate Word (as Trustee Emerita), San Antonio Museum of Art, Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research, and the Advisory Board of the Witte Museum. She received an honorary doctorate from UIW in 2012.

The Kelso Foundation is part of a broader family philanthropic network that includes the Elizabeth Huth Coates Charitable Foundation (founded by Betty's mother, Elizabeth Huth Coates, a renowned San Antonio arts philanthropist) and the Arthur T. and Jane J. Stieren Foundation (Betty's brother's foundation). These foundations hold a long history of supporting the San Antonio and South Texas communities.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The foundation accepts unsolicited applications through a structured quarterly deadline system. While the foundation has an official website (bettystierenkelsofoundation.org), specific application procedures and online submission portals are not widely documented in public sources. Prospective applicants should visit the foundation's website or contact them directly at (210) 820-0113 to obtain current application guidelines and requirements.

Application Deadlines

The foundation operates on a quarterly cycle with four annual deadlines:

• March 21
• June 20
• August 19
• November 14

Organizations should plan their submissions well in advance of these dates.

Decision Timeline

Specific decision timelines following each deadline are not publicly documented. As a private family foundation with no full-time staff, applicants should anticipate that the review process may take several weeks to months following each deadline as the board reviews proposals.

Success Rates

With 73 grants awarded in 2024, 48 in 2023, 76 in 2022, and 83 in 2021, the foundation maintains a consistent grant-making presence. However, specific data on the number of applications received versus grants awarded is not publicly available, making it difficult to calculate a precise success rate.

Reapplication Policy

Information about reapplication policies for unsuccessful applicants is not publicly documented. However, the foundation's track record of multi-year support to certain organizations (such as UIW and Texas Biomedical Research Institute) suggests they value ongoing relationships with grantees.

Application Success Factors

Alignment with Family Values: The foundation's giving reflects the Kelso family's personal passions, particularly in arts and culture. Betty Kelso's quote—"Art is an extremely important part of one's life. It's food for the soul"—captures the philosophical foundation of their giving. Organizations that can demonstrate how their work enriches community cultural life and provides accessible arts experiences may resonate strongly with the foundation.

Bexar County Connection: The foundation explicitly emphasizes support for Bexar County. San Antonio-based organizations or those serving the local community should highlight their local impact and connection to the region where the Coates, Stieren, Roberts, and Kelso families have built their legacy.

Education and Opportunity: The Betty Stieren Kelso Endowed Scholarship at UIW was designed to help "students demonstrating significant academic and artistic talent, but lacking the financial resources to take advantage of professional internships, exhibitions, or service-learning." This reveals the foundation's interest in removing barriers and creating opportunities for talented individuals who lack resources.

Established Institutions: The foundation's major grants have gone to well-established organizations with proven track records, such as UIW (with which the Kelso family has had a multi-generational connection), Texas Biomedical Research Institute, major museums, and cultural institutions. Newer organizations may find it more challenging to secure large grants but could succeed with smaller requests.

Long-term Relationships: The foundation has demonstrated a pattern of supporting organizations over multiple years, particularly those with which the family has personal connections. Building a relationship through smaller grants may lead to increased support over time.

Clear Mission and Impact: Organizations should articulate clearly how their work serves children's education, health and wellness, the arts, or animal welfare—the foundation's explicitly stated priority areas.

Examples of Recent Funded Projects:

• University of the Incarnate Word: $1 million endowed scholarship for fine arts students, $50,000 for libraries
• Texas Biomedical Research Institute: $400,000 for biomedical research
• Texas Cavaliers Charitable Foundation: $250,000
• MOSTHistory: $55,000 for education and arts projects
• Humane Society of San Antonio: support for animal welfare programs

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Geographic fit is crucial: Emphasize your organization's connection to and impact in Bexar County and San Antonio, where the foundation prioritizes its giving.

• Know your grant size: With grants ranging from $1,500 to $800,000 and a median of $20,000, be realistic about your request size based on your organization's profile and the scope of your project.

• Plan for quarterly deadlines: The foundation's four annual deadlines (March 21, June 20, August 19, November 14) require advance planning. Allow time to prepare a strong application.

• Demonstrate arts and education impact: The foundation's roots in arts philanthropy run deep. If your work touches on arts, culture, or education—particularly for children—make this connection explicit.

• Highlight opportunity creation: The foundation values programs that help talented individuals overcome financial barriers, as evidenced by their scholarship program design.

• Build relationships: As a family foundation with a history of multi-year support to favored organizations, consider starting with smaller requests and demonstrating impact over time.

• Connect to family values: Understanding the Kelso family's commitment to making art and education accessible to the community can help frame your proposal in terms that resonate with their philanthropic philosophy.

References

1. CauseIQ Profile - Betty Stieren Kelso Foundation. Retrieved from https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/betty-stieren-kelso-foundation,742442790/. Accessed February 8, 2026.

2. ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer - Betty Stieren Kelso Foundation (EIN: 74-2442790). Retrieved from https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/742442790. Accessed February 8, 2026.

3. GuideStar Profile - Betty Stieren Kelso Foundation. Retrieved from https://www.guidestar.org/profile/74-2442790. Accessed February 8, 2026.

4. Grantmakers.io Profile - Betty Stieren Kelso Foundation. Retrieved from https://www.grantmakers.io/profiles/v0/742442790-betty-stieren-kelso-foundation/. Accessed February 8, 2026.

5. "UIW Libraries Receives Grant from Kelso Foundation," University of the Incarnate Word News, December 2021. Retrieved from https://www.uiw.edu/news/2021/12/uiw-libraries-receives-grant-from-kelso-foundation.html. Accessed February 8, 2026.

6. "Betty Stieren Kelso Foundation Gifts $1 Million for UIW Scholarships," University of the Incarnate Word News, 2019. Retrieved from https://www.uiw.edu/news/2019/betty-stieren-kelso-foundation-gifts-1-million-for-uiw-scholarships.html. Accessed February 8, 2026.

7. "The Art of Giving," The Word Online, November 2015. Retrieved from https://www.thewordonline.org/2015/11/the-art-of-giving/. Accessed February 8, 2026.

8. "Kelso was art collector, philanthropist," San Antonio Express-News obituary, 2017. Referenced through search results. Accessed February 8, 2026.

9. Betty Stieren Kelso Foundation official website: bettystierenkelsofoundation.org. Accessed February 8, 2026.

10. Foundation Directory Online (Candid) - Betty Stieren Kelso Foundation Profile. Retrieved from https://fconline.foundationcenter.org/fdo-grantmaker-profile?key=KELS005. Accessed February 8, 2026.