Max and Minnie Tomerlin Voelcker Fund

Private foundation · EIN 74-2985834 · since 2001voelckerfund.org·Bexar County, San Antonio·Updated 13 October 2026

At a glance

$3.5M

Annual giving, 2024 tax year

From the Form 990-PF filing

$20,000 to $290k

Grant range

From grants in the 990-PF filings

$133k

Typical grant (median)

24 grants in the latest filing

Open to applications

A mix of rolling and fixed deadlines · unsolicited applications welcome

Key takeaways

The Fund suits a small nonprofit whose work is medical research into cancer, heart disease, arthritis, muscular dystrophy, retinitis or macular degeneration, and the filing says it gives special consideration to organisations in San Antonio and Bexar County as a priority.
Most of its grants fall between $20,000 and $290,000, and half of its 73 grants to organisations were $135,000 or less, so a request near that middle figure is a sensible starting point; its largest grant was about $665,000, so that band is not a ceiling.
Start with a Letter of Inquiry, which the Fund accepts on an ongoing basis, and remember that an invitation to a fuller proposal does not guarantee an award.
In its most recent filing, 77% of its grant dollars to organisations went to groups it had also funded in the years before, so a first-time applicant should expect returning grantees to take most of the money.
Organisations that are not designated 501(c)(3) non-profits engaged in medical research are not eligible, and the Fund does not fund administrative costs, debt reduction, fund-raising or individuals.

Overview

Max and Minnie Tomerlin Voelcker Fund is a US private foundation based in San Antonio, 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 Fund supports charitable organisations conducting medical research, with emphasis on finding cures for cancer, heart disease, arthritis, muscular dystrophy, retinitis and macular degeneration of the retina in the Greater Bexar County Area. It offers restricted grants to designated 501(c)(3) non-profit organisations engaged in medical research, concentrates on the costs of medical research and gives special consideration to organisations operating in San Antonio and Bexar County. Its Young Investigator Award programme targets scientists at assistant professorial level or equivalent at San Antonio institutions, conducting research relevant to these diseases. It considers seed funding, challenge or matching grants, and multi-year awards for programmes or organisations aligned with its mission.

Themes

Cancer
Heart disease
Arthritis
Muscular dystrophy
Retinitis
Macular degeneration

Geographic Focus

Priority: San Antonio and Bexar County area.

What They Don't Fund

All Other Grant Seekers only: administrative costs; debt reduction; fund-raising efforts; individuals; organizations that discriminate in their leadership, staffing, or service provision on the basis of age, gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, national origin, political affiliation, or religious belief

How to apply

For restricted organisational grants, submit a Letter of Inquiry on an ongoing basis. After reviewing it, the Fund may invite a more detailed proposal; an invitation does not guarantee an award.

Application success factors

Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 77% 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 73 grants to organisations were $135,000 or less.

What the foundation says:

Potential grantees are asked to submit a Letter of Inquiry first.
The Fund considers seed, challenge or matching grants, and multi-year awards for programmes or organisations aligned with its mission.

Where grants go

From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.

Grant dollars by state

Texas97%

Maryland3%

Massachusetts<1%

The largest single recipient received 29% of grant dollars to organisations.
In tax year 2024, 77% of grant dollars went to organisations Max and Minnie Tomerlin Voelcker Fund had funded in earlier filings.
No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
<1% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.

Grants

24 grants in the latest filing analysed · median $133k

How much do they typically give?

Share of 24 grants in tax year 2024 by size

Under $1k4%

$1k–$2.5k0%

$2.5k–$5k0%

$5k–$10k4%

$10k–$25k4%

$25k–$50k4%

$50k–$100k8%

$100k–$250k54%

$250k–$500k17%

$500k–$1M4%

Median $133k (tax year 2024)

The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:

Christus Children's Hospital of San Antonio · Support the pediatric neurosurgery epilepsy program
$500,0002024 tax year
Trinity University · To purchase confocal microscope
$289,9942024 tax year
University of Texas Health Science Center · Fund the voelcker biomedical research academy
$287,3402024 tax year
University of Texas at San Antonio · Tuition assistance for science graduate students
$250,8802024 tax year
Hardberger Park Conservancy · To restore dairy barn education center
$250,0002024 tax year
Boysville · Support boysville inc.
$180,0002024 tax year
University of Texas at San Antonio · Support the summer research experience for undergraduates
$150,0002024 tax year
University of Texas at San Antonio · Support the research of dr. falzone
$150,0002024 tax year

Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.

Officers and directors

David P Berndt — Trustee
Banks M Smith — Trustee
Forrester M Smith III — Trustee

From the latest Form 990-PF filing

3 years of tax filings

Year	Total expenses	Grants paid	Assets	Filing document
2022 tax year	$4,845,873	$3,652,086	$73,522,384	Filing for 2022 tax year
2023 tax year	$4,700,320	$3,429,029	$75,346,756	Filing for 2023 tax year
2024 tax year	$4,501,948	$3,489,882	$75,919,909	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

voelckerfund.org

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