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Jack & Valerie Guenther Foundation

Annual Giving
$4.6M
Grant Range
Up to $3.7M00
00

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $4,560,703 (FY 2024)
  • Total Assets: $52,372,147
  • Grant Range: Varies widely; average grant $3,699,104
  • Geographic Focus: Primarily Texas, with emphasis on San Antonio
  • Application Method: No public application process; trustee discretion/invitation only
  • Foundation Type: Private family foundation

Contact Details

Address: 153 Treeline Park, Suite 300, San Antonio, TX 78209

Phone: (210) 829-1800

Note: The foundation does not have a public website or publicly available email contact.

Overview

Established in 1961, the Jack & Valerie Guenther Foundation is a private family foundation with deep roots in San Antonio's philanthropic community. With assets exceeding $52 million and annual giving of approximately $4.6 million, the foundation primarily supports arts, culture, healthcare, and educational initiatives within Texas. Founded by Jack Guenther, a prominent San Antonio attorney and businessman who built a successful automotive dealership empire, and his late wife Valerie Urschel Guenther (1940-2025), a Stanford-educated civic leader, the foundation reflects the couple's lifelong commitment to San Antonio's cultural institutions. Jack Guenther notably drafted the articles of incorporation for the Mays Cancer Center in 1974, establishing a partnership that continues today. The foundation operates a significant Art for Public Exhibit/Educational Loan Program that reaches an estimated 27,500 viewers annually and has made major contributions to institutions including the Briscoe Western Art Museum, San Antonio Zoo, San Antonio Botanical Center, and UT Health San Antonio.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation does not operate formal grant programs with published guidelines or deadlines. Grant-making decisions are made at the discretion of the family trustees based on the foundation's interests and existing relationships with San Antonio-area nonprofits.

Priority Areas

Arts & Culture: Western art collections, sculpture installations, art exhibitions, and museum support (evidenced by support for the Briscoe Western Art Museum, which features a Jack Guenther Pavilion, and artwork loans from the foundation's collection)

Healthcare: Major support for cancer research and treatment facilities (notably UT Health San Antonio's Mays Cancer Center, where the Urschel Tower is named in honor of Valerie Guenther's parents)

Education: Science education initiatives through partnerships with institutions like the Texas Biomedical Research Institute

Environmental/Conservation: Support for the San Antonio Zoo and San Antonio Botanical Center

What They Don't Fund

  • Organizations outside Texas
  • General operating support for organizations without established relationships with the foundation
  • Individual scholarships or fellowships (based on available data)
  • Political organizations or campaigns

Governance and Leadership

Leadership Structure (as of FY 2024):

  • Valerie U. Guenther - President (Note: Mrs. Guenther passed away in June 2025 at age 85; foundation leadership transition details not yet public)
  • Jack Guenther - Secretary
  • Abigail G. Kampmann - Vice President
  • Jack E. Guenther Jr. - Treasurer

Each trustee receives $10,000 annual compensation. The foundation operates with no full-time employees.

About the Leadership:

Jack Guenther (born 1934) is a San Antonio attorney (admitted 1959) and Certified Public Accountant who built a successful automotive dealership empire beginning in 1965. He serves as board director for the National Western Art Foundation and as trustee for multiple San Antonio-area foundations. His daughter, Abigail G. Kampmann, practiced law for 10 years as a partner at Cox & Smith before transitioning to lead Principle Auto Group, which operates BMW, Toyota, Lexus, Volvo, Porsche, Volkswagen, Hyundai, and Infiniti dealerships across Texas, Tennessee, and Mississippi.

The late Valerie Urschel Guenther earned both a BA in Political Science (1961) and MBA in Finance (1963) from Stanford University. She was a founder of the Texas Biomedical Forum's Science Education Awards, inspired by her uncle Tom Slick Jr., who established the Texas Biomedical Research Institute. She served on boards for the San Antonio Zoo, Briscoe Western Art Museum, San Antonio Botanical Center, and Sonterra Country Club.

Foundation Philosophy: In describing their donation of the "Wings of Hope – Hands of Healing" sculpture to the Mays Cancer Center, Jack Guenther explained their philanthropic approach: "Four years ago, my wife Valerie and I were talking with the former director of the cancer center and thought an institution of this magnitude should have a publicly viewable sculpture representing its mission." This quote reveals their collaborative decision-making and belief in visible, impactful giving that serves both aesthetic and symbolic purposes.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Jack & Valerie Guenther Foundation does not have a public application process. Grant decisions are made at the discretion of the foundation's trustees, who are family members. The foundation appears to make grants primarily to organizations with which the family has established, long-term relationships.

In FY 2024, the foundation made only one grant totaling $3,699,104, suggesting they focus on major, strategic gifts to a small number of beneficiary organizations rather than broad grant distribution.

Getting on Their Radar

The Guenther family has deep connections within San Antonio's philanthropic and civic community. Organizations that have benefited from their support typically have one or more of the following:

  • Board involvement: Valerie Guenther served on boards for the San Antonio Zoo, Briscoe Western Art Museum, and San Antonio Botanical Center - all organizations that have received foundation support
  • Family connections: Jack Guenther drafted the founding documents for the Mays Cancer Center and served on advisory boards related to the family's interests in Western art and wildlife conservation
  • San Antonio roots: The foundation's giving is concentrated in the San Antonio area, supporting institutions central to the city's cultural and healthcare infrastructure
  • Art and Western heritage focus: The foundation maintains an art collection used for public exhibition and has supported Western art institutions
  • Multi-year relationship building: Major gifts (like the "Wings of Hope" sculpture) emerged from years of involvement and conversations with institutional leaders

Organizations interested in foundation support would need to cultivate relationships with foundation trustees through San Antonio's civic and cultural networks, though given the foundation's very limited number of grants per year and the passing of co-founder Valerie Guenther in 2025, future grant-making patterns may evolve.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - no formal application cycle

Success Rates

Not applicable - invitation/relationship-based giving only

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - no formal application process

Application Success Factors

While there is no public application process, organizations that have successfully received support from the Jack & Valerie Guenther Foundation share these characteristics:

1. Long-term relationships with the family: The Mays Cancer Center received support after decades of involvement (Jack Guenther drafted their incorporation documents in 1974; major gifts followed 40+ years later)

2. Board representation or leadership involvement: Organizations where Valerie Guenther served on the board (Briscoe Western Art Museum, San Antonio Zoo, San Antonio Botanical Center) received foundation support

3. Alignment with Western art, healthcare, or conservation missions: The foundation's giving reflects the family's personal interests in Western art collection and display, cancer research and treatment, and environmental conservation

4. San Antonio-based impact: All identified beneficiaries are San Antonio institutions central to the city's cultural and healthcare infrastructure

5. Opportunities for named recognition: Major gifts have resulted in named spaces (Jack Guenther Pavilion at Briscoe Museum, Urschel Tower at Mays Cancer Center) or prominent public artwork

6. Capacity to receive and steward major gifts: With an average grant of $3.7 million and only one grant in FY 2024, the foundation focuses on transformational gifts to established institutions rather than smaller grants to multiple organizations

7. Mission alignment with public education and access: The foundation's Art for Public Exhibit/Educational Loan Program (reaching 27,500 viewers annually) demonstrates commitment to making art accessible to the broader community, not just collectors or museum visitors

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • This is not a grantable foundation for most organizations: With only one grant made in FY 2024 and no public application process, this foundation is not accessible to organizations without pre-existing family relationships
  • Relationship-based giving over time: The foundation's major gifts resulted from decades-long relationships between family members and beneficiary institutions, not solicited proposals
  • Board service matters: Valerie Guenther's board service at multiple San Antonio cultural institutions directly correlated with foundation support for those organizations
  • Focus on transformational, not incremental, support: With an average grant exceeding $3.6 million, the foundation makes major gifts rather than numerous smaller grants
  • Family transition ahead: With Valerie Guenther's passing in June 2025, the foundation's future priorities and grant-making approach may evolve under the leadership of the next generation (Abigail Kampmann and Jack Guenther Jr.)
  • San Antonio institutions with Western art, healthcare, or conservation missions that can cultivate multi-year relationships with foundation trustees are most likely to receive consideration
  • Public impact and visibility important: Supported projects include public sculpture, museum pavilions, and art loan programs that serve broad audiences, not restricted or private collections

References

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