Elma Dill Russell Spencer Foundation
The Elma Dill Russell Spencer Foundation is a private foundation established in 1962 and based in San Antonio, Texas. Named after Elma Dill Russell Spencer (1895-1969), a San Antonio resident with interests in the history and culture of the Southwest, the foundation operates as an independent 501(c)(3) organization with significant assets dedicated to philanthropic work primarily in Texas.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$105.5M
+4.5% YoY
Annual Giving
$5.0M
+3.7% YoY
Grant Count
38
+18.8% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$131K
-12.6% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation focuses on funding education initiatives for underserved students, with particular emphasis on:
- Educational leadership development
- Pre-K-12 education programs
- Zoo admission and educational encounters for students attending Title 1 schools
- General operations support for nonprofit organizations
- Conservation and environmental education initiatives
Grantmaking
The foundation operates on an invitation-only basis and does not accept unsolicited applications. All grants are awarded to preselected organizations through internal selection processes.
Grant Range
$1,000 to $1,633,300
Average Grant
approximately $149,000
How to Apply
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Primary focus on the San Antonio, Texas region, with some funding activity in New York and broader Texas initiatives.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Revenue (2023-2024):
- Total assets: $105,548,041 (2024)
- Total revenue: $9,546,270 (2023)
- Total expenses: $5,613,606 (2023)
- Total liabilities: $314,000 (2023)
- Charitable disbursements: $4,960,849 (representing 83.2% of annual expenses)
- Giving rate: 4.8% of assets
Revenue Sources:
- 77% from asset sales
- 17.3% from dividends
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $105,548,041 | $101,030,189 | $96,790,692 |
| Revenue | $8,961,491 | $9,546,270 | $6,844,059 |
| Expenses | $5,959,591 | $5,613,606 | $5,956,246 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $4,960,849 | $4,781,633 | $5,221,006 |
| Net Investment Income | $8,168,927 | $8,901,100 | $4,896,670 |
| Distributable Amount | $5,290,148 | $4,962,565 | $4,779,917 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
145 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Steve C. Lewis — President (20 hours/week, $95,000 compensation)
- AJ Lewis III — Vice President/Treasurer (0 hours/week, $0 compensation)
- Kathy Sutton — Secretary/Administrative Director (10 hours/week, $24,000 compensation)
- Louis H. Stumberg Jr. — Vice President (0 hours/week, $0 compensation)
- Raul C. Arredondo — Ranch Manager (40 hours/week, $61,000 compensation)
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| STEVE C LEWIS | PRESIDENT | 20 | $95,000 |
| AJ LEWIS III | VP/TREASURER | — | — |
| KATHY SUTTON | SEC/ADMIN DIR | 10 | $24,000 |
| LOUIS H STUMBERG JR | VICE PRESIDENT | — | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
University of the Incarnate Word received a transformative gift of $5 million (October 2024)
UIW Receives Transformative Gift of $5 Million | OctoberTrinity University received $1.5 million from the foundation
Trinity Receives $1.5 Million from Elma Dill Russell Spencer Foundation |Rice University School Mathematics Project (RUSMP) received a prestigious small research grant from the Spencer Foundation
Trinity Receives $1.5 Million from Elma Dill Russell Spencer Foundation |Foundation continues to support educational leadership development and conservation initiatives
Contact Information
Address: 1900 Broadway Street, Suite 1405, San Antonio, TX 78215-1497
Phone: 210-733-1930
Tax ID (EIN): 74-6060515
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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