Finis Welch Foundation
The Finis Welch Foundation is a private family foundation established in 2012 and based in College Station, Texas. The foundation was created by Finis Welch (1938–2020) as the sole benefactor to reflect his lifelong commitment to education. The foundation provides college scholarships to high-achieving Texas students who demonstrate financial need and attend public universities in Texas.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$39.5M
+41.4% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.1M
+174.7% YoY
Grant Count
69
+6800.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$16K
-96.0% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission Statement: The mission of the Finis Welch Foundation is to enhance the quality of life through education. The Foundation seeks to recognize and support individuals enrolled or enrolling in educational institutions.
The foundation's primary focus is providing scholarships through the Welch Scholar program, which supports incoming freshmen from Texas high schools who attend partner universities. The foundation is also focused on helping Scholars with non-academic development to prepare them for the workforce upon completion of their academic degrees.
Grantmaking
The Welch Scholar program began in fall 2011 with three students enrolled at Texas A&M University. The University of Texas at Austin was added as a partner institution in fall 2024. As of fall 2025, the program awarded 52 new scholarships, bringing the active Scholar count to 116. Since its inception, the Finis Welch Foundation has provided $5,275,043 in scholarships.
How to Apply
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation funds students from Texas high schools attending public universities in Texas, with current partnerships at Texas A&M University and The University of Texas at Austin. The foundation's goal is to aggressively grow the program and potentially add new partnering universities.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of December 2024:
- Total Assets: $39,486,016
- Total Revenues: $13,713,834
- Total Expenses: $2,167,471
- Number of Employees: 3
Revenue Breakdown (FYE 12/2024):
- Total grants and contributions: $12,000,061
- Investment income and dividends: $1,713,773
Year-over-Year Growth (2023–2024):
- Total revenues increased 25.8% (from $10,902,525 to $13,713,834)
- Investment income increased 89.9% (from $902,525 to $1,713,773)
Tax Status:
- EIN: 27-4470063
- Tax-exempt since December 2012
- 501(c)(3) organization
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $39,486,016 | $27,932,615 | $18,136,820 |
| Revenue | $13,713,834 | $10,902,525 | $18,511,125 |
| Expenses | $2,167,471 | $1,106,730 | $429,751 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $2,089,137 | $1,055,079 | $428,848 |
| Net Investment Income | $1,662,677 | $861,138 | $1,963 |
| Distributable Amount | $1,682,152 | $1,010,091 | $39,888 |
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
55 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
- Lara Anderson – President and Executive Director
- Crystal Dupre – Development Director
- Lacey Junek – Scholarship Program Director
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| KEVIN MURPHY | CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD | 2 | — |
| ROBERT TOPEL | VICE CHAIR | 0.5 | — |
| LARA ANDERSON | PRESIDENT / TREASURER | 40 | $330,662 |
| PHIL GRAMM | BOARD MEMBER | 0.5 | — |
| WENDY GRAMM | BOARD MEMBER | 0.5 | — |
Recent Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation is in an expansion phase following the passing of sole benefactor Finis Welch in 2020. The foundation's stated goal is to bring the total number of continuous scholarships to 250 within five years. The addition of The University of Texas at Austin as a partner institution in fall 2024 represents a significant expansion of the program's reach.
The Welch Foundation Announces More Than $27 Million in Texas\u2026Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
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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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