Max and Minnie Tomerlin Voelcker Fund

SAN ANTONIO, TX EIN: 74-2985834 Website

The Max and Minnie Tomerlin Voelcker Fund is a private foundation based in San Antonio, Texas, dedicated to advancing medical research. The foundation operates as an independent 501(c)(3) organization with a focus on supporting charitable organizations engaged in biomedical research.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$56.3M

-2.0% YoY

Annual Giving

$3.4M

-6.1% YoY

Grant Count

+4.2% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$137K

-9.9% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Max and Minnie Tomerlin Voelcker Fund reported a distributable amount of $3.6M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation's mission is to support charitable organizations conducting medical research with emphasis on finding cures for:

Cancer
Heart disease
Arthritis
Muscular dystrophy
Retinitis and macular degeneration of the retina

The foundation lends special consideration to organizations operating in the San Antonio and Bexar County area, though it also funds research institutions beyond this region.

Grantmaking

The foundation concentrates on supporting the costs of medical research and does not accept grant solicitations for:

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation emphasizes funding organizations in the greater Bexar County area and San Antonio, Texas. However, recent grants indicate support for research institutions across Texas and beyond, including institutions in Maryland and Massachusetts.

Grant Distribution by State

Texas $15.5M (97%)

Maryland $525K (3%)

Massachusetts $8 (0%)

States

Massachusetts Maryland Texas

Cities

CambridgeColumbiaConverseDallasSan Antonio

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of 2024:

Total assets: $56,252,299
Total revenues: $3,543,399
Total expenses: $4,700,320
Total giving: $3,429,029
Staff: 3 employees

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$56,252,299	$57,409,220	$58,935,824
Revenue	$3,543,399	$3,319,269	$5,224,412
Expenses	$4,700,320	$4,845,873	$4,425,949
Qualifying Distributions	$3,527,366	$3,731,310	$3,433,819
Net Investment Income	$2,401,109	$2,285,230	$4,264,444
Distributable Amount	$3,642,270	$3,560,577	$3,586,367

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

115 grants across all recorded years

Open Grants

1 open opportunity from Max and Minnie Tomerlin Voelcker Fund

Foundation

Voelcker Fund Young Investigator Award Grant

MAX AND MINNIE TOMERLIN VOELCKER FUND

Amount

Up to US $450,000

Deadline

Rolling / Open

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Children's Hospital of San Antonio ($666,668), Texas Biomedical Research Institute ($350,000), University of Texas Health Science Center ($286,640).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION DALLAS, TX	SUPPORT RESEARCH FOR HEART DISEASE	$67,388
AMERICAN RED CROSS SAN ANTONIO, TX	SUPPORT BLOOD SAVES LIVES: FIGHTING CANCER	$30,000
AUGUST HEART SAN ANTONIO, TX	SUPPORT TESTING FOR CARDIAC DISEASE	$25,000
BOYSVILLE INC CONVERSE, TX	SUPPORT BOYSVILLE INC.	$180,000
BRIGHTON CENTER SAN ANTONIO, TX	SUPPORT CHILDREN'S PROGRAMS	$50,000
CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF SAN ANTONIO SAN ANTONIO, TX	SUPPORT THE PEDIATRIC NEUROSURGERY EPILEPSY PROGRAM	$666,668
CONTRIBUTIONS PAID THROUGH MIT PRIVATE EQUITY FUND IV LP CAMBRIDGE, MA	CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION	$1
FOUNDATION FIGHTING BLINDNESS COLUMBIA, MD	SUPPORT AGE RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION RESEARCH	$175,000
I CARE SAN ANTONIO SAN ANTONIO, TX	SUPPORT PATIENT VISION SERVICES AT HAVEN FOR HOPE	$35,000
LOW VISION RESOURCE CENTER SAN ANTONIO, TX	SUPPORT VISION-IMPAIRED RADIO PROGRAMMING	$5,000

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
BANKS M SMITH	TRUSTEE	10	$125,000
DAVID P BERNDT	TRUSTEE	3	$100,000
FORRESTER M SMITH III	TRUSTEE	3	$100,000

Recent News & Activity

Recent developments and announcements

2025

**2025 Young Investigator Awards**

2025

In July 2025, the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio received $1.25 million to support research projects conducted by early career investigators. Recipients of the 2025 Voelcker Fund Young Investigator Awards included:

Max and Minnie Tomerlin Voelcker Fund grants UT Health San Antonio $1.25

**Maria Falzone, PhD** (Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology; member of the Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute and UT Health San Antonio Mays Cancer Center) — Project: "Phospholipase dysregulation in breast cancer," investigating how GTPases RhoA1 and Arf regulate phospholipase D activity and their impact on breast cancer progression.

Max and Minnie Tomerlin Voelcker Fund grants UT Health San Antonio $1.25

**Oleg Klykov, PhD** (Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry) — Project details included in the award announcement.

2024

**2024 Grants**

Christus Santa Rosa Health System: $666,668 to support the Pediatric Neurosurgery Epilepsy Program

UT Health Newsroom: Voelcker Fund supports research for early career investigators

Texas Biomedical Research Institute: $350,000 to support recruitment for cancer research specialists

UT Health Newsroom: Voelcker Fund supports research for early career investigators

2026

**2026 Young Investigator Awards**

2026

The foundation announced the 2026 Young Investigator Awards with a Request for Proposals for basic and translational research.

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Max and Minnie Tomerlin Voelcker Fund fund?

The foundation's mission is to support charitable organizations conducting medical research with emphasis on finding cures for: • Cancer • Heart disease • Arthritis • Muscular dystrophy • Retinitis and macular degeneration of the retina The foundation lends special consideration to organizations operating in the San Antonio and Bexar County area, though it also funds research institutions beyond this region.

How do I apply for a grant from Max and Minnie Tomerlin Voelcker Fund?

**Voelcker Fund Young Investigator Awards** • Provides up to $450,000 over a three-year period to early career investigators • Supports basic and translational research that bridges the gap between basic research and patient care • Candidates must hold a tenure-track position • Up to three awards may be made annually, for a total commitment of up to $1,350,000 **General Grants** • The foundation accepts Letters of Inquiry (LOI) on an ongoing basis • Considers seed funding, challenge or matching…

Where does Max and Minnie Tomerlin Voelcker Fund make grants?

What size grants does Max and Minnie Tomerlin Voelcker Fund award?

In 2024, Max and Minnie Tomerlin Voelcker Fund awarded 25 grants totaling $3.4M — an average of about $137K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Max and Minnie Tomerlin Voelcker Fund required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Max and Minnie Tomerlin Voelcker Fund reported a distributable amount of $3.6M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

What is Max and Minnie Tomerlin Voelcker Fund's EIN?

Max and Minnie Tomerlin Voelcker Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 74-2985834. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.