Max and Minnie Tomerlin Voelcker Fund
The Max and Minnie Tomerlin Voelcker Fund is a private foundation based in San Antonio, Texas. It supports charitable organizations conducting medical research, with emphasis on research seeking cures for specified diseases, and also supports San Antonio Children’s Hospital and Boysville.
Key facts about Max and Minnie Tomerlin Voelcker Fund
In short: Max and Minnie Tomerlin Voelcker Fund gave $3.5M across 24 grants in 2025 (avg $145K), mostly in Texas. 31% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 74-2985834
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $3,489,882
- Grants made (2025)
- 24
- Average grant
- $145,412
- Median grant
- $133,333
- New grantees (estimate)
- 31% first-time grantees (4 of 13, 2025)
- Total assets
- $58,724,755
- Primary geography
- Texas (97% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- How to apply
- General applicants should first submit a Letter of Inquiry. Full details ↓
- Deadline
- The 2026 Young Investigator Award pre-proposal deadline was December 5, 2025, and the full proposal deadline was March…
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$58.7M
+4.4% YoY
Annual Giving
$3.5M
+1.8% YoY
Grant Count
24
-4.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$145K
+6.0% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Max and Minnie Tomerlin Voelcker Fund reported a distributable amount of $3.7M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is Max and Minnie Tomerlin Voelcker Fund open to new grantees?
31%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 13 grantees (31%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $203K; repeat grants $298K. How we count
Medians: $145K first-time, $100K repeat.
- 62% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+4%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 97% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
The fund’s stated mission is to support charitable organizations conducting medical research, emphasizing work to find cures for cancer, heart disease, arthritis, muscular dystrophy, retinitis, and macular degeneration of the retina in the Greater Bexar County area. It also states that it supports San Antonio Children’s Hospital and Boysville.
The fund offers restricted grants to designated 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations engaged in medical research. Its 2025 awards included support for a pediatric neurosurgery epilepsy program, macular degeneration research, biomedical research, and science education. Among its grantees, Trinity University describes its mission as excellence in teaching, research, and services; Boysville describes its mission as providing a safe family environment for children in need so they may become responsible adults.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the fund awarded 24 grants totaling $3,489,882. Grant amounts ranged from $4 to $500,000, with a median grant of $133,333. Notable 2025 awards included $500,000 to Children’s Hospital of San Antonio for its Pediatric Neurosurgery Epilepsy Program; $289,994 to Trinity University for a confocal microscope; $287,340 to UT Health San Antonio for the Voelcker Biomedical Research Academy; $250,880 to the University of Texas at San Antonio for tuition assistance for science graduate students; $250,000 to Hardberger Park Conservancy to restore its Dairy Barn Education Center; and $180,000 to Boysville.
Review Cycle
The 2026 Young Investigator Award pre-proposal deadline was December 5, 2025, and the full proposal deadline was March 6, 2026. The fund’s filing also states that pre-proposals are due in December for grants awarded in June of the following year.
How to Apply
using the forms and instructions provided by the fund.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Max and Minnie Tomerlin Voelcker Fund
Ready to take the next step with Max and Minnie Tomerlin Voelcker Fund?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The fund gives special consideration to organizations operating in San Antonio and Bexar County. In 2025, 97% of grant dollars went to recipients in Texas and 3% to recipients in Maryland; the reported share for Massachusetts was 0%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 24 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $2.4M (2020) to $3.7M (2023). In 2025 it made 24 grants totaling $3.5M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was University of Texas at San Antonio ($1.7M across 12 grants). Together the top 10 received $3.5M.
Grant Size Distribution
118 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $100–250K range: 76 grants of 118 (64%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Christus Children's Hospital of San Antonio San Antonio, TX | Support the Pediatric Neurosurgery Epilepsy Program | $500,000 |
| Trinity University San Antonio, TX | To Purchase Confocal Microscope | $289,994 |
| University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, TX | Fund the Voelcker Biomedical Research Academy | $287,340 |
| University of Texas at San Antonio San Antonio, TX | Tuition Assistance for Science Graduate Students | $250,880 |
| Hardberger Park Conservancy San Antonio, TX | To Restore Dairy Barn Education Center | $250,000 |
| Boysville Inc Converse, TX | Support Boysville Inc. | $180,000 |
| University of Texas at San Antonio San Antonio, TX | Support the Summer Research Experience for Undergraduates | $150,000 |
| University of Texas at San Antonio San Antonio, TX | Support the Research of Dr. Falzone | $150,000 |
| University of Texas at San Antonio San Antonio, TX | Support the Research of Dr. Jkykov | $150,000 |
| University of Texas at San Antonio San Antonio, TX | Support the Research of Dr. Barton | $150,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Grant total | Number of grants |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $3,489,882 | 24 |
| 2024 | $3,429,029 | 25 |
| 2023 | $3,652,086 | 24 |
The fund files Form 990-PF.
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $58,724,755 | $56,252,299 | $57,409,220 |
| Revenue | $6,974,404 | $3,543,399 | $3,319,269 |
| Expenses | $4,501,948 | $4,700,320 | $4,845,873 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $3,579,372 | $3,527,366 | $3,731,310 |
| Net Investment Income | $6,064,928 | $2,401,109 | $2,285,230 |
| Distributable Amount | $3,672,713 | $3,642,270 | $3,560,577 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS December 10, 2019)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS January 14, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS March 2, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 7, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 14, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS February 10, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS February 24, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Banks M. Smith, David P. Berndt, and Forrester M. Smith III as trustees.
Max and Minnie Tomerlin Voelcker Fund's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; all 3 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Banks M. Smith
Trustee
On filings since 2019
10 hrs/week
$79K (2019) → $125K (2025)
David P. Berndt
Trustee
On filings since 2019
3 hrs/week
$79K (2019) → $100K (2025)
Forrester M. Smith III
Trustee
On filings since 2019
3 hrs/week
$79K (2019) → $100K (2025)
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $125K, to Banks M Smith (Trustee). 3 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Contact
Application contact: Emily Liljenwall The Max And Minnie
Mailing address: 153 Treeline Park Suite 200, San Antonio, TX 78209
Phone: (210) 886-8496
Email: emilyliljenwall@gmail.com
Website: https://voelckerfund.org
Frequently asked questions about Max and Minnie Tomerlin Voelcker Fund
How much does Max and Minnie Tomerlin Voelcker Fund give each year?
Max and Minnie Tomerlin Voelcker Fund gave $3.5M across 24 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $3.4M across 25 grants.
What is Max and Minnie Tomerlin Voelcker Fund's typical grant size?
Max and Minnie Tomerlin Voelcker Fund's median grant in 2025 was $133,333, and its average grant was $145,412, across 24 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Max and Minnie Tomerlin Voelcker Fund that year got $203K on average.
Where does Max and Minnie Tomerlin Voelcker Fund give grants?
Max and Minnie Tomerlin Voelcker Fund gives mostly in Texas: 97% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were San Antonio, TX (20 grants).
Does Max and Minnie Tomerlin Voelcker Fund give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 24 grants with a stated purpose on Max and Minnie Tomerlin Voelcker Fund's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are Max and Minnie Tomerlin Voelcker Fund's largest grantees?
Max and Minnie Tomerlin Voelcker Fund's largest 2025 grantees include University of Texas at San Antonio ($1,717,544 across 12 grants), Christus Children's Hospital of San Antonio ($500,000) and Trinity University ($289,994), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 72% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Max and Minnie Tomerlin Voelcker Fund?
Max and Minnie Tomerlin Voelcker Fund reported $58.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $3.6M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $3.7M (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Max and Minnie Tomerlin Voelcker Fund fund?
The fund’s stated mission is to support charitable organizations conducting medical research, emphasizing work to find cures for cancer, heart disease, arthritis, muscular dystrophy, retinitis, and macular degeneration of the retina in the Greater Bexar County area. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Max and Minnie Tomerlin Voelcker Fund?
General applicants should first submit a Letter of Inquiry. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
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 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Here's the math on researching Max and Minnie Tomerlin Voelcker Fund by hand.
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