About Betty Stieren Kelso Foundation
The Betty Stieren Kelso Foundation concentrates its giving in the San Antonio area, funding science and community-facing institutions with multi-year, sizable gifts. Major support goes to biomedical research and civic cultural amenities (notably the city’s botanical garden), alongside faith-based education and youth/community organizations. The foundation favors a small set of repeat grantees rather than a broad dispersed portfolio.
Focus Areas
Biomedical research and infrastructure (Texas Biomedical Research Institute)Urban botanical garden development and public green space (San Antonio Botanical Garden)Episcopal and Catholic-affiliated education (TMI Episcopal; University of the Incarnate Word)Local civic and youth-focused cultural organizations (Texas Cavaliers Charitable Foundation)Major community fundraising and philanthropic events (Charity Ball Association)
Who They Fund
San Antonio-area institutions and communitybiomedical researchers and research institutions
About Betty Stieren Kelso Foundation
The Betty Stieren Kelso Foundation’s recent giving is defined by repeated, large commitments to a small circle of San Antonio institutions. Texas Biomedical Research Institute appears as a major recipient across multiple years, with grants of $800,000 in 2023 and $400,000 in both 2024 and 2025, underscoring a sustained relationship rather than one-off support. Another steady beneficiary is the San Antonio Botanical Societygarden, which received $335,000 in 2023, $360,000 in 2024, and $430,000 in 2025. Those awards sit alongside support for faith-linked schools and universities, as well as civic and cultural organizations tied to the city. The pattern is place-based and institutional: the foundation backs organizations that shape research capacity, education, public green space, and community programming in the San Antonio area. Recent grantees also include University of Incarnate Word, Tmi Episcopal, Texas Cavaliers Charitable Foundation, Charity Ball Association, San Antonio Zoological Society, and San Antonio Museum of Art. The result is a portfolio that looks concentrated, repeat-driven, and oriented toward enduring local infrastructure and community institutions.
What Betty Stieren Kelso Foundation Funds
Biomedical research is a clear priority. The foundation gave $800,000 in 2023 to Texas Biomedical Research Institute, then followed with $400,000 grants in both 2024 and 2025. Public green space is another recurring theme: the San Antonio Botanical Societygarden received $335,000 in 2023, $360,000 in 2024, and $430,000 in 2025. Faith-based education also draws support. University of Incarnate Word received $200,000 in 2023 and $329,488 in 2024, while Tmi Episcopal received $300,000 in 2024 and $300,000 in 2025. Civic and youth-oriented organizations appear as well, including Texas Cavaliers Charitable Foundation, which received $250,000 in 2023, $250,000 in 2024, and $50,000 in 2025.
How Betty Stieren Kelso Foundation Gives
Typical grants cluster in the five-figure range, with a p25 of $10,000, a median of $20,000, and a p75 of $46,025. The recent record also includes much larger awards, which points to a dual pattern of smaller general support and larger institutional commitments. Recipients recur across years, especially in San Antonio, indicating ongoing relationships rather than a broad one-time spread. The foundation is a private foundation and does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. Applications are accepted through a quarterly board-reviewed grantmaking process, including an online GrantInterface portal.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$3.2M
Total Assets
$51.5M
Total Revenue
$6.2M
Total Expenses
$3.7M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $10K and $46K, with a median of $20K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$20K
75th Percentile
$46K
Geographic Reach
Local9 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
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