The Phil & Karen Hunke Family Foundation focuses on place-based investments in South Texas that link education, conservation and community capacity. They favor hands-on, nature-centered early childhood education and environmental conservation alongside local health and social-enterprise capacity building. Grants are targeted and programmatic, supporting organizations that can deliver local impact rather than broad national initiatives.
The Phil & Karen Hunke Fam Foundation stands out for multi-year support of Nest Nature School in Boerne, with grants of $50,000 in 2024 and again in 2025. That repeated commitment signals a steady interest in hands-on early childhood education rooted in nature rather than one-time project funding. The foundation also backs South Texas conservation and community capacity through targeted local grants that align education with environmental stewardship, health, and place-based development. Their giving is concentrated in Texas and often supports organizations that work directly in the communities they serve. Among the larger recent awards, Das Greenhaus received $50,000 in 2023 for business incubation, and Cesar Kleberg Wildlife Research received $22,000 in 2025 for conservation. The foundation’s portfolio also includes regional institutions such as UT Health San Antonio, Gladys Porter Zoo, and local conservation groups, showing a mix of education, wildlife, healthcare, and civic support. The overall pattern is practical and program-focused, with grants aimed at specific local needs and organizations that can deliver regional impact.
In early childhood education, the foundation gave $50,000 in 2024 and $50,000 in 2025 to Nest Nature School in Boerne for education. That repeated award suggests sustained backing for nature-based learning. In conservation, they supported Cesar Kleberg Wildlife Research with $22,000 in 2025 for conservation, and also funded Last Chance Forever in San Antonio with $5,000 in 2024 for conservation. Their environmental giving extends to local conservation organizations in Boerne and Kingsville. Business incubation is another visible line of support: Das Greenhaus in Boerne received $50,000 in 2023 for business incubation. The foundation also funded healthcare and community services, including UT Health San Antonio and Driscoll Child Hospital, indicating a broader regional capacity-building approach.
Typical grants fall in a relatively tight band, with a p25 of $4,000, median of $5,000, and p75 of $11,500. The recent record shows several repeated awards to the same organizations across multiple years, including Nest Nature School, Gladys Porter Zoo, UT Health San Antonio, Sam Houston State University, Bergheim Vol Fire Dept, and Cibolo Ctr Conservation. That points to ongoing relationship-based support rather than isolated one-off gifts. The foundation appears to operate as a family foundation and makes program-specific grants more often than broad, unrestricted awards. No application process is shown in the provided data.
$115K
$2.2M
$116K
$127K
Most grants fall between $4K and $12K, with a median of $5K.
25th Percentile
$4K
Median
$5K
75th Percentile
$12K
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Concentrated, small portfolio approach: a few relatively large grants per year with evidence of repeat support (Nest Nature School received multiple gifts); emphasis on targeted, program-level funding to local/regional organizations.
Notable grantees: Nest Nature School, Das Greenhaus, Cesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, UT Health San Antonio
Giving is heavily concentrated in Texas: 90% of grants go to recipients in the foundation’s HQ state, and Texas is also the top state by grant count. The most frequent recipient cities in the recent grants are Boerne, Kingsville, San Antonio, and Brownsville, with additional grants in Bergheim, Huntsville, Corpus Christi, and Newton. Outside Texas, only a small number of grants appear, including recipients in Overland Park, Kansas, and Newton, Massachusetts. The country distribution is entirely U.S.-based.
The foundation supports nature-based early childhood education, South Texas wildlife conservation and research, green or agricultural business incubation, local social enterprises, regional health systems, and child safety programs. Recent grants include education, conservation, healthcare, business incubation, and safety-focused awards.
Yes. Several recipients appear across multiple years, including Nest Nature School, Gladys Porter Zoo, UT Health San Antonio, Sam Houston State University, Bergheim Vol Fire Dept, and Cibolo Ctr Conservation. That pattern suggests ongoing relationships rather than only one-time grants.
The distribution is centered on modest program grants: p25 is $4,000, median is $5,000, and p75 is $11,500. Recent awards range from $1,000 to $50,000, with several grants clustered at $5,000.
Texas is the main giving state. Ninety percent of grants go to recipients in Texas, and the most frequent recipient cities include Boerne, Kingsville, San Antonio, and Brownsville.
Nature-based education, conservation, healthcare, business incubation, and child safety all appear in the recent grants. Examples include education grants to Nest Nature School and Gladys Porter Zoo, conservation grants to Cesar Kleberg Wildlife Research and Last Chance Forever, and healthcare support to UT Health San Antonio and Driscoll Child Hospital.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NEST NATURE SCHOOL | BOERNE, TX | $50,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| CESAR KLEBERG WRI | KINGSVILLE, TX | $22,000 | 2025 | CONSERVATION |
| GLADYS PORTER ZOO | BROWNSVILLE, TX | $12,500 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| UT HEALTH SAN ANTONIO | SAN ANTONIO, TX | $10,000 | 2025 | HEALTHCARE |
| SAM HOUSTON STATE UNIV | HUNTSVILLE, TX | $5,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| CIBOLO CTR CONSERVATION | BOERNE, TX | $5,000 | 2025 | CONSERVATION |
| BERGHEIM VOL FIRE DEPT | BERGHEIM, TX | $3,000 | 2025 | SAFETY |
| DRISCOLL CHILD HOSPITAL | CORPUS CHRISTI, TX | $2,500 | 2025 | HEALTHCARE |
| LAST CHANCE FOREVER | SAN ANTONIO, TX | $2,500 | 2025 | CONSERVATION |
| KENDALL CTY SHERIFFS | BOERNE, TX | $1,000 | 2025 | CHILD SAFETY |
| SISTER PROJECT | OVERLAND PARK, KS | $1,000 | 2025 | CONSERVATION |
| NEST NATURE SCHOOL | BOERNE, TX | $50,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION |
| UT HEALTH SAN ANTONIO | SAN ANTONIO, TX | $20,000 | 2024 | HEALTHCARE |
| GLADYS PORTER ZOO | BROWNSVILLE, TX | $12,500 | 2024 | EDUCATION |
| KLEBERG WILDLF RESEARCH | KINGSVILLE, TX | $12,000 | 2024 | CONSERVATION |
| SAM HOUSTON STATE UNIV | HUNTSVILLE, TX | $5,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION |
| CIBOLO CTR CONSERVATION | BOERNE, TX | $5,000 | 2024 | CONSERVATION |
| BERGHEIM VOL FIRE DEPT | BERGHEIM, TX | $5,000 | 2024 | SAFETY |
| LAST CHANCE FOREVER | SAN ANTONIO, TX | $5,000 | 2024 | CONSERVATION |
| SISTERS PROJECT | OVERLAND PARK, KS | $2,000 | 2024 | CONSERVATION |
| KENDALL LIVESTOCK SHOW | BOERNE, TX | $1,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION |
| DAS GREENHAUS | BOERNE, TX | $50,000 | 2023 | BUS. INCUBATOR |
| TAMUK FOUNDATION | KINGSVILLE, TX | $11,000 | 2023 | EDUCATION |
| KLEBERG WILDLIFE CONSOR | KINGSVILLE, TX | $10,000 | 2023 | CONSERVATION |
| UT HEALTH SCI CENTER | SAN ANTONIO, TX | $10,000 | 2023 | HEALTHCARE |
| GLADYS PORTER ZOO | BROWNSVILLE, TX | $7,500 | 2023 | EDUCATION |
| AMYLOIDOSIS RES CONSORT | NEWTON, MA | $5,000 | 2023 | HEALTHCARE |
| BERGHEIM VOL FIRE DEPT | BERGHEIM, TX | $5,000 | 2023 | SAFETY |
| SAM HOUSTON STATE UNIV | HUNTSVILLE, TX | $5,000 | 2023 | EDUCATION |
| CIBOLO CTR FOR CONSERV | BOERNE, TX | $5,000 | 2023 | CONSERVATION |
| KENDALL CTY JR LVSTK | BOERNE, TX | $500 | 2023 | EDUCATION |
NEST NATURE SCHOOL
$50,000EDUCATION
CESAR KLEBERG WRI
$22,000CONSERVATION
GLADYS PORTER ZOO
$12,500EDUCATION
UT HEALTH SAN ANTONIO
$10,000HEALTHCARE
SAM HOUSTON STATE UNIV
$5,000EDUCATION
CIBOLO CTR CONSERVATION
$5,000CONSERVATION
BERGHEIM VOL FIRE DEPT
SAFETY
DRISCOLL CHILD HOSPITAL
$2,500HEALTHCARE
LAST CHANCE FOREVER
$2,500CONSERVATION
KENDALL CTY SHERIFFS
$1,000CHILD SAFETY
SISTER PROJECT
$1,000CONSERVATION
NEST NATURE SCHOOL
$50,000EDUCATION
UT HEALTH SAN ANTONIO
$20,000HEALTHCARE
GLADYS PORTER ZOO
$12,500EDUCATION
KLEBERG WILDLF RESEARCH
$12,000CONSERVATION
SAM HOUSTON STATE UNIV
$5,000EDUCATION
CIBOLO CTR CONSERVATION
$5,000CONSERVATION
BERGHEIM VOL FIRE DEPT
$5,000SAFETY
LAST CHANCE FOREVER
$5,000CONSERVATION
SISTERS PROJECT
$2,000CONSERVATION
KENDALL LIVESTOCK SHOW
$1,000EDUCATION
DAS GREENHAUS
$50,000BUS. INCUBATOR
TAMUK FOUNDATION
$11,000EDUCATION
KLEBERG WILDLIFE CONSOR
$10,000CONSERVATION
UT HEALTH SCI CENTER
$10,000HEALTHCARE
GLADYS PORTER ZOO
$7,500EDUCATION
AMYLOIDOSIS RES CONSORT
$5,000HEALTHCARE
BERGHEIM VOL FIRE DEPT
$5,000SAFETY
SAM HOUSTON STATE UNIV
$5,000EDUCATION
KENDALL CTY JR LVSTK
$500EDUCATION