Baumberger Endowment

The Baumberger Endowment is NOT a traditional grantmaking foundation for nonprofits — a fact that is critical for any 501(c)(3) seeking funding and is easy to miss from the generic "foundation" label. Per baumendow.com, the endowment was established in the Last Will and Testament of Charles Baumberger, Jr. (1889-1968), a lifetime San Antonio resident and former president of San Antonio Portland Cement Company, to provide scholarship funds directly to individual students — not grants to organizations. The charter is specific and binding: scholarship funds for education in the basic arts and sciences, for graduating seniors of an accredited (TEA) high school within Bexar County, Texas, who cannot attend college without financial assistance. Since its first awards in 1979, the endowment has disbursed more than 3,900 scholarships totaling over $57 million. Eligibility requirements include a minimum SAT of 1080 (Evidence-Based Reading/Writing + Math only) or ACT composite of 22, Fall test dates (January/February are explicitly too late), and an online application open December 1 to February 15 of the senior year, with recipient notification in May. The endowment is governed by trustees bound to the terms of Baumberger's will, meaning the scope cannot be expanded to include organizational grants.

The endowment holds approximately $26.44M in assets. Annual deployment is structured as individual student scholarships, typically multi-year renewable awards supporting the student through undergraduate education. With 3,900 scholarships over roughly 47 years and $57M total disbursed, the long-run average is approximately $14,600 per scholarship, but contemporary per-year stipends are higher to reflect tuition inflation. The endowment does NOT fund: nonprofit organizations, schools directly, general-operating or program support for any 501(c)(3), endowments, capital campaigns, or groups outside Bexar County. The geographic and demographic restrictions are absolute: Bexar County, Texas high school seniors with demonstrated financial need, bound for accredited study in basic arts and sciences. Nonprofits appearing here because of automated "Texas foundation" aggregation should be redirected — this funder is appropriate for guidance counselors, college-access nonprofits, and individual students, not for organizational fundraising.

Among Bexar County-focused funders, Baumberger is uniquely scholarship-only; its traditional-foundation peers (Kronkosky, Greehey, San Antonio Area Foundation) are the correct comparables for nonprofit fundraisers seeking organizational support in the same geography.

Active as of 2026-04-23 per the endowment's own website. Application cycle for 2026 high school graduates was open December 1, 2025 through February 15, 2026 and is now closed; recipients will be notified in May 2026. The next cycle (for students graduating in May 2027) will open December 1, 2026. Charles Baumberger, Jr.'s trust structure and SAT/ACT thresholds have held stable. No news feed, press releases, or strategy updates are published. The entity continues to fulfill its chartered mission as a bound scholarship trust.

1) For nonprofits: this funder is not for you — do not apply for organizational grants. Redirect to Bexar County-focused traditional foundations such as the Kronkosky Charitable Foundation, Greehey Family Foundation, Valero Energy Foundation, or the San Antonio Area Foundation. If your nonprofit has a scholarship-administering function, consider referring your eligible students to the Baumberger online application rather than applying yourself. 2) For college-access / guidance-counselor users: steer Bexar County seniors with demonstrated need and SAT 1080+/ACT 22+ to baumendow.com during the December 1 - February 15 application window. SAT/ACT scores must be from Fall testing dates — January/February is too late. 3) Eligible fields of study are the "basic arts and sciences" per Charles Baumberger Jr.'s will, which excludes many professional/vocational tracks — students should confirm their intended major before investing application time. 4) Returning scholars should use the Scholars Only portal on the website for renewal and ongoing administration.