Semmes Foundation Inc.

The Semmes Foundation is a closely-held family grantmaker founded in 1952 by D.R. (Douglas Ramsay) Semmes, an independent San Antonio oil geologist, and governed today by Thomas R. Semmes (President) alongside family members Patricia and Douglas Semmes. This is not a program-driven foundation with published themes or open RFP cycles — the IRS filing language is direct: 'the majority of contributions are in areas of interest or institutions specified by the Board of Directors.' First-time applicants must internalize this before drafting a single line.

The giving record reveals a funder that builds institutional relationships over decades before making transformational gifts. Trinity University illustrates the trajectory: early named chemistry professorship, then the Thomas Semmes Chemistry Hall, then Semmes Distinguished Scholars, then a $6.1 million facility gift, and finally the $26.5 million naming gift in 2024. San Antonio Academy of Texas ($5 million endowment) and the University of Alabama ($1.5 million for a named directorship) follow the same escalating-commitment pattern. For first-time applicants, the realistic initial ask is a relationship-building grant in the $10,000–$75,000 range with the intent to establish credibility over multiple grant cycles.

Geographically, 94% of tracked grants went to San Antonio or broader Texas — only the University of Alabama and the Santa Fe Opera broke this pattern, and both carry clear board personal connections. Organizations outside the San Antonio metropolitan area should assess their direct board ties before applying.

The application process is intentionally minimal: submit a concise written proposal by regular mail to Secretary-Treasurer Cory Albracht at 800 Navarro Suite 210, San Antonio, TX 78205. There is no online portal, no LOI requirement, and no formal deadlines. This low-friction structure is a filtering mechanism — it favors organizations already embedded in the San Antonio civic ecosystem that know to keep it brief. The strongest initial proposals will position the applicant organization within the foundation's existing grantee network (United Way, McNay Art Museum, Brackenridge Park Conservancy) to signal civic alignment. Expect no response for up to six months; follow-up contact before that window is strongly discouraged.

The Semmes Foundation's annual grants paid grew from $1.97 million in 2015 to $5.29 million in 2023 — a 168% increase over eight years. The foundation relies entirely on investment returns; it received zero outside contributions in fiscal years 2019 through 2022. Net investment income ranged from $2.03 million (2020) to $3.12 million (2021), and the foundation's 2023 payout of $5.29 million substantially exceeded that year's $2.64 million investment income — a signal of deliberate reserve drawdown, likely tied to the Trinity naming campaign.

Grant sizes span a wide range: from $500 (UT San Antonio, general support) to $5,000,000 (San Antonio Academy of Texas, endowment fund). The distribution is bi-modal. Three anchor relationships — San Antonio Academy of Texas ($5M), San Antonio Area Foundation ($2.8M across two grants), and University of Alabama ($1.5M named directorship) — account for approximately 88% of total tracked cumulative giving of $10.6 million. The remaining 30 grants average approximately $40,000–$75,000. Organizations seeking operational or programmatic support should target this realistic window rather than anchoring to the multi-million dollar headline figures. The median grant to a unique recipient organization is approximately $50,000.

By sector, education commands the largest share: top education grantees alone total $6.7 million across four institutions. Social services and community welfare form a consistent secondary tier — United Way SA ($250K), Children's Bereavement Center ($75K), Meals on Wheels ($50K), Texas Diaper Bank ($5K). Arts and culture receive modest general support: McNay Art Museum ($151K), Opera San Antonio ($25K), Santa Fe Opera ($10K), Southwest School of Art ($1K). Health and biomedical research receive targeted grants: Children's Hospital SA ($20K for Maternal Fetal Medicine), UT Health Science Center ($27K for medical and educational development), Texas Biomedical Research Institute ($3.25K across three grants).

General support is the most common grant purpose, appearing across 15 or more grantee records. Endowment and named-fund gifts are reserved for highest-priority, multi-decade relationships. STEM scholarships (Alamo Colleges, $100K) and capacity-building grants (Children's Bereavement Center staffing, $75K) demonstrate flexibility when institutional trust is established.

The Semmes Foundation occupies the mid-tier of San Antonio's family foundation landscape — substantially smaller than the Kronkosky Charitable Foundation and the John L. Santikos Charitable Foundation, but operating with a high-conviction portfolio and unusually accessible unsolicited application process. The table below compares key metrics using publicly available 990 and IRS data.

The Semmes Foundation is notably more accessible than most comparables of similar size: it accepts unsolicited proposals where Kronkosky and Tobin do not. However, its board-directed giving means that even accepted proposals face high rejection rates unless they align with the board's existing institutional relationships. The 2023 payout ratio of 26% of assets is exceptionally high for a private foundation (the IRS minimum is 5%) and reflects either an extraordinary gift cycle or a strategic shift toward legacy distribution — applicants should not assume 2023's $5.3M giving level represents the foundation's sustainable annual run rate, which based on 2019–2022 data is closer to $2.3–$3.1M.

The foundation's most significant recent activity is the March 2024 announcement of a $26.5 million gift to Trinity University — the largest gift in Trinity's 153-year history. The gift names the D.R. Semmes School of Science and endows the dean of science position, two faculty chairs, and a dedicated undergraduate research fund across nine departments including Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Engineering Science, and Neuroscience. Trinity President Vanessa B. Beasley stated the gift 'accelerates our goal to deliver the best undergraduate science education in the U.S.' This gift culminates a multi-decade relationship: earlier Semmes Foundation investments included the Thomas Semmes Chemistry Hall, a named chemistry professorship, the Semmes Distinguished Scholars in Science program, and a prior $6.1 million science facility gift.

In fiscal year 2023, the foundation disbursed $5.29 million in grants — its highest annual payout in at least a decade and a sharp increase from $3.1 million in 2022 and $2.2 million in 2021. Total assets stood at $20.15 million as of 2023, down from a peak of $23.99 million in 2021, consistent with deliberate reserve drawdown.

No leadership changes were identified in recent filings. Thomas R. Semmes continues as President; Cory Albracht serves as the only compensated officer (Secretary-Treasurer, $50,000 annually), indicating a lean administrative operation with board-directed decision-making. The foundation's website publishes grant recipient PDFs for 2023, 2024, and 2025 but maintains no news blog, social media presence, or public announcement feed.

Timing your submission strategically. The foundation has no fixed deadlines and reviews proposals on a rolling basis, but the pattern of major gifts announced in Q1 (Trinity gift March 2024) suggests board meetings occur early in the calendar year. Submitting in January or February maximizes your chances of being on the agenda for the first review cycle. Factor in the six-month response window: a January submission could yield a decision by July.

Brevity is not optional. The guidelines explicitly state that 'elaborate proposals are discouraged' because 'most requests cannot be funded.' Two to three pages is the target — problem statement, your organization's role, specific use of funds, measurable outcomes, and a one-paragraph budget summary. Do not include strategic plans, board bios, press clippings, or bound annexes. The minimal staff structure means no program officer will champion an oversized submission; it is more likely to be set aside.

STEM and science alignment is the highest-signal priority. The March 2024 $26.5M Trinity naming gift confirms STEM education is the current board's deepest philanthropic conviction. The Alamo Colleges STEM scholarship ($100K) and recurring McDonald Observatory support reinforce this. Organizations in STEM education, biomedical research, science access for underserved communities, or natural sciences should feature these elements prominently — even if they are not the organization's sole focus.

Position in the San Antonio civic ecosystem. Use language that situates your organization within San Antonio's shared civic fabric. Reference the same challenges that grantees like United Way SA, Brackenridge Park Conservancy, and the San Antonio Library Foundation address. The foundation's geographic restriction ('generally San Antonio area') is enforced, not aspirational.

Avoid these mistakes. Do not call the office to inquire about your proposal status — wait the full six months. Do not submit via email or any online form. Do not request an introductory meeting before submitting. Do not address your proposal to a named board member; address it to Cory Albracht as the administrative contact.

Build relationships before applying. A warm reference from a current grantee organization's development director or board member is the highest-value pre-application action. If your leadership has existing relationships at the McNay Art Museum, Children's Bereavement Center, or Our Lady of the Lake University, a brief mention through those channels can flag your proposal as community-connected rather than cold outreach.