Rachael and Ben Vaughan Foundation

The Rachael and Ben Vaughan Foundation is a grantmaking organization that donates to causes relating to health care, human rights, immigration-expansionist, religious support, education, environmental preservation, and media. 1 The foundation was run by Ben F. Vaughan for over thirty years and mostly donated to groups in Texas with a few donations going to out-of-state groups. 2

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At-A-Glance

Type: Non-profit, 501(c)(3)
Issue Areas: Environmental Policy, Economic Policy, Healthcare Policy, Immigration Policy, Education Policy
Website: www.rbvfoundation.org
Location: San Antonio, TX View on map
Tax ID: 74-6040479
Most Recent Filing: 2024
Budget (2024): Assets: $13,413,709 Revenue: $611,004 Expenses: $865,064

Contents

    Areas of Giving

    Health Care

    The Rachael and Ben Vaughan Foundation has regularly donated to healthcare organizations such as the Respite Care of San Antonio and the Ascension Healthcare Network. The Ascension Healthcare Network is a Catholic nonprofit organization which runs hospitals, senior living facilities, rehabilitation, and psychiatric programs. 3 Respite Care of San Antonio helps to care for children with special needs. It offers a development childcare program, residential children’s homes, and community respite programs for families of disabled children. 4 In 2022, the Rachael and Ben Vaughan Foundation granted Respite Care of San Antonio a $5,000 grant. 5

    Human Rights

    The Rachael and Ben Vaughan Foundation donates to human rights organizations like Rahab’s Rope. Rahab’s Rope is a Christian group based in Georgia, which focuses on “empowering women in South Asia in the fight against human trafficking” 6 by providing care, counseling, lodging, and work opportunities to women and girls that were trafficked. 7 In 2022, the Rachael and Ben Vaughan Foundation granted Rahab’s Rope $2,000. 5

    Immigration

    The Rachael and Ben Vaughan Foundation has donated to immigrant groups such as the Santa Fe Dreamers Project and Equal Justice America. The Santa Fe Dreamers Project, now called Contigo Immigrant Justice, is a legal advocacy group that provides free legal services to immigrants in New Mexico. It advocates for an end to detention of immigrants and proposes that immigrations laws “have roots in the larger issues of racism and misogyny.” 8 In 2022, the Rachael and Ben Vaughan Foundation granted the Santa Fe Dreamers Project $3,000. 5

    Equal Justice America is a nonprofit that provides free legal services to illegal immigrants among other things. 9 In 2022, the Rachael and Ben Vaughan Foundation donated $15,000 to Equal Justice America. 5

    Environment

    The Rachael and Ben Vaughan Foundation donates to environmental groups such as the National Wildlife Federation. The National Wildlife Federation is one of the largest environmental nonprofits in the United States pushing for progressive policies in the fields of habitat and water conservation, natural disasters, resource use, and energy programs. 10 All of its programs aim to “breakdown systems of oppression and propose new policies […] that build community power.” 11 In 2022, the Rachael and Ben Vaughan Foundation donated $5,000 to the National Wildlife Federation. 5

    Media

    The Rachael and Ben Vaughan Foundation donates to left-wing media outlets such as the Media Freedom Foundation. The Media Freedom Foundation runs Project Censored, a program which offers training for students and educators on recognizing modern forms of news censorship. 12 It also runs Women Rising Radio which covers left-wing topics like increased abortion access, ending the use of oil and gas energy sources, feminist movements, and support for illegal immigration. 13 In 2022, the Rachael and Ben Vaughan Foundation donated $4,000 to the Media Freedom Foundation. 5

    People

    Ben F. Vaughan III Vaughan was born and raised in 1941 in Corpus Christi, Texas. He attended Stanford University and earned a classics degree in 1963. After graduating Stanford, Vaughan decided to attend the University of Texas School of Law where he earned his law degree in 1967. He worked as a clerk for Texas Supreme Court Justice Robert W. Hamilton, and after one year earned a spot at the Graves Dougherty Gee & Hearon law firm where he worked for 56 years. 14

    Vaughan was an avid outdoorsman and conservationist which pushed him to lobby with Texas officials and donate to Texas conservation groups through his foundation. He was also a Catholic which led him to generously donate to various Christian groups around the United States. Vaughan remained president of the Rachael and Ben Vaughan Foundation until he passed in 2024. 14

    Financial Statistics

    Total Assets

    Total Revenue

    Total Expenses

    YearTotal AssetsTotal RevenueTotal ExpensesFiling
    2024 $13,413,709 $611,004 $865,064 View
    2023 $12,079,812 $252,354 $415,976 View
    2022 $10,863,172 $123,076 $559,159 View
    2021 $12,116,505 $109,169 $429,657 View
    2020 $10,384,986 $115,005 $299,242 View

    Prior year filings: 2019, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011

    Grant Activity

    All-time grants given statistics from Candid dataset:

    • Total Grant Value: $4,831,218
    • Number of Grants: 599
    • Number of Recipients: 242

    Selection of highest value grants given from the last seven years:

    AmountYearFunderSubject
    $200,0002024 Texas A & M University KingsvilleEDUCATION
    $100,0002024 Caesar Kleburg Wildlife Research InstituteWILDLIFE PRESERVATION
    $75,0002024 Eanes Education FoundationEDUCATION
    $75,0002024 Saint Ignatius Martyr Catholic SchoolEDUCATION
    $60,0002023 STANFORD UNIVERSITYEDUCATION
    $60,0002022 STANFORD UNIVERSITYEDUCATION
    $60,0002021 STANFORD UNIVERSITYEDUCATION
    $50,0002022 FOUNDATION COMMUNITIESEXPAND CHILDREN'S HOME INITIATIVE
    $42,0002023 FOUNDATION COMMUNITIESEXPAND CHILDREN'S HOME INITIATIVE
    $40,0002023 Texas A & M University KingsvilleEDUCATION
    $37,5002021 Bruce & Maryly A Hayes UNITRPROMOTE EDUCATION
    $37,4152022 Catholic Relief Services, Inc.PROMOTE HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
    $35,0002024 La Pena Cultural Center, Inc.PRESERVING & CELEBRATING CULTURES
    $30,0002022 Central Texas Food BankFIGHT AGAINST HUNGER
    $30,0002022 Todos Juntos Learning CenterPROVIDE SERVICES FOR IMMIGRANTS
    $30,0002021 Central Texas Food BankFIGHT AGAINST HUNGER
    $30,0002021 FOUNDATION COMMUNITIESEXPAND CHILDREN'S HOME INITIATIVE
    $27,4152022 RESPITE CARE OF SAN ANTONIO INCORPORATEDASSIST CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
    $25,0002024 St Stephens Episcopal SchoolEDUCATION
    $25,0002023 Central Texas Food BankFIGHT AGAINST HUNGER
    $25,0002023 Child Legacy International IncBUILD SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES
    $25,0002022 Kipp Austin Public Schools IncCLOSE PROGRESS GAP FOR MINORITIES
    $25,0002022 Port Aransas Conservancy FundENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
    $25,0002022 Texas Foundation for ConservationWILDLIFE PRESERVATION
    $25,0002021 Catholic Relief Services, Inc.PROMOTE HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

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    Financials, employee compensation, and grant information provided by Candid.

    Mentioned in this Article

    References

    1. Rachael and Ben Vaughan Foundation, Form 990-PF, 2022, Part XIV Section 2d. 
    2. “About Us.” The Rachael and Ben Vaughan Foundation. Accessed September 29, 2025. https://www.rbvfoundation.org/about. 
    3. “About Us.” About Ascension. Accessed September 29, 2025. https://about.ascension.org/about-us. 
    4. “Our Programs.” RespiteCareSA. Accessed September 29, 2025. https://www.respitecaresa.org/programs/. 
    5. Rachael and Ben Vaughan Foundation, Form 990-PF, 2022, Part XIV Section 3. 
    6. “Meet Rahab’s Rope.” Rahab’s Rope. Accessed September 29, 2025. https://rahabsrope.com/pages/about. 
    7. Rahab’s Rope Inc, Form 990, 2023, Part III Section 1. 
    8. “Contigo Immigrant Justice: Legal Services, Advocacy & Equity.” Contigo Immigrant Justice. Accessed September 29, 2025. https://contigojustice.org/our-mission. 
    9. “Essential Legal Services for People in Need.” Equal Justice America. Accessed September 29, 2025. https://equaljusticeamerica.org/. 
    10. “Mission and Strategic Plan.” National Wildlife Federation. Accessed September 29, 2025. https://www.nwf.org/About-Us/Our-Mission. 
    11. “Environmental Justice.” National Wildlife Federation. Accessed September 29, 2025. https://www.nwf.org/Our-Work/Environmental-Justice. 
    12. “About.” Project Censored. Accessed September 29, 2025. https://www.projectcensored.org/about/. 
    13. “By Topic.” Women Rising Radio Project. Accessed September 29, 2025. https://www.womenrisingradio.com/listen/by-topic/. 
    14. “Graves Dougherty Celebrates the Life of Ben F. Vaughan III.” Graves Dougherty Hearon & Moody, August 2024. https://www.gdhm.com/news-post/graves-dougherty-celebrates-the-life-of-ben-f-vaughan-iii/.