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Davis Educational Foundation

Annual Giving
$2.2M
Grant Range
$3K - $0.7M
Decision Time
4mo

Davis Educational Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $2.2 million - $3.9 million
  • Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
  • Decision Time: 3-4 months (February deadline: decision by mid-May; October deadline: decision by early December)
  • Grant Range: $10,000 - $735,000 (Implementation Grants); up to $2,500 - $10,000 (Presidential Grants)
  • Geographic Focus: New England (Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut)

Contact Details

Staff Contacts:

  • Stefanie Millette, Program Officer: (207) 846-9132 x13
  • Suzanne Muir, Grants Specialist: (207) 846-9132 x16
  • Yvonne Mummé, Chief Finance and Administrative Officer: (207) 846-9132 x12

Overview

The Davis Educational Foundation was established in 1985 as a public charitable foundation by Elisabeth K. Davis and Stanton W. Davis, following Mr. Davis's retirement as chairman of Shaw's Supermarkets, Inc. The foundation was born from the couple's shared support and value for higher education. Mr. Davis was recognized as a supermarket pioneer who helped introduce self-service supermarkets, 24-hour operations, and computerized scanning to the industry.

With approximately $118 million in total assets, the foundation has provided more than $140 million in grants to over 180 institutions since its founding. The foundation focuses exclusively on strengthening undergraduate programs at regionally accredited, baccalaureate degree-granting colleges and universities across the six New England states. The foundation is particularly interested in supporting more effective teaching and learning and helping institutions control costs—a priority that has been increasing in weight in their selection process.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

1. Implementation Grants (Standard Program)

  • Grant Range: $10,000 - $735,000
  • Duration: Typically 2-3 years for multi-year initiatives
  • Application Deadlines: February 10 and October 1 (by noon)
  • Decision Timeline: February applicants notified by mid-May; October applicants notified by early December

2. Presidential Grant Program

  • First announced in May 2015, focused on cost containment and college affordability
  • Level One: Up to $2,500 for awareness-building activities
  • Level Two: Up to $10,000 for deeper exploration or pilot initiatives
  • Maximum grant term: One year
  • Application: Rolling basis with decisions the following month

Priority Areas

The foundation funds projects that:

  • Improve curriculum and learning environments
  • Enhance assessment of undergraduate learning outcomes
  • Support faculty development initiatives
  • Improve incentive systems and administrative structures
  • Support individual and collaborative cost-reduction efforts
  • Fund planning studies central to the foundation's concerns

Recent Funded Projects (2024):

  • UMass Lowell: $483,324 (3 years) - LEAF Program for faculty collaboration and inclusive pedagogy
  • Eastern Connecticut State University: $281,120 - Faculty development initiative
  • Stonehill College: $108,200 - Navigation Center for Student Success
  • Sacred Heart University: $75,000 - Virtual global immersion project
  • University of New England: $80,000 - Open educational resources adoption

What They Don't Fund

The foundation explicitly does not fund:

  • International travel
  • New construction and retrofitting
  • Furnishings
  • Indirect or overhead expenses
  • Endowments
  • Internships or scholarships
  • Capital campaigns (though project-specific proposals that coincide with a capital campaign timing may still be eligible)
  • Full fringe benefit rates including health insurance on stipends

Governance and Leadership

Board of Trustees

  • Edward R. MacKay (Chair)
  • Chris Davis
  • Richard Freeland
  • Paul LeBlanc
  • A. Clayton Spencer
  • William Wheeler

Staff

  • Stefanie Millette, Program Officer
  • Suzanne Muir, Grants Specialist
  • Yvonne Mummé, Chief Finance and Administrative Officer

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

  1. Review Eligibility: Must be a regionally accredited, baccalaureate degree-granting public or private college/university in New England
  2. Pre-Application Contact: While the foundation does not use a formal pre-proposal or letter of inquiry process, they strongly encourage contact with staff in advance of submissions
  3. Submit Online: All requests must be submitted through the online application portal at https://davisfoundations-portal.givingdata.com
  4. Create Account: You will need to create a portal account and can save and return to your work before final submission

Budget Requirements

  • Budgets should be on one page using columns for budget years
  • Label each year as academic year, calendar year, or by specifying months
  • Do not submit budgets with separate tabs for each year
  • Demonstrate clear institutional commitment through budget matching
  • For newly-created positions, the institution must assume an increasing proportion of expense over the grant period
  • Only actual replacement costs (not full fringe benefits) may be charged for faculty stipends or course release

Decision Timeline

Implementation Grants:

  • Submissions due by noon on February 10 or October 1
  • Staff contact within approximately two weeks of deadline with clarifying questions
  • Site visits (virtual, 2 hours) conducted in March-April (February applicants) or mid-October through mid-November (October applicants)
  • Final notification: Mid-May (February) or early December (October)

Presidential Grants:

  • Rolling basis with decisions the following month

Site Visit Process

Trustees often request site visits to inform their decision-making. Foundation staff work with applicants to organize a two-hour virtual visit where trustees learn more about the proposed project and ask questions.

Reporting Requirements

  • Annual interim reports required for multi-year grants
  • Final report required at the end of the grant period

Application Success Factors

When evaluating proposals, the foundation considers:

  1. Alignment with Foundation Objectives: How well the project addresses teaching/learning improvement or cost containment
  2. Institutional Commitment: Evidence must be clear in the budget—amounts and percentages will vary, but commitment must be demonstrated
  3. Student Impact: Whether the project will benefit a significant proportion of the institution's undergraduate students
  4. Institutional Change: The likelihood that the project will yield lasting institutional change
  5. Cost Containment Weight: The foundation is increasing the weight of cost containment in its selection process

Guidance on New Positions: The foundation carefully scrutinizes requests involving new positions due to associated ongoing costs to the institution and their "philosophical aversion to contributing to increased costs." However, they recognize instances when new positions are justified. For budgets containing newly-created positions, they expect institutions to assume an increasing proportion of expense over the life of the grant.

Successful Recent Projects Have Included:

  • Faculty development and pedagogical innovation initiatives
  • Student success and navigation centers
  • Open educational resources to reduce student costs
  • Virtual global immersion programs
  • Peer academic leadership programs
  • Collaborative purchasing initiatives among institutions

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • New England-Only: Eligibility is strictly limited to regionally accredited, baccalaureate degree-granting institutions in the six New England states
  • Contact Staff First: While not required, the foundation strongly encourages pre-submission contact to discuss proposal ideas
  • Cost Containment Matters: The foundation is placing increasing weight on cost containment in their selection process—proposals that address affordability have an advantage
  • Show Institutional Commitment: Budget matching and commitment must be clearly demonstrated; this is carefully evaluated
  • Avoid New Positions If Possible: The foundation scrutinizes new position requests; if unavoidable, build in institutional assumption of costs over the grant period
  • Prepare for Site Visits: Virtual site visits are a common part of the process; be ready to present your project to trustees
  • Multi-Year Projects Welcome: The foundation recognizes meaningful change takes time and frequently awards 2-3 year grants
  • Two Deadlines Annually: February 10 and October 1 (by noon)—plan your submission calendar accordingly

References

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