Clermont Foundation

Quick Stats

Annual Giving: $1,177,025 (FY 2023)
Total Assets: $40,011,565 (FY 2023)
Number of Grants: 67 awards (2023)
Grant Range: $50,000 - $200,000 (typical)
Geographic Focus: Multi-state (primarily Florida, New York, Massachusetts)
Application Method: No public application process

Contact Details

Address: 220 Boylston Street, Suite 15, Boston, MA 02116

Phone: (617) 563-1900

Website: clermontfoundation.org (Note: Website has security certificate issues as of December 2025)

EIN: 04-6772671

Overview

The Clermont Foundation, also known as the Clermont Charitable Trust, was established in 1995 as a private foundation based in Boston, Massachusetts. With assets exceeding $40 million and annual grantmaking of approximately $1.2 million, the foundation supports organizations working to improve communities across the United States. The foundation primarily funds general operating expenses for nonprofit organizations and has demonstrated consistent grantmaking activity over the past decade, distributing between 57-69 grants annually. Recent financial data shows a 52.3% increase in total grants from 2022 to 2023. The foundation operates without full-time employees, with grantmaking decisions made at the trustee level. Notable grants have included support to The Aspen Institute ($102,500) and the Academy for Health and Lifespan Research ($75,000).

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Clermont Foundation operates as a private foundation with trustee-directed grantmaking. Typical awards range from $50,000 to $200,000, with the foundation primarily supporting general operating expenses for organizations rather than project-specific funding.

Geographic Distribution: The foundation distributes grants across multiple states including California, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, Texas, and Virginia, with particular concentration in Florida, New York, and Massachusetts.

Priority Areas

Based on Form 990 filings, the foundation focuses on:

Education: Support for educational institutions and programs
Philanthropy & Grantmaking: Support for other philanthropic organizations
Human Services: Programs serving community needs
Health & Medical Research: Including support for health and lifespan research initiatives
STEM Education: Demonstrated through leadership's personal philanthropy supporting science education

What They Don't Fund

Specific exclusions are not publicly documented, but as a private foundation with no public application process, the foundation appears to direct grants to organizations identified through trustee research and existing relationships rather than responding to broad community requests.

Governance and Leadership

Trustee: Howard E. Cox Jr. serves as President of the Clermont Foundation

Executive Director: Julie Doe

Director of Philanthropy: Wendy Bingham

About Howard E. Cox Jr.: Howard Cox is a prominent venture capitalist and philanthropist who joined Greylock Partners in 1971 and currently serves as a Special Limited Partner. His extensive board service includes:

Corporate boards: Stryker, In-Q-Tel
Institutional boards: Brookings Institution, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (Trustee)
Harvard University: Advisory boards at Harvard Business School, Kennedy School, Harvard Medical School, and Harvard School of Public Health; Board of Fellows at Harvard Medical School
Investment committees: Museum of Fine Arts, Norton Museum

Cox graduated from Harvard Business School in 1969 and has been described by Dana-Farber as having "always had an eye for investing in innovation." He provided the concept and funding for the U.S. State Department Secretary's Leadership Seminar, which annually brings 50 outstanding State Department career officers to Harvard Business School for management and leadership training, and is a founding donor of the HBS Online Program.

Together with his wife Wendy Cox (owner of WRB LLC Real Estate Investment Company and chair of the Bingham Family Foundation), Howard made a $20 million lead gift to the South Florida Science Center and Aquarium in recent years, resulting in the institution being renamed the Cox Science Center and Aquarium—the largest single gift in the Center's 60-year history.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Clermont Foundation does not have a public application process. As a private foundation, grantmaking decisions are made at the trustee level based on internal research and identification of organizations aligned with the foundation's interests.

The foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals or applications through an open portal. Grants are awarded through trustee discretion to organizations identified by foundation leadership.

Getting on Their Radar

Given Howard Cox's extensive network and board service, organizations may gain visibility through:

Harvard University connections: Cox serves on multiple Harvard advisory boards (Harvard Business School, Kennedy School, Harvard Medical School, Harvard School of Public Health). Organizations with Harvard affiliations or working in areas relevant to these institutions may align with foundation interests.
Healthcare and medical research sector: Through Cox's trustee role at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and advisory roles at Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Public Health, organizations in cancer research, medical innovation, and health sciences may be of interest.
STEM education initiatives: The Cox family's $20 million gift to rename the South Florida Science Center and Aquarium, combined with Wendy Cox's Bingham Family Foundation focus on STEM education, suggests strong interest in science education programs.
Florida, Massachusetts, and New York connections: These states represent the foundation's primary geographic focus based on grantmaking patterns.
Innovation and cutting-edge initiatives: Cox has been described as someone who "backs Dana-Farber's most cutting-edge initiatives" and has "always had an eye for investing in innovation," suggesting interest in organizations pursuing innovative approaches.

Decision Timeline

Specific timelines for grant decisions are not publicly available, as the foundation operates without a formal application cycle. Decisions are made on a trustee-discretion basis throughout the year.

Success Rates

Success rate data is not applicable given the invitation-only nature of the foundation's grantmaking.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable due to the absence of a public application process.

Application Success Factors

Since the Clermont Foundation operates without a public application process, organizations cannot directly apply. However, understanding the foundation's patterns may be helpful:

Alignment with Trustee Interests: Given Howard Cox's extensive involvement in healthcare innovation, medical research (particularly cancer research through Dana-Farber), education (especially through Harvard institutions), and STEM education, organizations working in these areas appear most likely to receive support.

Geographic Presence: Organizations operating in Florida, Massachusetts, or New York represent the majority of the foundation's geographic distribution, with some grants extending to other states including California, Connecticut, and the District of Columbia.

General Operating Support Focus: The foundation "primarily funds general operating expenses" rather than project-specific initiatives, suggesting a preference for supporting established organizations' core operations rather than launching new programs.

Institutional Scale: With typical grants ranging from $50,000-$200,000 and recent notable grants of $102,500 (Aspen Institute) and $75,000 (Academy for Health and Lifespan Research), the foundation appears to support mid-sized to established institutions rather than grassroots organizations.

Innovation and Cutting-Edge Work: Cox is described as backing "cutting-edge initiatives" and having "an eye for investing in innovation," suggesting that organizations pursuing innovative approaches in their fields may be of particular interest.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

No public application process exists – This foundation operates on an invitation-only, trustee-discretion basis; unsolicited proposals are not accepted
Strong healthcare and medical research alignment – Through Cox's Dana-Farber trusteeship and Harvard Medical School affiliations, organizations in cancer research and medical innovation align with demonstrated interests
STEM education is a priority – The Cox family's $20 million gift to a science center indicates strong interest in science education initiatives
Harvard connections matter – Cox's extensive Harvard advisory roles (HBS, Kennedy School, Medical School, School of Public Health) suggest organizations with Harvard affiliations may have visibility
Geographic concentration – Focus on Florida, Massachusetts, and New York, though grants extend to 13+ states
General operating support preferred – The foundation primarily funds core operations rather than specific projects, suggesting interest in supporting organizational sustainability
Substantial grant sizes – With typical awards of $50,000-$200,000, this foundation provides meaningful support to mid-sized and established organizations

References

Information compiled December 15, 2025