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Rocking Moon Foundation Inc

Annual Giving
$0.9M
Grant Range
$20K - $0.1M

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Rocking Moon Foundation Inc

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $906,520 (2023)
  • Total Assets: $11,211,682
  • Success Rate: Not applicable (invitation only)
  • Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
  • Grant Range: $20,000 - $100,000
  • Geographic Focus: United States, with priority for Eastern Coast
  • Typical Number of Grants: Fewer than 20 annually (25 awards in 2024, 27 in 2023)

Contact Details

Address: Yarmouth, ME
EIN: 05-0545520
Website: No public website
Phone: Not publicly available
Email: Not publicly available

Note: The foundation maintains a low public profile and does not operate a website or employ formal staff.

Overview

The Rocking Moon Foundation Inc was founded by the Higdon family in 2003 as a private family foundation. Based in Yarmouth, Maine, the foundation holds total assets of approximately $11.2 million and distributed $906,520 in grants during 2023. The foundation maintains a deliberately low public profile, with no website or formal staff structure. Despite awarding fewer than 20 grants annually (25 in 2024, 27 in 2023), the foundation supports local and grassroots organisations working in youth education, LGBTQ+ youth advocacy, community development, and disease-related causes. The foundation is known for its focus on supporting at-risk populations, particularly LGBTQ+ youth and organisations addressing health disparities.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programmes

The foundation does not operate formal grant programmes but provides funding through trustee-selected initiatives:

  • General Operating Support: Multi-year grants ranging from $20,000 to $100,000
  • Youth Services: Organisations providing direct services to youth, particularly marginalised populations
  • LGBTQ+ Advocacy: Support for organisations serving at-risk gay, lesbian, and transgender youth
  • Disease-Related Causes: Organisations addressing specific health conditions

Application Method: Invitation only / No public application process

Priority Areas

According to tax filings and grantmaking patterns, the foundation actively funds:

  • LGBTQ+ Youth Support: Organisations working with at-risk gay, lesbian, and transgender youth
  • Youth Education and Development: Youth mentoring, education programmes, and youth organising initiatives
  • Community Development: Homelessness prevention and support services, particularly for youth populations
  • Health and Disease: Brain and nervous system disorders, cancer, genetic conditions and birth defects, immune system diseases (including cystic fibrosis)
  • Equal Rights: Civil liberties and advocacy for marginalised communities
  • Local/Grassroots Organisations: Smaller nonprofits and community-based initiatives

What They Don't Fund

The foundation's exclusions are not publicly documented, but based on their grantmaking patterns:

  • Organisations outside their pre-identified areas of interest
  • Large, well-established institutions (preference for grassroots and local organisations)
  • International organisations (focus is primarily on U.S.-based entities)

Governance and Leadership

Joseph Higdon serves as President and Board Chair of the foundation. He has been heavily involved in micro-lending and educational initiatives in the Philippines and sits on the board of multiple youth mentoring organisations across the United States.

Ellen Sudow serves as Vice Chair of the board.

The foundation is managed by the Higdon family as a private family foundation with minimal public engagement or formal staffing structure.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. The foundation makes contributions exclusively to preselected charitable organisations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.

Grants are awarded at the discretion of the board of trustees, who identify organisations aligned with the foundation's mission and priorities. Organisations receiving funding are typically selected through the trustees' existing knowledge of the sector, board connections, and relationship networks.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly disclosed. As an invitation-only funder, decision timelines are determined internally by the board of trustees.

Success Rates

Not applicable due to the foundation's invitation-only approach. The foundation awards fewer than 20 grants annually despite having significant assets, indicating highly selective grantmaking.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable, as the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications.

Past Grantees

Organisations that have received funding from the Rocking Moon Foundation include:

  • Ali Forney Center (New York, NY): Received $100,000 in 2023 for General Operating Support as part of a multi-year grant (Year 2 of 3). The Ali Forney Center is the largest organisation helping LGBTQ homeless youth in the United States, serving approximately 2,000 youth clients annually.
  • Tree Street Youth (Lewiston, ME): Youth-centred community organisation
  • Out Maine: LGBTQ+ support organisation
  • Advocates for Youth Inc: Youth advocacy organisation
  • Knoxville-Knox County Homeless Coalition: Homelessness prevention services
  • Childhood Brain Tumor Foundation: Disease-specific health organisation
  • Cystic Fibrosis Foundation: Disease research and support
  • Bailey House: HIV/AIDS services
  • American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU): Civil liberties advocacy

The foundation has funded projects and initiatives across cities including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Boston, with a tendency to prioritise organisations located along the Eastern Coast of the United States.

Application Success Factors

Since this foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, the traditional application success factors do not apply. However, organisations that have received funding share these characteristics:

  • Alignment with LGBTQ+ Youth Services: Organisations serving at-risk gay, lesbian, and transgender youth appear prominently in the grantee list
  • Grassroots and Local Focus: The foundation prefers smaller, community-based organisations over large national institutions
  • Direct Service Provision: Grantees typically provide hands-on services rather than pure advocacy or research
  • Multi-Year Commitment: Evidence suggests the foundation provides multi-year support to selected organisations (e.g., Ali Forney Center's Year 2 of 3 grant)
  • Youth-Centred Mission: Organisations focused on youth development, education, and support are prioritised

Key Leadership Priorities: Joseph Higdon's involvement in youth mentoring organisations and his work with micro-lending and educational initiatives in the Philippines suggests a personal commitment to youth empowerment and grassroots community development.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No Public Application Process: This foundation operates exclusively through trustee discretion and does not accept unsolicited proposals
  • Focus on LGBTQ+ Youth: Organisations serving at-risk gay, lesbian, and transgender youth are a clear priority
  • Grassroots Preference: Despite significant assets, the foundation prefers supporting smaller, local organisations over large national entities
  • Multi-Year Support: The foundation appears willing to make multi-year commitments to organisations it supports
  • Eastern U.S. Geographic Priority: While national in scope, there is a preference for organisations on the Eastern Coast
  • Limited Annual Grants: With fewer than 20 grants annually despite $11+ million in assets, this is a highly selective funder
  • Board Connections Critical: Without a public application process, being known to or recommended by board members or current grantees is essential for consideration

References

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