Garden Homes Fund

Quick Stats

Annual Giving: $903,150 (2023)
Success Rate: Not publicly available
Decision Time: Not publicly available
Grant Range: Not publicly disclosed
Geographic Focus: Primarily Connecticut, particularly Stamford area
Total Assets: $26.36 million (2023)
Grants Made: 88 awards (2023)

Contact Details

Address: 29 Knapp Street, Stamford, CT 06907-1725
Phone: 203-348-2200
Website: No public website identified
Email: Not publicly available
EIN: 06-1043730

Overview

The Garden Homes Fund is a private family foundation established in 1981 and based in Stamford, Connecticut. With total assets of $26.36 million as of 2023, the foundation has shown steady growth from $6.5 million in 2011. The foundation is classified as an educational institution focused on scholarships and student financial aid, though it also supports conservation, education, social services, and performing arts. The foundation is the charitable arm of Garden Homes Management Corporation, a second-generation family business that owns and manages more than 9,000 rental housing units in 130 properties throughout the Northeast. Annual charitable disbursements have ranged from $782,856 to $1.17 million over the past decade, with 88 grants totaling $903,150 distributed in 2023. The foundation is directed by the Freedman family, led by Richard Freedman, who has been recognized for his work in affordable housing development and zoning reform advocacy.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Garden Homes Fund operates primarily as a direct grant-making private foundation with a dual focus: traditional grant-making to nonprofits and direct affordable housing development projects.

Traditional Grant-Making:

Made 88 grants in 2023 totaling $903,150
Made 110 grants in 2022
Made 94 grants in 2021
Specific grant amounts and recipients are not publicly disclosed without accessing full Form 990-PF Schedule I documents

Direct Affordable Housing Development: The foundation has conceptualized and partly funded several deeply affordable housing projects:

Franklin Apartments (2019): 53-unit, 100% deeply affordable rental in Stamford, owned by Inspirica
David Martin Apartments (2023): 17-unit affordable housing complex in Stamford's Springdale section (9 two-bedroom, 8 three-bedroom homes) - $6.9 million from Garden Homes Fund plus $1.4 million from city
Westport Development (2024): 19 units of affordable housing at 122 Wilton Road

Priority Areas

Based on IRS classification and reported activities:

Scholarships and Student Financial Aid: Primary classification category, reportedly for graduates of Stamford public schools
Conservation: Environmental protection initiatives
Education: Educational institutions and programs
Social Services: Human services organizations (including reported grants to Planned Parenthood of Southern New England)
Performing Arts: Arts and culture organizations
Affordable Housing: Direct development of deeply affordable rental housing (30-45% area median income)
Zoning Reform and Desegregation: Advocacy and development work addressing housing barriers

What They Don't Fund

Specific exclusions are not publicly documented. As a private family foundation, funding decisions appear to be made at trustee discretion.

Governance and Leadership

The foundation is governed by three trustees, all members of the Freedman family, with no reported compensation:

Richard Freedman: President of Garden Homes Management Corporation and trustee. Holds degrees from Yale University (undergraduate) and Yale School of Management (MBA). Has served on Stamford Board of Finance since 2013 (chairman since 2015). Has extensive experience building housing under Connecticut's Affordable Housing Land Use Appeal Act (8-30g). Active advocate for affordable housing development and zoning reform.
Jane Freedman: Trustee
Deborah Freedman: Trustee

The foundation was founded by Joel Freedman in 1962 as part of Garden Homes Management, with Richard Freedman representing the second generation of family leadership.

Richard Freedman received the First County Bank Foundation's Reyno A. Giallongo Community Legacy Award in 2022 for his affordable housing work and community impact. According to the award announcement, "Through the Garden Homes Fund, a direct grant-making and private foundation with an emphasis on affordable housing, zoning reform and desegregation, Freedman conceptualized and partly funded Franklin Apartments."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process. The Garden Homes Fund operates as a private family foundation with grants awarded through trustee discretion. There is no public application portal, published application guidelines, or formal grant application process available to external organizations.

The foundation makes grants to nonprofits in its priority areas (conservation, education, social services, performing arts, and scholarships), but these appear to be initiated by trustees rather than in response to unsolicited proposals.

For the foundation's direct affordable housing development work, projects are conceptualized and developed by the foundation itself in partnership with selected nonprofit organizations (such as Inspirica for the Franklin Apartments project).

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - no public application process.

Success Rates

Not applicable - no public application process. However, the foundation made 88 grants in 2023, 110 grants in 2022, and 94 grants in 2021, indicating consistent grant-making activity.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - no public application process.

Application Success Factors

Since the Garden Homes Fund does not accept unsolicited applications, organizations cannot directly apply for funding. However, based on the foundation's documented activities and priorities, the following factors appear to influence funding decisions:

Alignment with Core Mission Areas:

Organizations working in conservation, education, social services, performing arts, or scholarship programs aligned with the foundation's stated priorities
Projects that address affordable housing, particularly deeply affordable housing for families earning 30-45% of area median income
Initiatives that advance zoning reform or address housing segregation issues

Geographic Focus:

Strong preference for Connecticut-based organizations
Particular focus on Stamford and surrounding Fairfield County communities
Projects serving graduates of Stamford public schools (for scholarship programs)

Partnership Approach:

The foundation's most significant investments have been in partnership with established nonprofits (e.g., Inspirica for Franklin Apartments)
Organizations with demonstrated track records in their respective fields
Projects that align with Richard Freedman's documented priorities around affordable housing development and zoning advocacy

Scale and Impact:

The foundation has shown capacity for both small grants (88 grants totaling $903,150 suggests average grants around $10,000) and major investments (multi-million dollar housing developments)
Projects with measurable community impact in the Stamford area

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

No public application process exists - The Garden Homes Fund operates as a private family foundation with trustee-directed grant-making, making it inappropriate for most grant-seeking organizations to pursue proactively
Dual focus on traditional grants and housing development - While the foundation makes numerous small to mid-sized grants annually (88 in 2023), its highest-profile work involves direct development of affordable housing projects
Strong geographic preference for Stamford/Connecticut - Nearly all documented activities focus on the Stamford area and broader Connecticut region
Mission-driven leadership - Richard Freedman's personal commitment to affordable housing, zoning reform, and desegregation drives the foundation's strategic priorities
Multi-year growth trajectory - Assets have grown from $6.5 million (2011) to $26.36 million (2023), indicating increasing capacity for charitable work
Partnership-oriented for major projects - The foundation's affordable housing developments have been executed in partnership with established nonprofits like Inspirica
Limited public information - Unlike foundations with public application processes, detailed grant recipient lists and amounts are only available through direct review of Form 990-PF Schedule I documents

References

Information compiled December 2025