The Collis Foundation

Quick Stats

Annual Giving: $2,040,000 (2023)
Success Rate: Not publicly available
Decision Time: Not publicly available
Grant Range: Not publicly available (11 grants made in recent year)
Geographic Focus: Rhode Island
Total Assets: $70.8 million (2023)
Foundation Type: Private family foundation

Contact Details

Location: Providence, RI

Note: The foundation does not maintain a public website or published contact information. As a private family foundation, grants are made at the discretion of the trustees.

Overview

The Collis Foundation was established in 1997 as a private independent foundation in Rhode Island. Founded by Charles A. Collis (1915-2014), a successful entrepreneur who founded Princess House, Inc., and his wife Elfriede A. Collis, the foundation has been making grants to Rhode Island nonprofits for nearly 25 years. The foundation focuses on supporting organizations in the areas of family, education, and health, with particular emphasis on children's education, basic human needs, and healthcare initiatives. With total assets of $70.8 million and annual giving of approximately $2 million, the foundation makes strategic grants to established Rhode Island institutions. The foundation has demonstrated particular interest in pediatric healthcare and Lyme disease treatment, areas where trustees have personal connections and deep commitment.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation operates through trustee-directed grantmaking rather than formal grant programs. Recent grants have included:

Healthcare Institutions: Support for Hasbro Children's Hospital and the Lyme Disease Center at The Miriam Hospital
Matching Grants: The foundation has offered matching gift opportunities, including a $100,000 match over two years for the Lyme Disease Center

Priority Areas

Primary Focus Areas:

Children's education and literacy programs
Pediatric healthcare and children's hospitals
Basic human needs and family services
Healthcare innovation, particularly in underserved areas like Lyme disease treatment

Geographic Focus:

Exclusively Rhode Island-based organizations

What They Don't Fund

As a private family foundation with limited public information, specific exclusions are not documented. However, the foundation appears to focus exclusively on Rhode Island-based organizations in their core areas of education, family, and health.

Governance and Leadership

Board of Trustees

Astrid C. Womble - Director & President

Serves as Executive Director of The Collis Foundation since 2005
Holds J.D. and M.B.A. from Wake Forest University
Also serves as Director at EverWatch

Elfriede A. Collis - Director

Co-founder of the foundation with her late husband Charles A. Collis
Former member of the Rhode Island Hospital board of trustees and chair of the Rhode Island Hospital Foundation board
Long-standing philanthropic leader in Rhode Island healthcare and education

Frohman Anderson - Director & Secretary

Has personal connection to Lyme disease (son, daughter, sister, and two of his sister's children suffer from chronic Lyme disease)
Active in foundation decision-making and public statements about grants

Key Quote from Leadership

"The Miriam has a sophistication and expertise around the Lyme complex that no in-hospital program locally can match. So, we're proud to support them as they build on their already stellar work." — Frohman Anderson, on the foundation's support for the Lyme Disease Center

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Collis Foundation does not have a public application process. As a private family foundation, grants are awarded at the discretion of the trustees based on their strategic priorities and existing relationships with Rhode Island organizations.

The foundation made 11 grants in their most recent reporting year, suggesting a focused, relationship-based grantmaking approach rather than open solicitation.

Getting on Their Radar

While the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, organizations aligned with their mission may consider:

Focus on established Rhode Island institutions: The foundation's documented grants have gone to major healthcare institutions like Rhode Island Hospital, The Miriam Hospital, and Hasbro Children's Hospital, suggesting they prefer working with established organizations with proven track records.
Trustee connections: Given that Elfriede Collis has served on boards at Rhode Island Hospital and Rhode Island Hospital Foundation, organizations with connections to these institutions or similar healthcare/education boards may have pathways to foundation awareness.
Personal motivations matter: The foundation's support for Lyme disease research was driven by trustee Frohman Anderson's personal family experience with the disease, suggesting that causes with personal resonance to trustees may receive consideration.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly available. As a private foundation with trustee-directed grantmaking, decisions are made on the trustees' timeline.

Success Rates

Not publicly available. The foundation does not publish application statistics.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable, as the foundation does not have a formal application process.

Application Success Factors

Given the limited public information available, insights are drawn from the foundation's documented giving patterns and trustee statements:

Relationship-Based Grantmaking: The foundation's grants appear to go to organizations where trustees have existing relationships or board connections. Elfriede Collis's leadership roles at Rhode Island Hospital suggest that organizations within her network may have better access.

Personal Connection to Cause: The Lyme Disease Center grant was explicitly motivated by Frohman Anderson's family's experience with Lyme disease. His quote emphasized that "we have a personal investment in this," suggesting that causes with personal resonance to trustees are prioritized.

Focus on Excellence and Innovation: Anderson's quote about The Miriam's "sophistication and expertise around the Lyme complex" that "no in-hospital program locally can match" suggests the foundation values demonstrated excellence and specialized expertise.

Rhode Island Impact: All documented grants are to Rhode Island organizations, with emphasis on filling gaps in local healthcare and education services.

Established Institutions: The foundation's known recipients (Hasbro Children's Hospital, The Miriam Hospital, Rhode Island Hospital) are all major, established institutions rather than smaller grassroots organizations.

Matching Gift Opportunities: The foundation has shown willingness to use matching grants (up to $100,000 over two years for the Lyme Center) to leverage additional donor support and expand impact.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

This foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals - it operates through trustee-directed grantmaking based on relationships and strategic priorities
Rhode Island focus is absolute - all known grants support organizations based in Rhode Island, particularly in the Providence area
Healthcare and education institutions are primary recipients - major hospitals and established healthcare/education organizations appear to be the primary beneficiaries
Personal connections drive giving - trustee board service and personal experiences (like Anderson's family's Lyme disease) influence grant decisions
Emphasis on excellence and specialized expertise - the foundation supports organizations that demonstrate unique capabilities and sophistication in their field
Family foundation with significant assets - with $70.8 million in assets and $2 million in annual giving, this is a substantial funder, but grants are limited to approximately 11 per year
Long-term relationships valued - the foundation has been supporting similar causes for nearly 25 years, suggesting they build lasting partnerships rather than one-time grants

References

Research completed December 16, 2025