William T. Morris Foundation Inc

Quick Stats

Annual Giving: $1,214,000 (2023)
Total Assets: $36.9 million (2023)
Grant Range: $5,000 - $200,000
Geographic Focus: Primarily Northeast and New Jersey, with national reach for higher education and disease research
Application Process: Director referral only (no unsolicited applications accepted)
EIN: 13-1600908

Contact Details

Address: 9336 Tulipano Terrace, Naples, FL 34119

Email: info@wtmf.org

Website: https://wtmf.org

Key Personnel:

Bruce August - President and CEO
Jeffrey Johnston - Executive Vice President and Treasurer
Robert Patti - Vice President and Secretary
Steven April - Vice President
Paul Barrett - Vice President

Overview

The William T. Morris Foundation was established in 1937 and is headquartered in Naples, Florida. Founded by William Thomas Morris, who was born in West Pittston, Pennsylvania in 1884 and built his career in the coal business, the foundation has been making grants for over 85 years. With total assets of approximately $36.9 million, the foundation awarded $1,214,000 in grants during 2023.

The foundation operates with a clear mission "to advance knowledge, and strengthen our communities" and a vision "to leave a healthier world for future generations." The foundation is a low-profile funder that tends to stick with its grantees over multiple years, suggesting a commitment to long-term relationships with supported organizations. The foundation prioritizes projects that produce measurable results, foster collaboration across sectors, and support under-served or under-funded areas.

In 2007, the foundation underwent significant governance changes following a settlement with the New York Attorney General regarding excessive compensation practices, resulting in $1.9 million being restored to the foundation and reconstitution of its board of directors.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation does not operate formal grant programs with structured application cycles. Instead, all grants are made through director referral only. Grant amounts typically range from $5,000 to approximately $200,000, with funding decisions made at the discretion of the foundation's directors.

Priority Areas

The foundation supports four main focus areas:

1. Arts & Culture

Museums and historical societies
Performing arts organizations
Cultural preservation initiatives
Recent beneficiaries include: American Museum of Natural History, Count Basie Theatre Foundation, Two River Theater Company, Telfair Museum of Art

2. Education & Scholarships

Higher education institutions
Military academies and veteran education programs
K-12 educational support
STEM education
Recent beneficiaries include: University of Pennsylvania (Wharton MBA Program), Dartmouth College, Marquette University, New York University, Lafayette College, military academies (Air Force, Naval, West Point, The Citadel)

3. Health Care

Medical research, particularly disease research
Mental health services
Disability support organizations
Healthcare foundations
Recent beneficiaries include: Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, West Bergen Mental Healthcare, Arthritis Foundation

4. Quality of Life

Veterans support organizations
Environmental conservation
Animal welfare
Social services
Youth development
Recent beneficiaries include: Appalachian Mountain Club, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Stop Soldier Suicide, Paws for Purple Hearts, Horses For Heroes NM, wildlife conservation organizations

Cross-Cutting Priorities:

Support for U.S. military veterans across multiple categories
Projects in under-served or under-funded areas
Initiatives that foster collaboration between government, philanthropic, private, and nonprofit sectors
Strategies that can increase interest and support from other sources (catalytic funding)
Programs with measurable results

Geographic Focus

More than half of the foundation's grants serve organizations in the Northeast, particularly New Jersey. However, the foundation gives nationally for higher education and disease research. This reflects the founder's Pennsylvania roots while accommodating the foundation's current Florida base.

What They Don't Fund

Individual grants or scholarships to individuals
Unsolicited grant requests
Organizations that are not IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) entities or governmental units under section 170(c)(1)
International organizations (though projects by domestic organizations can occur internationally)

Governance and Leadership

Leadership Team

Bruce August - President and CEO

Highest compensated executive with annual compensation of approximately $431,000-$515,000 in recent years
Has led the foundation through its post-2007 governance reforms

Jeffrey Johnston - Executive Vice President and Treasurer

Key financial leadership role
Contact: j***@wtmf.org

Robert Patti - Vice President and Secretary

Steven April - Vice President

Paul Barrett - Vice President

The foundation operates with 2 employees and maintains a relatively lean operational structure, with approximately 78-79% of total expenses going directly to charitable disbursements in recent years.

Historical Context

The foundation underwent significant governance restructuring in 2007 following a settlement with the New York Attorney General. The settlement resulted in $1.9 million being restored to the foundation and required reconstitution of its board of directors to address previous excessive compensation practices. This restructuring appears to have strengthened the foundation's governance and commitment to its charitable mission.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. Grant requests are accepted by Director referral only, and the foundation explicitly does not accept unsolicited grant requests.

According to the foundation's website: "Grant requests are only accepted through our online grant interface" - however, access to this interface is restricted to organizations that have received a director referral.

Referral Process: Organizations can only apply if they have been referred by a Foundation Director. The foundation states that "a connection to a director or a past grantee may be the only way to gain its attention."

Eligibility Requirements:

Must be an IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) organization or governmental unit under section 170(c)(1)
Must be a domestic organization (though projects can occur internationally)
No individual grants are awarded

General Inquiries: Organizations can contact the foundation at info@wtmf.org for general information, though this will not result in a grant application opportunity without director referral.

Getting on Their Radar

Long-term Relationship Building: The foundation is described as "a low-profile funder that tends to stick with its grantees over multiple years." This suggests that once an organization receives funding, there is potential for continued support, but breaking into the portfolio is challenging.

Past Grantee Connections: Consider building relationships with organizations that have previously received support from the foundation. These organizations may have connections to foundation directors and could potentially facilitate introductions.

Sector Alignment: The foundation seeks organizations working in under-served areas that can demonstrate:

Cross-sector collaboration potential
Measurable results
Ability to leverage additional support from other sources
Advancement of strategic work in the foundation's priority areas

Geographic Considerations: Organizations in the Northeast, particularly New Jersey, have historically received more than half of the foundation's grants. However, higher education institutions and disease research organizations nationwide have also received support.

Decision Timeline

Specific decision timelines are not publicly available, as the foundation does not operate on a standard application cycle. Decisions are made at the discretion of directors as referrals are received and reviewed.

Success Rates

Success rate data is not publicly available due to the referral-only nature of the foundation's grant-making process. The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, so there is no traditional applicant pool from which to calculate success rates.

Reapplication Policy

Given the foundation's tendency to support grantees over multiple years, organizations that receive initial funding appear to have opportunities for continued support. However, specific reapplication policies are not publicly documented.

The foundation may provide gift matching under certain circumstances, though details of this program are not publicly specified.

Application Success Factors

While the foundation's referral-only process makes traditional application advice less applicable, organizations seeking to understand the foundation's priorities can note the following:

Projects the Foundation Values:

Measurable Impact: The foundation explicitly seeks projects that "produce measurable results." Organizations should be prepared to demonstrate clear outcomes and impact metrics.
Catalytic Potential: The foundation values projects that can "increase interest and support from other sources," suggesting they look favorably on initiatives that can attract additional funding or partnerships.
Cross-Sector Collaboration: The foundation prioritizes projects that "collaborate across sectors" involving government, philanthropic, private, and non-profit entities.
Strategic Advancement: Support for projects that "advance existing strategic work" suggests the foundation prefers to support organizations with established track records and clear strategic direction.
Under-Served Areas: The foundation explicitly seeks to support "under-served and/or under-funded areas."

Funding Patterns from Beneficiary List: The foundation's beneficiary list reveals clear patterns:

Strong support for military veteran organizations across multiple categories
Consistent funding for prestigious higher education institutions
Support for both large research hospitals and smaller community health organizations
Investment in environmental conservation and animal welfare
Regional arts and cultural organizations alongside major national institutions

Multi-Year Commitment: According to philanthropic analysts, "The William T. Morris Foundation is a low-profile funder that tends to stick with its grantees over multiple years." This suggests that once funded, organizations have good prospects for continued support if they demonstrate strong results and maintain relationships with foundation directors.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

Director Connection is Essential: Without a referral from a Foundation Director, there is no pathway to funding. Building relationships with current grantees or finding connections to directors is the only route to consideration.
Long-Term Relationship Potential: The foundation favors multi-year support for grantees, making it a potentially valuable long-term partner once an initial connection is established.
Measurable Results Matter: The foundation explicitly prioritizes projects with measurable outcomes. Be prepared to demonstrate clear impact metrics and evaluation approaches.
Catalytic Funding Approach: The foundation seeks investments that will attract additional support, suggesting they view their grants as seed funding or matching opportunities that can leverage other resources.
Northeast Geographic Bias: More than half of grants go to Northeast organizations, particularly in New Jersey, though national organizations in higher education and disease research also receive support.
Veterans Support Priority: Military veteran support appears across multiple funding categories (education, health, quality of life), indicating this is a strong cross-cutting priority.
Selective but Generous: With grants ranging from $5,000 to $200,000 and annual giving around $1.2 million, the foundation makes relatively few but substantial investments in selected organizations.

References

William T. Morris Foundation official website - https://wtmf.org - Accessed January 5, 2026
William T. Morris Foundation Grantseekers page - https://www.wtmf.org/grantseekers.html - Accessed January 5, 2026
William T. Morris Foundation Mission page - https://www.wtmf.org/mission.html - Accessed January 5, 2026
William T. Morris Foundation Beneficiaries page - https://www.wtmf.org/beneficiaries.html - Accessed January 5, 2026
Cause IQ - William T Morris Foundation profile - https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/william-t-morris-foundation,131600908/ - Accessed January 5, 2026
ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer - William T Morris Foundation Inc - https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/131600908 - Accessed January 5, 2026
Inside Philanthropy - William T. Morris Foundation profile - https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/find-a-grant-places/connecticut-grants/william-t-morris-foundation - Accessed January 5, 2026
Instrumentl - William T Morris Foundation Inc 990 Report - https://www.instrumentl.com/990-report/william-t-morris-foundation-inc - Accessed January 5, 2026
Charity Navigator - William T Morris Foundation Inc Profile - https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/131600908 - Accessed January 5, 2026
New York Attorney General Press Release - "Attorney General Cuomo Recovers $1,900,000 In Excessive Compensation From Morris Foundation" (May 2007) - https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2007/attorney-general-cuomo-recovers-1900000-excessive-compensation-morris-foundation - Accessed January 5, 2026
Philanthropy News Digest - "New York Attorney General Reaches Agreement With William T. Morris Foundation" - https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/new-york-attorney-general-reaches-agreement-with-william-t.-morris-foundation - Accessed January 5, 2026
Candid Foundation Directory - William T Morris Foundation Inc - https://fconline.foundationcenter.org/fdo-grantmaker-profile/?key=MORR002 - Accessed January 5, 2026