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Great Island Foundation

Annual Giving
$6.3M
Grant Range
$150K - $0.5M

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $3,000,000 (2023); $6,300,000 (2024)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly available
  • Decision Time: Not publicly available
  • Grant Range: Varies by program area
  • Geographic Focus: New York, Rhode Island, and select national/international locations including Los Angeles, Boston, and The Hague

Contact Details

Address: 115 E 69th St, New York, NY 10021-5004

Phone: (212) 794-6060

Website: No public website

Note: The foundation does not have a public application process.

Overview

The Great Island Foundation was established in 1999 as a private family foundation led by the Nolen family. With total assets of approximately $99 million (2024) and annual giving ranging from $3-6.3 million, the foundation focuses primarily on arts and culture, particularly art museums and performing arts, with additional support for education and human services. The foundation was founded by Wilson "Roly" Nolen (Yale '48, d. 2022), a distinguished professor, executive, and philanthropist who was instrumental in establishing Yale's Quarter Century Fund and received the Yale Medal in 1983. The foundation's leadership includes his children Christian, Malcolm, and Eliot Nolen, continuing the family's philanthropic legacy. Recent grants suggest an evolving focus that includes environmental conservation and climate resilience alongside traditional arts and cultural priorities.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation operates through trustee-directed grantmaking rather than formal grant programs. Based on available records, the foundation has made grants in the following areas:

Arts & Culture - Primary focus including art museums and performing arts organizations

Environmental Conservation (Recent/Emerging Focus)

  • Alaska's Tongass National Forest conservation - $500,000 to New Venture Fund (2023)
  • Blue Carbon initiatives - $250,000 to Conservation International (2023)
  • Ecological restoration and climate resilience - $150,000 to Blue Forest Finance (2023)

Education - Support for educational institutions and programs at various levels

Human Services - Selected family services and child welfare programs

Priority Areas

Based on documented grants and foundation records:

  • Art museums and visual arts institutions
  • Performing arts organizations (theatre, music, dance)
  • Environmental conservation and climate resilience
  • Elementary, secondary, and higher education
  • Family services and child welfare programs
  • Select religious institutions (Christianity)
  • Philanthropic infrastructure and nonprofit capacity building

Geographic Focus

While based in New York, the foundation supports initiatives in:

  • New York City and New York State
  • Rhode Island
  • Los Angeles, California
  • Boston, Massachusetts
  • The Hague, Netherlands
  • Select national environmental conservation projects

What They Don't Fund

Given the private, family-directed nature of the foundation, information about explicit exclusions is not publicly available.

Governance and Leadership

Board of Trustees

Christian Nolen - President Yale University '82, son of founders Wilson and Eliot Chace Nolen

Malcolm C. Nolen - Treasurer Yale University '83, son of founders Wilson and Eliot Chace Nolen. Married to Jennifer Napier Nolen.

Eliot Nolen - Secretary Son of founders Wilson and Eliot Chace Nolen. Married to Tim Bradley '83.

All trustees serve without compensation.

Foundation History

The foundation was established by Wilson "Roly" Nolen (1926-2022) and Eliot Chace Nolen (1932-2023). Wilson Nolen graduated from Yale in 1948, earned his MBA from Harvard Business School in 1951, and completed his doctorate in 1956. He served as Professor at Columbia Business School and was President of the Yale Alumni Fund from 1978-1980. The Nolen family has a distinguished history of philanthropy, including a $20 million gift to Yale University Art Gallery in 2007 from six family members.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Great Island Foundation does not have a public application process. The foundation makes grants based on trustee discretion and initiative, typically to organizations already known to the family or identified through the board's networks and interests.

Grant decisions are made by the three trustee siblings, who direct the foundation's philanthropic activities based on the family's longstanding commitment to arts, education, and emerging interests in environmental conservation.

Organizations cannot submit unsolicited proposals. The foundation identifies and initiates relationships with potential grantees rather than responding to applications.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable given the invitation-only nature of grantmaking.

Success Rates

Not applicable. The foundation made 7 grants in 2023, 16 in 2022, 32 in 2021, and 68 in 2020, reflecting varying annual grant activity determined by trustee decisions.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable given the absence of a public application process.

Application Success Factors

Given the private, trustee-directed nature of the Great Island Foundation, success in receiving funding depends on factors that differ from traditional application-based grantmaking:

Alignment with Family Interests: The foundation's giving reflects the Nolen family's personal philanthropic interests, particularly in:

  • Arts institutions with strong reputations (especially art museums and performing arts)
  • Educational institutions, particularly those with Yale connections
  • Emerging interest in environmental conservation and climate solutions

Institutional Prestige and Track Record: Based on grant patterns, the foundation appears to support established organizations with proven impact rather than emerging or grassroots groups.

Geographic Connections: Priority locations include New York, Rhode Island (the family's roots), and select national/international projects aligned with trustee interests.

Strategic Impact: Recent environmental grants suggest interest in high-impact conservation projects, particularly those addressing climate change and ecosystem preservation.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Not accepting applications: This foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals or have a formal application process. Organizations cannot apply for funding.

  • Trustee-directed philanthropy: All grants are initiated by the three Nolen siblings serving as trustees, based on their family's philanthropic priorities and personal connections.

  • Arts and culture primary focus: The foundation's core commitment remains art museums and performing arts, reflecting the family's longstanding interests and Wilson Nolen's leadership in cultural philanthropy.

  • Evolving environmental focus: Recent significant grants to conservation organizations (New Venture Fund, Conservation International, Blue Forest Finance) suggest growing interest in climate and environmental issues among the next generation of family leadership.

  • Family legacy continues: With assets nearly tripling to $99 million in 2024, the foundation's capacity has grown significantly following the deaths of founders Wilson (2022) and Eliot Chace Nolen (2023), suggesting sustained or increased grantmaking ahead.

  • Yale connections matter: The family's deep ties to Yale University (three generations of graduates, major gifts, alumni leadership) may influence funding decisions, particularly in education.

  • Relationship-based giving: Organizations in this foundation's orbit typically have existing relationships with family members or connections through the arts, education, and conservation sectors in New York and Rhode Island.

References

  1. Cause IQ - Great Island Foundation Profile. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/great-island-foundation,134049061/ (Accessed January 2026)

  2. ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer - Great Island Foundation Form 990-PF Filings (2022-2024). https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/134049061 (Accessed January 2026)

  3. Foundation Directory/Candid - The Great Island Foundation Profile. https://fconline.foundationcenter.org/fdo-grantmaker-profile/?key=GREA100 (Accessed January 2026)

  4. FoundationSearch - The Great Island Foundation Summary. https://www.foundationsearch.com/TopSP/THE%20GREAT%20ISLAND%20FOUNDATION-134049061.HTML (Accessed January 2026)

  5. Legacy.com - Wilson Nolen Obituary, New York Times (2022). https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/nytimes/name/wilson-nolen-obituary?id=35166853 (Accessed January 2026)

  6. Legacy.com - Eliot Nolen Obituary, New York Times (2023). https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/nytimes/name/eliot-nolen-obituary?id=54007682 (Accessed January 2026)

  7. Yale Daily News - "Donors fund art gallery" (September 5, 2007). https://yaledailynews.com/blog/2007/09/05/donors-fund-art-gallery/ (Accessed January 2026)

  8. Instrumentl - The Great Island Foundation 990 Report. https://www.instrumentl.com/990-report/great-island-foundation (Accessed January 2026)

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