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Florence M. Muller Foundation

Annual Giving
$0.8M
Grant Range
$5K - $0.1M

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $797,914 (2023)
  • Assets: $20 million+
  • Grant Range: $5,000 - $50,000 (typical responsive grants)
  • Number of Awards: 23 grants (2023)
  • Geographic Focus: Six counties in New York State (Monroe, Livingston, Ontario, Seneca, Wayne, and Yates)
  • Application Method: Invitation only (letter of inquiry or staff contact required)

Contact Details

Address: 421 Penbrooke Drive, Suite 5, Penfield, NY 14526

Phone: (585) 381-3430

Website: https://www.fmmullerfdn.org/

Executive Director: Patricia Leo (previously served at United Way of Greater Rochester)

Organizations are encouraged to contact staff to schedule a conversation or submit a brief online letter of inquiry.

Overview

The Florence M. Muller Foundation was established in 2004 in Penfield, New York, to support the philanthropic vision of its founder and namesake. With assets exceeding $20 million and annual grantmaking of approximately $800,000, the foundation is dedicated to promoting the welfare of the community and the natural environment through strategic philanthropy. The foundation focuses on four core areas: child well-being, education, health care, and environmental conservation, with a very strong preference for supporting small and mid-sized nonprofit organizations. Patricia Leo was appointed as the foundation's first executive director in 2018, bringing over 20 years of experience in community problem-solving, nonprofit administration, and grantmaking from her previous role at United Way of Greater Rochester.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation offers both strategic and responsive grants:

Strategic Grants: Board-initiated grants focusing primarily on environmental conservation efforts that promote greater care for the environment. These are proactive grants identified by the Board of Directors.

Responsive Grants: Organization-initiated grants ranging typically between $5,000 and $50,000 for program, capital project, and general operating support across all four focus areas.

Priority Areas

Child Well-Being (Prenatal to Kindergarten Entry)

  • Strategies ensuring disadvantaged youth are born healthy into supportive families
  • Programs helping children remain on track physically, emotionally, socially, and cognitively to meet developmental milestones
  • Initiatives ensuring children enter kindergarten thriving and prepared to succeed

Education (K-12)

  • Strategies achieving success in ensuring disadvantaged youth remain on track through school
  • Programs supporting high school graduation with a strong foundation for successful futures
  • Interventions focused on keeping students engaged and prepared

Health Care

  • Programs promoting health and wellness in the six-county service area

Environmental Conservation

  • Strategic initiatives promoting greater care for the natural environment

What They Don't Fund

  • Governmental institutions
  • Individuals
  • Organizations that make grants to others (re-granting organizations)
  • Organizations outside the six-county service area (Monroe, Livingston, Ontario, Seneca, Wayne, and Yates Counties in New York)
  • Non-501(c)(3) organizations

Governance and Leadership

Executive Director: Patricia Leo, appointed in 2018, brings more than 20 years of experience in community problem-solving, nonprofit administration, and grantmaking. She previously served as Director of Community Impact at United Way of Greater Rochester and has experience with KPMG's Barents Group and World Learning.

Staff: The foundation employs approximately 2 staff members who welcome contact from potential applicants.

Board of Directors information is not publicly available through standard nonprofit databases, though the foundation operates with a board that initiates strategic grants.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Florence M. Muller Foundation operates an invitation-only grant process. Organizations cannot submit unsolicited full applications.

Step 1: Initial Contact Organizations interested in funding must first:

  • Submit a brief online letter of inquiry through the foundation's website, OR
  • Contact foundation staff to schedule a conversation

Step 2: Invitation to Apply Organizations with programs or projects determined to align with the foundation's areas of focus will be invited to complete a full grant application. Grant application forms and instructions are provided only with the invitation to apply.

Step 3: Application Submission Organizations invited to apply may submit their grant application at any time, as applications are accepted on a rolling basis (no fixed deadlines).

Decision Timeline

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Specific decision timelines are not publicly disclosed, though the rolling nature suggests decisions are made throughout the year rather than in fixed funding cycles.

Reapplication Policy

Information about reapplication policies for unsuccessful applicants is not publicly available. Prospective applicants should inquire about this during initial contact with staff.

Application Success Factors

Given the foundation's invitation-only process and preference for small to mid-sized organizations, the following factors are critical:

Alignment with Focus Areas: Projects must clearly align with one of the four charitable interest areas (child well-being, education, health care, or environmental conservation) and specifically target disadvantaged populations for education and child well-being grants.

Geographic Eligibility: Organizations must be located in and serve residents of the six-county service area: Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Seneca, Wayne, and Yates Counties in New York State.

Organization Size: The foundation has a "very strong preference" for making grants to small and mid-sized organizations, suggesting larger regional or national organizations may not be prioritized.

Clear Outcomes: For child well-being grants, demonstrate how the program ensures children meet developmental milestones and enter kindergarten prepared. For education grants, show how interventions keep disadvantaged youth on track to graduate high school with a strong foundation.

Initial Conversation: Given the two-stage process, the quality of the initial letter of inquiry or conversation with staff is critical. This is the opportunity to demonstrate alignment before being invited to submit a full application.

Grant Type Clarity: Be clear whether you're seeking program support, capital project funding, or general operating support, as the foundation offers all three types within their focus areas.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Invitation-only process: You cannot submit a full application without first submitting a letter of inquiry or speaking with staff. Make this initial contact compelling and focused on alignment.

  • Strong preference for smaller organizations: If you're a large regional or national organization, this may not be the right funder unless you have a specific local program in the six-county area.

  • Geographic restriction is firm: All six counties (Monroe, Livingston, Ontario, Seneca, Wayne, and Yates) are in the Rochester, NY region. Organizations outside this area are not eligible.

  • Focus on disadvantaged populations: For child well-being and education grants, the foundation specifically targets programs serving disadvantaged youth, not universal programs.

  • Both strategic and responsive grants available: While you can initiate contact for responsive grants ($5,000-$50,000), be aware the board also initiates strategic grants, particularly in environmental conservation.

  • Rolling basis offers flexibility: No fixed deadlines means you can apply when your program is ready, but also means funding decisions happen throughout the year.

  • Multiple grant types accepted: Program, capital project, and general operating grants are all within scope, providing flexibility in how you structure your request.

References

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