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William Randolph Hearst Foundation

Annual Giving
$68.0M
Grant Range
$100K - $0.2M
Decision Time
6mo
Success Rate
27%

William Randolph Hearst Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $68 million (combined, 2023)
  • Success Rate: ~25-30% overall (~20% for new applicants, ~80% for prior grantees)
  • Decision Time: 4-6 weeks for initial review; 6 months average from submission to award
  • Grant Range: $100,000 - $200,000
  • Geographic Focus: National (United States)
  • Total Assets: $1.3 billion (combined Hearst Foundations, 2024)

Contact Details

Website: https://www.hearstfdn.org/

Email:

Address: 300 W 57th St Fl 26, New York, NY 10019

Phone: Available through website contact forms

Overview

The William Randolph Hearst Foundation, established in 1948 by newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, is one of two Hearst Foundations (alongside The Hearst Foundation, Inc.) that operate as a unified entity with shared leadership and funding guidelines. Collectively ranked among the nation's 100 largest foundations, the Hearst Foundations have awarded over $1.5 billion across more than 22,730 grants to 6,400 organizations since inception. In 2023, the foundations made 283 grants totaling $68.075 million, with the William Randolph Hearst Foundation specifically distributing $36.9 million. The foundations' mission is to identify and fund outstanding nonprofits that ensure people of all backgrounds in the United States have the opportunity to build healthy, productive, and satisfying lives. They focus on well-established organizations achieving differentiated results with evidence of sustainability, primarily serving large demographic or geographic constituencies.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Hearst Foundations operate with a rolling application process with no fixed deadlines. Applications are accepted year-round through their online grants portal.

Typical Grant Structure:

  • Grant Range: $100,000 (minimum) - $200,000
  • Most Common: $75,000 - $150,000
  • Project Period: 2-3 years
  • Grant Type: Predominantly program grants; limited capital, scholarship, general operating, and endowment support (endowment only for organizations with existing Hearst endowments and strong track records)

Priority Areas

Culture

  • Cultural institutions offering meaningful programs in arts and sciences
  • Programs enabling engagement by young people with lasting, measurable impact
  • Select programs nurturing and developing artistic talent
  • Support for museums, performing arts organizations, and cultural centers

Education

  • Predominantly higher education programs and scholarships
  • Limited support for early childhood, K-12, and professional development
  • Program, scholarship, and capital support for colleges and universities
  • Focus on access and educational quality for underserved populations

Health

  • Leading regional hospitals and medical centers providing access for high-need populations
  • Programs addressing healthcare professional shortages
  • Behavioral and mental healthcare programs
  • Public health initiatives and medical research
  • Specialized care for elderly populations
  • Support for early-career medical investigators
  • Innovative healthcare delivery systems with scaling potential
  • Access programs for low-income, rural, and veteran populations

Social Service

  • Programs facilitating economic independence
  • Initiatives strengthening families
  • Programs with proven success and potential to scale
  • Focus on measurable outcomes and sustainable impact

What They Don't Fund

  • Grants to individuals
  • Grants under $100,000
  • Festivals, tours, conferences, workshops, or seminars
  • Local chapters of national organizations (funding typically at national/headquarters level)
  • Scholarship or fellowship recipients studying or residing outside the United States
  • Organizations lacking regional or national support
  • Primarily endowment requests (except for existing partners with strong track records)

Governance and Leadership

The two Hearst Foundations are managed as one entity, sharing the same funding guidelines, leadership, and staff, with the same individuals serving on both boards. Operations are administered through New York headquarters and San Francisco offices.

Key Leadership:

  • Frank A. Bennack Jr. - Chairman of the Hearst Foundations
  • William R. Hearst III - President of the William Randolph Hearst Foundation, Director of The Hearst Foundation, Inc., Chairman of the Board at Hearst Corporation
  • Steven R. Swartz - Hearst President and CEO, Director of the Hearst Foundations
  • Robert M. Frehse, Jr. - Executive Director

Leadership includes prominent Hearst Corporation executives and descendants of founder William Randolph Hearst, ensuring continuity with the founder's philanthropic vision.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

All applications must be submitted through the Hearst Foundations Grants Portal at https://hearstfoundations.my.site.com/s/login

Application Requirements:

  • Complete online application with all required attachments
  • Applications can be saved and edited for up to three months before automatic removal
  • Incomplete applications or those missing required attachments cannot be reviewed
  • Only one proposal per institution allowed (multi-department institutions must coordinate through central development offices)
  • No mail or email applications accepted

Key Application Notes:

  • Rolling basis, no deadlines - applications accepted year-round
  • Minimum grant request: $100,000
  • Organizations must coordinate submissions through central development offices (for universities, medical centers, etc.)

Decision Timeline

Initial Review: 4-6 weeks from submission

  • Staff conducts proposal review, financial analysis, and team discussions
  • Applicants notified of decline or advancement to next stage

Final Decision: Average of 6 months from submission to grant award

  • Board meets quarterly to approve grants
  • Successful applicants can track progress via the Grants Portal Dashboard

Success Rates

The Hearst Foundations receive more than 1,000 grant requests annually and fund approximately 300 requests (about 25-30% overall success rate).

Critical Success Factor:

  • Approximately 80% of funding goes to prior grantees
  • Only 20% of funding is directed to new grantees
  • This means new applicants face significantly lower odds of success than organizations with existing relationships

2024 Activity: Made over 275 grants totaling more than $52 million

Reapplication Policy

For Declined Applicants: Must wait a minimum of one year from the date of declination before reapplying

For Funded Organizations: Must wait a minimum of three years from grant award date before the Foundations will consider another request

Application Success Factors

Based on the Hearst Foundations' stated priorities and recent funding patterns, successful applications demonstrate:

1. Organizational Strength and Scale

  • Well-established organizations with proven track records
  • Capacity to serve large demographic or geographic constituencies
  • Regional or national reach (not purely local programs)
  • Organizations with budgets typically over $10 million receive 80% of health funding

2. Differentiated Results

  • Evidence of achieving truly differentiated outcomes compared to peer organizations
  • Clear metrics demonstrating measurable impact
  • Programs showing innovation or excellence in their field

3. Sustainability Beyond Hearst Support

  • Clear evidence of organizational sustainability
  • Diverse funding base and financial stability
  • Plans for continuing program impact after grant period ends

4. Alignment with Funding Priorities

  • Strong fit with one of the four core areas (culture, education, health, social service)
  • Programs addressing significant issues affecting large populations
  • Focus on access, equity, and opportunity for underserved communities

5. Scaling Potential

  • Programs with potential to reach more people or expand to new locations
  • Models that can be replicated or adapted by other organizations
  • Proven practices ready for broader implementation

Recent Funding Examples (2024):

  • The Paley Center for Media (NY): Hearst High School Media Internship Endowment
  • Pioneer Works (Brooklyn): NYC's first public observatory with education programming
  • Riley Children's Foundation (IN): Maternal and Newborn Simulation Training in rural areas
  • Providence Alaska: School-centered behavioral health integration
  • Partnership for Los Angeles Schools: Capacity Building program
  • The Literacy Lab (DC): Leading Men Fellowship in Atlanta and Cincinnati
  • Common Threads (TX): Healthy cooking education for underserved families

Financial Requirements:

  • Strong financial health and responsible stewardship
  • Detailed budgets with clear use of funds
  • For endowment requests: existing Hearst endowment and exceptional track record required

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  1. Establish Track Record First: With 80% of funding going to prior grantees, new applicants face steep odds. Consider starting with smaller foundations to build credibility, or ensure your application demonstrates exceptional organizational strength and impact.

  2. Think Big and Proven: The $100,000 minimum and preference for organizations serving large constituencies means you must demonstrate significant scale and reach. This is not a funder for pilot programs or early-stage organizations.

  3. Demonstrate Differentiation: The Foundations explicitly seek organizations "achieving truly differentiated results." Your application must clearly articulate what sets your organization apart from others doing similar work.

  4. Emphasize Sustainability: Show how your organization will continue thriving beyond Hearst support. Financial stability and diverse revenue streams are critical evaluation factors.

  5. Plan for the Long Game: With a 6-month average timeline from submission to award and a 3-year waiting period between grants, factor this funder into long-term development planning, not immediate needs.

  6. Coordinate Institutional Applications: For universities, hospitals, and other multi-department institutions, ensure campus-wide coordination. Only one proposal per institution is allowed.

  7. Focus on National/Regional Impact: Local chapters of national organizations are not funded. Applications should demonstrate regional or national scope and significance.

References

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