Panaphil Foundation

Quick Stats

• EIN: 136959472
• Assets: $109,254,820
• Annual Giving: $5,771,773 (2023)
• Average Grant Size: $186,186
• Number of Awards: 31 grants (2023)
• Geographic Focus: United States (primarily New York and Pennsylvania) with some international environmental work
• Founded: 1990

Contact Details

Address: 333 Seventh Avenue, 9th Floor, New York, NY 10001-5827

Note: The foundation maintains an exceptionally low profile and does not publicly list phone numbers or email addresses. They do not accept unsolicited applications.

Overview

The Panaphil Foundation was established in 1990 by Frances A. Velay (1914-2007), a scientist who earned an M.S. in chemistry from New York University in 1947 at a time when few women pursued graduate work in science. The foundation, with assets totaling approximately $109.3 million, distributed $5.8 million in grants across 31 awards in 2023. The foundation's mission centers on three core areas: environmental conservation (particularly ocean conservancy and preservation of endangered species), women's reproductive health, and STEM education for women. Operating as a private foundation, Panaphil maintains an exceptionally low profile and makes grants exclusively to preselected charitable organizations through trustee discretion. The foundation is notable for often providing unrestricted support to its grantees, giving organizations flexibility in how they utilize funds.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation does not operate formal grant programs with published guidelines. Instead, it makes grants through trustee selection across three primary focus areas:

Environmental Conservation Grants

• Average grant size: $186,186
• Focus on land and wildlife conservation, particularly marine life and turtles
• Includes both domestic and international organizations
• Supports both small grassroots organizations and large international conservation groups

Women's Health and Reproductive Rights

• Focus exclusively on reproductive health within the United States
• Supports organizations providing access to reproductive healthcare
• Typical grantees include advocacy and service organizations

STEM Education for Women

• Primarily supports Pennsylvania colleges and universities
• Includes fellowship programs named for founder Frances Velay
• Focus on increasing women's participation in science fields

Priority Areas

Environmental Conservation:

• Ocean conservancy and marine ecosystem protection
• Preservation of animal and plant species threatened with extinction
• Prevention of cruelty to animals
• Land trust and conservation easements
• Climate change mitigation
• Wildlife protection (particular interest in turtles and marine life)

Women's Empowerment:

• Reproductive health access and advocacy
• STEM education and research opportunities for women at the undergraduate and graduate levels
• Support for women scientists and researchers

Healthcare Access:

• Support for vulnerable populations to receive quality healthcare
• International health organizations working in underdeveloped regions

What They Don't Fund

While the foundation does not publish explicit exclusions, their grant history shows they focus exclusively on their three core areas. Organizations outside of environmental conservation, women's reproductive health, or women's STEM education are unlikely to receive funding.

Governance and Leadership

Christophe J. Velay - Trustee

• Family connection to founder Frances Velay

Barbara Paul Robinson, Esq. - Trustee

• Partner at Debevoise & Plimpton LLP
• First woman partner at Debevoise & Plimpton (1976)
• Former head of the firm's Trusts and Estates division
• First woman President of the New York City Bar Association
• Established Debevoise's flextime program for child-rearing attorneys in 1967 (first of its kind in New York)
• Also serves on boards of William Nelson Cromwell Foundation and Uphill Foundation

Nels Wangensteen - Trustee

• Also serves as trustee of the Uphill Foundation
• Financial and investment background

Heloise Velay - Trustee (joined December 14, 2023)

• Family connection to founder Frances Velay
• Serves without compensation

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Panaphil Foundation does not have a public application process. The foundation only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and explicitly does not accept unsolicited requests for funding.

Grants are awarded through trustee discretion based on:

• Pre-existing relationships with organizations
• Recommendations from trustees and their networks
• Knowledge of organizations working in their priority areas
• Past successful grant relationships

Getting on Their Radar

Network Through Past Grantees: The Horticultural Society of New York noted that "the Panaphil Foundation has been an essential partner in the growth of the Hort's programs, providing $585,000 in funding since 1999." Successful grantees appear to maintain long-term relationships with the foundation.

Pennsylvania Higher Education Connections: The foundation has demonstrated consistent support for Pennsylvania colleges and universities for women's STEM education. Institutions in this network (Haverford, Swarthmore, Bryn Mawr, Penn, Drexel) may provide entry points for related organizations.

Environmental Conservation Networks: The foundation's consistent support for major environmental organizations (Ocean Conservancy, World Wildlife Fund, Environmental Defense Fund) suggests that being active and visible in national conservation networks may increase awareness among trustees.

Frances Velay Fellowship Programs: Universities with Frances Velay Fellowship programs may have direct connections to the foundation and could potentially facilitate introductions for organizations working in women's STEM education.

Decision Timeline

No public information is available about decision timelines, as grants are made through private trustee deliberations rather than scheduled application cycles.

Success Rates

Not applicable due to invitation-only process.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - organizations are selected by trustees rather than applying.

Application Success Factors

Since the Panaphil Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, organizations should focus on:

Alignment with Founder's Vision: Frances Velay was a pioneering woman scientist who established the foundation to address causes close to her experience. Organizations that embody these intersections (e.g., women scientists working on conservation) may be particularly aligned with the foundation's values.

Range of Organization Sizes: While larger organizations tend to receive more grants, the foundation supports smaller organizations as well, indicating openness to organizations at various scales.

Geographic Connection: While environmental work may be international, there is a clear preference for organizations with connections to New York and Pennsylvania, particularly for STEM education grants.

Unrestricted Support Philosophy: Inside Philanthropy notes that "Panaphil often provides grantees with unrestricted support," suggesting the foundation values organizational leadership and trusts grantees to allocate resources where most needed.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• No Public Application Process: This foundation cannot be approached through traditional grant applications. Focus on building organizational visibility within the environmental conservation, women's reproductive health, or women's STEM education sectors.
• Network Strategically: Connect with past grantees to understand how relationships with the foundation develop.
• Three Clear Focus Areas: The foundation has remarkably consistent priorities. Organizations outside these areas should not invest time pursuing this funder.
• Long-Term Partnerships: Evidence of multi-year funding relationships indicates the foundation values sustained partnerships with effective organizations.
• Pennsylvania and New York Connections: The foundation shows particular interest in organizations connected to these states.

References

1. Charity Navigator - Panaphil Foundation Profile (EIN: 136959472) https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/136959472 Accessed: February 27, 2026

2. Cause IQ - Panaphil Foundation Organizational Profile https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/panaphil-foundation,136959472/ Accessed: February 27, 2026

3. ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer - Panaphil Foundation https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/136959472 Accessed: February 27, 2026

4. Inside Philanthropy - Panaphil Foundation Grant Profile https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/find-a-grant/grants-p/panaphil-foundation Accessed: February 27, 2026

5. Grantmakers.io - Panaphil Foundation Profile https://www.grantmakers.io/profiles/v0/136959472-panaphil-foundation/ Accessed: February 27, 2026

6. The Horticultural Society of New York - "Exciting Grant News" (June 10, 2021) https://www.thehort.org/2021/06/10/exciting-grant-news-the-uphill-and-panaphil-foundations/ Accessed: February 27, 2026

7. University of Pennsylvania CURF - Frances Velay Fellowship https://curf.upenn.edu/content/frances-velay-fellows Accessed: February 27, 2026

8. CUNY - Velay Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship https://www.cuny.edu/research/research-development-programs/student-programs/undergraduate-programs/velay-scholars-research-fellowship/ Accessed: February 27, 2026