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Griffin-Cole Fund

Annual Giving
$4.4M

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $4,444,250 (2024)
  • Assets: $93,706,592
  • Geographic Focus: National, with concentration in Princeton, NJ area
  • Application Process: Invitation only/No public application process
  • Accepts Unsolicited Applications: No

Contact Details

Address: P.O. Box 73, Bowling Green Station, New York, NY 10274
Phone: (212) 902-8711

Note: The Griffin-Cole Fund does not have a public website or grant application portal.

Overview

The Griffin-Cole Fund was established in 1998 by Christopher and Barbara Cole as their primary philanthropic vehicle. With assets of approximately $93.7 million and annual grantmaking of over $4.4 million, the foundation operates as a private family foundation focusing on education, arts and culture, and environmental conservation. Christopher Cole served as chairman of investment banking at Goldman Sachs for thirty years until 2015, after which he founded Ardea Partners, a private investment banking advisory firm. Barbara Griffin Cole is a Princeton-trained architect and founder of Barbara Griffin Architects. The couple maintains deep ties to Princeton University (both are alumni) and directs the majority of their philanthropy to Princeton-area institutions, though they also support selected organizations on Martha's Vineyard and national educational and environmental initiatives. The foundation operates without public application processes, making grants based on trustee discretion and existing relationships.

Funding Priorities

Geographic Focus

  • Primary: Princeton, New Jersey and surrounding central New Jersey region
  • Secondary: Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts
  • National: Select educational and environmental organizations

Priority Areas

Education & Youth Development The Coles prioritize educational institutions with personal connections:

  • Princeton University (their shared alma mater)
  • Princeton Day School (Barbara attended and served as board chair 2012-2017)
  • St. Paul's School (Barbara's preparatory school)
  • Yale University (Christopher Cole's mother worked there)
  • New Jersey SEEDS (educational opportunity program)
  • Teach for America

Arts & Culture Strong focus on Princeton-area cultural institutions:

  • McCarter Theater
  • Princeton Symphony Orchestra
  • Arts Council of Princeton
  • Morven Museum & Garden
  • Historical Society of Princeton
  • National Trust for Historic Preservation

Environment & Conservation Environmental organizations in New Jersey and Massachusetts:

  • Environmental Defense Fund (Christopher Cole serves on board of trustees)
  • New Jersey Conservation Foundation Land Fund
  • Watershed Institute (Barbara Cole serves as board chair)
  • Stony Brook–Millstone Watershed Association
  • The Trustees of Reservations (Massachusetts)
  • Sheriff's Meadow Foundation (Martha's Vineyard land conservation)
  • The High Mountain Institute

Other Areas

  • Healthcare: Mass General Hospital, Martha's Vineyard Hospital
  • International: American Jewish World Service, Indigenous Education Foundation of Tanzania

What They Don't Fund

The foundation does not appear to fund:

  • Individual scholarships or direct student aid
  • General operating support for organizations outside their geographic focus areas
  • Organizations without connection to the trustees' personal interests or networks
  • Medical research or social services outside their established grantee relationships

Governance and Leadership

Christopher A. Cole (Trustee)

  • Education: AB in History, Princeton University (1981); MBA, Harvard University (1985)
  • Career: Thirty years at Goldman Sachs, serving as Chairman of Investment Banking until 2015; member of Goldman's Management Committee and Finance Committee
  • Current: Chairman, Ardea Partners, LLC (private investment banking advisory firm founded in 2016)
  • Board Service: Princeton University Board of Trustees (elected 2008), Institute for Advanced Study Board of Trustees (appointed 2017), Environmental Defense Fund Board of Trustees, Director of Princeton University Investment Co., Princeton University Bendheim Center for Finance Advisory Council

Barbara Griffin Cole (Trustee)

  • Education: BA and MArch, Princeton University (1982)
  • Professional: Founder, Barbara Griffin Architects (residential architecture and landscape design based in Hopewell, NJ)
  • Family Connection: Granddaughter of Donald Griffin '23, longtime secretary and general secretary of Princeton's Alumni Council
  • Board Service: Chair of Watershed Institute Board, Board member of Sheriff's Meadow Foundation (Martha's Vineyard), Trustee Emerita of Princeton Day School (served 2000-2017, including as board chair 2012-2017), Middlebury College parent trustee

The Coles split their time between a farm in Hopewell, New Jersey, and a home on Chappaquiddick Island, Martha's Vineyard.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Griffin-Cole Fund does not have a public application process. This is a private family foundation that makes grants based on trustee discretion and pre-existing relationships. The foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals or applications from organizations that do not have an established relationship with the trustees.

Grants are awarded through:

  • Trustee-initiated research and identification of organizations
  • Personal connections and board service of Christopher and Barbara Cole
  • Alumni networks, particularly Princeton University
  • Geographic proximity to the Coles' residences in Hopewell, NJ and Martha's Vineyard, MA
  • Organizations where trustees or family members serve in leadership roles

Getting on Their Radar

The Griffin-Cole Fund makes grants through trustee discretion, meaning organizations are typically identified through the Coles' direct board involvement and personal networks. Specific ways this foundation discovers organizations include:

Direct Board Service: Both Christopher and Barbara Cole serve on multiple boards, and the organizations where they serve as trustees receive support (e.g., Environmental Defense Fund, Watershed Institute, Princeton University). Organizations working closely with these institutions may gain visibility.

Princeton University Network: As Princeton alumni and active supporters, the Coles are connected to the Princeton community. Organizations with strong Princeton connections, partnerships with Princeton institutions, or Princeton alumni leadership have a natural pathway to relationship building.

Institutional Relationships: The foundation supports institutions where the Coles have longstanding relationships, such as Princeton Day School (where Barbara served as board chair), St. Paul's School (Barbara's alma mater), and organizations in central New Jersey and Martha's Vineyard where they maintain residences.

Geographic Proximity: Organizations in Hopewell and Princeton, New Jersey, and Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts—the Coles' primary residences—are more likely to come to their attention through community involvement.

Funder Networks: Building relationships with current grantees or other funders in the Princeton area philanthropic community may provide warm introductions. The Coles work with established institutions like the Arts Council of Princeton and New Jersey conservation organizations.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly disclosed. As a private foundation with no formal application process, grants are approved by trustees on their own timeline, likely in coordination with quarterly or annual trustee meetings.

Success Rates

Not applicable—the foundation does not accept open applications.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable—the foundation does not accept applications. However, the foundation appears to maintain ongoing relationships with core grantees, suggesting repeat funding for organizations within their established portfolio.

Application Success Factors

Since the Griffin-Cole Fund does not accept applications, success in receiving funding depends entirely on relationship factors rather than proposal quality:

Personal Connection to Trustees: Organizations where Christopher or Barbara Cole serve on the board, or institutions with which they have longstanding personal connections (alma maters, schools their children attended, organizations in their home communities), form the core of the grantmaking portfolio.

Princeton University Connections: Princeton-related organizations receive strong preference. This includes not only the university itself but also Princeton Day School, Princeton-area cultural institutions (McCarter Theater, Princeton Symphony Orchestra, Arts Council of Princeton), and conservation organizations serving central New Jersey.

Alignment with Trustee Expertise: Christopher Cole's financial background and board service at Environmental Defense Fund suggest sophisticated environmental organizations with strong governance may attract support. Barbara Cole's architecture and conservation background suggests preference for land trusts and environmental organizations with focus on landscape and watershed protection.

Established Track Record: The foundation appears to support well-established institutions rather than startups or emerging organizations. Grantees include major universities, national organizations (Teach for America, Environmental Defense Fund), and established local institutions.

Geographic Positioning: Organizations in central New Jersey (particularly Princeton area) and Martha's Vineyard have significant advantages due to the Coles' residences and deep community involvement in these locations.

Arts and Cultural Excellence: Princeton-area arts organizations receive support, suggesting appreciation for high-quality cultural programming. McCarter Theater (Tony Award winner), Princeton Symphony Orchestra, and other established cultural institutions form part of the portfolio.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No open application process: This foundation cannot be approached through proposals. It operates entirely through trustee discretion and existing relationships.

  • Princeton connection is paramount: Alumni ties, institutional partnerships with Princeton University, or location in the Princeton, NJ area provide the strongest pathways to support.

  • Board service indicates funding: Organizations where Christopher or Barbara Cole serve as trustees or directors receive foundation support. Monitor their board affiliations for insight into funding priorities.

  • Geography matters significantly: Central New Jersey (especially Princeton and Hopewell) and Martha's Vineyard represent the primary geographic focus areas, reflecting the Coles' residences and community involvement.

  • Long-term relationships over one-time grants: The foundation appears to maintain ongoing relationships with a consistent portfolio of grantees rather than making one-time grants to many organizations.

  • Environmental and educational focus with quality emphasis: Support goes to well-established, high-performing organizations in education, environmental conservation, and arts/culture rather than experimental or startup initiatives.

  • Leverage warm introductions: If your organization has legitimate connections to Princeton University, current grantees, or central New Jersey/Martha's Vineyard communities, those networks represent the only viable pathway to potential funding consideration.

References

  1. Cause IQ - The Griffin-Cole Fund profile (https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/griffin-cole-fund,137109406/) - Accessed January 2026

  2. ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer - Griffin Cole Fund (https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/137109406) - Form 990 financial data - Accessed January 2026

  3. Inside Philanthropy - Christopher and Barbara Cole donor profile (https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/find-a-grant/major-donors/christopher-and-barbara-cole) - Accessed January 2026

  4. Princeton University - "Seven named to Board of Trustees" (June 16, 2008) (https://www.princeton.edu/news/2008/06/16/seven-named-board-trustees) - Christopher Cole trustee appointment announcement - Accessed January 2026

  5. Middlebury College - Barbara Griffin Cole trustee biography (https://www.middlebury.edu/about-middlebury/barbara-griffin-cole) - Accessed January 2026

  6. Environmental Defense Fund - Board of Trustees listing (https://www.edf.org/board-trustees) - Christopher Cole board service - Accessed January 2026

  7. Institute for Advanced Study - "Manjul Bhargava and Christopher A. Cole Appointed to Institute for Advanced Study Board of Trustees" (2017) (https://www.ias.edu/news/trustees-spring-2017) - Accessed January 2026

  8. Instrumentl - Griffin-Cole Fund 990 Report (https://www.instrumentl.com/990-report/griffin-cole-fund) - Financial and grants data - Accessed January 2026

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