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The Risor Foundation

Annual Giving
$0.1M

The Risor Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $88,330 (2024)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly available (private family foundation)
  • Decision Time: Not publicly available
  • Grant Range: Not publicly specified
  • Geographic Focus: Likely national, with possible focus on Massachusetts and New Jersey connections
  • Foundation Type: Private independent foundation
  • Assets: $1,807,332 (2024)

Contact Details

Address: 27 Bemis Street, Weston, MA 02493-1701

Phone: 561-723-0414

EIN: 13-7113387

Note: This is a private family foundation. Contact information is provided for reference, but the foundation does not appear to have a public website or formal application process.

Overview

The Risor Foundation is a small, private independent family foundation established in 1997 in New Jersey and currently based in Weston, Massachusetts. The foundation received its 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status in August 1998. With assets of approximately $1.8 million as of 2024, the Risor Foundation operates as a traditional family foundation making modest but consistent charitable grants annually, typically ranging from $50,000 to $110,000 per year.

The foundation is managed by the Caspersen family, whose philanthropic legacy includes significant support for educational institutions. Finn M.W. Caspersen Sr., the late patriarch whose family appears connected to this foundation, was known for his extensive philanthropy to institutions including the Peddie School, Brown University, Harvard University, and Drew University, as well as his oversight of the Hodson Trust benefiting four Maryland colleges. The foundation's name "Risor" derives from Norwegian, meaning "thicket" or relating to shrubby islands, reflecting the family's Scandinavian heritage (Caspersen is of Danish/Norwegian origin).

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Risor Foundation does not operate formal grant programs with published guidelines or application cycles. As a private family foundation, grantmaking decisions are made at the discretion of the trustees.

Based on financial records:

  • 2024: Charitable disbursements of $88,330
  • 2023: Charitable disbursements of $109,250
  • 2022: Charitable disbursements of $49,865
  • 2021: Charitable disbursements of $52,450

Priority Areas

While specific funding priorities are not publicly documented, family foundations of this type typically support causes aligned with the trustees' personal interests and connections. Given the Caspersen family's documented history, potential areas of interest may include:

  • Education: Higher education, secondary/preparatory schools
  • Arts and Culture: Libraries, cultural institutions
  • Youth Development: Programs supporting young people
  • Athletics: Rowing and equestrian sports (reflecting Finn M.W. Caspersen Sr.'s interests)

However, grant recipients and specific focus areas are not publicly disclosed, and the foundation may support a variety of causes at the trustees' discretion.

What They Don't Fund

As a private family foundation without published guidelines, exclusions are not specified. However, typical limitations for foundations of this size and type include:

  • Grants to individuals (except through qualified scholarship programs)
  • Political campaigns or lobbying activities
  • Organizations without 501(c)(3) status
  • General operating support for very large national organizations
  • International grants (likely, given domestic address and U.S. tax status)

Governance and Leadership

Board of Trustees

Finn M.W. Caspersen Jr. - Trustee

  • Executive Vice President/Director of Retail Banking at Bankprov
  • Graduate of Harvard Law School (1995)
  • Son of the late Finn M.W. Caspersen Sr., prominent financier and philanthropist

Emily W.S. Caspersen - Trustee

  • Middle School History Teacher at Gill St. Bernard's School, New Jersey
  • Involved with Girls on the Run
  • Concord Academy alumna (1987) and donor

Alexis O. Goltra - Trustee

  • Senior Corporate Counsel at Oracle Corporation
  • Former trustee of Concord Academy (2003-2007)
  • Concord Academy alumna (1987) and donor
  • Attorney based in Redwood City, California

The three trustees appear to represent the next generation of the Caspersen family's philanthropic tradition, continuing the legacy established by Finn M.W. Caspersen Sr., who donated tens of millions to educational institutions throughout his lifetime.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Risor Foundation does not have a public application process. As a small, private family foundation, grants are awarded at the trustees' discretion, typically to organizations with which they have existing relationships or personal connections.

This foundation does not:

  • Accept unsolicited grant proposals
  • Maintain a website with application guidelines
  • Offer online application portals
  • Publish application deadlines or cycles
  • Provide pre-application consultations

Organizations unfamiliar to the trustees should not expect to receive funding through cold outreach.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - the foundation operates on a discretionary basis without published timelines.

Success Rates

Not applicable for unsolicited applications. The foundation makes grants exclusively through trustee-directed grantmaking.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable given the absence of a formal application process.

Application Success Factors

Important Note: Given that this is a private family foundation without a public application process, the traditional "success factors" do not apply. However, understanding how small family foundations operate can provide context:

How Small Family Foundations Typically Operate:

  1. Relationship-Driven Grantmaking: Small family foundations like Risor typically fund organizations where trustees have direct personal involvement, such as:

    • Schools they or their children attended
    • Organizations where they serve on boards
    • Causes introduced through trusted colleagues and friends
    • Institutions in their local communities

  2. Alignment with Family Values: Given the Caspersen family's documented commitment to education (particularly at institutions like Brown, Harvard, Drew University, and Peddie School), organizations in the education sector may align with their philanthropic interests.

  3. Personal Connection is Essential: Unlike larger foundations with professional staff who review applications, family foundations of this size make decisions based on trustees' personal knowledge and passion for causes.

  4. Geographic Considerations: With trustees connected to Massachusetts (Weston), New Jersey (Gill St. Bernard's School area), and California (Oracle Corporation), the foundation may consider organizations in these regions, though location is less important than personal connection.

  5. Modest Grant Sizes: With annual giving under $110,000 and distributed among multiple recipients, individual grants are likely modest in size, possibly ranging from a few thousand to tens of thousands of dollars.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  1. This foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals - Do not invest time in preparing grant applications for the Risor Foundation unless you have been specifically invited to apply by a trustee.

  2. Relationship is everything - The only realistic path to funding is through personal connection with one of the three trustees or through their networks.

  3. Focus on accessible foundations - Organizations seeking education, arts, or youth development funding should prioritize foundations with open application processes rather than pursuing family foundations like Risor.

  4. Educational institutions may have an advantage - Given the family's history, preparatory schools, independent schools, and higher education institutions known to the trustees may be more likely recipients.

  5. Trustees are accessible professionals - While you should not solicit them for grants, if your organization naturally intersects with their professional or personal circles (education in New Jersey/Massachusetts, technology sector, legal community), authentic relationship-building over time may eventually lead to consideration.

  6. Annual giving is modest but consistent - The foundation maintains a steady pattern of charitable giving despite fluctuations in investment returns, suggesting a commitment to ongoing philanthropy within their capacity.

  7. IRS filings are your only public window - Since the foundation lacks a website or published materials, reviewing their Form 990-PF filings (available through ProPublica's Nonprofit Explorer) is the only way to track their activities and grant recipients if you have a legitimate connection to explore.

References

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