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The IV Fund

Annual Giving
$3.0M

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $3,018,467 (2024)
  • Total Assets: $18,889,680 (2024)
  • Number of Grants: 52 grants (most recent year)
  • Geographic Focus: United States
  • Application Process: No unsolicited applications accepted

Contact Details

Overview

The IV Fund is a private foundation established in 2005 with a mission to foster a cultural shift in the United States that prioritizes mental well-being. With total assets of $18.9 million and annual charitable disbursements of approximately $3 million, the foundation works to enhance mental health, prevent suicide, and inspire resilience. The IV Fund takes a distinctive "upstream" approach, supporting programs that intervene before the point of crisis to nurture resilience, enhance protective factors, and promote positive mental well-being. Led by President Ivy B. Lewis, the foundation made 52 grants in its most recent reporting year, with 98.6% of expenses going directly to charitable disbursements.

Funding Priorities

Priority Areas

The IV Fund supports programs in four key areas that contribute to mental well-being:

  1. The Arts - Supporting artistic expression and creative work that explores mental health themes and gives audiences opportunities to engage with mental well-being topics in meaningful ways
  2. Education - Programs that provide mental health education and tools for building resilience
  3. Access to Nature & Whole Foods - Initiatives that connect people with natural environments and nutritious food as protective factors for mental health
  4. Community & Sense of Belonging - Programs that foster connection, reduce isolation, and build supportive communities

Approach

The foundation prioritizes organizations that work "upstream before the point of crisis" to:

  • Nurture resilience
  • Enhance protective factors
  • Promote positive mental well-being
  • Provide tools for maintaining mental health

Grant Types

  • Project grants
  • General support grants

What They Don't Fund

  • Individuals
  • Capital campaigns
  • Endowments
  • Internationally-based projects

Governance and Leadership

Ivy B. Lewis - President/Director/Trustee Ivy B. Lewis founded The IV Fund in 2005 and serves as its President. The foundation operates with no officer compensation, directing nearly all resources toward charitable purposes.

Ariel Green - Director of Grants and Strategic Initiatives Ariel Green oversees grant-making operations and strategic planning for the foundation. She brings experience in nonprofit management and holds a degree from NYU Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. Green has served in this capacity since August 2021 and also serves on the board of The Marshall Project.

The foundation's mission statement reflects its leadership's vision: "We work to foster a CULTURAL SHIFT IN THE UNITED STATES THAT PRIORITIZES MENTAL WELL-BEING."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process. The IV Fund does not currently accept unsolicited applications. Grants are awarded through invitation only or based on relationships and initiatives identified by the foundation's leadership.

The foundation made 52 grants in its most recent reporting year, with known grantees including The Management Center and Princeton University's Lewis Center for the Arts.

Partnership Example

The IV Fund's partnership with Princeton University's Lewis Center for the Arts demonstrates their approach to grant-making. This partnership supports student independent work exploring mental well-being and mental health, providing resources for a holistic artistic process while building campus awareness and community around these issues.

Application Success Factors

While The IV Fund does not accept unsolicited applications, their publicly stated priorities and partnerships reveal what they value:

Focus on Prevention: The foundation explicitly supports work that happens "upstream before the point of crisis." Organizations working on early intervention, prevention, and building protective factors align with their mission rather than crisis response or treatment services.

Cultural Approach: The IV Fund seeks to foster a "cultural shift" around mental well-being, suggesting they value initiatives that change attitudes, reduce stigma, and normalize conversations about mental health at a societal level.

Holistic Strategies: Their four focus areas (arts, education, nature/nutrition, and community) indicate a belief in addressing mental health through multiple dimensions of well-being rather than clinical interventions alone.

Building Resilience: Organizations that provide "tools needed to nurture resilience" and "enhance protective factors" are aligned with the foundation's stated approach.

Core Values: The foundation emphasizes connection, innovation, education, and accountability in its work.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Invitation Only: This foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals, so traditional grant writing approaches will not work
  • Preventative Focus: Programs must work "upstream" before crisis points, emphasizing prevention and resilience-building over crisis intervention or treatment
  • Cultural Change Mission: Strongest alignment for initiatives that contribute to broader societal shifts in how mental well-being is understood and prioritized
  • Four Priority Pathways: Consider how your work connects mental well-being to arts, education, nature/nutrition, or community building
  • Relationship-Based: Grants appear to flow from established relationships and partnerships rather than competitive application processes
  • Efficient Operations: With 98.6% of expenses going to charitable purposes, this is a lean foundation focused on maximizing grant impact
  • National Scope: Focus on United States-based work only; no international projects funded

References

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