Goulder Family Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: $3.0-3.1 million
• Success Rate: N/A (invitation only)
• Decision Time: N/A (trustee discretion)
• Grant Range: $5,000 - $1,600,000
• Geographic Focus: Primarily Oregon, South Carolina, and New York

Contact Details

• Mailing Address: PO Box 1532, Pennington, NJ 08534
• Alternative Address: 114 W 47th St, New York, NY 10036-1510
• Website: None available
• Phone: Not publicly available
• Email: Not publicly available

Overview

The Goulder Family Foundation is a private family foundation established in 1967 with current assets of approximately $46-47 million. The foundation distributes around $3.0-3.1 million annually through 45-54 grants to carefully selected organizations. As a classic private family foundation, it operates through trustee discretion without a public application process. The foundation focuses primarily on education, human services, and philanthropic initiatives, with a strong geographic concentration in Oregon, South Carolina, and New York, though grants extend to organizations across multiple states including Virginia, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, and Massachusetts.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation does not operate formal grant programs but makes discretionary grants ranging from $5,000 to $1,600,000. Recent grant-making patterns show:

• Education grants: Primary focus area with emphasis on scholarships and student financial aid services
• Human services support: Various social service organizations
• Philanthropy and volunteerism: Support for other grantmaking foundations and charitable initiatives

Priority Areas

• Education (primary focus - scholarships, student financial aid services, awards)
• Human Services
• Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Foundations

What They Don't Fund

As a private family foundation with no public application process, the foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals or applications from organizations not already in their funding network.

Governance and Leadership

The foundation is managed by the Goulder family with minimal public-facing governance structure:

• David N. Goulder - Chairman and Secretary
• Michael T. Goulder - President and Treasurer

No additional staff or board members are listed in public records, suggesting a streamlined family-managed operation typical of private foundations of this size.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process. Grants are awarded at the discretion of the trustees to pre-selected organizations. The foundation follows the pattern of approximately 71% of private foundations that only make contributions to preselected charitable organizations and do not accept unsolicited requests for funds.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - grants are made on a discretionary basis throughout the year without formal application cycles or decision timelines.

Success Rates

Not applicable - the foundation does not accept competitive applications.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - organizations are selected by the trustees rather than through an application process.

Application Success Factors

Given the private nature of this foundation and lack of public application process, traditional application success factors do not apply. Organizations currently receiving funding from the Goulder Family Foundation likely have:

• Established relationships with the Goulder family trustees
• Strong alignment with the foundation's educational and human services priorities
• Demonstrated impact in Oregon, South Carolina, New York, or other states where the foundation is active
• Track records that caught the attention of the trustees through other channels

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• The Goulder Family Foundation is a substantial funder ($3+ million annually) but operates entirely through trustee discretion
• There is no public application process - grants are made to pre-selected organizations only
• Focus areas are clear: education (especially scholarships and financial aid), human services, and philanthropy
• Geographic preferences favor Oregon, South Carolina, and New York, though grants extend to other states
• With assets of $46-47 million and consistent annual giving around $3 million, the foundation maintains a conservative spending rate ensuring long-term sustainability
• Organizations cannot apply directly but may benefit from building visibility in the education and human services sectors where the Goulder family has interests

References

• ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer. "Goulder Family Foundation." Accessed February 13, 2026. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/20268498
• Instrumentl. "Goulder Family Foundation 990 Report & Analysis." Accessed February 13, 2026. https://www.instrumentl.com/990-report/goulder-family-foundation
• Cause IQ. "Goulder Family Foundation." Accessed February 13, 2026. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/goulder-family-foundation,020268498/
• Tax Exempt World. "Goulder Family Foundation Registration Details." Accessed February 13, 2026. https://www.taxexemptworld.com/organization.asp?tn=47151