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Forrest C And Frances H Lattner Foundation Inc

Annual Giving
$2.7M
Grant Range
$5K - $0.2M

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $2,700,000
  • Total Assets: $52,600,000
  • Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed (preselected organizations)
  • Grant Range: $5,000 - $200,000
  • Median Grant: $11,250
  • Number of Grants: 62-76 annually
  • Geographic Focus: Vermont, Rhode Island, California, Washington DC

Contact Details

Email: dwhollenbeck@mac.com
Phone: (561) 266-9494
Address: 4416 Spear St, Shelburne, VT 05482
Location: East Greenwich, RI (formally registered)

Overview

The Forrest C And Frances H Lattner Foundation Inc was established in 2005 as a private family foundation with assets from the original Forrest C. Lattner Foundation. Named after Forrest and Frances Lattner, the foundation is now managed by their descendants, the Hollenbeck family. With approximately $52.6 million in assets, the foundation distributes around $2.7 million annually across 62-76 grants. The foundation focuses primarily on environmental conservation, organic agriculture, education, and health and social services. Geographic priorities align with where trustees reside, particularly Vermont, Rhode Island, California, and Washington DC, though historical funding also extended to Georgia, Missouri, Pennsylvania, and the San Francisco Bay area. The foundation operates as a traditional family foundation with trustees actively involved in selecting grant recipients.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation does not operate formal grant programs with set cycles or categories. Instead, it makes discretionary grants to preselected organizations. Grant amounts vary widely:

  • Small Grants: $5,000 - $20,000 (majority of grants)
  • Medium Grants: $25,000 - $100,000 (environmental initiatives)
  • Large Grants: $100,000 - $200,000 (major organizations and multi-year commitments)

Priority Areas

Environment & Conservation (Primary Focus):

  • Ocean conservation and marine protection programs
  • Plastic pollution initiatives
  • Coastal resilience and climate adaptation
  • Land conservation and preservation
  • Organic farming and sustainable agriculture

Education:

  • Food systems education
  • Environmental education programs

Health & Social Services:

  • Community health initiatives
  • Social service organizations

What They Don't Fund

  • Organizations outside their geographic focus areas
  • Individual requests
  • For-profit entities
  • Organizations without 501(c)(3) status

Governance and Leadership

Board of Trustees:

  • David W. Hollenbeck - Chairman (based in Shelburne, VT)
  • Douglas W. Hollenbeck - Trustee (based in Westerly, RI)
  • Drew H. Hollenbeck - Trustee (served until his passing in July 2024)

Staff:

  • Kim Newton - Fund Manager

The foundation is managed by the Hollenbeck brothers, grandsons of founders Forrest and Frances Lattner. Their mother, Susan Lattner Lloyd, previously served as President of the foundation. The trustees receive compensation for their roles, with David W. Hollenbeck receiving $225,042 in 2024, reflecting significant time commitment to foundation management and grant selection.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. The foundation explicitly states that it "only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations" and "does not accept unsolicited requests for funds."

Grants are awarded through trustee discretion, with organizations selected proactively by the board members based on their knowledge of and connection to causes in their geographic areas of interest.

Formal Application Requirements (for preselected organizations):

  1. Certification, application, project description & budget pages
  2. Copy of organization's 501(c)(3) IRS determination letter
  3. Most recent financial statements or tax return
  4. List of officers and directors

Application Deadlines: June 30 and December 31 (for preselected organizations)

Decision Timeline

Not publicly disclosed. Organizations selected by trustees are contacted directly.

Success Rates

Not applicable for unsolicited applications, as the foundation does not accept them. All grants are awarded to trustee-selected organizations.

Reapplication Policy

Not publicly disclosed. Ongoing relationships appear common, with some organizations receiving multi-year or repeated support.

Application Success Factors

Since this foundation only funds preselected organizations, traditional application success factors do not apply. However, analyzing their funding patterns reveals key characteristics of organizations they support:

Geographic Connection: Organizations must operate in or benefit regions where trustees reside (Vermont, Rhode Island, California, Washington DC). This is explicitly stated as a funding criterion.

Environmental Focus: The majority of significant grants ($100,000+) support environmental conservation organizations, particularly those addressing:

  • Ocean health and marine conservation (Ocean Conservancy: $165,000-$170,000)
  • Plastic pollution (Surfrider Foundation: $130,000-$165,000)
  • Coastal resilience (The Nature Conservancy in Rhode Island: $100,000)
  • Organic agriculture (Real Organic Project: $330,000)

Established Organizations: Grant recipients tend to be well-established national or regional organizations with proven track records rather than small grassroots initiatives.

Multi-Year Support: The foundation demonstrates commitment to causes through repeated funding to the same organizations across multiple years, suggesting they value long-term relationships over one-off grants.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No Public Application Process: This foundation cannot be approached through traditional grant applications. They proactively select all grant recipients.
  • Geographic Restrictions: Strong preference for Vermont, Rhode Island, California, and Washington DC where trustees reside.
  • Environmental Priority: Environmental conservation, particularly ocean health, coastal resilience, and organic agriculture, receives the largest grants ($100,000-$330,000).
  • Relationship-Based: All funding decisions are made through trustee discretion and existing relationships rather than competitive application processes.
  • Established Organizations: Recent grant recipients are primarily established regional or national nonprofits rather than small or emerging organizations.
  • Contact Carefully: While unsolicited applications are not accepted, inquiries to dwhollenbeck@mac.com may be appropriate if your organization has strong alignment with their mission and operates in their geographic areas.

References

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