The Amy Falls and Hartley Rogers Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: Approximately $130,000-$170,000 (based on recent 990 filings)
• Total Assets: $22.1 million (2024)
• Geographic Focus: National, with emphasis on educational institutions
• Foundation Type: Private family foundation
• Established: 2005
• Grant Range: Variable - from smaller annual grants (~$130,000 total) to major multi-year commitments ($2.5 million to CFR, $20 million+ to Phillips Academy)
• Primary Focus: Education, equity, and civil society

Contact Details

Phone: 516-671-0313

Address: 980 N Green Bay Rd, Lake Forest, IL 60045-1709

EIN: 20-3997010

Website: https://rogersfallsfoundation.org/

Note: As a private family foundation, contact information for grant applications is not publicly available. The foundation appears to operate primarily through trustee discretion rather than an open application process.

Overview

The Amy Falls and Hartley Rogers Foundation (also known as the Rogers-Falls Foundation) is a private family foundation established in 2005 and originally incorporated in New York. The foundation operates with approximately $22.1 million in assets and distributes annual grants ranging from $130,000 to $170,000 through its 990 filing process, though the founders have personally committed more than $90 million to various educational enterprises outside the foundation's formal grantmaking.

The foundation is led by two prominent figures in finance and investment management: Amy Falls, Chief Investment Officer of Northwestern University overseeing its $14 billion endowment, and Hartley Rogers, Executive Co-Chairman of Hamilton Lane, the world's largest private markets asset management firm. Both founders bring extensive board experience and financial expertise to their philanthropic work.

The foundation's mission centers on "empowering individuals" and "realizing mankind's potential" through strategic investments in education, equity, and civil society. Their giving philosophy emphasizes the "inherent dignity and worth of every individual" and focuses on improving access to education, vital goods, and economic participation. The foundation's approach combines financial support with the individual expertise of its founders, who actively serve on numerous boards and committees of educational institutions.

Funding Priorities

Primary Focus Areas

Education

• Higher education institutions and endowments
• Secondary education (particularly independent schools)
• Educational equity and access initiatives
• Scholarship programs

Civil Society & Equity

• Organizations promoting equity and human dignity
• Economic policy research
• International development and economic participation
• Access to educational and economic opportunities

Research

• Policy research at the intersection of economics and foreign policy
• Educational research initiatives

What They Fund

Based on documented grants and the founders' personal philanthropic commitments:

• Major universities and educational institutions (Northwestern, Harvard, Phillips Academy Andover)
• Policy research organizations (Council on Foreign Relations)
• Educational access and scholarship programs
• Arts and cultural institutions (Metropolitan Opera, Addison Gallery of American Art)
• Equity and inclusion initiatives
• Faculty support and development
• Educational infrastructure and capital projects

Known Grant Recipients

• Council on Foreign Relations: $2.5 million (2024) for RealEcon initiative exploring U.S. role in international economy
• Phillips Academy Andover: Over $20 million (multi-year commitment) for student scholarships, wellness programming, faculty support, Tang Institute, Addison Gallery, equity and inclusion initiatives, and capital projects
• Additional grants through 990 filings (specific recipients require direct filing review)

What They Don't Fund

While not explicitly stated, the foundation's focus suggests they likely do not fund:

• Organizations outside their core areas of education, equity, and research
• Projects without clear connection to educational access or economic participation
• Purely local or community-based projects without broader educational impact

Governance and Leadership

Trustees and Key Personnel

Amy C. Falls - Co-Founder and Trustee

• Chief Investment Officer, Northwestern University ($14 billion endowment)
• Former CIO, Rockefeller University ($2.3 billion endowment)
• Former CIO, Phillips Academy Andover (established first investment office for a traditional secondary school)
• Board Member: MacArthur Foundation (Chair, Investment Committee), Ford Foundation, Harvard Management Company, Peter G. Peterson Foundation
• Board Chair: Phillips Academy Andover
• Education: BA History, Georgetown University; Master of Public Policy (International Development and Finance), Harvard Kennedy School
• Combined board oversight: Over $75 billion in assets

Hartley Raymond Rogers - Co-Founder and Trustee

• Executive Co-Chairman, Hamilton Lane (over $947 billion in assets under management and supervision)
• Led 2003 buyout that transformed Hamilton Lane into the world's largest private markets asset management firm
• Trustee and Treasurer: Institute of International Education (manages Fulbright and Gilman Scholar programs)
• Chairman: Advisory Board of the Vice Provost for Advances in Learning, Harvard's online learning initiative
• Board Member: Metropolitan Opera, Green Vale School, Peoples' Symphony Concerts, Acadia Healthcare
• Former Managing Director: Morgan Stanley and Credit Suisse (private equity fund management)

Foundation Philosophy

From Hartley Rogers: "Amy and I are proud to be supporting this important work at the intersection of economics and foreign policy during such a time of dynamic changes."

From Amy Falls: "This contribution to Andover is near and dear to my heart because Andover changed my life and continues to change the lives of so many amazing young people."

The foundation emphasizes: "We are committed to helping further progress – and realizing mankind's potential – through empowering individuals."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. As a private family foundation, The Amy Falls and Hartley Rogers Foundation appears to make grants primarily through trustee discretion and pre-existing relationships rather than accepting unsolicited applications.

The foundation operates as a traditional family foundation where the trustees (Amy Falls and Hartley Rogers) identify and select grant recipients based on their strategic priorities and personal connections to educational institutions and policy organizations.

Getting on Their Radar

While the foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals, organizations seeking support might consider:

Board Connections: Both founders serve on multiple prestigious boards. Organizations with connections to:

• Northwestern University
• Harvard University (including Harvard Management Company and Harvard's online learning initiative)
• Phillips Academy Andover
• MacArthur Foundation
• Ford Foundation
• Harvard Management Company
• Institute of International Education
• Hamilton Lane portfolio organizations

Alignment with Personal Commitments: The founders have demonstrated sustained personal giving to institutions where they have direct involvement, particularly in education. Amy Falls' career trajectory through Andover, Rockefeller University, and Northwestern suggests she maintains long-term relationships with institutions in her professional network.

Educational Equity Focus: Organizations working on educational access, scholarship programs, and equity initiatives aligned with the founders' stated commitment to "improving individuals' access to the education, vital goods and economic participation necessary to thrive."

Policy Research Intersection: The recent $2.5 million grant to CFR's RealEcon initiative suggests interest in work at the intersection of economics, foreign policy, and educational/economic opportunity.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - no public application process. Grants appear to be made on a discretionary basis throughout the year based on trustee decisions.

Success Rates

Not applicable due to the private, invitation-only nature of the foundation's grantmaking.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - no public application process exists.

Application Success Factors

Given the private nature of this foundation, success factors differ significantly from traditional grant-seeking:

Pre-Existing Relationships Are Essential: All documented major grants have gone to organizations where the founders have direct board involvement or personal connections. The foundation's grantmaking appears to flow from the founders' professional and volunteer activities rather than responding to external requests.

Educational Transformation Focus: Amy Falls has stated that her gifts are motivated by institutions that "changed my life" - suggesting the foundation values organizations with proven track records of transformational educational impact.

Long-Term Partnership Approach: The multi-year, multi-million dollar commitments (such as the $20+ million to Phillips Academy) suggest the foundation prefers sustained partnerships with selected organizations rather than numerous smaller grants.

Intersection of Finance and Social Impact: Both founders bring world-class investment expertise to their philanthropy. Organizations that can demonstrate how funding creates leveraged impact or sustainable models may be more compelling, given the founders' professional backgrounds in endowment management and private equity.

Comprehensive Institutional Support: The Phillips Academy grant touched "every aspect of the school" including scholarships, wellness, faculty support, arts, equity initiatives, and capital projects. This suggests the foundation appreciates opportunities for comprehensive institutional impact rather than narrow programmatic support.

Economic Opportunity and Equity: The foundation's stated mission of improving "access to the education, vital goods and economic participation necessary to thrive" suggests projects should demonstrate clear pathways to enhanced economic opportunity and equity.

Scale and Ambition: The $2.5 million CFR grant supports an initiative to "promote a durable new consensus on American economic leadership" - suggesting the foundation is interested in work with national or international scope and transformational ambition.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• This is not a foundation to approach cold: No public application process exists. All documented grants have gone to organizations where founders have direct board involvement or deep personal connections.

• Relationship-building is everything: Organizations seeking support would need to build relationships with the founders through shared board members, mutual contacts in the education/investment community, or institutional partnerships.

• Think large-scale educational transformation: The foundation's documented grants support ambitious initiatives with transformational potential, not small programs or projects.

• Educational equity is the core driver: While the 990 filings show modest annual distributions (~$130,000-170,000), the founders have personally committed $90+ million to educational causes, with education equity as the central theme.

• Board service as philanthropy: Both founders appear to view their board service and professional expertise as part of their philanthropic contribution, not just financial gifts. Organizations that can benefit from their investment expertise may be particularly appealing.

• Private foundation with selective focus: With only a handful of grants made annually through the foundation itself, this is one of the most selective funders in the education space. The bulk of the founders' philanthropy appears to happen outside the formal foundation structure.

• Long-term commitment model: Multi-year, multi-million dollar commitments to a small number of institutions rather than broad distribution to many organizations.

References

1. Amy Falls and Hartley Rogers Foundation website, https://rogersfallsfoundation.org/, accessed January 8, 2026

2. ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer - The Amy Falls And Hartley Rogers Foundation, https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/203997010, IRS Form 990 filings 2022-2024, accessed January 8, 2026

3. Foundation Directory Online (Candid), Amy Falls and Hartley Rogers Foundation profile, https://fconline.foundationcenter.org/fdo-grantmaker-profile/?key=ROGE425, accessed January 8, 2026

4. Council on Foreign Relations, "CFR Receives Major Grant From Falls-Rogers Foundation to Support RealEcon Initiative," November 2024, https://www.cfr.org/news-releases/cfr-receives-major-grant-falls-rogers-foundation-support-realecon-initiative, accessed January 8, 2026

5. Phillips Academy Andover, "Monumental campaign impact," 2022, https://www.andover.edu/news/2022/monumental-campaign-impact, accessed January 8, 2026

6. Northwestern Now, "Amy Falls named vice president and chief investment officer," February 2021, https://news.northwestern.edu/stories/2021/02/amy-falls-named-vice-president-and-chief-investment-officer, accessed January 8, 2026

7. MacArthur Foundation, "Three Distinguished Leaders Join MacArthur Board of Directors," 2024, https://www.macfound.org/press/press-releases/three-distinguished-leaders-join-macarthur-board-of-directors, accessed January 8, 2026

8. Hamilton Lane, "Hartley Rogers" profile, https://www.hamiltonlane.com/en-us/about/our-team/hartley-rogers, accessed January 8, 2026

9. Charity Navigator, The Amy Falls and Hartley Rogers Foundation profile, https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/203997010, accessed January 8, 2026

10. GuideStar, The Amy Falls and Hartley Rogers Foundation profile, https://www.guidestar.org/profile/20-3997010, accessed January 8, 2026