Poses Family Foundation

Quick Stats

Annual Giving: $24,160,775 (2023)
Success Rate: Not applicable (invitation only)
Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
Grant Range: $1,000 - $1,000,000+
Average Grant: ~$20,000
Geographic Focus: National, with over half of grants supporting New York City area organizations
Number of Awards: 189 grants (2023)

Contact Details

Address: 777 Arthur Godfrey Road, Miami Beach, FL 33140

Application Policy: Does not accept unsolicited applications; grants made to preselected organizations only

Note: The foundation is based in New York City for operational purposes, though its registered address is in Miami Beach, FL.

Overview

The Poses Family Foundation was established in 2004 by Nancy and Fred Poses and received tax-exempt status in 2005. With annual giving exceeding $24 million, the foundation is dedicated to bringing about significant positive impact through a distinctive combination of business disciplines, nonprofit expertise, funding, and passion. The foundation's largest focus area is learning disabilities, driven by the personal experiences of the Poses family, particularly their son Max who graduated from Riverview School, a school for children with special needs.

The foundation distinguishes itself through its commitment to long-term, scalable impact. Beyond financial support, PFF provides extensive capacity-building services to its grantee-partners, including strategic and operational planning, initiative design, talent development and management, and marketing support. The foundation is a founding funder of Understood.org (alongside Oak Foundation and Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation), which has grown to reach more than 20 million people annually. In recent years, the foundation has increased its focus on public-private partnerships as a strategy to leverage limited resources and maximize impact.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation operates through invitation-only grantmaking with no formal public application process. Grants are made to preselected charitable organizations with which the foundation maintains ongoing relationships.

Grant Amounts: Range from a few thousand dollars to over $1 million, with an average grant size of approximately $20,000

Recent Major Recipients (2023):

Understood for All Inc: $29,800,000
Whitney Museum of American Art: $595,000
Community Foundation of NJ: $500,000
Share Our Strength: $325,000
Riverview School: $321,000

Priority Areas

The foundation supports five key focus areas:

1. Learning Disabilities (Primary Focus)

K-12 programs supporting students with dyslexia, autism, and attentional disorders
Schools and programs for children with language-based learning disabilities
Mentoring programs connecting students with learning disabilities
Research and advocacy organizations

Past Grantees: Shefa School (New York City), National Center for Learning Disabilities, Adam J. Lewis Academy (Connecticut), Partnership for After School Education, Eye to Eye (peer mentoring program)

2. Housing and Independent Living

Housing programs for people with disabilities
Independent living initiatives
Workplace initiatives connecting people with disabilities to living-wage employment in high-growth industries

Example Initiative: NYC: AT WORK, a public-private partnership between the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities and the foundation's Workplace Initiative

3. Education Beyond Learning Disabilities

General K-12 education programs
After-school programs
Educational access initiatives

4. Health and Mental Health

Suicide prevention and intervention
Therapeutic programs for children and adults with depression and mental illness
General health organizations

Past Grantees: Jed Foundation (suicide intervention), Gallop NYC (therapeutic horsemanship programs), Share Our Strength/No Kid Hungry

5. Arts and Culture

Museums and visual arts
Orchestras and performing arts organizations
Arts education

Past Grantees: Whitney Museum of American Art, Oratorio Society of New Jersey, Seattle Philharmonic Orchestra

What They Don't Fund

The foundation:

Does not accept unsolicited applications
Does not fund organizations outside their preselected network
Primarily focuses on organizations aligned with their five strategic priorities

Governance and Leadership

Founders and Leadership:

Nancy Poses: Co-founder and key strategic leader. Nancy was instrumental in the development and launch of Understood.org in 2014 and serves on the board of trustees at Riverview School and the Whitney Museum of American Art. She played an active role with the National Center for Learning Disabilities for more than 15 years.
Fred Poses: Co-founder. Fred and Nancy co-founded Understood.org and have championed causes related to learning and thinking differences, driven by their family's personal experience with learning disabilities.

Governance Approach: The foundation's assets are managed by board members, though specific board composition details are not publicly disclosed. The foundation operates with a business-oriented approach to philanthropy, emphasizing strategic analysis, measurable impact, and sustainable scaling of initiatives.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Poses Family Foundation does not have a public application process. The foundation makes contributions exclusively to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.

How Grants Are Awarded:

Grants are made through trustee discretion to organizations with which the foundation has established ongoing relationships
The foundation identifies potential grantees through its networks, board connections, and involvement in the sectors it supports
Many grants are made to organizations where the founders or trustees have direct personal involvement (e.g., Riverview School, Whitney Museum, Understood.org)

Getting on Their Radar

The foundation identifies and builds relationships with organizations through:

1. Sector Leadership and Networks

Nancy and Fred Poses maintain active involvement in the learning disabilities and special education sectors through board service and organizational leadership
Nancy serves as a trustee at Riverview School and the Whitney Museum of American Art
The founders have longstanding relationships with the National Center for Learning Disabilities and similar organizations

2. Public-Private Partnerships

The foundation actively convenes and participates in collaborative initiatives, such as the NYC: AT WORK partnership with the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities
Organizations involved in these multi-sector collaborations may develop relationships that lead to funding

3. Focus on Understood.org Network

As founding funders and co-creators of Understood.org, the Poses family maintains deep connections within the learning disabilities community
Organizations aligned with Understood.org's mission and networks may be more visible to the foundation

4. Multi-Year Relationship Building

The foundation provides multi-year support to some grantee-partners, indicating a preference for long-term relationships over one-time grants
Organizations should focus on demonstrating capacity for sustainable scaling and long-term impact

Decision Timeline

Decision timelines are not publicly disclosed, as the foundation operates on an invitation-only basis without formal application deadlines.

Success Rates

Not applicable due to invitation-only grantmaking model.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable; the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications from new organizations.

Application Success Factors

Since the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, these insights are relevant for organizations seeking to understand the foundation's values and approach:

1. Alignment with Personal Mission The foundation's work is deeply personal, driven by the Poses family's experience with learning disabilities. Organizations that address learning and thinking differences, particularly those serving K-12 students with dyslexia, autism, and attentional disorders, are central to the foundation's mission.

2. Capacity for Scaling and Sustainability The foundation emphasizes "long-term scalable impact" and provides capacity-building support to help grantees "scale in a sustainable way." Organizations should demonstrate:

Strategic and operational planning capabilities
Strong talent development and management systems
Effective marketing and communication strategies
Ability to leverage partnerships for greater impact

3. Business Discipline Approach The foundation values "a combination of business disciplines, nonprofit expertise, funding and passion." Organizations that can demonstrate:

Data-driven approaches to measuring impact
Strategic analysis and planning
Efficient resource management
Clear theories of change

4. Collaboration and Partnership Orientation The foundation actively leverages public-private partnerships to "multiply impact" and "increase opportunities to leverage limited resources." Organizations that can:

Partner with government agencies and other funders
Participate in coordinated, multi-sector initiatives
Serve as conveners within their fields
Demonstrate collaborative rather than siloed approaches

5. Connection to New York City More than half of the foundation's grants support organizations in the New York City area, reflecting the founders' base and networks.

6. Multi-Year Thinking The foundation provides multi-year funding to some partners, indicating a preference for organizations positioned for sustained engagement rather than short-term projects.

7. Comprehensive Support Beyond Disabilities While learning disabilities is the primary focus, the foundation also supports broader issues affecting the same populations: housing, employment, mental health, and arts access for people with disabilities.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

Invitation-Only Model: The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications. Building relationships within the learning disabilities and special education sectors is essential for potential future consideration.
Capacity Building is Core: Beyond funding, the foundation provides strategic advising in planning, initiative design, talent development, and marketing—seek to demonstrate readiness for this type of partnership.
Think Long-Term and Scalable: The foundation seeks "long-term scalable impact" and provides multi-year support; demonstrate sustainability and growth potential rather than short-term project needs.
Leverage Partnerships: The foundation values public-private partnerships and collaborative funding models that multiply impact and leverage limited resources.
Personal Connection Matters: The Poses family's personal experience with learning disabilities drives their philanthropy; organizations addressing learning and thinking differences with authentic commitment and lived experience understanding are aligned with their core mission.
NYC Focus with National Reach: While grantmaking is national in scope, over half of grants support NYC-area organizations, reflecting the founders' networks and base.
Business-Minded Approach: The foundation applies business disciplines to philanthropy; organizations should be prepared to demonstrate strategic analysis, measurable outcomes, and efficient operations.

References

Research compiled December 2025