Colton Family Foundation - Funder Overview

Quick Stats

Annual Giving: $17,000,000
Average Grant Size: $410,456
Grant Range: Varies widely - from scholarship support to multi-million dollar institutional gifts
Geographic Focus: National (all U.S. states) and International (Israel)
Assets: $75.7 million (2024)
Application Method: No public application process - invitation only/trustee discretion

Contact Details

Address: Short Hills, NJ
EIN: 22-2520918

Note: This foundation does not maintain a public website or accept unsolicited applications. Grants are awarded at the discretion of foundation managers Stewart M. Colton and Judith S. Colton.

Overview

The Colton Family Foundation, established in 1984 and based in Short Hills, New Jersey, is a private family foundation with approximately $75.7 million in assets. The foundation is led by Stewart M. Colton (Wharton '62), entrepreneur and former owner of Alpha Metals Co., and his wife Judith S. Colton, a psychologist, teacher, and founder of Hartwood Systems computer consulting firm. In 2024, the foundation distributed approximately $17 million in grants across 47 awards, with an average grant size exceeding $410,000. The foundation's philanthropic focus has been predominantly shaped by personal experience—their son Michael's serious illness with autoimmune complications in 2001 led them to concentrate their giving on autoimmune disease research, while also maintaining longstanding commitments to higher education, Jewish causes, the arts, and medical research. The Coltons take a highly engaged, hands-on approach to their philanthropy, spending considerable time reviewing research proposals and building collaborative partnerships among institutions.

Funding Priorities

Major Grant Programs

Autoimmune Disease Research (Flagship Initiative)

The Colton Consortium: A global partnership among four Colton Centers for Autoimmunity at Penn, Yale, NYU, and Tel Aviv University
Penn Medicine Colton Center for Autoimmunity: $60 million total ($10M in 2021, $50M in 2022)
Yale Colton Center for Autoimmunity: Multi-million dollar gift in 2021; has funded 26 Pilot Grants and 4 Development Grants
NYU Judith and Stewart Colton Center for Autoimmunity: Established as one of the first two centers
Tel Aviv University Colton Center for Autoimmune Diseases: $10 million gift in 2022

Higher Education & Scholarships

Tel Aviv University Colton Scholarship Fund (established 1988): $21,000 annually for 3 years for doctoral students, plus $3,000 for students with children; 66 scholarships awarded to date
$10,000 annually for professional development of former Colton scholarship recipients now on TAU faculty
Endowed positions including the Stewart and Judy Colton Chair of Law and Security at Tel Aviv University
Colton Family Next Generation Technologies Institute at Tel Aviv University

Arts & Music

New Jersey Symphony Colton Fellowship: $1.5 million commitment through 2028 for conducting and orchestral fellowships focused on underrepresented populations
Support for musicians at Tel Aviv University's Buchmann-Mehta School of Music (10 scholarship recipients to date)

Israeli Security & Academic Programs

Moshe Dayan Center at Tel Aviv University (work on Israeli security issues)
Nearly 40 years of continuous partnership with Tel Aviv University across multiple disciplines

Priority Areas

Autoimmune disease research and translational medicine
Higher education (particularly research universities)
Jewish causes and Israel-related institutions
Arts and classical music
Medical research and hospital care
Health (respiratory diseases, asthma)
Human services

Geographic Distribution

The foundation provides funding to organizations across the United States, including major cities like New York, Boston, Chicago, and Washington DC, and operates in states including Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas, as well as internationally in Israel.

Governance and Leadership

Foundation Managers: Stewart M. Colton and Judith S. Colton (both serve without compensation)

Stewart M. Colton (Wharton '62): Entrepreneur who developed Alpha Metals Co., an international metals and chemical company serving the electronics industry. After selling the business, he has devoted over three decades to private investment and philanthropy. Former president of Pi Lambda Phi fraternity at Penn. Known for emphasizing team formation and collaborative approaches in both business and philanthropy.

Judith S. Colton: Graduate of Boston University who worked as a psychologist, teacher, and market researcher before founding and running Hartwood Systems, a computer consulting firm, for 25 years.

Key Quotes from Leadership:

On their motivation: "Our journey began with our son, Michael, as the driving force, leading us to focus our philanthropic efforts predominantly on autoimmunity." — Judith Colton

On funding philosophy: "This lack of awareness extends to the underfunding of research in this area, which is why we firmly believe that education plays a pivotal role in positively impacting people's lives." — Stewart Colton

On collaborative impact: "While individual institutions such as Yale have their allure, the collaborative force of all four institutions is exponentially appealing." — Stewart Colton

On team-based success: "Throughout my career, I've emphasized team formation, recognizing that well-coordinated teams often outperform even their individual members." — Stewart Colton

On translational research: "By bridging translational research with commercialization efforts, there's a great potential to alleviate suffering and make significant advancements in treatment." — Stewart Colton

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. The Colton Family Foundation operates as a private family foundation where grants are awarded at the discretion of the foundation managers, Stewart and Judith Colton. The foundation proactively identifies organizations and causes to support rather than accepting unsolicited proposals.

Grant decisions appear to be made through:

Direct relationships with institutions (particularly universities and medical centers)
Long-term partnerships developed over decades
Trustee-initiated funding for specific causes aligned with the Coltons' personal interests and experiences

Application Success Factors

While there is no application process, the foundation's giving patterns reveal clear preferences:

Personal Connection and Mission Alignment The Coltons' giving is deeply personal and mission-driven. Their flagship autoimmune research initiative stemmed directly from their son's illness in 2001. Organizations that align with causes connected to their personal experiences—autoimmune disease, education, Jewish causes, and classical music—receive support.

Collaborative and Team-Based Approaches Stewart Colton has explicitly stated his preference for "team formation" and collaborative partnerships. The Colton Consortium model—bringing together Penn, Yale, NYU, and Tel Aviv University—reflects this philosophy. Single institutions receive major support, but "the collaborative force of all four institutions is exponentially appealing."

Translational Research with Real-World Impact The foundation prioritizes research that bridges basic science with commercialization and clinical application. As Stewart noted, "By bridging translational research with commercialization efforts, there's a great potential to alleviate suffering and make significant advancements in treatment."

Educational Mission Education is a core value. The foundation supports doctoral scholarships, young scientists, professional development, and university research with the explicit goal that "education plays a pivotal role in positively impacting people's lives."

Long-Term Institutional Relationships The Coltons build deep, sustained relationships with institutions. Their partnership with Tel Aviv University has spanned "almost 40 years" according to Stewart Colton. They make multi-year commitments (e.g., $1.5M to NJ Symphony through 2028) rather than one-time grants.

Underrepresented Populations in the Arts In their arts giving, the foundation specifically supports "early-career orchestral conductors and musicians representing populations that have historically been underrepresented" through the New Jersey Symphony Colton Fellowship.

Hands-On Engagement The Coltons are active, engaged donors who spend considerable time reviewing research and asking detailed questions rather than serving as passive funders.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

This foundation does not accept unsolicited applications—all grants are trustee-initiated and relationship-based
Personal connection is paramount: The Coltons fund causes tied to personal experiences (autoimmune disease from their son's illness, education from their academic backgrounds, Israeli causes from their Jewish heritage)
Think collaborative partnerships: Multi-institution consortiums and team-based approaches are highly valued
Translational focus: For research grants, demonstrate pathways from basic research to clinical application and commercialization
Long-term vision: The foundation prefers sustained, multi-year partnerships over one-time support
Major gifts to major institutions: Average grant size exceeds $410,000; many grants are multi-million dollar commitments to research universities and medical centers
Geographic connection: While the foundation gives nationally and internationally, there's a New Jersey connection (NJ Symphony, Short Hills base) and strong ties to Penn (Stewart's alma mater)
Diversity in the arts: Arts funding prioritizes creating opportunities for underrepresented populations

References

All sources accessed December 2024