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Sue & Edgar Wachenheim Foundation

Annual Giving
$21.1M
Grant Range
$1K - $13.5M

Sue & Edgar Wachenheim Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $21.1-32.5 million (varies by year)
  • Success Rate: Not applicable - invitation only
  • Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
  • Grant Range: $1,000 - $13,500,000
  • Median Grant: $100,000
  • Average Grant: $679,500
  • Geographic Focus: New York City and Tri-state area (NY, CT, NJ)
  • Number of Grants: 26-31 grants per year

Contact Details

The foundation does not maintain a website or public contact information. The foundation is based in Purchase, NY.

Note: The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications.

Overview

Established in 1969 by financier Edgar "Ed" Wachenheim III and his wife Sue, the Sue & Edgar Wachenheim Foundation is a substantial private foundation based in Purchase, New York. With assets of approximately $412.7-438 million, the foundation distributes between $21-32 million annually to carefully selected organizations, primarily in the New York Tri-state area. The foundation maintains a notably low public profile and makes grants almost exclusively to organizations with which the Wachenheim family has personal connections, particularly through board memberships and long-term relationships. The foundation's strategic approach emphasizes sustained support to a core group of recurring beneficiaries in education, arts and culture, health, democracy/international affairs, and Jewish causes.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation operates through trustee-directed grantmaking rather than formal grant programs. All funding decisions are made at the discretion of the trustees based on family interests and board connections.

Priority Areas

Education (Major Focus)

  • Higher education institutions, particularly:
    • Williams College (Ed Wachenheim's alma mater) - receives millions
    • Amherst College
    • Skidmore College (three Wachenheim children attended)
    • Harvard University Business School
  • K-12 education:
    • Green Chimneys Children's Services
    • The Rectory School
    • Rye Country Day School (Edgar served as board president)
    • ReadWorks

Arts and Culture (Major Focus)

  • Museum of Modern Art (Edgar serves as treasurer and audit committee chair)
  • WNET Group (Edgar served as chairman 2017-2023)
  • New York Public Library (Edgar is life trustee; Trustees Room named in his honor)
  • Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts, Katonah, NY
  • Jay Heritage Center, Rye, NY

Health

  • Blythedale Children's Hospital, Valhalla, NY (son Lance serves on board)
  • Greenwich Hospital, CT
  • Northwell Health Foundation
  • Seattle Children's Hospital

Democracy and International Affairs

  • Council on Foreign Relations - received $13+ million to establish the Wachenheim Program on Peace and Security

Jewish Causes

  • Jewish Museum, New York City
  • American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science
  • UJA-Federation of New York

What They Don't Fund

While not explicitly stated, the foundation's pattern indicates they do not fund:

  • Organizations outside their established network
  • First-time applicants without family connections
  • Organizations outside the Tri-state area (with rare exceptions)
  • Unsolicited proposals from any organization

Governance and Leadership

Edgar Wachenheim III - Founder and Trustee

  • Founder, CEO, and chairman of Greenhaven Associates (investment firm)
  • Life Trustee of the New York Public Library (former chair of executive and investment committees)
  • Treasurer and Audit Committee Chair of Museum of Modern Art (board member since 2004)
  • Chairman Emeritus of WNET Group (2017-2023)
  • Trustee Emeritus of Skidmore College and Rye Country Day School
  • Author of "Common Stocks and Common Sense: The Strategies, Analyses, Decisions, and Emotions of a Particularly Successful Value Investor"
  • Resides in Rye, New York

Sue Wachenheim (née Wallach) - Co-Founder and Trustee

  • Married to Edgar since 1962
  • Active in foundation governance alongside her husband

Family Involvement The foundation reflects strong family values, with multiple generations involved in philanthropic activities. Son Lance serves on the board of Blythedale Children's Hospital, one of the foundation's grantees. Three of the Wachenheim children attended Skidmore College, another major recipient.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. The Sue & Edgar Wachenheim Foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. All grants are made to preselected charitable organizations chosen by the trustees.

The foundation operates through a proactive grantmaking model where trustees identify and select beneficiaries based on:

  • Personal and family connections to the organizations
  • Board memberships held by family members
  • Long-term relationships with recurring grantees
  • Strategic alignment with family philanthropic interests

The foundation does not maintain a website, applications portal, or published guidelines. Organizations cannot apply for funding through any public process.

Getting on Their Radar

Board Connections: The most reliable indicator of potential funding is having Edgar Wachenheim or a family member serve on your board. Organizations where the Wachenheims hold trustee or board positions receive substantial, recurring support.

Geographic Proximity: Organizations in Rye, NY (where the family resides), Westchester County, and the broader NYC Tri-state area are strongly preferred.

Long-term Relationships: The foundation demonstrates strong loyalty to existing grantees, funding the same organizations year after year. Once an organization enters the foundation's portfolio, it typically receives sustained multi-year support.

Decision Timeline

Decision timelines are not publicly disclosed. Given the foundation's proactive approach, funding decisions are made at trustees' meetings based on their ongoing relationships with beneficiary organizations rather than in response to application cycles.

Success Rates

Not applicable. The foundation does not accept applications, so there is no success rate metric. All grants are trustee-initiated.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable given the invitation-only model. However, the foundation's pattern shows strong commitment to recurring grantees, suggesting that once an organization receives funding, continued support is likely if the relationship remains strong.

Application Success Factors

Since this foundation operates exclusively through trustee discretion and personal connections, the traditional concept of "application success factors" does not apply. However, understanding the foundation's documented patterns can provide insight:

Family Board Service Is Essential: Analysis of grant recipients shows a clear correlation between funding and board positions held by Edgar Wachenheim or family members. Organizations seeking funding should be aware that board-level personal connections are the primary pathway to support.

Consistent Multi-Year Support: Inside Philanthropy notes that the foundation "tends to go to the same grantees year after year." This suggests that once a relationship is established, the foundation provides reliable, sustained funding rather than one-time grants.

Strategic Alignment with Specific Causes: The foundation's major grants reflect Edgar Wachenheim's specific interests:

  • His education at Williams College → major gifts to Williams
  • His treasurership at MoMA → arts funding
  • His chairmanship of WNET → public media support
  • His life trusteeship at NYPL → library support
  • The Council on Foreign Relations gift establishing the Wachenheim Program on Peace and Security reflects the family's commitment to democracy and international affairs

Geographic Focus: The foundation strongly prioritizes organizations in the Tri-state area, with particular emphasis on Westchester County and communities where the family has ties (Rye, Purchase, Katonah).

Low Public Profile Philosophy: The foundation intentionally maintains minimal public presence with no website or published guidelines, indicating a preference for operating through private relationships rather than public transparency.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Board connections are essential: This foundation funds organizations where the Wachenheim family holds board positions. Without such a connection, funding is not realistic.

  • Not accessible to most organizations: With no public application process and exclusive focus on preselected organizations, this foundation is not an appropriate prospect for organizations outside the family's existing network.

  • Geography matters significantly: Strong preference for NYC Tri-state area organizations, particularly Westchester County and communities where the family resides.

  • Substantial grant capacity: With $21-32 million in annual giving and an average grant of $679,500, the foundation makes significant multi-year commitments to chosen organizations.

  • Loyal to existing partners: The foundation demonstrates exceptional loyalty to its recurring grantees, providing sustained funding year after year rather than rotating among different beneficiaries.

  • Focus on education and arts: These two sectors receive the lion's share of funding, followed by health and international affairs, with all funding connected to family interests and board service.

  • Family values-driven philanthropy: The foundation reflects a cohesive family approach to giving, with multiple generations involved and grants often supporting institutions where multiple family members have studied or served.

References

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