Gant Family Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: ~$980,500 (FY2024)
• Success Rate: Not publicly available
• Decision Time: Not publicly available
• Grant Range: $200 - $385,000
• Geographic Focus: New York, Massachusetts, Florida, Northern California
• Total Assets: $22,679,124
• Number of Grants: ~103-115 per year (recent years)

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Contact Details

• Address: 175 Broadhollow Road, Suite 250, Melville, NY 11747-4909
• Phone: 516-228-9000
• Administered by: c/o Eisner Advisory Group LLC (formerly Raich Ende Malter)
• Public website: None identified
• EIN: 23-7015091

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Overview

The Gant Family Foundation is a private, family-run grantmaking foundation established in 1968 in New York and granted tax-exempt status in 1969. It was founded by Donald R. Gant, a long-time Goldman Sachs partner who graduated from the University of Pennsylvania (1952) and Harvard Business School (1954). The foundation holds total assets of approximately $22.7 million and distributes roughly $980,000 annually across more than 100 grants.

The foundation spreads its giving widely across a range of organizations, with a primary focus on Education and Youth, Arts and Culture, and Health and Human Services. Geographic giving is concentrated in New York, Massachusetts, Florida, and Northern California. The foundation operates as a private non-operating foundation, meaning its sole purpose is to support other 501(c)(3) organizations through contributions rather than conducting direct charitable programmes.

The foundation is in a generational transition, with Donald Gant's children - Laura G. Lilienfield, Christopher T. Gant, and Alison A. Gant - increasingly involved as trustees and influencing giving priorities.

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Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation does not operate named grant programmes or formal funding streams. Grants are made directly to 501(c)(3) organisations across its priority areas. Based on 990-PF filings, recent awards have ranged from $200 to $385,000, with the majority being modest, broad-based gifts spread across many organisations.

• Largest single grant on record (recent filings): $385,000 to Community Foundation of New Jersey
• Mid-range awards: $20,000 - $100,000 (e.g., $100,000 to University of Pennsylvania, $20,000 to Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival)
• Smaller awards: Many grants in the $200 - $10,000 range to a diverse portfolio of nonprofits

Total grants awarded in recent fiscal years:

• FY2024: 115 awards totalling approximately $980,500
• FY2023: 103 awards totalling approximately $866,500
• FY2022: 110 awards
• FY2021: 104 awards
• FY2020: 70 awards

Priority Areas

Education and Youth The foundation has strong ties to educational institutions, particularly those connected to the Gant family. Known grantees include:

• University of Pennsylvania (alma mater of Donald Gant; home to the Gant Family Precision Cancer Medicine Consortium)
• Harvard Business School (Donald Gant's MBA institution)
• Haverford College (attended by several Gant children; Christopher Gant sits on the board)
• Bryn Mawr College
• Lehigh University (attended by Laura G. Lilienfield)
• The Masters School
• QuestBridge
• Posse Foundation Boston
• Weill Cornell Medical College
• 10,000 Degrees Sonoma
• SFSU Foundation
• Sonoma County Adult Library Literacy Program

Arts and Culture

• Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival (Barbara Gant sits on the board)
• Textile Museum
• Philadelphia Orchestra
• Philadelphia Museum of Art

Health and Human Services

• Food Bank of Westchester
• Greater Boston Food Bank
• Southwest Community Health Center
• National Eating Disorders Association

What They Don't Fund

• Direct charitable activities (the foundation does not operate its own programmes)
• Organisations that are not 501(c)(3) exempt under the Internal Revenue Code
• No explicit exclusions are publicly documented beyond the 501(c)(3) requirement

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Governance and Leadership

The foundation is governed by a family trustee board, all of whom serve on a part-time, uncompensated basis. The foundation is administered through Eisner Advisory Group LLC (formerly Raich Ende Malter), a professional advisory services firm based in Melville, NY.

Trustees:

• Donald R. Gant - Founder and Trustee. Goldman Sachs partner (retired). B.S. University of Pennsylvania (1952), MBA Harvard Business School (1954). Keeps a low public profile.
• Laura G. Lilienfield - Trustee (daughter of Donald Gant; Lehigh University alumna)
• Christopher T. Gant - Trustee (son of Donald Gant; sits on the Board of Managers at Haverford College)
• Sarah G. Mandanis - Trustee
• Alison A. Gant - Trustee

The foundation has no employees. All administrative functions are handled through the Eisner Advisory Group LLC.

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Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

The Gant Family Foundation does not have a public application process. There is no application portal, published guidelines, formal request for proposals (RFP), or documented process for unsolicited applications. The foundation is a private family foundation that makes grants at trustee discretion, typically to organisations with which the family has pre-existing relationships, personal connections, or strong alignment with their interests.

Organisations that have received grants tend to have direct ties to the Gant family through:

• Institutions the family members attended as students
• Organisations on whose boards family members serve
• Causes personally connected to family members (e.g., cancer medicine through UPenn, chamber music through Barbara Gant's board involvement)

There is no confirmed process for cold outreach or unsolicited proposal submission. Grant writers should treat this as an invitation-only or relationship-driven funder.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly available. No formal application cycle or decision timeline has been documented.

Success Rates

Not publicly available. There is no public data on the volume of proposals received versus funded.

Reapplication Policy

Not publicly available. Given the relationship-driven nature of the giving, many grantees appear to receive recurring support year over year.

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Application Success Factors

Given the private, relationship-driven nature of this foundation, the following factors appear to be most relevant based on the foundation's documented giving patterns:

• Family connections are the most significant factor. The vast majority of identified grantees have a direct link to the Gant family - whether through an institution a family member attended, a board on which a family member sits, or a cause personally meaningful to the family.

• Institutional ties matter. Educational institutions attended by Donald Gant or his children (UPenn, Harvard, Haverford, Bryn Mawr, Lehigh) have been consistent grantees. Organisations with an existing relationship with these institutions, or that can demonstrate alignment with their academic and research programmes (e.g., precision cancer medicine at UPenn), may find a natural entry point.

• Board member connections are relevant. Both Barbara Gant's seat on the Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival board and Christopher Gant's position at Haverford College are directly linked to grants made. Any credible board or committee connection to a Gant family member would be highly advantageous.

• Geographic alignment helps. Organisations based in or serving New York, Massachusetts, Florida, or Northern California are most likely to receive consideration.

• Modest ask sizes are common. While the range extends to $385,000, most grants appear to be in the hundreds to thousands of dollars range, suggesting the foundation values broad philanthropic reach over large single investments.

• Sector diversity is acceptable. The foundation funds across education, health, arts, and human services, so organisations should not assume they are excluded solely on sector grounds if they meet other criteria.

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Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• No public application process exists. The Gant Family Foundation operates entirely through trustee discretion and personal relationships. Cold grant applications are unlikely to be considered.
• Family connections are the primary driver of funding decisions. Research any personal connections between your organisation's leadership or board and members of the Gant family before investing time pursuing this funder.
• Geographic focus is concentrated in New York, Massachusetts, Florida, and Northern California. Organisations outside these areas face additional barriers.
• The foundation is transitioning to the next generation. The Gant children - Laura, Christopher, Sarah, and Alison - are increasingly influential as trustees. Identifying and cultivating relationships with them may be more productive than focusing exclusively on Donald Gant.
• Grant amounts are typically modest. While the range is $200 to $385,000, most awards are in the lower end of this range, spread across over 100 organisations per year. This funder is unlikely to provide transformative single-grant funding for most organisations.
• Recurring relationships appear common. Many known grantees (universities, arts organisations, food banks) likely receive repeat grants year over year, suggesting loyalty to existing relationships.
• No website or public-facing presence exists. There is no mechanism for an organisation to self-identify as a prospect. Relationship-building through shared board networks, alumni connections, or sector events would be the primary route to visibility.

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References

1. ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer - Gant Family Foundation (EIN: 23-7015091) URL: https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/237015091 Accessed: February 2026

2. ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer - Gant Family Foundation Full 990-PF Filing (FY2020) URL: https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/237015091/202023389349100002/full Accessed: February 2026

3. Instrumentl - Gant Family Foundation 990 Report URL: https://www.instrumentl.com/990-report/gant-family-foundation Accessed: February 2026

4. Cause IQ - The Gant Family Foundation | Melville, NY URL: https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/gant-family-foundation,237015091/ Accessed: February 2026

5. Charity Navigator - Gant Family Foundation Profile URL: https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/237015091 Accessed: February 2026

6. Candid / Foundation Directory Online - The Gant Family Foundation c/o Eisner Advisory Group LLC URL: https://fconline.foundationcenter.org/fdo-grantmaker-profile?key=GANT002 Accessed: February 2026

7. Inside Philanthropy - Donald Gant Profile URL: https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/wall-street-donors/donald-gant Accessed: February 2026

8. Tax Exempt World - Gant Family Foundation URL: https://www.taxexemptworld.com/organization.asp?tn=137351 Accessed: February 2026