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Charles Lee Powell Foundation

Annual Giving
$2.8M
Grant Range
$500K - $2.0M

Charles Lee Powell Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $2,775,000 (2023)
  • Total Assets: $59.1 million (2024)
  • Grant Range: Varies by program - from research grants to multi-million dollar facility endowments
  • Geographic Focus: California only (four specific universities)
  • Application Method: Invitation only - no public application process
  • Total Giving to Date: Over $115 million since establishment

Contact Details

Address: Del Mar, CA
Website: https://clpf.org/
President & CEO: William J. Holliday
EIN: 23-7064397

Overview

The Charles Lee Powell Foundation was established in 1954 by Charles Lee Powell (1863-1959), a pioneering self-taught structural engineer who invented methods for building concrete structures underground and built much of Los Angeles' early infrastructure. The foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) private foundation with approximately $59 million in total assets and distributes roughly $2.8-3 million annually in grants. The foundation maintains an exclusive focus on supporting engineering education and research at exactly four California universities: California Institute of Technology, Stanford University, University of California San Diego, and University of Southern California. Over more than seven decades, the foundation has donated over $115 million to these institutions, funding endowed professorships, research equipment, graduate fellowships, scholarships, and major facility construction. The foundation explicitly states it "remains focused on funding impactful grants to the engineering programs at this limited number of recipient institutions, and is not entertaining new solicitations or changing this list of grantee institutions."

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation does not operate distinct grant programs but rather provides multi-faceted support to its four partner institutions. Funding types include:

  • Endowed Professorships and Faculty Chairs: Including the Charles Lee Powell Chair in Computer Engineering and Charles Lee Powell Chair in Electrical Engineering at USC Viterbi
  • Graduate Fellowships: Powell Fellows programs for doctoral students at all four universities; Herbert Kunzel Fellowships for Ph.D. students
  • Research Equipment Grants: Funding for laboratory equipment and research infrastructure
  • Facility Support: Major capital projects including Charles Lee Powell Hall at USC, the Powell-Focht Bioengineering Hall at UCSD ($2 million contribution), and the Englekirk Structural Engineering Center at UCSD
  • Research Grants: Direct support for faculty research projects, particularly in structural engineering
  • Laboratory Endowments: Charles Lee Powell Laboratories at UCSD (over $24 million since 1986)

2023 Grant Activity: 4 grants totaling $2,775,000 distributed among the four universities

Priority Areas

  • Structural engineering - The foundation's primary historical focus, supporting research on infrastructure safety including testing for the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge
  • Engineering education - Support for doctoral and graduate programs training engineers "working toward the public good"
  • Engineering research infrastructure - Laboratories, equipment, and facilities enabling cutting-edge research
  • Faculty recruitment and retention - Endowed chairs and research support to attract stellar scholars

What They Don't Fund

  • Any institutions other than California Institute of Technology, Stanford University, UC San Diego, and USC
  • Unsolicited applications from any source
  • Programs outside engineering and science disciplines
  • Projects not affiliated with their four partner universities

Governance and Leadership

President & CEO: William J. Holliday (compensation: $120,000 annually)
Corporate Secretary: Friolana Ulloa (compensation: $61,900 annually)

Board of Directors:

  • Charles Castle
  • William J. Holliday
  • William M. Low
  • Margaret E. Mangin

Leadership Perspective: Former President Joel Holliday stated about their UCSD partnership: "We feel very confident that the money is being well spent" and "It was a very natural thing to support a university like UCSD." Current President William Holliday noted: "The Viterbi School of Engineering continues to impress all of us through its constant growth, attraction of talented students, post-grads, and faculty."

The foundation views its mission as helping to "enrich the cultural and intellectual environment of the entire community" and carrying forward Charles Lee Powell's "legacy of innovation and entrepreneurial spirit."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. The Charles Lee Powell Foundation explicitly states on its website that it "only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds."

Grants are made exclusively to four pre-selected California universities:

  • California Institute of Technology (Pasadena)
  • Stanford University (Palo Alto)
  • University of California, San Diego
  • University of Southern California (Los Angeles)

The foundation works directly with engineering school leadership at these institutions to identify funding priorities and opportunities. Individual researchers, students, or even other universities cannot apply for funding.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - grants are made through pre-existing institutional relationships rather than competitive application cycles.

Success Rates

Not applicable - no public application process exists.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - no public application process exists.

Application Success Factors

Since this foundation does not accept public applications, traditional "success factors" do not apply. However, the foundation's giving patterns reveal clear priorities:

What the Foundation Values:

  • Long-term institutional relationships: The foundation has supported UCSD since 1982 (over 40 years), demonstrating commitment to sustained partnerships
  • Infrastructure that enables research: Major investments in laboratories and facilities that create lasting impact
  • Engineering education for public benefit: Joel Holliday specifically mentioned supporting engineers "working toward the public good"
  • Research excellence: Support goes to institutions that attract "talented students, post-grads, and faculty"
  • Structural engineering legacy: Continued emphasis on Charles Lee Powell's original field of structural engineering, particularly projects related to California's infrastructure

For individuals at the four partner universities: While you cannot apply to the foundation directly, you may benefit from foundation support through:

  • Powell Fellows doctoral programs (check with your engineering school's graduate office)
  • Herbert Kunzel Fellowships (available at USC and other partner schools)
  • Faculty research awards (available to faculty at partner institutions)
  • Access to Powell Laboratories and foundation-funded equipment

Contact your engineering school's development office or graduate studies office to learn about available foundation-supported opportunities at your institution.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • This foundation is not accessible to the general public - only four California universities receive funding, and the foundation explicitly does not accept unsolicited applications or consider adding new institutions
  • Focus is exclusively on engineering - particularly structural engineering, though support has expanded to include computer engineering, electrical engineering, and bioengineering
  • Support is comprehensive and sustained - the foundation provides multi-decade partnerships rather than one-off grants, with UCSD receiving over $35 million across 40+ years
  • Average annual giving is approximately $2.75-3 million - distributed among four institutions as 4-5 grants annually
  • Foundation values demonstrated impact - leadership emphasizes confidence that "money is being well spent"
  • For students/faculty at partner universities: Check with your engineering school about Powell Fellows programs, Kunzel Fellowships, and other foundation-funded opportunities
  • For other organizations: This foundation is not an appropriate funder target - consider researching other engineering-focused foundations with open application processes

References

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