Gardener Foundation Inc

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: $5,376,444 (2024)
• Success Rate: N/A - No public application process
• Decision Time: N/A - Invitation only
• Grant Range: $25,000 - $2,700,000 (based on related family foundation patterns)
• Geographic Focus: Primarily New York (Stony Brook University area), with administrative base in Sarasota, FL
• Type: Private Family Foundation

Contact Details

Address: 523 S Palm Ave Apt 6, Sarasota, FL 34236

Phone: 631-241-6687

EIN: 26-0615969

Note: This foundation does not maintain a public website and does not accept unsolicited grant applications.

Overview

The Gardener Foundation Inc is a private family foundation established in 2008 by William and Jane Knapp, both 1978 alumni of Stony Brook University. The foundation received its 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status in October 2007 and has since become a significant supporter of higher education and medical research, with particular emphasis on Stony Brook University and Stony Brook Medicine. As of 2024, the foundation holds assets of approximately $16.9 million and distributed $5.4 million in charitable grants, representing 97.9% of its total expenses. The foundation operates as part of a broader family philanthropy network that includes the Knapp-Swezey Foundation and Island Outreach Foundation. For more than 25 years, the Knapp family's philanthropic efforts have impacted numerous areas including energy research, healthcare, nursing research, alumni programming, and tick-borne disease research.

Funding Priorities

Primary Focus Areas

Higher Education - Endowed Chairs and Faculty Positions The foundation's signature giving involves establishing endowed academic chairs at Stony Brook University, including:

• William and Jane Knapp Endowed Chair in Energy and the Environment (currently held by Esther Takeuchi)
• William and Jane Knapp Chair in Pharmacological Sciences (currently held by Basil Rigas)
• William and Jane Knapp Endowed Infinity Chair (inaugural holder: Melissa Finucane, climate change expert)

Children's Healthcare and Pediatric Medicine Major support for Stony Brook Children's Hospital and pediatric research initiatives. The foundation has contributed to building new children's healthcare facilities and supporting pediatric medical education.

Medical Research Support for medical research programs, particularly in:

• Energy and environmental science
• Pharmacological sciences
• Cancer prevention research
• Pediatric medicine

University Programs Broader support across Stony Brook's campus including:

• Arts programs
• Nursing research
• Alumni programming
• Tick-borne disease research

What They Don't Fund

The foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals and appears to focus exclusively on pre-selected organizations, primarily Stony Brook University and its affiliated medical programs. There is no evidence of grants to:

• Organizations outside their established relationships
• Individual scholarships or fellowships
• General operating support for organizations beyond their core beneficiaries
• International programs
• Religious organizations
• Political activities

Governance and Leadership

William Knapp, President A 1978 Stony Brook University graduate in Economics and member of the Stony Brook Foundation Board of Trustees. William Knapp has stated that family members would not be alive without the medical care at Stony Brook University Hospital, which has motivated the family's sustained philanthropic commitment. He also serves as Treasurer of the Knapp-Swezey Foundation.

Jane Knapp, Secretary A 1978 Stony Brook University graduate. Jane Knapp shares leadership of the foundation with her husband William and has been instrumental in establishing multiple endowed positions at Stony Brook over 30 years.

Marcella Butler, Director Serves on the foundation's board of directors.

Family Philanthropy Network: The Gardener Foundation operates as part of a broader Knapp family philanthropic ecosystem that includes:

• Knapp-Swezey Foundation (President: Priscilla Knapp; Treasurer: William Knapp) - $17.9 million in assets, $2.9 million in annual giving
• Island Outreach Foundation (President: Michele Knapp; Vice President: David Knapp) - Focus on tick-borne disease research

Quote from Leadership: William Knapp has explained that the family's commitment stems from personal experience: "family members would not be alive without the medical care at Stony Brook University Hospital."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process.

The Gardener Foundation operates as a private family foundation that makes grants by invitation only to pre-selected charitable organizations. Grants are made based on trustee discretion and long-standing relationships established by the Knapp family.

The foundation does not:

• Accept unsolicited grant proposals
• Maintain an online application portal
• Publish application guidelines or deadlines
• Respond to general funding inquiries

Getting on Their Radar

Note: The following information is specific to the Gardener Foundation's documented approach:

Existing Relationship with Stony Brook University The foundation's grant-making is almost exclusively focused on Stony Brook University and Stony Brook Medicine, where both William and Jane Knapp are alumni (Class of 1978). William Knapp serves on the Stony Brook Foundation Board of Trustees, indicating that board involvement and alumni relationships are central to the foundation's identification of funding priorities.

Long-term Partnership Focus The Knapps have supported Stony Brook programs for more than 25 years, demonstrating a preference for sustained, transformational giving rather than one-time grants. Their giving pattern shows they establish endowed positions and major capital projects rather than making numerous smaller grants.

Family Foundation Structure The foundation operates alongside the Knapp-Swezey Foundation and Island Outreach Foundation, both of which also support Stony Brook. Organizations seeking to understand the family's philanthropic interests should note:

• The Knapp-Swezey Foundation focuses on the Town of Brookhaven, Suffolk County, NY, with emphasis on pediatric healthcare
• Island Outreach Foundation supports tick-borne disease research
• Personal connection to healthcare (family members' lives saved by Stony Brook Hospital) drives their philanthropic mission

Board Service and Alumni Engagement William Knapp's role on the Stony Brook Foundation Board of Trustees suggests that board-level engagement and alumni networks are how the family identifies opportunities for support.

Application Success Factors

Since this foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, the following factors appear to characterize their supported projects based on their documented giving:

Transformational Impact Potential The foundation favors major, transformational gifts such as endowed chairs ($1-2.7 million range) and capital projects for children's hospitals rather than smaller programmatic grants. Their giving creates lasting institutional capacity.

Alignment with Personal Mission Healthcare and medical research, particularly pediatric care, align with the family's stated motivation that Stony Brook medical care saved family members' lives. Projects that advance children's healthcare or medical research at Stony Brook are central to their mission.

Educational Excellence Support for distinguished faculty through endowed chairs demonstrates commitment to academic excellence. Chairs have been awarded to nationally recognized researchers in energy science, pharmacological sciences, and climate change.

Long Island/New York Focus While administratively based in Sarasota, FL, the foundation's grant-making focuses on New York, particularly Long Island institutions. The related Knapp-Swezey Foundation has explicit geographic restrictions to the Town of Brookhaven, Suffolk County, NY.

Alumni Connection Both William and Jane Knapp are Stony Brook alumni (Class of 1978), and this alumni relationship has driven decades of support. Alumni engagement and institutional loyalty are central to the foundation's identity.

Sustained Relationship Building The foundation has supported Stony Brook for over 25 years across multiple areas: arts, nursing research, alumni programming, medical research, and children's healthcare. This demonstrates preference for deepening relationships with established partners rather than broad diversification.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• No Public Application Process: This foundation does not accept unsolicited grant proposals and should not be pursued through traditional grant-seeking approaches.

• Private Family Foundation Model: The Gardener Foundation exemplifies a private family foundation where grants flow from personal relationships, trustee discretion, and long-standing institutional partnerships rather than competitive application processes.

• Stony Brook University Focus: Virtually all documented giving benefits Stony Brook University and Stony Brook Medicine, reflecting the founders' deep alumni connection and personal gratitude for medical care received.

• Transformational Giving Approach: The foundation makes major gifts ($25,000 to $2.7 million) that create lasting institutional capacity through endowed chairs and capital projects rather than annual programmatic support.

• Healthcare Mission: Personal experience with life-saving medical care drives the family's philanthropic priorities, particularly in pediatric healthcare and medical research.

• Family Philanthropy Network: Understanding the Gardener Foundation requires recognizing its relationship to the Knapp-Swezey Foundation and Island Outreach Foundation, which together represent the Knapp family's coordinated philanthropic strategy.

• Research the 990-PF: For organizations conducting prospect research, the foundation's Form 990-PF filings (available through ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, EIN 26-0615969) provide the most detailed picture of actual grant recipients and amounts, which is essential for understanding their giving patterns since they publish no other public information.

References

1. ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer - Gardener Foundation Inc (EIN 26-0615969) https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/260615969 Accessed: February 13, 2026

2. Candid Foundation Directory - Gardener Foundation Inc https://fconline.foundationcenter.org/fdo-grantmaker-profile?collection=grantmakers&activity=result&key=GARD437 Accessed: February 13, 2026

3. GuideStar Profile - Gardener Foundation Inc https://www.guidestar.org/profile/26-0615969 Accessed: February 13, 2026

4. Stony Brook University News - "Climate Impact Expert Named Inaugural Knapp Infinity Chair" (2025) https://news.stonybrook.edu/university/disaster-response-climate-impacts-policy-expert-named-inaugural-knapp-infinity-chair Accessed: February 13, 2026

5. Stony Brook University - "Energy Scientist and Pediatric Physician Researchers Named Endowed Chairs at Stony Brook University Ceremony" (2017) https://news.stonybrook.edu/newsroom/press-release/general/2017-1121-endowed-chairs-at-stony-brook/ Accessed: February 13, 2026

6. Stony Brook Children's Hospital - "Knapp Swezey Foundation" https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/childrens/donors/knapp_swezey_foundation.php Accessed: February 13, 2026

7. Stony Brook University - "Knapp Swezey Foundation Gift Completes Stony Brook Children's Hospital $9M Challenge" https://www.stonybrook.edu/campaign/knapp-swezey-foundation-gift-completes-stony-brook-childrens-hospital-9m-challenge/ Accessed: February 13, 2026

8. Hinchilla.com - "Knapp-Swezey Foundation Inc - Grant Information & Application Details" https://www.hinchilla.com/funders-us/113038738-knapp-swezey-foundation-inc Accessed: February 13, 2026

9. Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University - "The William and Jane Knapp Chair" https://renaissance.stonybrookmedicine.edu/family_population_preventive_medicine/divisions/cancer_prevention/rigas_knapp_chair Accessed: February 13, 2026

10. Corporation Wiki - "William Knapp - Previous President for The Gardener Foundation, Inc." https://www.corporationwiki.com/Florida/Sarasota/william-l-knapp-P263677.aspx Accessed: February 13, 2026