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Carolands Preservation Foundation

Annual Giving
$1.0M
Grant Range
Up to $1.0M

Carolands Preservation Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Type: Private Family Foundation
  • Annual Giving: Approximately $700,000-$1,000,000
  • Success Rate: Not publicly available (no open application process)
  • Decision Time: Not applicable (trustee discretion)
  • Grant Range: Varies (primary grant ~$700,000-$1,000,000 to single beneficiary)
  • Geographic Focus: Primarily Hillsborough, CA; some Palm Beach, FL area grants
  • Accepts Unsolicited Applications: No public application process

Contact Details

Carolands Preservation Foundation Palm Beach, FL EIN: 27-1545347

Note: This foundation does not maintain a public website or published contact information for grant applications. The foundation operates through trustee discretion.

For information about the Carolands Château (the primary beneficiary): Carolands Foundation 565 Remillard Drive Hillsborough, CA 94010 (650) 343-0613

Overview

The Carolands Preservation Foundation is a private family foundation established in 2010 and based in Palm Beach, Florida. With total assets of approximately $14.7 million (2024), the foundation makes approximately $700,000-$1,000,000 in grants annually. The foundation is closely connected to Charles B. Johnson (principal owner of the San Francisco Giants and former Franklin Templeton executive) and his wife, Dr. Ann Johnson. The foundation's primary mission centers on supporting the preservation and maintenance of the historic Carolands Château in Hillsborough, California—a 98-room Beaux-Arts mansion that the Johnsons restored and donated to the nonprofit Carolands Foundation in 2012. While the foundation's charitable focus is predominantly directed toward this historic preservation effort, it also makes limited grants to other organizations in the areas of arts and culture, environment, and human services, primarily in the Hillsborough, California area and occasionally in Palm Beach, Florida.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Primary Funding Stream: The foundation's overwhelming majority of grantmaking supports the Carolands Foundation (EIN: 46-1631709), the nonprofit organization that maintains and operates the historic Carolands Château. Annual grants to this organization range from $700,000 to $1,000,000 for "charitable support" to cover preservation and operational expenses.

Limited Additional Grantmaking: The foundation makes a small number of additional grants (approximately 5-6 grants total annually) to other charitable organizations. Known recipients include:

  • Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League (Palm Beach area animal welfare organization)
  • Other arts, culture, environmental, and human services organizations (specific details not publicly available)

Priority Areas

Based on available information, the foundation supports:

  • Historic preservation: Primary focus on maintaining architectural and cultural heritage
  • Arts and culture: Supporting cultural institutions and programs
  • Environment: Environmental conservation and related causes
  • Human services: Social welfare organizations, including animal welfare

Geographic Focus

  • Primary: Hillsborough, California (site of Carolands Château)
  • Secondary: Palm Beach, Florida area (foundation's home location)

What They Don't Fund

While specific exclusions are not publicly documented, the foundation's structure as a private family foundation with no public application process means they do not fund:

  • Organizations outside their established charitable interests
  • Unsolicited grant requests from unknown organizations
  • Projects unrelated to their core focus on Carolands preservation or family philanthropic priorities

Governance and Leadership

Trustees/Directors:

  • Ann L. Johnson - Treasurer and Director
  • Charles E. Johnson - Trustee
  • Charles B. Johnson - Trustee
  • Greg Johnson - Officer
  • Jennifer M. Johnson - Director

All officers and directors serve on a volunteer basis without compensation.

About the Founders: Charles B. Johnson and Dr. Ann Johnson are prominent philanthropists who purchased the Carolands Château in 1998 when it was in severely degraded condition. They invested more than $20 million in meticulous restoration work before donating the property to the nonprofit Carolands Foundation in 2012. According to published reports, the Johnsons have donated $180 million over a three-year period to approximately 200 causes, with many focused on health, education, and the arts. Charles B. Johnson's $250 million gift to Yale University stands as the largest in that institution's history.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. The Carolands Preservation Foundation operates as a private family foundation that makes grants based on trustee discretion. There are no published grant guidelines, application forms, deadlines, or procedures for submitting unsolicited proposals.

The foundation's grantmaking appears to be directed primarily toward:

  1. Supporting the Carolands Foundation (pre-determined annual support)
  2. Making discretionary grants to organizations known to the trustees or aligned with the Johnson family's philanthropic interests

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - grants are made at trustee discretion without a formal application cycle.

Success Rates

Not applicable due to the absence of a public application process.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - the foundation does not accept applications.

Application Success Factors

This section is not applicable to the Carolands Preservation Foundation, as they do not maintain a public grant application process. Organizations seeking funding should note:

  1. No Open Application Process: This foundation makes grants exclusively through trustee discretion
  2. Primary Beneficiary: The overwhelming majority (estimated 70-90%) of annual grantmaking goes to the Carolands Foundation for château preservation
  3. Limited External Grantmaking: Only 5-6 grants made annually to other organizations
  4. Family Foundation Structure: Grants appear to reflect the personal philanthropic interests of the Johnson family
  5. No Published Guidelines: There are no publicly available criteria, priorities, or application requirements

Organizations should not invest time in attempting to secure funding from this foundation unless they have a pre-existing relationship with the trustees or are directly invited to apply.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Not a viable funding prospect for most organizations: This private family foundation does not accept unsolicited applications and directs the vast majority of its grantmaking to a single beneficiary organization
  • Primary purpose: The foundation exists primarily to provide ongoing financial support to the Carolands Foundation for historic preservation of the Carolands Château
  • Limited scope: While technically a multi-grant foundation (6 grants annually), only a small portion of funding goes to organizations beyond the primary beneficiary
  • No application pathway: There are no published guidelines, application procedures, or contact information for potential grantees
  • Trustee discretion: All grantmaking decisions are made by family trustees without a formal review process
  • Geographic focus: Grants concentrated in Hillsborough, CA (primary) and Palm Beach, FL (secondary)
  • Alternative approach: Organizations interested in Carolands Château or historic preservation might consider engaging with the Carolands Foundation (the beneficiary) rather than the Carolands Preservation Foundation (the funder)

References

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