Schmetterling Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: $2,208,000 (2024)
• Total Assets: $42,026,449
• Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
• Grant Range: $500 - $1,000,000
• Median Grant: $10,000
• Geographic Focus: Indiana, Texas (Austin area), Michigan, California, Massachusetts (based on grant history per 990-PF records)
• Number of Grants: 41 (2024)

Contact Details

Address: c/o Foundation Source, 501 Silverside Rd, Wilmington, DE 19809-1377

Phone: 800-839-1754

EIN: 27-4267762

Note: The foundation is administratively based in Delaware but makes grants primarily in Indiana and Texas.

Overview

The Schmetterling Foundation was established in 2011 by Jim and Colleen Clark, a couple who moved to Austin, Texas from Valparaiso, Indiana. With total assets of $42 million and annual giving of approximately $2.2 million, the foundation focuses primarily on education with recent emphasis on early childhood education. The foundation's name—German for "butterfly"—reflects the Clarks' philosophy that grantmaking should support transformational change rather than creating dependency. The foundation has consistently increased its grantmaking activity, growing from 7 grants in 2020 to 41 grants in 2024. Leadership includes family members Colleen Clark (Co-President), James A. Clark (Co-President/Secretary), Nicholaus Clark (Vice President), Nissa Clark (Vice President), and Katrina Swartz (Vice President), all serving without compensation.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programmes

The foundation primarily makes general and unrestricted grants to preselected organisations:

• Major Grants: $500,000 - $1,000,000 (recent examples include $750,000 to Into Action Recovery Inc and $750,000 to the Greater Austin YMCA in 2024; the foundation has also made a total commitment of $3 million to the YMCA Tomorrow Academy early childhood education project)
• Standard Grants: $500 - $50,000
• Median Grant Size: $10,000

The foundation operates on a trustee discretion basis with no fixed deadlines or rolling application windows.

Priority Areas

• Early Childhood Education: Primary focus area, including childcare centres and PreK programmes
• Higher Education: Support for institutions like Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and other educational institutions
• YMCA Programmes: Strong history of supporting YMCA facilities and programmes, dating back to their time in Valparaiso, Indiana
• Human Services: Including addiction recovery services
• Zoos and Conservation: Past grants to Indianapolis Zoological Society, Austin Zoo, Chicago Zoological Society

What They Don't Fund

• The foundation does not publicly disclose specific exclusions
• Unsolicited grant proposals are not accepted

Governance and Leadership

Key Leadership (all positions unpaid):

• Colleen Clark, Co-President & Director: Active in foundation strategy and grant decisions. Quoted regarding the Four Points YMCA gift: "This is an area that's growing rapidly, and there's a ton of families without huge resources."
• James A. Clark, Co-President, Secretary & Director: Articulates the foundation's philosophy of empowerment. Key quote: "If you just give people things or do it for them, it doesn't necessarily accomplish what you want."
• Nicholaus Clark, Vice President
• Nissa Clark, Vice President
• Katrina Swartz, Vice President

Foundation Philosophy: The Clarks chose the butterfly metaphor deliberately. Jim Clark explains that the butterfly's metamorphosis—the difficult process of breaking out of the cocoon—reminded him of the journey that community-based nonprofit organisations must undertake to bring projects to life. The foundation believes in supporting organisations through challenging transformative processes rather than simply providing resources without requiring growth.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. The foundation has explicitly indicated it only makes contributions to preselected charitable organisations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.

Grants are awarded based on trustee discretion, with the Clark family identifying organisations to support based on their knowledge of community needs and existing relationships with nonprofit organisations.

Getting on Their Radar

While specific, documented strategies for this funder are limited, their known grantmaking pattern suggests:

• Geographic connections matter: The foundation supports organisations in areas where the Clarks have lived and been active—particularly Valparaiso, Indiana (their former home) and Austin, Texas (current residence), based on grant history per 990-PF records
• YMCA connection: The Clarks have a long history of YMCA involvement, being active with the Valparaiso YMCA before moving to Austin 10 years ago, and continuing that relationship in Texas
• Education sector engagement: Given their stated focus on education, particularly early childhood education, organisations in this space may have greater visibility to the foundation
• Existing relationship building: Past grantees include organisations the Clarks likely encountered through community involvement, suggesting relationship-building in Austin and Indiana communities where they're active

The foundation's Form 990-PF filings are publicly available and show past grantees, which may help identify organisations in similar fields or geographic areas.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly disclosed. Grants appear to be made throughout the year based on trustee meetings and decisions.

Success Rates

Not publicly disclosed. With only 41 grants made from an invitation-only pool in 2024, the "success rate" for preselected organisations is presumably high, but unsolicited applicants have a 0% success rate.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable given the invitation-only model. Organisations may receive multi-year support or repeated grants if they remain aligned with foundation priorities.

Application Success Factors

Since this foundation operates on an invitation-only basis, traditional "application success factors" don't apply. However, analysis of their grantmaking reveals:

What the Foundation Values:

• Transformational change over dependency: Jim Clark's quote makes clear they want to support organisational growth and self-sufficiency, not create reliance on foundation funding
• Early childhood education impact: Recent major gifts show intensified focus on addressing childcare gaps, particularly in growing communities with limited resources
• Community needs in growth areas: Colleen Clark specifically mentioned supporting areas with "families without huge resources"
• Long-term sector engagement: Their decade-long YMCA support shows loyalty to organisations and causes they believe in

Recent Funding Examples:

• $3 million total commitment to Greater Austin YMCA Tomorrow Academy (announced 2024), with $750,000 recorded in the 2024 990-PF, for an early childhood education centre serving ages 6 weeks to PreK
• $750,000 to Into Action Recovery Inc (2024)
• Repeated grants to Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Indianapolis Zoological Society, Austin Zoo, and Chicago Zoological Society

Foundation Language and Priorities: The Clarks use language focused on "transformation," "empowerment," and "breaking out"—avoiding dependency-creating relationships. They emphasise addressing gaps in services for families with limited resources in rapidly growing communities.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Unsolicited proposals will not be accepted: This is explicitly stated. Do not waste time preparing applications unless specifically invited
• Geographic relevance is crucial: Focus areas are Indiana (particularly Valparaiso area) and Texas (particularly Austin area), with some California, Michigan, and Massachusetts grants, based on 990-PF records
• Education is the priority: Especially early childhood education, but also higher education and youth development through organisations like the YMCA
• Relationship-driven grantmaking: The foundation supports organisations where the Clark family has personal connection or community involvement
• Empowerment over charity: Projects should demonstrate how funding will support organisational transformation and long-term sustainability, not create ongoing dependency
• Major gifts possible: While median grant is $10,000, the foundation makes transformational gifts of $500,000-$1,000,000 for strategic priorities, and has made multi-year commitments of up to $3 million for major projects
• Family foundation with hands-on leadership: All five board members are family, suggesting personal engagement in grant decisions and site visits

References

• Four Points News. (2024, August 28). "$3M gift helps launch first YMCA Tomorrow Academy in Four Points in early 2025." https://www.fourpointsnews.com/2024/08/28/3m-gift-helps-launch-first-ymca-tomorrow-academy-in-four-points-in-early-2025/
• Community Impact. (2024, September 10). "Early childhood education center to open as first part of Four Points YMCA." https://communityimpact.com/austin/cedar-park-far-northwest-austin/development/2024/09/10/early-childhood-education-center-to-open-as-first-part-of-four-points-ymca/
• Instrumentl. (2024). "The Schmetterling Foundation | Wilmington, DE | 990 Report." https://www.instrumentl.com/990-report/schmetterling-foundation (Accessed January 2026)
• Grantmakers.io. "SCHMETTERLING FOUNDATION Profile." https://www.grantmakers.io/profiles/v0/274267762-schmetterling-foundation/ (Accessed January 2026)
• ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer. "Schmetterling Foundation - Nonprofit Explorer." https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/274267762 (Accessed January 2026)
• Greater Austin YMCA. "Greater Austin YMCA Cuts Ribbon On New Tomorrow Academy Early Education Center In Four Points." https://www.austinymca.org/greater-austin-ymca-cuts-ribbon-on-new-tomorrow-academy-early-education-center-in-four-points/ (Accessed January 2026)