Robert P & Patricia J Bauman Family Foundation Inc

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: $1,382,000 (2024)
• Success Rate: Not publicly available (invitation/preselection only)
• Decision Time: Not publicly available
• Grant Range: $500 - $150,000 (median grant: $5,000; average grant: $15,300)
• Geographic Focus: New Hampshire, Florida, and Maine (primarily)

Contact Details

• Address: 6720 SE Harbor Circle, Stuart, FL 34996
• Phone: (772) 225-4118
• EIN: 31-1535223
• Website: No public website identified
• Application Process: No public application process; grants made only to preselected organizations

Overview

The Robert P & Patricia J Bauman Family Foundation Inc. is a private, non-operating family foundation established in 1997 and headquartered in Stuart, Florida. With total assets of approximately $15 million (as of 2024), the foundation distributes around $1.3 million in grants annually across 75 to 93 awards per year. Its philanthropic focus spans health organizations and medical research, education, the arts, and human services, with a primary geographic concentration in New Hampshire, Florida, and Maine.

The foundation is directed by Robert Bauman and family members John Bauman and Elizabeth H. Bauman, suggesting its philanthropic activities reflect personal family connections and long-standing relationships with specific institutions and communities. The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and operates entirely through preselected charitable organizations, making it a relationship-driven, private giving vehicle rather than a publicly accessible grant program.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation does not operate named grant streams or public programs. Grants are made at trustee discretion to preselected organizations. Based on 990-PF filings:

• Healthcare and Medical Research: Including named donations to hospital cancer care facilities (e.g., naming-level donation to Exeter Hospital's Center for Cancer Care expansion campaign in New Hampshire)
• Education: Including grants to universities such as Auburn University (Auburn, Alabama)
• Botanical Gardens and Environment: Including grants to Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens (Boothbay, ME) and Friends of Mounts Botanical Gardens (West Palm Beach, FL)
• Medical Centers: Including grants to Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN)
• Grant Range: $500 to $150,000 per award; median grant of approximately $5,000; average grant of approximately $15,300

Priority Areas

• Health organizations and medical research (hospitals, cancer care, major medical centers)
• Higher education institutions
• Botanical gardens and environmental/horticultural organizations
• Human services and community organizations
• Arts and culture (noted as a secondary focus area)
• Philanthropy and voluntarism

What They Don't Fund

• Unsolicited grant applications from organizations with no pre-existing relationship with the foundation
• No public exclusions list identified; the foundation's closed nature means all giving is discretionary

Governance and Leadership

The foundation is governed by three directors as reported in IRS Form 990-PF filings:

• Robert Bauman - Director (no compensation reported in filings; appears to be the founding family principal)
• John Bauman - Director (compensated: $160,000 in 2024; $130,000 in 2023; $150,000 in 2021; $120,000 in 2020)
• Elizabeth H. Bauman - Director (compensated: $160,000 in 2024; $130,000 in 2023; $150,000 in 2021; $120,000 in 2020)

No public statements, quotes, or interviews from foundation leadership have been identified. The foundation maintains a very low public profile consistent with its private, invitation-only giving model.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process.

The Robert P & Patricia J Bauman Family Foundation Inc. only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and explicitly does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. This is stated in the foundation's own IRS Form 990-PF filings. There is no online portal, no application form, no open deadline cycle, and no mechanism for organizations to apply for funding.

Grants are made entirely at the discretion of the foundation's directors based on pre-existing relationships and personal philanthropic interests of the Bauman family.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable. No public application cycle exists.

Success Rates

Not applicable. The foundation does not operate a competitive open application program.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable given the closed, invitation-only nature of the foundation's giving.

Application Success Factors

Because this foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, traditional application preparation is not relevant. However, for grant writers seeking to understand the foundation's patterns:

• Institutional relationships matter most: The confirmed grantees (Exeter Hospital, Auburn University, Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, Friends of Mounts Botanical Gardens, Mayo Clinic) suggest giving is tied to institutions in communities where the Bauman family has personal connections - New Hampshire, Maine, and Florida.
• Healthcare is a clear priority: The naming-level donation to Exeter Hospital's Center for Cancer Care during its capital campaign suggests the foundation is willing to make significant, high-profile healthcare gifts. Organizations seeking major medical infrastructure or cancer care funding may be a natural fit if a relationship can be established.
• Scale of engagement varies widely: With grants ranging from $500 to $150,000, the foundation supports both small community-level contributions and substantial institutional gifts. This suggests a portfolio that mixes small, recurring community grants with larger strategic gifts.
• Geographic anchors are consistent: New Hampshire (Exeter Hospital), Maine (Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens), and Florida (Friends of Mounts Botanical Gardens, Stuart base) appear consistently across filings, suggesting regional loyalties tied to where family members live or have lived.
• Volume is relatively high for a family foundation: Distributing 75 to 93 grants per year across roughly $1.3 million indicates many small-to-medium community grants alongside a few larger awards.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• No open application process exists: Do not attempt to submit an unsolicited application. The foundation explicitly states it funds only preselected organizations.
• Relationship-building is the only pathway: Any engagement with this foundation must come through existing networks, board connections, or community relationships with the Bauman family.
• Healthcare and education are the clearest priorities: Hospital systems (especially in New Hampshire), universities, and botanical/environmental organizations are the most consistently funded categories based on available 990 data.
• Geographic focus is tight: Organizations based in or serving New Hampshire, Maine, and Florida have the strongest alignment with the foundation's historical giving patterns.
• The foundation is active and consistent: With 74 to 93 grants per year across recent years, this is an actively engaged family foundation - not a dormant vehicle - which means relationships, if established, have a reasonable chance of resulting in periodic support.
• No public profile or website: The foundation's complete absence from public-facing grant platforms confirms it operates entirely through private channels.
• Capital campaign participation is documented: The naming donation to Exeter Hospital's cancer care expansion shows the foundation is willing to participate in institutional capital campaigns at a significant level.

References

1. ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer - Robert P & Patricia J Bauman Family Foundation Inc (EIN: 31-1535223) URL: https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/311535223 Accessed: February 2026 Source of financial data, officer compensation (2020-2024), total assets, and charitable disbursements

2. Instrumentl 990 Report - Robert P & Patricia J Bauman Family Foundation Inc URL: https://www.instrumentl.com/990-report/robert-p-patricia-j-bauman-family-foundation-inc Accessed: February 2026 Source of grant range ($500-$150,000), geographic focus (NH, FL, ME), annual grant counts (75-93 per year), median and average grant size

3. Cause IQ - The Bauman Family Foundation, Stuart FL (EIN: 31-1535223) URL: https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/the-bauman-family-foundation,311535223/ Accessed: February 2026 Source of financial data (2020), grants paid ($1,120,000 in 2020), and general organization profile

4. Grantmakers.io - Robert P & Patricia J Bauman Family Foundation Inc URL: https://www.grantmakers.io/profiles/v0/311535223-robert-p-and-patricia-j-bauman-family-foundation-inc/ Accessed: February 2026 Source of "preselected organizations only" policy statement, contact address, and confirmed grantees (Auburn University, Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, Friends of Mounts Botanical Gardens, Mayo Clinic)

5. Engelberth Construction Press Release - "Exeter Hospital's Center for Cancer Care Breaks Ground on Expansion" URL: https://www.engelberth.com/exeter-hospitals-center-for-cancer-care-breaks-ground-on-expansion/ Accessed: February 2026 Source of naming donation from The Bauman Family Foundation to Exeter Hospital cancer care expansion

6. Charity Navigator - Robert P & Patricia J Bauman Family Foundation Inc (EIN: 31-1535223) URL: https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/311535223 Accessed: February 2026 Source of organizational classification data (private non-operating foundation, IRS ruling year 1997)

7. TheShareWay - The Bauman Family Foundation Inc URL: https://www.theshareway.com/funder/bauman-family-69242 Accessed: February 2026 Source of aggregate financial metrics: $8.8M total assets, $1.3M total giving, 82 grants, median grant $5,000, average grant $15,300