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Gerard B Lambert Foundation

Annual Giving
$9.1M
Grant Range
$1000K - $8.0M

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $9,088,930 (2024 charitable disbursements)
  • Total Assets: $95,006,980 (2024)
  • Success Rate: Not applicable (invitation only)
  • Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
  • Grant Range: $1,000,000 - $8,000,000+ (based on recent major grants)
  • Geographic Focus: National, with concentration in Washington D.C. area
  • Application Type: Invitation only - no public application process

Contact Details

Address: Harrison, NY 10528

Note: The foundation does not have a public website or published contact information for grant inquiries. The foundation only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.

Overview

The Gerard B. Lambert Foundation was established in 1976 by Rachel Lambert "Bunny" Mellon (1910-2014) to honor her father, Gerard Barnes Lambert (1886-1967), a St. Louis-based industrialist and World War I veteran. The foundation became an active grantmaking institution in 2014 when Bunny Mellon passed away and left her estate to the foundation. With an endowment of approximately $95 million, the foundation made charitable disbursements of over $9 million in 2024 to 24 organizations. The foundation focuses on children's health and well-being, historic preservation, arts in healthcare settings, and nature-based healing approaches. Foundation President Thomas Lloyd has emphasized a holistic approach to wellness, stating "An afternoon gardening is like therapy for kids." Recent major gifts include $8 million to the White House Historical Association and $3 million to Georgetown's Thrive Center for Children, Families, and Communities.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation does not operate formal grant programs but makes multi-year grants through trustee discretion to preselected organizations. Recent major grants include:

  • White House Historical Association (2024): $8 million to support historical scholarship, endow the fellows program, and create the Gerard B. Lambert Endowed Chair in White House History
  • Georgetown University Thrive Center (2024): $3 million to enhance outpatient mental health services for children, adolescents, and families with innovative programming addressing nutrition, exercise, time in nature, meditation, sleep, and healthy relationships with digital media
  • RxArt (2016): $1 million to commission contemporary artists to transform sterile children's hospitals into engaging and inspiring environments
  • Children's National Medical Center: Multi-million dollar support for the Bunny Mellon Healing Garden
  • World Monuments Fund: Ongoing multi-year support for historic preservation

Priority Areas

The foundation supports organizations working in:

  1. Children's Healthcare and Well-being: Hospitals, pediatric healthcare facilities, and organizations focused on children's mental and physical health, particularly those incorporating holistic approaches including arts, nature, and innovative therapeutic programming

  2. Arts in Healthcare: Projects that bring museum-quality contemporary art into healthcare settings, particularly children's hospitals

  3. Historic Preservation and Scholarship: Organizations preserving American history, particularly White House history and architectural heritage

  4. Nature and Horticulture: Gardens, botanical collections, and nature-based healing environments

  5. Holistic Wellness: Programs that integrate outdoor time, gardening, and nature-based therapies into health and wellness initiatives

What They Don't Fund

As a foundation that only makes grants to preselected organizations, they effectively do not fund:

  • Unsolicited applications from any organization
  • Organizations outside their established focus areas of children's health, historic preservation, arts in healthcare, and horticulture

Governance and Leadership

The foundation is led by Bunny Mellon's grandsons and operates with a small board of four members:

  • Thomas L. Lloyd, President and Treasurer: Grandson of Bunny Mellon and a Certified Financial Planner who specializes in developing individual financial plans for high net worth individuals and institutions. He has described the foundation's holistic approach to wellness, emphasizing the therapeutic value of time spent in nature and gardening.

  • Stacy B. Lloyd IV, Vice President: Also a grandson of Bunny Mellon

  • Jane Maclennan, Secretary

All officers serve without compensation. The foundation's leadership maintains the philanthropic vision established by Bunny Mellon, who famously worked with Jacqueline Kennedy in 1961 on the White House Rose Garden and was deeply committed to gardens, arts, and historic preservation.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. The Gerard B. Lambert Foundation only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and explicitly does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.

The foundation operates through trustee discretion, with the board identifying and selecting grant recipients based on the foundation's mission and the legacy of its founder, Bunny Mellon. Grants are typically multi-year commitments to organizations that align with the foundation's focus areas.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - the foundation does not accept applications. Grant decisions are made internally by the board of trustees based on organizations they identify and select.

Success Rates

Not applicable - no public application process exists.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - no public application process exists.

Application Success Factors

Since the Gerard B. Lambert Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, success in receiving funding from this foundation is based on:

  1. Alignment with Bunny Mellon's Legacy: Organizations connected to Bunny Mellon's passions are prioritized. Her interests included the White House and presidential history (she designed the White House Rose Garden with Jackie Kennedy), gardens and horticulture, children's healing environments, and bringing beauty to healthcare settings.

  2. Established Track Record: Recent grants have gone to well-established, nationally recognized organizations such as the White House Historical Association, Georgetown University, World Monuments Fund, and Children's National Medical Center.

  3. Innovative Approaches to Children's Well-being: The foundation has shown particular interest in organizations that take holistic approaches to children's health, integrating arts, nature, time outdoors, and creative therapeutic modalities rather than traditional clinical-only approaches.

  4. Multi-Year Impact: The foundation prefers to make substantial, multi-year grants to organizations where they can have sustained impact. Recent grants have ranged from $1 million to $8 million and often include endowment support to create lasting programs.

  5. Arts Integration: Organizations that commission or integrate museum-quality contemporary art into their work, particularly in healthcare settings, align with the foundation's interests. Foundation President Thomas Lloyd stated about the RxArt grant: "An afternoon gardening is like therapy for kids," reflecting the foundation's belief in alternative therapeutic approaches.

  6. Connection to Washington D.C. Region: While the foundation supports national organizations, many recent major grants have gone to organizations based in or serving the Washington D.C. area, where Bunny Mellon had deep roots.

  7. Historic Preservation Excellence: For history-focused organizations, demonstrated excellence in scholarship and public education appears important, as seen in the substantial White House Historical Association endowment.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No Public Application Process: Do not attempt to submit unsolicited applications or letters of inquiry - the foundation has explicitly stated they do not accept them
  • Invitation-Only Funding: All grants are made through trustee discretion to preselected organizations identified by the board
  • Substantial Multi-Year Grants: When the foundation does make grants, they tend to be large ($1 million+) and structured as multi-year commitments or endowments
  • Founder's Legacy Drives Priorities: Understanding Bunny Mellon's passions (gardens, White House history, children's healing, arts in healthcare) provides insight into the types of organizations likely to receive support
  • Established Organizations Preferred: Recent grantees have been well-known, nationally recognized institutions with strong track records
  • Holistic Children's Health Focus: Particular interest in organizations integrating nature, arts, and innovative therapeutic approaches for children rather than traditional clinical-only models
  • Limited Annual Grantmaking: With approximately 24 grants made annually from a $95 million endowment, the foundation maintains a selective, focused approach to philanthropy

References

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