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Alex G Nason Foundation Inc

Annual Giving
$0.2M
Grant Range
$1K - $0.0M

Alex G Nason Foundation Inc

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $179,500 (2024)
  • Total Assets: $3,628,518
  • Grant Range: $1,000 - $20,000
  • Number of Grants: 45 awards in 2024
  • Geographic Focus: Primarily California, Connecticut, Florida, and nationally/internationally
  • Application Method: No public application process - invitation only

Contact Details

Address: 47 Robin Hood Road, Stamford, CT 06907-1132
Phone: 203-856-5299
Website: None (no public website)
EIN: 34-1757149

Note: This foundation does not have a public website or accept unsolicited grant requests.

Overview

The Alex G Nason Foundation Inc was founded on May 7, 1992 by Alex Nason, who decided to donate "the vast bulk of his inheritance to help others in need via health, education, and welfare related expenditures." The foundation was established in Ohio as a partial successor to the Nason Foundation and is now based in Stamford, Connecticut. Since its inception, the foundation has donated more than $20 million to nonprofit organizations. As a private family foundation, it operates with total assets of approximately $3.6 million and made $179,500 in grants across 45 awards in 2024. The foundation's mission focuses on supporting young people "in rising above adversity through academic support, social-emotional skill building, and personal development," though it also supports humanitarian relief efforts worldwide and a broad range of charitable causes including arts, education, healthcare, environmental conservation, and human services.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation does not operate formal grant programs with specific application cycles. All grants are made at the discretion of the board of trustees.

Typical Grant Range: $1,000 - $20,000

Recent Grant Examples (from 2024 tax filings):

  • Mental Health Association: $10,000 - "To Provide Immediate Access With No Barriers To Mental Health Care"
  • Children of Vietnam: $10,000 - to support lifting children out of poverty
  • Sun Grove Montessori School: $7,500 - "To Support the Education and Training of Staff"

Priority Areas

Based on IRS filings and foundation documentation, the Alex G Nason Foundation supports organizations in the following areas:

Education

  • Elementary and secondary education
  • Higher education
  • Montessori and alternative education models
  • Educational staff training and development

Health and Human Services

  • Mental health services and access
  • Healthcare access for underserved populations
  • Youth development and support services
  • Services for children in poverty

Arts and Culture

  • Arts education and programming
  • Cultural institutions and initiatives

Scientific Fields

  • Physical sciences
  • Earth sciences
  • Marine sciences

Humanitarian Relief

  • International humanitarian organizations
  • Disaster relief
  • Global poverty alleviation

According to the foundation's documentation, they have recently "begun focusing more on humanitarian relief efforts worldwide" and have supported over 100 diverse organizations including Doctors Without Borders, Save the Children, and Habitat for Humanity.

What They Don't Fund

The foundation has not published specific exclusions, but as a private family foundation making discretionary grants, they typically do not fund:

  • Organizations outside their areas of interest
  • Capital campaigns (no specific evidence of this type of funding)
  • General operating support for large, well-funded organizations
  • Political organizations or advocacy

Governance and Leadership

Board of Trustees:

  • Alexander G Nason - President and Treasurer (founder)
  • Stephen Nason - Director (compensation: $23,868 annually)
  • Alexandra Nason - Director
  • Lucie Burke - Secretary
  • Vincent Burke - Director

The foundation operates as a family foundation with no full-time employees. The board meets to review and approve grants on a discretionary basis. According to the foundation's 990 filings, annual officer compensation is approximately $23,000-$24,000, paid to Stephen Nason for his administrative work as a director.

From Founder Alex Nason: The foundation was established when Alex Nason decided "to donate the vast bulk of his inheritance to help others in need via health, education, and welfare related expenditures."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Alex G Nason Foundation does NOT accept unsolicited grant requests.

This is a private family foundation that identifies and selects grant recipients through the discretion of its board of trustees. Organizations cannot submit applications through a public process. The foundation proactively identifies organizations to support based on the trustees' research, personal knowledge, and philanthropic interests.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - grants are made on a rolling basis at trustee discretion throughout the year. The foundation made 45 grants in 2024, 46 in 2023, and 42 in 2022, suggesting consistent year-round grant-making activity.

Success Rates

Not applicable for unsolicited applications. The foundation does not accept public applications, so there is no success rate for external applicants.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - there is no public application process.

Application Success Factors

Since this foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, understanding their giving patterns can help organizations determine if they might be a good fit for potential relationship-building efforts.

Key Characteristics of Their Grant-Making:

  1. Family Foundation Model: The foundation is run by family members with personal involvement in selecting grantees. This suggests grants are made to organizations the trustees know personally or have researched independently.

  2. Broad Charitable Interests: With over 100 diverse organizations supported since inception and more than $20 million granted, the foundation has wide-ranging interests across education, health, arts, sciences, and humanitarian causes.

  3. Small to Medium Grants: With typical grants of $1,000-$20,000 and 45 grants annually from approximately $180,000 in total giving, the foundation makes many smaller grants rather than a few large ones.

  4. Focus on Youth and Education: The mission statement emphasizes "supporting young people in rising above adversity through academic support, social-emotional skill building, and personal development."

  5. Recent Shift Toward Humanitarian Relief: The foundation notes they have "lately begun focusing more on humanitarian relief efforts worldwide," suggesting evolving priorities.

  6. Investment in Mental Health: Recent grants show support for mental health access, particularly removing barriers to care.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No Public Application Process: This foundation does not accept unsolicited grant proposals. There is no application to submit, no deadlines to meet, and no public process for consideration.

  • Proactive Grant-Making: The foundation's trustees identify and select grantees through their own research and personal networks. Grants are made to organizations the trustees discover or know personally.

  • Small Foundation, Broad Interests: With $180,000 in annual giving spread across 45 grants, this is a small foundation with wide-ranging charitable interests from local education to international humanitarian relief.

  • Family Foundation: As a family-run foundation, grant decisions are highly personal and discretionary, based on the trustees' values and interests rather than formal criteria.

  • Youth and Education Focus: While the foundation supports many causes, their stated mission emphasizes supporting young people through education, social-emotional development, and overcoming adversity.

  • Emerging Humanitarian Focus: Recent statements indicate increasing interest in international humanitarian relief efforts alongside their traditional domestic giving.

References

  1. ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer - Alex G Nason Foundation Inc (EIN 34-1757149). IRS Form 990 filings 2011-2024. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/341757149 (Accessed January 4, 2026)

  2. Cause IQ - Alex G Nason Foundation profile. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/alex-g-nason-foundation,341757149/ (Accessed January 4, 2026)

  3. Alex Nason Foundation Website - Foundation page. https://alexnason.wordpress.com/foundation-2/ (Accessed January 4, 2026)

  4. Candid Foundation Directory - Alex G Nason Foundation Inc profile (NASO003). https://fconline.foundationcenter.org/fdo-grantmaker-profile?key=NASO003 (Accessed January 4, 2026)

  5. Instrumentl - Alex G Nason Foundation Inc 990 Report. https://www.instrumentl.com/990-report/alex-g-nason-foundation-inc (Accessed January 4, 2026)

  6. Grantable - Alex G Nason Foundation Inc Foundation Profile. https://www.grantable.co/search/funders/profile/alex-g-nason-foundation-inc-us-foundation-341757149 (Accessed January 4, 2026)

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