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Motulsky-Nacht Family Foundation

Annual Giving
$23.4M
Grant Range
$0K - $0.1M

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $23.4 million (2024)
  • Success Rate: Not applicable (invitation only)
  • Decision Time: Not disclosed
  • Grant Range: $50 - $100,000
  • Geographic Focus: National and international
  • Total Assets: $183 million

Contact Details

Address: 888 Park Ave Apt 11A, New York, NY 10075-0282

Important: The foundation does not maintain a public website or published contact information for grant inquiries.

Overview

The Motulsky-Nacht Family Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation established in April 2016 and based in New York. The foundation holds substantial assets of $183 million and distributes approximately $23.4 million annually in charitable grants. Managed by trustees John A. Motulsky (Managing Member at Stonehill Capital Management LLC) and Wendy Nacht, the foundation operates as a traditional private family foundation that funds preselected organizations. The foundation generates income primarily through investment dividends and asset sales to support its philanthropic activities. Based on grant history, the foundation supports a diverse range of causes including marine conservation, criminal justice reform, international health and development, scientific research, education, and religious institutions.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation does not operate formal grant programs with published guidelines. All grants are made at the discretion of the trustees to preselected organizations.

Grant Range: $50 - $100,000 (based on 2023 data) Median Grant: $2,000 Number of Annual Awards: 27-31 grants per year

Priority Areas

Based on analysis of recent grant recipients, the foundation appears to support organizations in the following areas:

  • Marine Conservation and Environmental Protection (e.g., Oceana Inc.)
  • Criminal Justice Reform (e.g., The Innocence Project)
  • International Health and Development (e.g., Himalayan Cataract Project, Big Life Foundation USA)
  • Scientific Research (e.g., Salk Institute)
  • Higher Education (e.g., Cornell University)
  • Religious Organizations (e.g., Congregation Or Zarua)

The foundation's giving reflects diverse interests spanning environmental advocacy, social justice, global health, biomedical research, and education.

What They Don't Fund

The foundation has not published specific exclusions. However, as a private family foundation making grants only to preselected organizations, they effectively exclude any organizations not already within their trustees' networks or areas of interest.

Governance and Leadership

Trustees:

  • John A. Motulsky: Managing Member at Stonehill Capital Management LLC, a hedge fund with $2.9 billion in assets under management. Holds a J.D. from Yale Law School (1982).
  • Wendy Nacht: Co-trustee of the foundation.

Both trustees serve without compensation. The foundation operates with minimal overhead, directing the vast majority of its resources to grantmaking activities.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process.

According to their IRS filings, the Motulsky-Nacht Family Foundation "only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds."

All grants are awarded at the discretion of the trustees to organizations they have identified and selected. There is no application portal, no published deadlines, and no formal inquiry process.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - grants are made by trustee discretion on a rolling basis to preselected organizations.

Success Rates

Not applicable - the foundation does not accept applications from organizations outside their preselected network.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - there is no public application process.

Application Success Factors

Since this foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, the following factors are relevant only if your organization is already known to the trustees or if you successfully establish a relationship:

Alignment with Demonstrated Interests: The foundation's grant history shows support across environmental conservation, criminal justice reform, global health, scientific research, higher education, and religious institutions. Organizations working in these areas may be of interest.

Established Track Record: Grant recipients include well-known, established organizations such as Oceana, the Innocence Project, the Salk Institute, and Cornell University, suggesting trustees favor organizations with proven impact and strong reputations.

Connection to Trustees: As with most private family foundations, personal connections to trustees John A. Motulsky and Wendy Nacht are likely the primary pathway to funding consideration.

Investment Perspective: Given John Motulsky's background in hedge fund management, the foundation may apply an investment lens to philanthropy, potentially favoring organizations that can demonstrate measurable outcomes and effective use of resources.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No Public Application Process: This foundation does not accept unsolicited grant requests, making traditional grant applications impossible without an existing relationship
  • Trustee-Driven Grantmaking: All funding decisions are made at the discretion of John A. Motulsky and Wendy Nacht based on their personal interests and networks
  • Diverse Giving Portfolio: Recent grants span marine conservation, criminal justice, global health, scientific research, education, and religious institutions, indicating broad philanthropic interests
  • Significant Resources: With $183 million in assets and $23.4 million in annual giving, this is a well-resourced foundation capable of meaningful grants
  • Wide Grant Range: Individual grants range from $50 to $100,000, with a median of $2,000, suggesting support for both major initiatives and smaller projects
  • Relationship-Based Funding: As a private family foundation, relationship building with trustees is the only realistic pathway to funding consideration
  • Established Organizations Preferred: Grant history shows support for well-known, established nonprofits rather than emerging organizations

References

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