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Hutchins Family Foundation Inc

Annual Giving
$9.9M
Grant Range
$1000K - $2.0M

Hutchins Family Foundation Inc

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $9,855,915 (2024)
  • Success Rate: Not applicable (invitation-only)
  • Decision Time: Not applicable (no public application process)
  • Grant Range: $1,000,000 - $2,000,000 (typical range)
  • Geographic Focus: National, with concentration in New York City and Boston
  • Assets: $26,042,357 (2024)

Contact Details

Address: 330 Madison Avenue, Floor 33, New York, NY 10017

Website: https://hutchinsfamilyfoundation.org/

Note: The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications or proposals.

Overview

The Hutchins Family Foundation was established in 2004 by Glenn H. Hutchins, co-founder and former co-CEO of Silver Lake (a technology investment firm), and his wife Debbie Hutchins. With assets of $26 million and annual grantmaking of nearly $10 million, the foundation supports initiatives in education (particularly African American studies), public policy research, healthcare, social equity, and global humanitarian work. The foundation operates on a highly strategic model, concentrating resources on a small number of projects where family members are deeply engaged as decision-makers rather than spreading resources across many grants. Their approach emphasizes measurable outcomes, efficiency, and personal family involvement in funded initiatives. Major landmark gifts include the $15 million founding gift for the Hutchins Center for African & African American Research at Harvard University (described as the largest cumulative commitment to African American Studies in philanthropic history) and a $10 million grant establishing the Hutchins Center on Fiscal & Monetary Policy at Brookings Institution.

Funding Priorities

Major Grant Programs and Recipients

The foundation has concentrated its grantmaking on several major institutional partnerships:

  • Hutchins Center for African & African American Research at Harvard University: $15 million founding gift in 2013, plus ongoing support. This center unified five existing programs including the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute, the Hiphop Archive and Research Institute, and other programs focused on the history, culture, and society of people of African descent.

  • Hutchins Center on Fiscal & Monetary Policy at Brookings Institution: $10 million founding gift, plus ongoing multimillion-dollar support ($2.14 million in 2017). The center provides non-partisan analysis on fiscal and monetary policy issues.

  • Obama Foundation: Significant support including $4 million in 2017 and $1 million in 2016. Glenn Hutchins serves as vice-chair of the Obama Foundation board.

  • Center for American Progress: Substantial policy advocacy support including $1.5 million in 2017, $1 million in 2016, and $1 million in 2015. Glenn Hutchins serves on the CAP board of directors.

  • CARE: Ongoing support for global humanitarian work. Glenn Hutchins co-chairs CARE's board. The foundation helped launch CARE's first-ever domestic relief program during COVID-19, distributing 175,000 meals to frontline workers and vulnerable populations in Harlem and the Bronx.

  • Chronic Fatigue Initiative: Support for world-class basic research, translation of discovery into therapy, and patient services.

Priority Areas

  • African American Research and Studies: Major institutional support for research centers and initiatives
  • Economic and Fiscal Policy Research: Non-partisan analysis of fiscal and monetary policy, economic opportunity
  • Social Justice and Equity: Training programs, community engagement initiatives
  • Global Humanitarian Work: International poverty alleviation and disaster relief
  • Higher Education: Particularly at Harvard University and other leading institutions
  • Healthcare Research: Focus on chronic conditions and translating research into patient care

What They Don't Fund

  • Organizations without pre-existing relationships or family member engagement
  • General operating support to organizations outside their strategic focus areas
  • Small grants or projects without potential for significant, measurable impact
  • Projects where family members cannot be deeply involved in decision-making

Governance and Leadership

Glenn H. Hutchins - Chairman and Treasurer Co-founder of Silver Lake, a leading technology investment firm. Serves as co-chairman of The Brookings Institution, vice-chair of the Obama Foundation, and chairman emeritus of CARE. Previously served as Special Advisor on economic and healthcare policy to the Clinton Administration. Member of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York board.

Deborah (Debbie) D. Hutchins - President and Secretary Co-founder of the foundation alongside her husband, deeply involved in selecting and overseeing funded initiatives.

Sarah W. Overbay - Executive Director Oversees foundation operations and serves as managing director of both the Hutchins Family Foundation and North Island (the Hutchins family office).

Scott A. Carlson - Listed as Executive Director in some sources

The foundation is governed by the Hutchins family's strategic vision. As stated in foundation materials: "The foundation seeks to have the greatest impact in the shortest period of time with the most efficient use of resources, insisting that outcomes be as tangible, measurable, and valuable as possible."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Hutchins Family Foundation does not have a public application process. The foundation explicitly states that it "only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds."

The foundation's grantmaking is based entirely on the personal interests and deep involvement of Hutchins family members. According to their stated approach, they "avoid spreading themselves thin by concentrating on a small number of projects in which they are deeply involved as decision-makers" and "only support initiatives that have personal meaning to family members."

Grants are awarded through:

  • Direct family member identification of strategic priorities
  • Trustee discretion based on family interests
  • Pre-existing relationships with major institutions
  • Board member engagement (Glenn Hutchins serves on boards of several major recipients including CARE, Obama Foundation, and Center for American Progress)

Getting on Their Radar

The foundation's approach makes unsolicited contact ineffective. However, based on their documented grantmaking patterns, potential pathways include:

  • Board Connections: Glenn Hutchins serves on the boards of Brookings Institution, Obama Foundation, CARE, and Center for American Progress. Organizations where Hutchins family members have formal governance roles appear to be primary beneficiaries.

  • Harvard University Connections: The foundation has made its largest commitments to Harvard, including the $15 million gift for the Hutchins Center and a separate $30 million gift for house renewal. Harvard-affiliated initiatives may have greater visibility.

  • Social Justice and Economic Policy Networks: The foundation's focus areas suggest engagement in progressive policy circles, African American research communities, and economic policy networks may provide exposure.

  • Major Institutional Scale: The foundation's typical grants of $1-2 million suggest they partner with established institutions capable of large-scale impact rather than emerging organizations.

Note: Given the foundation's explicit statement about not accepting unsolicited proposals and their model of deep family engagement, building awareness would need to occur through sector relationships and institutional networks rather than direct solicitation.

Application Success Factors

Given the foundation's invitation-only model, traditional application success factors do not apply. However, analysis of their funded initiatives reveals clear patterns:

Characteristics of Funded Projects

Scale and Impact Potential: The foundation explicitly seeks "the greatest impact in the shortest period of time with the most efficient use of resources." Funded projects are typically multi-million-dollar institutional initiatives capable of transformational change rather than incremental programs.

Family Member Engagement: The foundation's stated principle is that they "only support initiatives that have personal meaning to family members." Every major grant reflects documented personal involvement by Glenn or Debbie Hutchins, typically through board service or leadership roles.

Measurable Outcomes: Foundation materials emphasize that "outcomes be as tangible, measurable, and valuable as possible." Funded centers produce research publications, policy analysis, and documented community impact.

Institutional Excellence: Recipients are consistently leading national institutions - Harvard University, Brookings Institution, Obama Foundation, CARE. The foundation appears to partner with organizations recognized for excellence in their fields.

Strategic Focus Areas:

  • African American research and culture (Hutchins Center at Harvard)
  • Economic and fiscal policy (Hutchins Center at Brookings, Center for American Progress)
  • Global humanitarian work (CARE)
  • Progressive policy development (Center for American Progress, Obama Foundation)

Long-term Partnership Model: Rather than one-off grants, the foundation establishes ongoing relationships with major institutions, providing founding gifts followed by sustained support over many years.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No public application process exists - the foundation only funds preselected organizations where family members have deep personal involvement
  • Typical grant range of $1-2 million indicates focus on major institutional partnerships rather than small or emerging organizations
  • Family member board service appears prerequisite - Glenn Hutchins serves on boards of major recipients including Brookings, Obama Foundation, CARE, and Center for American Progress
  • Geographic concentration in NYC and Boston particularly Harvard University, though they fund national and international initiatives
  • Focus on transformational, measurable impact through a small number of strategic partnerships rather than broad grantmaking
  • Major institutional relationships - recipients are consistently nationally recognized institutions capable of large-scale impact
  • Deep engagement model - family members participate as decision-makers and board members in funded initiatives rather than arms-length grantmaking
  • In 2024, the foundation awarded 22 grants totaling nearly $10 million from assets of $26 million

References

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