The Linda Hammett Ory & Andrew Ory Charitable Trust

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: $5,894,066 (2023)
• Number of Grants: 77 grants (2023)
• Average Grant Size: ~$76,500
• Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
• Grant Range: Varies widely (from smaller grants to major gifts of $1 million+)
• Geographic Focus: Massachusetts-focused, particularly Greater Boston area
• Application Method: Invitation only / No public application process

Contact Details

Address: P.O. Box 6358, Lincoln, MA 01773-6358 EIN: 387082936

Note: This foundation does not accept unsolicited funding requests.

Overview

The Linda Hammett Ory & Andrew Ory Charitable Trust is a private independent foundation established in 2013 and based in Lincoln, Massachusetts. Founded by Linda Hammett Ory (A.B.'82, Ed.M.'93) and Andrew Ory (A.B.'88), both Harvard graduates, the foundation has distributed nearly $6 million annually in recent years. Linda began her career as a choreographer before becoming a producer of children's educational media, while both Linda and Andrew have deep roots in education advocacy. The foundation reflects their personal passions: education reform with emphasis on whole-child education, supporting economically disadvantaged students, contemporary visual arts, performing arts, and youth development. The trust operates as a private foundation making grants exclusively to preselected organizations, typically those with which the trustees have personal connections or deep familiarity.

Funding Priorities

Priority Areas

Education Reform & K-12 Education

• Whole-child education approaches
• Support for economically disadvantaged students
• Education innovation and systemic reform
• Educational equity and access
• Financial aid for education

Arts & Culture

• Contemporary visual arts
• Performing arts and theater
• Arts education programs
• Museums and cultural institutions

Youth Development

• Out-of-school learning opportunities
• Programs supporting disadvantaged youth
• Comprehensive youth support services

Notable Grant Recipients

The foundation has made significant grants including:

• Harvard Graduate School of Education: $1 million to launch the Education Redesign Lab (2015)
• Harvard Graduate School of Education: $10 million for financial aid (largest gift from an alumna)
• American Repertory Theater: Production support for multiple productions including 1776, ExtraOrdinary, and Wonder
• Concord Academy: Support for Creative Arts Center and endowment, including the Hammett Ory Theater
• deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum: Ongoing support
• Gateway Arts: Support for arts programming

What They Don't Fund

The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications from unknown organizations. Funding decisions are made by trustees based on their personal interests and existing relationships with organizations.

Governance and Leadership

Trustees:

• Linda G. Hammett Ory (President and Trustee) - Harvard A.B.'82 in psychology, Ed.M.'93 in Technology in Education. Former choreographer and producer of children's educational media for organizations including WGBH, Simon & Schuster, and Reuters News. Former President of the Board of Trustees at deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum (2016-2019). Currently serves as Director at The Trustees of Reservations.

• Andrew D. Ory (Trustee) - Harvard A.B.'88

Both trustees serve without compensation. Linda comes from a family of educators including school teachers and a school superintendent, and was a Girl Scout leader for 13 years.

Key Quotes from Linda Hammett Ory:

On education philanthropy: "I really see myself in these students. Even with financial aid, I had to come up with a huge chunk of money and thought I'd be paying off student loans for the rest of my life. I never dreamed I'd be in a position to give back like this. It's truly a privilege."

"I want to invest in people who devote their lives to education and ensure that talented people don't have to make the decision not to teach because of debt."

On arts and culture: "Contemporary visual art is a critical part of the dialogue in our society, but my passion for deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum is not just about the art, or just about the landscape. It's about the alchemy that happens when those two are combined."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. The Linda Hammett Ory & Andrew Ory Charitable Trust explicitly states that it "only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds."

Grants are made at the discretion of the trustees to organizations with which they have personal connections, board involvement, or deep familiarity. The foundation operates as a traditional private family foundation where giving decisions reflect the trustees' personal philanthropic interests and relationships.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - decisions are made by trustees on a rolling basis based on their relationships and priorities.

Success Rates

Not applicable for unsolicited applications, as none are accepted.

Reapplication Policy

The foundation does not have a formal application or reapplication process.

Application Success Factors

Since this foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, organizations cannot apply directly. However, based on their giving patterns, the following factors characterize organizations that receive support:

Connection-Based Giving:

• Organizations where trustees serve or have served on the board (e.g., deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, The Trustees of Reservations)
• Institutions with which trustees have alumni connections (Harvard Graduate School of Education)
• Organizations connected to their children's education (Concord Academy)
• Cultural institutions they personally engage with (American Repertory Theater)

Mission Alignment: The foundation clearly prioritizes:

• Whole-child education: Organizations addressing not just academics but comprehensive child development
• Educational equity: Programs removing financial barriers and supporting economically disadvantaged students, particularly those affected by racism and poverty
• Innovation in education: Systemic reform efforts and new approaches to traditional challenges
• Arts that create dialogue: Contemporary art and performing arts that contribute to societal conversation
• Integration of art and nature: Projects combining human creativity with natural landscapes

Scale and Impact: The foundation makes both major transformational gifts ($1 million+) and smaller grants, suggesting they support both large-scale systemic change initiatives and local community organizations.

Shared Values: Linda Hammett Ory has emphasized her personal connection to financial barriers in education, cultural richness and diversity, and the importance of investing in people devoted to education careers. Organizations reflecting these values align with the foundation's priorities.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• No public application process: This foundation cannot be approached through traditional grant applications. It makes grants exclusively to preselected organizations.

• Relationship-driven: Funding flows to organizations where trustees have personal involvement, board service, alumni connections, or deep familiarity. Cold outreach is not accepted.

• Education focus on equity and innovation: When supporting education, the foundation prioritizes whole-child approaches, financial aid, systemic reform, and support for disadvantaged students.

• Arts and culture passion: Strong commitment to contemporary visual arts, performing arts/theater, and the intersection of art with nature and landscape.

• Substantial giving capacity: With nearly $6 million in annual grants and capacity for million-dollar+ transformational gifts, this is a significant funder for organizations in their network.

• Massachusetts-centered: Giving concentrates in the Greater Boston area and Massachusetts, reflecting the trustees' local connections and residence in Lincoln, MA.

• Long-term relationships: The foundation appears to support organizations over multiple years, particularly those where trustees maintain ongoing involvement.

References

• ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer - The Linda@Hammett Ory & Andrew Ory Charitable Trust. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/387082936 (Accessed January 2026)

• Harvard Graduate School of Education. "Education Redesign Lab Launches at HGSE." May 2015. https://www.gse.harvard.edu/news/15/05/education-redesign-lab-launches-hgse (Accessed January 2026)

• Harvard Graduate School of Education. "Women on a Mission." Ed Magazine, May 2023. https://www.gse.harvard.edu/ideas/ed-magazine/23/05/women-mission (Accessed January 2026)

• Cause IQ - The Linda Hammett Ory and Andrew Ory Charitable Trust. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/the-linda-hammett-ory-and-andrew-ory-charitable-tr,387082936/ (Accessed January 2026)

• Grantmakers.io Profile - The Linda Hammett Ory & Andrew Ory Charitable Trust. https://www.grantmakers.io/profiles/v0/387082936-the-linda-hammett-ory-and-andrew-ory-charitable-trust/ (Accessed January 2026)

• Lincoln Squirrel. "News acorns." May 2016. https://lincolnsquirrel.com/2016/05/news-acorns-draft-8/ (Accessed January 2026)

• Concord Academy. "Space and Support for Creative Collaboration." https://concordacademy.org/news/space-and-support-for-creative-collaboration/ (Accessed January 2026)

• Gateway Arts. "Art of the Possible: Gateway Arts at 50." https://gatewayarts.org/art-of-the-possible-gateway-arts-at-50/ (Accessed January 2026)

• Linda Hammett Ory Photography - Bio/CV. https://www.lindahammettory.com/bio-cv (Accessed January 2026)

• EdRedesign - Linda G. Hammett Ory Fellows. https://edredesign.org/about/linda-hammett-ory-fellows (Accessed January 2026)