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Harley Davidson Foundation Inc

Annual Giving
$1.2M
Grant Range
$1K - $0.1M
Decision Time
3mo

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $1,153,551 (2023)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
  • Decision Time: Quarterly review cycle (where applications accepted)
  • Grant Range: $1,000 - $50,000
  • Geographic Focus: Communities with Harley-Davidson facilities, primarily Milwaukee, WI, with additional focus on WI, PA, IL, OH, TX, MO, and AZ

Contact Details

Address: 3700 West Juneau Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53208

Phone: (414) 343-4680

Email: FoundationApplications@harley-davidson.com

Website: https://www.harley-davidson.com/us/en/about-us/sustainability/foundation.html

Overview

Established in 1994, the Harley-Davidson Foundation is the corporate foundation of Harley-Davidson, Inc., operating as a non-stock, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. The foundation supports programs designed to meet basic needs of the community, improve the lives of Harley-Davidson stakeholders, and encourage social responsibility. With special emphasis on education, health, and the environment, the foundation aims to improve quality of life in communities where Harley-Davidson has corporate and manufacturing facilities. The foundation is particularly committed to revitalizing Milwaukee's Near West Side neighborhood through collaborative partnerships. In 2015, Harley-Davidson became one of five anchor institutions forming Near West Side Partners, alongside Advocate Aurora Health, Marquette University, Molson Coors, and Potawatomi Ventures. Recent major initiatives include the development of Davidson Park, a 4-acre community greenspace designed by internationally acclaimed Heatherwick Studio, which opened in 2024.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation offers several distinct grant streams:

  • Education Grants: Focus on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) education, access to healthcare for students, and mentorship programs. Grant range: $1,000 - $50,000

  • Healthy and Sustainable Neighborhood Grants: Address access to healthy food, workforce development, and economic empowerment. Grant range: $1,000 - $50,000

  • Community Vibrancy Grants: Support cultural programming and emergency relief after major disasters. Grant range: $1,000 - $50,000

The foundation distributed 32 grants in 2023 totaling $1,153,551. Since 2017, the foundation has awarded 740 individual grants totaling $15,390,477.

Priority Areas

Education: Employment enablers, core curriculum enhancement, academic support programs, arts education, and STEAM innovation for youth. The foundation partners with local schools and community organizations to provide engaging opportunities for students to explore STEAM concepts, aiming to build the next generation of skilled workers and future innovators.

Health: Basic needs (food and clothing), health support services, public health initiatives, and wellness education.

Environment & Community: Economic development, neighborhood revitalization, environmental education, sustainability, conservation, and cultural programming.

Geographic Priorities: The foundation prioritizes communities where Harley-Davidson has facilities, with primary focus on Milwaukee (especially the Near West Side), Wauwatosa, Menomonee Falls, and Tomahawk in Wisconsin; York, PA; and Kansas City. Additional consideration for programs in Pennsylvania, Illinois, Ohio, Texas, Missouri, and Arizona.

What They Don't Fund

The foundation does not provide specific published exclusions, but focuses exclusively on organizations in communities where Harley-Davidson has facilities.

Governance and Leadership

The foundation maintains a board of directors and officers whose names are available through publicly accessible documents on the foundation's website, including downloadable Articles of Incorporation, By-Laws, and List of Officers and Directors. The foundation operates under the strategic guidance of Harley-Davidson's corporate leadership and maintains close connections with the company's community engagement initiatives.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

IMPORTANT: According to the foundation's official website, unsolicited grant applications are not accepted. However, some sources indicate the foundation may review applications on a quarterly basis with review dates of December 31, March 31, June 30, and September 30 through an online grants application system.

Given this conflicting information, organizations interested in foundation support should contact FoundationApplications@harley-davidson.com or call (414) 343-4680 to confirm current application status and procedures.

Eligibility Requirements (when applications are accepted):

  • Must be a qualified charitable organization with 501(c)(3) or 170(c) tax-exempt status
  • Programs must focus on at least one of the foundation's strategic priority areas
  • Must be located in or serve communities where Harley-Davidson has facilities
  • Preference given to programs in designated neighborhoods, particularly Milwaukee's Near West Side

Getting on Their Radar

The Harley-Davidson Foundation operates primarily through strategic partnerships rather than open grant competitions. Key pathways to foundation support include:

Near West Side Partners Involvement: Organizations working in Milwaukee's Near West Side neighborhood may connect with the foundation through Near West Side Partners, the collaborative formed by five anchor institutions including Harley-Davidson. The foundation demonstrates strong commitment to this specific geographic area through major initiatives like Davidson Park and investments in Highland Park (renamed "Harley Park" with $250,000 for improvements plus $100,000 for decade-long maintenance).

Employee Engagement: The foundation has an active employee volunteer grant program, awarding grants to nonprofits where Harley-Davidson employees volunteer. The company's "Here to Help" philosophy includes a focused month-long effort each April that elevates awareness and celebrates employee volunteers. Organizations may benefit from cultivating relationships with Harley-Davidson employees in their area.

Educational Institution Partnerships: The foundation maintains partnerships with local schools and community organizations for STEAM programming. Educational organizations in communities with Harley-Davidson facilities may approach the foundation through formal partnership proposals focused on student success and workforce development.

Major Community Partnerships: The foundation's history includes significant long-term partnerships such as serving as the founding partner of the Hunger Task Force Farm in 2012 and collaborating with Molson Coors on community initiatives.

Decision Timeline

When applications are reviewed, the foundation operates on a quarterly cycle with review dates of December 31, March 31, June 30, and September 30. Specific decision timelines from submission to notification are not publicly disclosed.

Success Rates

The foundation distributed 32 grants in 2023. Specific application numbers and success rates are not publicly available, making competitiveness difficult to assess.

Reapplication Policy

Information about reapplication policies for unsuccessful applicants is not publicly available. Organizations should inquire directly with foundation staff.

Application Success Factors

Foundation-Specific Priorities

Geographic Alignment is Critical: The foundation explicitly targets communities where Harley-Davidson has corporate and manufacturing facilities. Organizations outside these areas are unlikely to receive funding regardless of program quality. Milwaukee, particularly the Near West Side, receives the strongest preference.

STEAM Innovation for Workforce Development: The foundation's education focus explicitly aims to "build the next generation of skilled workers, launch careers and light the spark for future innovators." Applications demonstrating clear pathways to technical skills and career readiness align strongly with this mission.

Collaborative Partnership Model: The foundation's signature initiatives—Near West Side Partners, Davidson Park, the Hunger Task Force Farm—all demonstrate preference for collaborative, multi-stakeholder approaches rather than single-organization programs. Applications showing partnership with other community anchors or organizations may have advantages.

Employee Connection: The foundation's volunteer grant program and emphasis on empowering "employees to be champions of impact in their local communities" suggests that organizations with existing Harley-Davidson employee volunteer involvement have a relationship advantage.

Neighborhood Revitalization Focus: Recent foundation activities demonstrate strong interest in physical community improvement, greenspace development, and comprehensive neighborhood transformation. Programs addressing multiple community needs simultaneously (e.g., combining education with health or environmental improvements) may align well with current priorities.

Long-Term Investment Approach: The foundation's $100,000 maintenance commitment for Highland Park over a decade, multi-year Near West Side Partnership, and founding partnership of the Hunger Task Force Farm in 2012 all indicate preference for sustained engagement over one-time grants.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Confirm application status first: Contact the foundation directly to verify whether they are currently accepting unsolicited applications before investing time in proposal development
  • Geographic fit is non-negotiable: Organizations must serve communities where Harley-Davidson has facilities, with Milwaukee (especially Near West Side) receiving primary focus
  • STEAM education proposals should emphasize workforce development: Frame educational programming in terms of building skilled workers and launching careers, not just academic enrichment
  • Demonstrate collaborative capacity: The foundation's major initiatives all involve multi-partner approaches; show ability to work with other anchor institutions and community organizations
  • Consider the employee engagement pathway: Organizations in Harley-Davidson facility communities should consider cultivating employee volunteer relationships as a potential route to foundation support
  • Think neighborhood-scale impact: Recent foundation investments focus on comprehensive community transformation rather than narrow program support
  • Employee matching gifts available: Even without direct foundation grants, employees of Harley-Davidson can direct support to K-12 schools and higher education institutions through the one-for-two matching program

References

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