Culp Family Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: $1,640,167 (2023)
• Total Assets: $13,498,615 (2023)
• Success Rate: Not applicable (invitation only)
• Decision Time: Not applicable (preselected organisations)
• Grant Range: Varies by initiative
• Geographic Focus: Maryland, Massachusetts, and Virginia
• Application Method: Invitation only

Contact Details

Address: 8401 Greensboro Drive, Suite 800, McLean, VA 22102-3599

Key Personnel:

• Wendy H. Culp (Secretary): 863 Alvermar Ridge Drive, McLean, VA

Note: The foundation does not provide public contact information for grant inquiries as they do not accept unsolicited applications.

Overview

The Culp Family Foundation was established in 2013 by H. Lawrence "Larry" Culp Jr., Chairman and CEO of GE Aerospace, and his wife Wendy H. Culp. The foundation received tax-exempt status in January 2013 and has grown significantly since its inception. In 2023, the foundation held total assets of $13.5 million and distributed $1.6 million in grants. The foundation focuses on education, environmental conservation, and community development across Maryland, Massachusetts, and Virginia. As a private family foundation, it operates through the selection of preselected charitable organisations and does not maintain a public application process.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programmes

The Culp Family Foundation operates as a private grantmaking foundation without designated formal grant programmes. Awards are made at the discretion of the foundation's leadership to preselected organisations.

Recent Grant Activity:

• 2023: 9 awards, $1,640,167
• 2022: 8 awards, $1,051,092
• 2021: 5 awards, $780,000
• 2020: 3 awards

Known Recipients:

• The Potomac School (McLean, VA): $107,143 (identified as of August 2024)

Priority Areas

Based on available information, the foundation supports:

• Education: K-12 schools and educational institutions
• Environmental Conservation: Conservation initiatives
• Community Development: Local community programmes

Geographic Focus: Maryland, Massachusetts, and Virginia (based on recent grant patterns)

What They Don't Fund

As the foundation only makes contributions to preselected charitable organisations, they do not fund unsolicited grant proposals from any organisation.

Governance and Leadership

Officers (as of 2023):

H. Lawrence "Larry" Culp Jr. (President, $0 compensation)

• Chairman and CEO of GE Aerospace (appointed 2018)
• First outsider to run GE in the company's 126-year history
• Former President and CEO of Danaher Corporation (2001-2014)
• Member, Board of Trustees, Wake Forest University
• Board of Visitors and Governors, Washington College

Wendy H. Culp (Secretary, $0 compensation)

• Co-founder of the Culp Family Foundation
• Based in McLean, Virginia

Larry Culp has demonstrated extensive philanthropic leadership both personally through the Culp Family Foundation and corporately through his role at GE Aerospace, where he launched the GE Aerospace Foundation in May 2024 with more than $22 million in commitments.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Culp Family Foundation does not have a public application process.

The foundation explicitly states that it "only makes contributions to preselected charitable organisations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds." All grants are awarded at the discretion of the foundation's leadership to organisations they have selected.

This is a common structure for private family foundations, where the trustees identify and select beneficiary organisations based on their personal knowledge, relationships, and philanthropic priorities rather than through an open competitive application process.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable. The foundation operates on a discretionary basis with preselected organisations rather than through a formal application and review cycle.

Success Rates

Not applicable for external applicants, as the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable, as the foundation does not accept applications from organisations not already in relationship with the foundation.

Application Success Factors

Understanding the Foundation's Approach:

Since the Culp Family Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, traditional application success factors do not apply. However, understanding the foundation's giving patterns can provide insight:

Geographic Alignment: The foundation has focused its giving on Maryland, Massachusetts, and Virginia. Organisations in these states, particularly in the McLean, VA area where the Culp family resides, appear to be priority regions.

Educational Focus: Known grants include support to The Potomac School, a K-12 independent school in McLean, VA, suggesting interest in supporting educational institutions, particularly those with local connections.

Personal Connections: As a private family foundation led by a prominent business leader with deep ties to the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area and connections to institutions like Wake Forest University and Washington College, the foundation appears to support organisations where the family has personal involvement or connection.

Increasing Grant Activity: The foundation has significantly expanded its grantmaking, growing from 3 awards in 2020 to 9 awards in 2023, indicating an increasingly active philanthropic posture.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• No Public Application Process: This foundation does not accept unsolicited grant proposals; all grants are made to preselected organisations
• Private Family Foundation: Operated by Larry Culp (GE Aerospace CEO) and his wife Wendy, with all decisions made at trustee discretion
• Geographic Focus: Giving concentrated in Maryland, Massachusetts, and Virginia, with particular attention to the McLean, VA area
• Education Priority: Known support for educational institutions, particularly K-12 schools like The Potomac School
• Growing Activity: Grant activity has increased significantly from 3 awards in 2020 to 9 awards in 2023, showing expanded philanthropic engagement
• Relationship-Based: Given the invitation-only structure, grants appear to flow from existing relationships and personal connections of the Culp family
• Substantial Resources: With $13.5 million in assets and $1.6 million in annual giving as of 2023, the foundation has significant capacity but maintains selective grantmaking

References

• Culp Family Foundation - ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer
• Culp Family Foundation - Grantmakers.io Profile
• Culp Family Foundation - Instrumentl 990 Report
• Culp Family Foundation - Cause IQ
• Culp Family Foundation - OpenCorporates - Virginia corporate records
• Larry Culp's Philanthropic Leadership - Lifestyles Magazine
• H. Lawrence Culp Jr. - General Electric Leadership Profile
• H. Lawrence Culp Jr. - Wikipedia
• The Potomac School Grant from Culp Family Foundation - Cause IQ - Grant information as of August 10, 2024
• GE Aerospace Launches GE Aerospace Foundation