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Ellison Foundation

Annual Giving
$4.9M

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $4,904,185 (2024) / $2,430,000 (2023)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
  • Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
  • Grant Range: Not publicly disclosed
  • Geographic Focus: Massachusetts, with particular emphasis on cancer research at Mass General Hospital

Contact Details

Address: C/O RWA Wealth Partners, 800 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02199

Phone: (781) 584-4755

Contact Person: Elton Drew, Trustee

Note: The foundation does not have a public website and does not accept unsolicited grant proposals.

Overview

The Ellison Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation established in 1953 and based in Boston, Massachusetts. With total assets of approximately $90.4 million (2024), the foundation distributes approximately $2.4-4.9 million annually in grants. Founded by the late William Ellison and his sister Harriet Ellison Rogers, the foundation continues their philanthropic legacy with a primary focus on cancer research and care. Massachusetts General Hospital is the largest recipient of grant support from the Ellison Foundation, and the hospital's inpatient Ellison Building was named in recognition of the family's generosity. Both Bill Ellison and Harriet Ellison Rogers gave more to Mass General than to any other charity during their lifetimes. The foundation operates as a traditional private foundation making grants at the discretion of its trustees based on established relationships.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Ellison Foundation does not have formal grant programs with defined application cycles. Grants are awarded at the discretion of the trustees based on relationships and institutional priorities.

Priority Areas

Cancer Research and Care: The foundation's pioneering support for cancer work includes:

  • Capital support for cancer facilities
  • Support for Ellison Foundation Scholars conducting research to enhance cancer therapies
  • Contribution to the Circulating Tumor Cell (CTC) Project, helping achieve international prominence and enabling researchers to advance CTC-chip technology for earlier cancer detection and treatment

Medical Research and Healthcare: Support for local institutions providing innovative advances in medical care and research, particularly focused on Massachusetts General Hospital.

Known Grantees: American Cancer Society, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center

What They Don't Fund

The foundation's specific exclusions are not publicly documented. However, their grantmaking is heavily focused on established medical research institutions, particularly those with connections to Massachusetts General Hospital and cancer research.

Governance and Leadership

Trustees:

  • Elton F. Drew
  • Andrew Silverman
  • Martin Hall
  • William G. Speciale

The foundation is administered through RWA Wealth Partners in Boston. As a private family foundation, the trustees exercise discretion in grantmaking decisions, with grants typically stemming from relationships the trustees have built with nonprofit partners.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process. The Ellison Foundation does not seek unsolicited grant proposals and has no open submission deadlines or pre-established funding limits. Grants are awarded at the discretion of the trustees, and typically stem from relationships the trustees have established with nonprofit organizations, particularly medical research institutions in Massachusetts.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - grants are awarded by trustee discretion rather than through competitive application cycles.

Success Rates

Not applicable - no public application process exists.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - no public application process exists.

Application Success Factors

Because this foundation operates through trustee discretion and invitation only, there is no application success guidance available. The foundation's grantmaking history indicates:

  • Strong preference for Massachusetts General Hospital: Mass General is the largest recipient of support, with the foundation funding capital projects, research scholars, and specific initiatives like the CTC Project.

  • Focus on cancer research and care: The foundation's documented grants show a consistent emphasis on advancing cancer treatment, from facility construction to cutting-edge research technology.

  • Support for established institutions: Known grantees are major, established organizations like Mass General and the American Cancer Society rather than smaller or emerging nonprofits.

  • Long-term philanthropic relationships: The foundation continues the giving patterns established by its founders, Bill Ellison and Harriet Ellison Rogers, suggesting a preference for sustained support to trusted institutions.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No public application process: This foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals and awards grants through trustee discretion only.

  • Massachusetts General Hospital connection: The foundation has a decades-long relationship with Mass General and has funded major initiatives including the Ellison Building, cancer research scholars, and the CTC Project.

  • Cancer research focus: The clearest pattern in available grantmaking history is support for cancer care, research, and related medical advances.

  • Relationship-based grantmaking: Grants stem from relationships trustees have built with nonprofit partners over time, not from competitive application processes.

  • Private family foundation structure: Operating through trustees since 1953, the foundation maintains a low public profile and makes grants based on the vision established by founders Bill Ellison and Harriet Ellison Rogers.

  • Limited public information: The foundation does not maintain a public website or publish grant guidelines, reflecting its private, trustee-directed approach to philanthropy.

  • Not accessible to most nonprofits: Organizations without existing trustee connections or relationships with priority institutions like Mass General are unlikely to receive funding.

References

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