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Valley Fund Charitable Foundation

Annual Giving
$4.5M
Grant Range
$50K - $2.9M

Valley Fund Charitable Foundation - Funder Overview

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $4.5 million
  • Success Rate: Not applicable (invitation-only)
  • Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
  • Grant Range: Varies significantly ($50,000 median; largest grant $2,931,903)
  • Geographic Focus: National (US)
  • Total Assets: $105 million
  • Number of Grants (2024): 13 grants

Contact Details

Physical Address: Wilmington, Delaware
EIN: 46-1211777
Note: This foundation does not accept unsolicited funding requests and does not maintain a public website or application portal.

Overview

Valley Fund Charitable Foundation is a private family foundation established in 2013 and based in Wilmington, Delaware. With total assets of approximately $105 million and annual distributions of $4.5 million, the foundation operates as a classic private grantmaking entity. The foundation is managed by a single executive, Christopher S Brooks, who serves as Director, President, Secretary, and Treasurer.

The foundation exclusively makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and explicitly does not accept unsolicited funding requests. This operational approach is typical of private family foundations that identify and invite grantees based on the trustees' philanthropic interests rather than through an open application process. The foundation's giving has grown substantially since its inception, with assets increasing from $7.2 million in 2012 to $88.2 million by 2024, demonstrating significant growth and sustained commitment to philanthropy.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation does not operate formal grant programs with designated funding streams. Instead, it makes discretionary grants to organizations aligned with the trustees' charitable interests. Recent grant activity shows:

  • Major Strategic Grants: Single grants exceeding $1 million (e.g., $2,931,903 to National Philanthropic Trust, $1,010,000 to LuMind IDSC Foundation)
  • Standard Grants: Median grant size of $50,000
  • Smaller Grants: Individual grants to various organizations typically ranging from $50,000-$150,000

All grants are categorized as "General & Unrestricted" support, giving recipient organizations flexibility in how funds are used.

Priority Areas

Based on 2024 grant recipients, the foundation supports:

  • Medical Research: Particularly Down Syndrome research (LuMind IDSC Foundation), cancer research, and major medical institutions (Massachusetts General Hospital)
  • Environmental Conservation: Wildlife protection and conservation organizations
  • National Parks: Support for the National Park Foundation
  • Educational Institutions: Various educational organizations
  • Humanitarian Causes: Organizations addressing social needs
  • Donor-Advised Fund Vehicles: Significant contributions to National Philanthropic Trust suggest the foundation may also channel giving through donor-advised fund mechanisms

What They Don't Fund

The foundation does not publicly disclose exclusions, but as a private foundation making grants only to preselected organizations, they effectively do not fund:

  • Organizations not already known to or identified by the trustees
  • Unsolicited requests from any organization
  • Individual applicants
  • Projects outside the trustees' identified areas of interest

Governance and Leadership

Christopher S Brooks serves as the foundation's Director, President, Secretary, and Treasurer. He reports working one hour per week and receives no compensation for his service. This structure is typical of private family foundations where trustees manage the foundation's operations alongside other professional commitments.

The single-trustee structure provides streamlined decision-making but also means all funding decisions flow through one individual's philanthropic vision and priorities. There are no public quotes or statements from leadership available, as the foundation does not maintain a public communications presence.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. Valley Fund Charitable Foundation explicitly states that it "only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations" and "does not accept unsolicited funding requests."

This means:

  • There is no application portal, form, or process available
  • Organizations cannot submit proposals or letters of inquiry
  • All grantees are identified and selected by the trustee(s) based on their own research and relationships
  • Funding decisions are made at the discretion of Christopher S Brooks as the sole trustee

Getting on Their Radar

Given the foundation's significant grant to National Philanthropic Trust ($2.9 million in 2024), much of the foundation's giving may be channeled through donor-advised fund mechanisms. This suggests that traditional relationship-building strategies may not be applicable for this particular funder.

The foundation's giving pattern—13 grants totaling $4.5 million with a median of $50,000—indicates selective, high-value support to a small number of organizations. Organizations that have received funding share common characteristics of being nationally recognized institutions or highly specialized research organizations.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable due to invitation-only structure. Grant decisions are made at the trustee's discretion without a public timeline.

Success Rates

Not applicable. The foundation does not accept applications, so there is no success rate to calculate.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable, as organizations cannot apply or reapply through any formal process.

Application Success Factors

Since this foundation does not accept applications, traditional success factors do not apply. However, analysis of their grantmaking pattern reveals:

Organizations They Fund Tend to Share These Characteristics:

  1. National Recognition: Grantees include nationally recognized institutions (National Park Foundation, Massachusetts General Hospital) or highly specialized organizations (LuMind IDSC Foundation for Down Syndrome research)

  2. Specialized Focus: Many recipients focus on specific causes or research areas rather than general community support

  3. Institutional Credibility: Recipients are established organizations with strong track records and professional operations

  4. Alignment with Medical Research, Conservation, and Education: The three dominant themes in their grantmaking

  5. Donor-Advised Fund Relationship: The substantial grant to National Philanthropic Trust suggests some giving may be facilitated through DAF structures

For Organizations Seeking Support:

Given the closed application process, traditional grant-seeking strategies are not effective with this funder. Organizations cannot influence funding decisions through applications, cultivation, or relationship-building in the conventional sense.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  1. No Application Process: Valley Fund Charitable Foundation does not accept unsolicited requests and identifies all grantees proactively
  2. High-Value, Low-Volume Grantmaking: 13 grants totaling $4.5 million indicates selective support with significant grant sizes
  3. Private Family Foundation Model: Single trustee structure means all decisions flow through one individual's philanthropic priorities
  4. Focus Areas: Medical research (especially Down Syndrome), conservation, national parks, education, and humanitarian causes
  5. Donor-Advised Fund Connection: The $2.9 million grant to National Philanthropic Trust suggests significant giving may be channeled through DAF mechanisms
  6. Not a Target for Grant Seeking: Organizations should not invest time attempting to cultivate this funder, as they do not accept external proposals
  7. General & Unrestricted Support: When they do make grants, they provide flexible, unrestricted funding rather than project-specific support

References

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