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KRFrench Family Foundation

Annual Giving
$1.4M
Grant Range
$100K - $5.0M

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $1,379,759 (2023 expenses)
  • Total Assets: $38.9 million (2023)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly available
  • Decision Time: Not publicly available
  • Grant Range: Varies widely - from ~$100,000 to $5 million+
  • Geographic Focus: National, with particular focus on New Hampshire/Upper Valley region and institutions connected to Kenneth French's career

Contact Details

Foundation Address: Etna, NH
EIN: 46-1592953
Tax Status: 501(c)(3) Private Foundation
Founded: 2013

Note: No public website, phone, or email address available. This is a private family foundation.

Overview

The KRFrench Family Foundation was established in 2013 by economist Kenneth French and his wife Vickie French. As of 2023, the foundation holds approximately $38.9 million in assets with annual grantmaking expenses of approximately $1.4 million. The foundation supports education (particularly scholarships for underrepresented and first-generation students), healthcare (including specialized clinics and major medical centers), and humanitarian causes. Kenneth French serves as Board Chair and is the Roth Family Distinguished Professor of Finance at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. The foundation has made major transformational gifts, including two $5 million scholarship endowments, as well as ongoing support to libertarian policy organizations and international humanitarian aid groups.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation does not offer formal grant programs with defined application processes. Instead, grants appear to be made at the discretion of the trustees based on their philanthropic interests.

Major Educational Endowments:

  • University scholarship endowments: $5 million (large, transformational gifts)
  • These establish multi-year scholarship programs for underrepresented and first-generation students

Healthcare Support:

  • Medical centers and specialized clinics: ~$100,000-$200,000 (estimated based on similar foundation patterns)
  • Support for innovative healthcare initiatives

Policy and Humanitarian Organizations:

  • Annual institutional support: ~$100,000-$165,000 (based on documented Cato Institute grants)

Priority Areas

Education: Strong emphasis on increasing access to higher education for underrepresented minority students and first-generation college students from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds. Focus on institutions with personal connections to the French family, particularly University of Rochester (Kenneth French's PhD alma mater) and Lehigh University (his undergraduate alma mater).

Healthcare: Support for public health initiatives and medical centers, with documented support to:

  • Dartmouth-Hitchcock Long Covid Clinic
  • Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital
  • Maine Medical Center
  • Massachusetts General Hospital

Humanitarian Aid: Ongoing support to the International Rescue Committee, which provides international humanitarian aid, relief, development, and migration support.

Policy Research: Consistent annual support to the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank focused on public policy research.

What They Don't Fund

Public information is limited, but the foundation's giving pattern suggests they:

  • Do not accept unsolicited proposals
  • Focus on specific institutions and causes connected to the trustees' interests
  • Do not fund arts, environment, or many other common charitable sectors

Governance and Leadership

Kenneth R. French (Board Chair): Roth Family Distinguished Professor of Finance at the Tuck School of Business, Dartmouth College. He holds a PhD from the University of Rochester (1983) and is internationally recognized for his collaborative work with Eugene Fama on multi-factor models explaining stock returns. He maintains the widely-used Fama-French Data Library.

Additional Board Positions Held by Kenneth French:

  • Board of Directors, Dimensional Fund Advisors (since 2006)
  • Board of Directors, International Rescue Committee (2009-2015, 2021-present)
  • Board of Directors, Cato Institute (2022-present)
  • Board of Directors, Grassroot Soccer (2019-present)
  • Board of Directors (Chair), Valpo Surf Project (2014-present)

Vickie A. French: Co-founder of the foundation alongside her husband Kenneth.

Quote on Philanthropic Philosophy: According to Lehigh University, "For Ken and his wife, Vickie, their goal in making this gift was altruistic: 'to help make the world a better place.'"

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. As a private family foundation, grants appear to be made through trustee discretion rather than open calls for proposals.

The foundation's grantmaking follows a private foundation model where trustees identify and select beneficiaries based on their philanthropic interests, personal connections, and strategic priorities. The major scholarship endowments at University of Rochester and Lehigh University, both institutions where Kenneth French studied, exemplify this approach.

Getting on Their Radar

Limited public information is available about how organizations become grant recipients. The foundation's giving pattern suggests:

Personal Connections: Major grants have gone to institutions where Kenneth French studied (University of Rochester for graduate school, Lehigh University for undergraduate) or works (Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center is near Dartmouth College).

Board Overlap: Kenneth French serves on the boards of International Rescue Committee and Cato Institute, both of which receive consistent funding from the foundation. This suggests board service creates awareness and alignment.

Regional Ties: Healthcare grants show a pattern of supporting institutions in the Upper Valley region of New Hampshire where the foundation is based (Dartmouth-Hitchcock, Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital).

Decision Timeline

Not publicly available. As a private foundation making grants at trustee discretion, there are no published decision timelines.

Success Rates

Not applicable - no public application process exists.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - no public application process exists.

Application Success Factors

Since this foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, traditional application success factors do not apply. However, analysis of their giving patterns reveals:

Institutional Connections: All major grants connect to Kenneth French's educational background (University of Rochester, Lehigh University), workplace (Dartmouth area), or board service (IRC, Cato Institute).

Values Alignment: The scholarship programs prioritize "underrepresented minority students and/or first-generation students from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds," reflecting a commitment to educational access and equity.

Long-term Impact: The $5 million scholarship endowments are designed to support students "in perpetuity," suggesting the foundation values sustainable, long-term solutions over one-time interventions.

Innovation in Healthcare: Support for the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Long Covid Clinic demonstrates willingness to fund emerging healthcare needs and specialized clinical services.

Policy Philosophy: Consistent support to the Cato Institute (libertarian think tank) indicates alignment with limited-government, free-market policy perspectives.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No public application process exists - this foundation makes grants through trustee discretion only
  • Personal connections are essential - grants go to institutions where trustees have studied, worked, or serve on boards
  • Education focus on equity - scholarship programs specifically target underrepresented and first-generation college students
  • Significant capacity for transformational gifts - two $5 million endowments demonstrate ability to make major investments
  • Regional healthcare focus - medical grants cluster in Upper Valley New Hampshire region
  • Multi-year support patterns - foundation shows consistent annual support to favored organizations (IRC, Cato Institute)
  • Libertarian policy alignment - support for Cato Institute suggests philosophical orientation toward free-market, limited-government perspectives

References

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