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Quad Family Foundation

Annual Giving
$6.2M
Grant Range
$20K - $0.8M

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $6.2 million (2023)
  • Success Rate: Not applicable (invitation only)
  • Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
  • Grant Range: $20,000 - $750,000
  • Geographic Focus: Primarily New York, Massachusetts, North Carolina, and New Jersey

Contact Details

Quad Family Foundation Cohoes, NY 12047 EIN: 46-3835222

Note: This foundation does not have a public website, email, or phone number. They do not accept unsolicited applications.

Overview

The Quad Family Foundation is a private family foundation established in 2014 and led by Co-Presidents Meghan Mackay and Allen Thorpe. With assets of approximately $115 million and annual distributions of $4.7 million, the foundation focuses primarily on supporting educational institutions and initiatives. The foundation operates with a highly selective, invitation-only approach, making contributions exclusively to preselected charitable organizations. Both Mackay and Thorpe are Stanford University alumni who have dedicated their philanthropic efforts to education equity and leadership development. Mackay holds a Doctor of Education from NYU Steinhardt and founded LeveragED Foundation, an operating foundation focused on school leadership development.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Quad Family Foundation does not operate formal grant programs with specific application cycles or categories. Grants are awarded at the discretion of the trustees to organizations they have identified and selected.

Grant Size: Based on 2024 data, grants range from approximately $20,000 to $752,000, with a median grant of $250,000.

Priority Areas

Based on recent grant awards, the foundation's funding priorities include:

  • Higher Education: Major support for universities, particularly UNC Chapel Hill, Harvard Graduate School of Education, Harvard Business School, and NYU Langone Hospitals
  • K-12 Education: Independent schools including The Hun School of Princeton and The Linsly School
  • Education Reform: Support for LeveragED Foundation and Students First New York
  • Educational Leadership Development: Multiple grants to Harvard Graduate School of Education programs focused on school management and teacher leadership

All grants are classified as "general and unrestricted," giving recipient organizations maximum flexibility in utilizing the funds.

What They Don't Fund

As a private family foundation with preselected grantees:

  • Unsolicited applications from organizations
  • Organizations outside their established network
  • Non-education sectors (with rare exceptions in healthcare through NYU Langone)

Governance and Leadership

Meghan Mackay - Co-President and Director

  • Doctor of Education (EdD) from NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development
  • Founder and Executive Director of LeveragED Foundation
  • Stanford University alumna
  • Dedicates 1 hour per week to Quad Family Foundation (uncompensated)
  • Dedicates 60 hours per week to LeveragED Foundation (uncompensated)

Allen Thorpe - Co-President, Director, Secretary, and Treasurer

  • Stanford University alumnus (Men's Soccer team, 1989-91)
  • Co-founder of LeveragED Foundation, serving as Treasurer, Secretary, and Director
  • Dedicates 1 hour per week to Quad Family Foundation (uncompensated)

Both trustees are committed to education philanthropy, supporting organizations focused on educational equity, leadership development, and innovative approaches to schooling. They are also supporters of Braven (college student career development) and Robin Hood (New York education initiatives).

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. The Quad Family Foundation explicitly states that it "only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds."

Grants are awarded through trustee discretion to organizations that the Co-Presidents have identified through their networks and philanthropic activities.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - grants are awarded by invitation only.

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 applications, traditional application success factors do not apply. However, organizations that have received funding share the following characteristics:

Established Educational Institutions: The foundation strongly favors well-established educational institutions with proven track records, including elite universities and independent schools.

Education Leadership Focus: Multiple grants support programs specifically designed to develop educational leaders, including Harvard's Certificate in School Management and Family Teaching & Teacher Leadership programs.

Personal Connections: Given that Meghan Mackay founded LeveragED Foundation, which received $750,000 from Quad Family Foundation, there appears to be significant support for organizations where the trustees have direct involvement or relationships.

Geographic Patterns: While the foundation supports national institutions, there is notable concentration in the Northeast (New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey) and selective support in North Carolina.

Unrestricted Support: All grants are classified as "general and unrestricted," suggesting the foundation values organizational flexibility and trusts recipient organizations to deploy funds strategically.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No Public Application Process: This foundation cannot be approached through traditional grant application methods. They exclusively fund preselected organizations.

  • Education-Only Focus: Over 90% of grants support educational institutions and initiatives, with rare exceptions for healthcare institutions like NYU Langone.

  • Large Grant Amounts: With a median grant of $250,000 and grants ranging up to $750,000, this foundation makes substantial investments in selected organizations.

  • Elite Institution Preference: Recent grantees include Harvard, UNC Chapel Hill, NYU, and prestigious independent schools, indicating a preference for established, high-quality institutions.

  • Leadership Development Priority: Multiple grants support programs specifically focused on developing school leaders and teacher leadership capacity.

  • Founder's Operating Foundation: LeveragED Foundation, founded by Co-President Meghan Mackay, receives significant funding from Quad Family Foundation and represents the trustees' operational approach to education philanthropy.

  • Relationship-Based Philanthropy: Success with this funder would require existing relationships with the trustees through educational networks, board connections, or Stanford University alumni networks.

References

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