Ferri Family Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: $1,500,000 (approximate)
• Success Rate: N/A (invitation only)
• Decision Time: N/A (discretionary)
• Grant Range: Varies widely (single grants of $1.5M+ documented)
• Geographic Focus: National, with emphasis on Florida, Massachusetts, and Northeastern states

Contact Details

Address: 20 E Snapper Point Dr, Key Largo, FL 33037

Note: The foundation does not accept unsolicited funding requests.

Overview

The Ferri Family Foundation was established in 2015 as a private grantmaking foundation based in Key Largo, Florida. Since 2016, the foundation has awarded 79 individual grants totaling $6,569,139. The foundation maintains substantial assets of approximately $76.6 million (as of 2024) and allocates a high percentage of expenses to charitable disbursements, consistently above 87% of total expenses. The foundation is managed by trustees Paul J. Ferri and Barbara B. Ferri and operates as a classic family foundation making strategic grants to preselected charitable organizations across education, healthcare, and community development sectors.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation does not operate formal grant programs with published guidelines. Instead, it makes discretionary grants to organizations selected by the trustees. Recent grant activity shows:

• Large single grants: $1,476,000 (2023)
• Multiple smaller grants in other years
• All grants designated as "General Fund - No Restrictions"

Priority Areas

Based on documented grant recipients, the foundation supports:

• Higher Education: Columbia Business School, Colby College
• Healthcare: Brigham and Women's Hospital
• Community Foundations: Ocean Reef Community Foundation
• Military/Veterans: Navy SEAL Museum
• Local Florida Keys organizations

What They Don't Fund

The foundation explicitly states it does not accept unsolicited funding requests, indicating they work exclusively with organizations they have identified or have existing relationships with.

Governance and Leadership

Trustees:

• Paul J. Ferri (Trustee)
• Barbara B. Ferri (Trustee)

Both trustees serve without compensation. The foundation operates with minimal administrative overhead, with the vast majority of expenses directed toward charitable giving.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

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

Grants are made at the discretion of the trustees to organizations they have identified through their own networks and interests.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - grants are awarded on a trustee-discretionary basis rather than through formal application cycles.

Success Rates

Not applicable for unsolicited applications - the foundation does not accept them.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - the foundation does not have a public application process.

Application Success Factors

Since this foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, the key factor for receiving funding is having a pre-existing relationship with the trustees or being within their known network of charitable interests.

Organizations that have received funding tend to be:

• Prestigious educational institutions (Columbia, Colby)
• Major healthcare institutions (Brigham and Women's Hospital)
• Community foundations in areas where the trustees have connections (Ocean Reef, Key Largo area)
• Organizations aligned with specific interests (military/veterans causes)

The pattern suggests the trustees support causes and institutions with which they have personal connections or geographic ties to Florida and the Northeastern United States.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• No public application process: This foundation is not accessible through traditional grant-seeking methods
• Invitation only: All grants are to preselected organizations chosen by trustees
• Substantial capacity: With $76.6M in assets and $1.5M in annual giving, this is a well-resourced foundation
• Focus areas: Education, healthcare, community development, and veterans causes
• Geographic connections: Strong ties to Florida Keys area and Northeastern states
• High grant efficiency: Over 87% of expenses go to charitable disbursements
• Unrestricted giving: Documented grants are designated for general fund with no restrictions, suggesting trust-based approach

References

• Grantmakers.io Profile - FERRI FAMILY FOUNDATION. Accessed January 16, 2026. https://www.grantmakers.io/profiles/v0/464350290-ferri-family-foundation/
• ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer - Ferri Family Foundation (EIN 46-4350290). Form 990-PF filings 2020-2024. Accessed January 16, 2026. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/464350290
• Cause IQ - Ferri Family Foundation profile. Accessed January 16, 2026. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/ferri-family-foundation,464350290/
• Intellispect - Ferri Family Foundation organizational data. Accessed January 16, 2026. https://www.intellispect.co/organizations/464350290-ferri-family-foundation