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Neil and Anna Rasmussen Foundation

Annual Giving
$6.2M
Grant Range
$1K - $3.0M

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $6,249,353 (2024)
  • Success Rate: Not applicable (invitation only)
  • Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
  • Grant Range: $1,000 - $3,012,500
  • Geographic Focus: Primarily Massachusetts, with some support in New York and Washington, D.C.

Contact Details

Address: 393 Estabrook Road, Concord, MA 01742

Note: The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications and only makes grants to preselected organizations.

Overview

The Neil and Anna Rasmussen Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation established in November 1995 and based in Concord, Massachusetts. With total assets of approximately $51.5 million and annual giving of over $6 million, the foundation supports historical preservation, natural resource conservation, education, human services, and healthcare initiatives. Founded by Neil Rasmussen, entrepreneur and co-founder of American Power Conversion Corporation (acquired for $6.1 billion in 2007), and his wife Anna Winter Rasmussen, a longtime advocate for historical preservation in Concord, the foundation reflects their deep commitment to preserving cultural heritage while supporting cutting-edge scientific research. Neil serves as a life member of the MIT Corporation, while Anna serves on the boards of The Walden Woods Project, Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House, and the Concord Museum. In 2018, the Concord Museum dedicated its Rasmussen Education Center in their honor, recognizing their life's work preserving cultural sites.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation operates through trustee-discretion grantmaking without formal application cycles. Recent grants have ranged from $1,000 to over $3 million, with a typical grant around $10,000-$110,000.

Priority Areas:

  • Historical preservation and heritage conservation (particularly in Concord, MA)
  • Natural resource conservation and environmental protection
  • Scientific research (microbiome research, climate science)
  • Education (MIT fellowships, museum education programs)
  • Healthcare (children's hospitals, microbiome therapeutics)
  • Human services

Recent Grant Recipients

Based on available tax filings, the foundation has supported:

  • MIT Center for Microbiome Informatics & Therapeutics (founding gift of $25 million in 2014, plus subsequent support including endowed graduate fellowships)
  • Concord Museum ($76,000+, major capital support for Rasmussen Education Center)
  • Walden Woods Project ($100,000)
  • Louisa May Alcott Association - Orchard House ($100,000)
  • Ralph Waldo Emerson Memorial Association ($50,000)
  • Harwich Conservation Trust ($110,000)
  • OpenBiome ($28,000)
  • MIT Norman C. Rasmussen Fellowship Fund (endowed in 2014, supporting 14+ climate fellows in Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences)
  • Emerson Health Care Foundation

What They Don't Fund

As an invitation-only foundation, they do not fund organizations outside their preselected network. They do not accept unsolicited applications or cold inquiries.

Governance and Leadership

Trustees:

  • Neil E. Rasmussen, Co-Founder - MIT alum (B.S. '76, S.M. '80) and co-founder of American Power Conversion Corporation. He worked at MIT Lincoln Laboratory from 1979-1981 before spinning off APC, which grew from zero to $3 billion in revenue. After APC's acquisition by Schneider Electric in 2007, he served as Senior Vice President of Innovation until 2015, when he stepped down to focus on nonprofit work. He is a life member of the MIT Corporation and mentor in MIT's Venture Mentoring Service.

  • Anna Winter Rasmussen, Co-Founder - Leader and advocate for historical preservation efforts in Concord, Massachusetts. She previously served as executive director of Save Our Heritage, a nonprofit formed in 1998 to preserve landmarks such as the Minute Man National Historical Park and Walden Pond. She serves on the boards of The Walden Woods Project, Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House (as a director), and the Concord Museum (as Vice-President of the Board of Governors).

  • Susan W. Winter, Trustee - Family member serving on the foundation's board.

Key Philosophy: Anna Winter Rasmussen has described historical study as a "lesson in perspective," explaining why the family has chosen to live in Concord for more than 25 years - because "the echoes of its history add deep and thoughtful dimension to their lives." The foundation reflects this philosophy by supporting organizations that preserve cultural heritage while also investing in forward-looking scientific research.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

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

Grants are awarded at the discretion of the trustees to organizations they have identified and selected based on their philanthropic priorities and existing relationships.

Getting on Their Radar

The foundation's grantmaking is heavily influenced by the trustees' direct board involvement and personal connections:

  • Anna Winter Rasmussen serves on the boards of the Walden Woods Project, Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House, and the Concord Museum (as Vice-President). Organizations connected to these institutions or their networks are more likely to receive consideration.

  • Neil Rasmussen is a life member of the MIT Corporation and mentor in MIT's Venture Mentoring Service. He has deep connections to MIT and the scientific research community, particularly in microbiome and climate research.

  • The foundation focuses heavily on Concord, Massachusetts historical and conservation organizations, reflecting the Rasmussens' 25+ year residence in the town and Anna's leadership in preservation efforts.

  • Organizations that have received substantial support typically align with either the historical preservation/conservation mission (reflecting Anna's work) or the scientific research and education mission (reflecting Neil's MIT connections).

Decision Timeline

Not publicly disclosed. As an invitation-only foundation, decisions are made at trustee discretion throughout the year.

Success Rates

Not applicable - the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - the foundation does not accept applications.

Application Success Factors

Since this foundation operates on an invitation-only basis, traditional application success factors do not apply. However, the foundation's funding patterns reveal clear priorities:

Organizations Most Likely to Receive Support:

  1. Concord-based historical and conservation organizations - The foundation has deep roots in Concord, with major support for the Concord Museum (including naming the Rasmussen Education Center), Walden Woods Project, Orchard House, and the Ralph Waldo Emerson Memorial Association.

  2. MIT-connected research and education initiatives - Neil's lifelong connection to MIT has resulted in transformational gifts, including the $25 million founding gift for the Center for Microbiome Informatics & Therapeutics and the endowed Norman C. Rasmussen Fellowship Fund for climate science research.

  3. Conservation and environmental protection - Grants to organizations like Harwich Conservation Trust and Walden Woods Project reflect commitment to natural resource conservation.

  4. Organizations where trustees serve on boards - Anna's board service at recipient organizations suggests that trustee involvement is a strong indicator of potential support.

What Stands Out in Funded Projects:

  • Educational components (the Concord Museum's Rasmussen Education Center features three state-of-the-art classrooms)
  • Cutting-edge scientific research with practical applications (microbiome therapeutics, climate science)
  • Preservation of American cultural heritage and democracy (Concord's role in American Revolution and literary history)
  • Organizations that bridge past and future (historical institutions with modern educational missions; scientific research grounded in practical health applications)

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No public application process exists - This foundation is invitation-only and does not accept unsolicited proposals. Do not submit applications.
  • Geographic focus is highly concentrated - The vast majority of historical/conservation grants support Concord, Massachusetts organizations where the Rasmussens have lived for 25+ years.
  • Trustee involvement matters significantly - Anna Winter Rasmussen's board service at organizations like Concord Museum, Walden Woods Project, and Orchard House correlates directly with major foundation support.
  • Range spans small to transformational - While typical grants range from $1,000-$110,000, the foundation has made multimillion-dollar transformational gifts to MIT initiatives reflecting Neil's deep institutional connections.
  • Dual mission reflects founders' backgrounds - Historical preservation/conservation reflects Anna's career and passion; scientific research and MIT support reflects Neil's entrepreneurial and academic background.
  • Long-term relationships drive grantmaking - The foundation appears to support organizations repeatedly rather than making one-time grants to many different organizations.
  • Board relationships are the pathway - Organizations seeking support would need connections through trustee networks, particularly MIT (for research/education) or Concord preservation/conservation networks (for heritage/environmental work).

References

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