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Chleck Family Foundation Inc

Annual Giving
$1.9M
Grant Range
$100K - $2.3M
00

Chleck Family Foundation Inc

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $1,865,000 (2023)
  • Success Rate: Not applicable (no public application process)
  • Decision Time: Invitation only
  • Grant Range: Varies significantly (six-figure to multi-million dollar grants)
  • Geographic Focus: Primarily Massachusetts, with some national giving
  • Total Assets: $45,510,338 (2023)

Contact Details

Address: West Newton, MA
EIN: 47-1373868

Note: The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations.

Overview

The Chleck Family Foundation Inc is a private family foundation established in honor of David Chleck '48, a City College of New York alumnus, chemist, and entrepreneur. Led by President Ross Levine (David Chleck's grandson), the foundation has grown substantially from $28.4 million in assets in 2019 to $45.5 million in 2023. The foundation's grantmaking has similarly expanded, increasing from $800,000 in 2019 to $1.2 million in 2020 and $1,865,000 in 2023. The foundation focuses primarily on healthcare institutions and higher education, with particular emphasis on supporting nursing innovation, emergency medicine, medical research, and science education. Recent major grants demonstrate the foundation's commitment to systemic impact, with funding designed to serve as models for improvements that peer institutions across the country could adopt.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation operates through trustee discretion rather than formal grant programs. Based on recent giving patterns, the foundation makes:

  • Major Healthcare Grants: Multi-million dollar commitments to prestigious medical institutions ($2.25 million to Brigham and Women's Hospital)
  • Educational Endowments: Six-figure gifts to establish named scholarships and fellowships (City College of New York)
  • Medical Research Support: Grants to support COVID-19 and other medical research initiatives

The foundation made 9 grants in one recent year, 8 awards in 2022, and 6 awards in 2023, indicating selective but significant grantmaking.

Priority Areas

Healthcare & Medical Research:

  • Nursing innovation and education programs
  • Emergency department improvements (staffing, training, patient experience)
  • Medical research, including pandemic response
  • Provider engagement initiatives

Higher Education:

  • Science scholarships for undergraduate students (Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Atmospheric Science, Mathematics, Physics)
  • Graduate research fellowships in science
  • Programs supporting students with demonstrated financial need

Geographic Focus

Primarily Massachusetts-based healthcare institutions (Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women's Hospital), with some national giving to higher education institutions.

Governance and Leadership

Ross Levine - President and Executive Director
Ross Levine is David Chleck's grandson and leads the foundation's strategic direction. He has articulated a clear vision for the foundation's impact.

Key Quote from Ross Levine:
"Nurses play such an essential role at the Brigham. And the Emergency Department is the hospital's front door."

On the foundation's educational mission: "The scholarship was designed to honor my grandfather's experience at City College and to help others have the same opportunities that he had through access to higher education."

David Chleck '48 - Honoree (deceased)
City College of New York alumnus, chemist, and entrepreneur for whom the foundation was established.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. The Chleck Family Foundation only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Grants are awarded at the discretion of the foundation's trustees based on their philanthropic priorities and existing institutional relationships.

Getting on Their Radar

The foundation has established deep relationships with specific institutions, particularly:

Healthcare Sector:

  • The foundation has made multiple gifts to Brigham and Women's Hospital, including during the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequently for nursing and emergency medicine initiatives
  • Massachusetts General Hospital is a known recipient

Higher Education:

  • The foundation has established named programs at institutions, such as the Chleck Family Scholarship & Graduate Research Fellowship in Science at City College of New York

Based on the foundation's giving pattern, they appear to develop long-term relationships with institutions where they can create lasting impact through multiple grants over time. Their recent grants focus on initiatives that can serve as models for peer institutions nationally, suggesting interest in projects with broader sector influence.

Application Success Factors

Since this foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, traditional application success factors do not apply. However, analyzing their funded projects reveals clear priorities:

Systemic Impact Focus:
The foundation seeks to fund initiatives that can "serve as a model for improvements that peer institutions across the country could adopt," as evidenced by their Brigham and Women's Hospital grant description.

Frontline Service Priority:
Ross Levine's quote emphasizing that "the Emergency Department is the hospital's front door" reflects attention to patient-facing services and first-point-of-contact care.

Multi-Year Relationships:
The foundation made "generous gifts" (plural) to support Brigham's COVID-19 research before making the $2.25 million nursing and emergency medicine grant, indicating they build on successful partnerships.

Educational Access:
The City College scholarship specifically targets students with "demonstrated financial need" and requires a minimum 3.0 GPA with "continued improvement throughout their studies," showing commitment to supporting motivated students who face financial barriers.

Professional Development:
Grants support "education, fellowship, and mentorship opportunities" for nursing and include funding for "training sessions," indicating value placed on workforce development beyond immediate service delivery.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Invitation Only: This foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals; they proactively select grantees
  • Healthcare & Education Focus: Strong preference for prestigious medical institutions and science education programs
  • Massachusetts Concentration: Primary geographic focus on Massachusetts healthcare institutions, though educational giving extends nationally
  • Multi-Million Dollar Capacity: Recent grants include a $2.25 million commitment, demonstrating capacity for significant investments
  • Relationship-Based: Pattern of multiple grants to the same institutions over time suggests relationship building is key
  • Systemic Change Interest: Seeks projects that can influence broader institutional practices, not just benefit a single organization
  • Family Legacy: Foundation honors David Chleck's legacy and values educational access similar to what he experienced at City College

References

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