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Henry E Haller Jr Foundation

Annual Giving
$4.3M
Grant Range
$1K - $1.0M

Henry E Haller Jr Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $4,346,814 (2024)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
  • Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
  • Grant Range: $1,000 - $1,012,700
  • Median Grant: $23,000
  • Total Assets: $45,278,950 (2024)
  • Geographic Focus: National, with emphasis on Pennsylvania and Florida

Contact Details

Address: 2100 S Ocean Lane, Unit 1511, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316

Phone: (954) 764-6260

Contact Person: Linda B. Haller, Executive Director

No Website Available

Overview

The Henry E Haller Jr Foundation was established in 2000 in Pennsylvania and received 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status in March 2004. Named after Henry E. Haller Jr. (1914-2012), a successful industrialist who built his career in industrial pipe manufacturing as president and CEO of NAVCO (National Valve and Manufacturing Company), the foundation continues his legacy of philanthropy. Currently managed by his widow Linda B. Haller as Executive Director, the foundation operates as a private grantmaking foundation with substantial assets of over $45 million and distributes approximately $4.3 million annually. The foundation maintains a broad philanthropic approach across education, healthcare, veterans' services, and community development, with particularly strong historical ties to Western Pennsylvania institutions and growing support for South Florida organizations. In recent years, the foundation has made 22 awards in 2024, 36 awards in 2023, and 41 awards in 2022, demonstrating consistent and active grantmaking.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation operates without formal grant programs or fixed application cycles. All grants are awarded at the discretion of the trustees. Recent grant activity shows:

Major Grants (Over $500,000):

  • Large institutional support grants ranging from $500,000 to over $1 million
  • Primarily awarded to universities for endowed chairs, research centers, and major capital projects

Significant Grants ($100,000 - $500,000):

  • Medical research funding, particularly kidney disease and transplant research
  • Healthcare facility improvements and equipment
  • Educational scholarships and program support

Standard Grants ($10,000 - $100,000):

  • Annual operating support for established institutions
  • Specific program funding
  • Capital campaigns

Small Grants ($1,000 - $10,000):

  • Community organizations
  • Annual appeals
  • Local nonprofits

Priority Areas

Higher Education: The foundation's strongest funding priority, with major support for:

  • University of Pittsburgh (including a $5 million endowed chair for the Katz Graduate School of Business Dean, now known as the Henry E. Haller Jr. Dean position)
  • Duke University ($2.2 million for kidney transplant and chronic kidney disease research)
  • Hillsdale College
  • Purdue University
  • Carnegie Mellon University
  • Grove City College
  • Thiel College (funded the Haller Enterprise Institute in 1996 to support student entrepreneurs)

Healthcare and Medical Research:

  • Kidney disease and transplant research (reflecting personal connection to the cause)
  • Hospital rehabilitation services (Holy Cross Hospital received $500,000 for the Linda and Henry Haller Physical Therapy Center)
  • Broward Health Foundation
  • Medical equipment and facilities

Veterans' Services:

  • USO
  • Headstrong Veterans Project (supporting veterans' mental health)
  • Special Operations Warrior Foundation

Community Development:

  • Performing arts organizations (Broward Performing Arts Foundation)
  • Public libraries (Broward County Library Foundation)
  • Educational institutions serving local communities (University School)

Student Support:

  • Scholarships (including the Henry E. Haller Jr. Scholarship at Pitt established in 2003, which has supported 10 students)
  • Entrepreneurship programs for students

What They Don't Fund

The foundation does not explicitly publish exclusions, but review of grant patterns suggests:

  • Individual requests (all grants go to established 501(c)(3) organizations)
  • Religious organizations for sectarian purposes
  • Political organizations or campaigns
  • International organizations without U.S. presence

Governance and Leadership

Linda B. Haller, Executive Director - Widow of founder Henry E. Haller Jr., Linda continues his philanthropic legacy and serves on the Board of Trustees at Thiel College (since 2005). She has been particularly involved in healthcare philanthropy in Fort Lauderdale. Annual compensation: $150,000.

Kevin D. Boyce, Esq., Trustee - Stepson of Henry Haller and attorney based in Cleveland. Annual compensation: $75,000.

Kelly B. Shannon, Trustee - Stepdaughter of Henry Haller, based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Annual compensation: $50,004.

The foundation is managed by family members who knew Henry Haller personally and continue his philanthropic vision. This governance structure reflects the foundation's nature as a private family foundation making grants based on trustee discretion rather than competitive application processes.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. Grants are awarded at the discretion of the trustees, primarily to organizations with which the foundation has established relationships or personal connections.

According to available data, there are "no deadlines" and "no restrictions" listed, which in the context of a private family foundation typically means that the foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals through a formal application process. Instead, grants are initiated by the trustees identifying organizations they wish to support.

Organizations that receive grants from this foundation typically have:

  • Pre-existing relationships with the Haller family or foundation trustees
  • Connections to Henry E. Haller Jr.'s personal history (Western Pennsylvania institutions, particularly where he studied or worked)
  • Connections to Linda Haller's current community interests (South Florida healthcare and cultural organizations)
  • Direct alignment with causes important to the family (kidney disease research, veterans' services, entrepreneurship education)

Decision Timeline

Not applicable due to the invitation-only nature of the foundation's grantmaking.

Success Rates

Not publicly disclosed. As a private family foundation without an open application process, traditional success rates do not apply.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable, as there is no formal application process.

Application Success Factors

Since this foundation operates on a trustee-discretion model without public applications, traditional "success factors" do not apply. However, analysis of grant patterns reveals what attracts the foundation's support:

Institutional Connections to Henry E. Haller Jr.'s Life: The foundation shows strong loyalty to institutions connected to the founder's biography. Henry Haller earned degrees from the University of Pittsburgh (business, 1936) and Carnegie Institute of Technology, now Carnegie Mellon University (mechanical engineering, 1940), and both institutions have received substantial support. Organizations in Western Pennsylvania, where Haller built his career at NAVCO, receive consistent funding.

Major Institutional Capacity: Review of recent grants shows the foundation favors established institutions capable of managing large gifts effectively. Duke University's $2.2 million grant and University of Pittsburgh's $5 million endowed chair demonstrate the foundation's willingness to make transformational gifts to major institutions with strong governance and the capacity to steward significant donations.

Personal Health Causes: The foundation's substantial investment in kidney disease and transplant research at Duke University, along with the $500,000 gift for rehabilitation services at Holy Cross Hospital, suggests health issues that affected the Haller family personally influence grantmaking priorities.

Veterans and Military Service: Henry Haller served as a Lieutenant Commander in the United States Navy during World War II, commanding LST 601. The foundation's support for veterans' organizations (USO, Headstrong Veterans Project, Special Operations Warrior Foundation) reflects this military service.

Entrepreneurship and Business Education: The 1996 creation of the Haller Enterprise Institute at Thiel College and the endowed chair for Pitt's business school dean demonstrate the foundation's interest in entrepreneurship education, reflecting Henry Haller's own career path from engineering student to successful business owner who built NAVCO into a major industrial company with 3,500 employees at its peak.

Geographic Priorities: The foundation maintains dual geographic focuses: Western Pennsylvania (reflecting Henry Haller's career and the foundation's Pennsylvania origins) and South Florida (reflecting Linda Haller's current residence in Fort Lauderdale). Organizations in these regions appear to receive the majority of grants.

Long-term Relationships: Several organizations appear repeatedly in grant lists across multiple years, suggesting the foundation values ongoing relationships with trusted institutional partners rather than one-time grants to new organizations.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No unsolicited proposals: This foundation does not accept applications from organizations without pre-existing relationships with the trustees. Do not submit unsolicited proposals.

  • Family connection is essential: Grants are awarded to organizations connected to the Haller family's personal interests, geographic ties (Western Pennsylvania and Fort Lauderdale), and the founder's biography.

  • Focus on major institutions: The foundation favors established universities, hospitals, and major nonprofits with proven track records and capacity to manage significant gifts, rather than grassroots or emerging organizations.

  • Pennsylvania and Florida focus: Geographic concentration in Western Pennsylvania (Henry Haller's career base) and Fort Lauderdale/Broward County (Linda Haller's current residence) is evident in grant patterns.

  • Causes reflect personal experience: Kidney disease research, veterans' services, entrepreneurship education, and rehabilitation services align with the Haller family's personal experiences and values.

  • Substantial giving capacity: With $45+ million in assets and $4+ million in annual distributions, the foundation can make transformational gifts, with recent grants ranging from $1,000 to over $1 million.

  • Not accessible to most organizations: As a private family foundation operating on trustee discretion, this funder is effectively closed to most nonprofits seeking support and should not be included in most grant prospect lists unless there is a direct connection to the family.

References

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