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Rollins Luethkemeyer Foundation Inc

Annual Giving
$4.3M
Grant Range
$5K - $0.3M

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $4,329,500 (2023)
  • Total Assets: $70 million (2024)
  • Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed (invitation-only process)
  • Grant Range: $5,000 - $250,000
  • Geographic Focus: Baltimore, Maryland metropolitan area

Contact Details

  • Address: 1427 Clarkview Rd, Suite 500, Baltimore, MD 21209
  • Phone: (443) 921-4358
  • Website: None
  • Note: The foundation does not have a public website or email contact

Overview

Established in 1961 by McDonogh School alumnus H. Beale Rollins (1898-1985) and his banker, former Maryland State Treasurer John A. Luetkemeyer, the Rollins-Luetkemeyer Foundation is a private family foundation with assets of approximately $70 million. The foundation distributed $4,329,500 in grants during 2023 across 13 awards, continuing its longstanding commitment to Baltimore-area institutions. The foundation focuses primarily on making education accessible to middle-income families, with strategic emphasis on K-12 education, early childhood education, arts and culture, and health and human services. The foundation is known for its substantial challenge grants that leverage additional fundraising from recipient institutions, multiplying the impact of its gifts.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation primarily operates through trustee-selected grants and does not have formal grant programs with fixed application cycles. Recent grants include:

  • Stevenson University: $250,000 (Scholarship Program for middle-income students)
  • The Commit Foundation: $150,000 (Capital Campaign)
  • McDonogh School: $132,000 (Intern Program and Legacy Campaign)
  • Loyola University Maryland: $250,000 (Scholarships for middle-income students)
  • Notre Dame Preparatory School: $250,000 (Matching grant challenge)
  • Calvert Hall College High School: Matching grant challenges

Most grants support scholarship programs for middle-income families with household incomes between $75,000 and $150,000.

Priority Areas

  • K-12 Education: Private schools, scholarship programs, educational facilities
  • Early Childhood Education: Pre-K and early learning initiatives
  • Higher Education: University scholarships targeting middle-income students
  • Arts and Culture: Performing arts centers, cultural facilities (primarily at educational institutions)
  • Health and Human Services: Selected Baltimore-area organizations
  • Educational Infrastructure: Athletic facilities, dormitories, leadership training programs

What They Don't Fund

  • Grants to individuals (all scholarships are administered through institutions)
  • Organizations outside Maryland
  • Organizations outside the Baltimore metropolitan area focus
  • General operating support to organizations without established relationships
  • Organizations soliciting unsolicited proposals

Governance and Leadership

Key Leadership:

  • John A. Luetkemeyer, Jr. - President and Director: Son of co-founder John A. Luetkemeyer (former Maryland State Treasurer), commercial real estate developer, born April 21, 1941
  • William B. Dixon - Executive Director: Compensation $150,000 (2024)
  • Richard E. Levine - Vice President/Secretary: Compensation $50,000 (2024)
  • Robert Black III - Director: Compensation $50,000 (2024)
  • Christina D. Carr - Treasurer: Compensation $20,000 (2024)

The foundation employs 3 staff members and operates as a private family foundation with assets managed by its board of directors.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Rollins-Luetkemeyer Foundation does not accept unsolicited grant applications. The foundation identifies and selects grant recipients through trustee discretion and pre-existing relationships with Baltimore-area institutions. Organizations cannot submit proposals directly; they must be invited to apply or considered by the trustees.

According to Inside Philanthropy, "This is a Baltimore funder to know for early childhood, elementary and secondary education, but one that is not open to unsolicited requests."

Getting on Their Radar

The foundation has demonstrated strong relationships with specific types of organizations, particularly:

Educational Institutions with Historical Connections: McDonogh School has received over $13 million in support plus a historic $20 million challenge grant (2004) and a $30 million grant (2010), reflecting the founder H. Beale Rollins' alumni connection to the school.

Baltimore-Area Private Schools and Universities: The foundation has established scholarship programs at multiple Baltimore educational institutions including Stevenson University, Loyola University Maryland, Notre Dame Preparatory School, and Calvert Hall College High School. These programs often include matching grant challenges.

Middle-Income Focus: The foundation specifically targets programs serving middle-income families (household incomes $75,000-$150,000) who may not qualify for traditional need-based aid but struggle with tuition costs.

Decision Timeline

Decision timelines are not publicly disclosed. As grants are made by trustee discretion rather than through formal application cycles, there are no fixed deadlines or notification schedules.

Success Rates

Not applicable - the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications. Grant recipients are selected by trustees based on organizational relationships and strategic priorities.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable due to invitation-only grantmaking structure.

Application Success Factors

Since the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, traditional application success factors do not apply. However, analysis of the foundation's grantmaking patterns reveals:

Challenge Grant Structure: The foundation frequently uses matching grants to leverage additional fundraising. For example, the $20 million grant to McDonogh School required the school to raise an additional $20 million. Notre Dame Preparatory School received a $250,000 pledge that challenged the school to raise an additional $500,000.

Long-Term Relationships: The foundation demonstrates sustained commitment to institutions over decades. McDonogh School has received multiple gifts since the foundation's inception, including facilities support (athletic fieldhouse, dormitory, performing arts center) and program support (leadership training, faculty/staff tuition subsidies).

Middle-Income Mission Alignment: Organizations serving middle-income families have received significant recent support. As the foundation has stated through its scholarship programs, the target demographic is families earning $75,000-$150,000 annually who fall into an affordability gap.

Baltimore Geographic Focus: All identified grants support Baltimore metropolitan area organizations, with emphasis on institutions in Baltimore City and Baltimore County.

Educational Infrastructure and Access: The foundation supports both "bricks and mortar" projects (facilities) and access initiatives (scholarships), often in combination. The 2001 gift of $8 million to McDonogh School subsidized tuition for children of faculty and staff, demonstrating interest in institutional sustainability.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No Public Application Process: This foundation cannot be approached through traditional grant applications; they select recipients through trustee discretion and existing relationships
  • Challenge Grants Are Key Strategy: The foundation often structures gifts as matching grants, requiring institutions to leverage the foundation's support for additional fundraising
  • Middle-Income Gap Focus: Recent grantmaking emphasizes scholarship support for middle-income families earning $75,000-$150,000 annually
  • Multi-Year Commitments: The foundation makes sustained commitments to institutions over many years, not just one-time gifts
  • Baltimore Regional Focus: All grants support Baltimore metropolitan area institutions; this geographic limitation is strictly observed
  • Education-Centric: While the foundation supports arts, culture, and human services, the overwhelming majority of grants support educational institutions and programs
  • Relationship-Based: Organizations with connections to trustees, particularly through shared board members or community leaders, appear to have the strongest pathway to consideration

References

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