The Batten Foundation

• The Batten Foundation does not accept unsolicited requests and makes grants only to organisations it has preselected, so a small charity without an existing relationship should not send in a cold application.
• Its filed grants to organisations typically range from $200,000 to $4,900,000, with a median of $1,000,000 and a largest grant of $6,250,000, so any invited request should be pitched at a substantial level rather than a very small one.
• Giving is spread across higher education, cultural and heritage institutions, environmental organisations, arts organisations, a zoological park, healthcare and hospice services, community philanthropy and social services, with support generally for general charitable purposes rather than named programmes.
• A notable share of its grant dollars, 43%, goes to organisations it had already funded in the two preceding filings, pointing to a relationship-led, fairly closed approach to giving.
• Given the invitation-only process, the best use of a grant writer's time is to seek an introduction or existing connection rather than preparing a direct proposal.

The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:

• William & Mary · For general charitable purposes.
  $6,250,0002024 tax year
• Colonial Williamsburg Foundation · For general charitable purposes.
  $2,500,0002024 tax year
• Rare · For general charitable purposes.
  $1,000,0002024 tax year
• Environmental Defense Fund · For general charitable purposes.
  $1,000,0002024 tax year
• Sentara Foundation · For general charitable purposes.
  $200,0002024 tax year
• Urban League of Hampton Roads · For general charitable purposes.
  $10,0002024 tax year

Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.

Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.