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Sall Family Foundation Inc

Annual Giving
$31.9M
Grant Range
$10K - $7.6M

Sall Family Foundation Inc

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $31,945,000 (2023)
  • Success Rate: N/A (invitation only)
  • Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
  • Grant Range: $10,000 - $7,600,000 (median: $150,000)
  • Geographic Focus: International (Latin America, Caribbean, sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Asia Pacific, Arctic) with limited North Carolina local grants

Contact Details

Overview

Established in 1992 (incorporated 1993) by SAS co-founder John P. Sall and his wife Virginia B. Sall, the Sall Family Foundation has grown into a significant international funder with assets of approximately $136 million. As Giving Pledge signatories, the couple has pledged to give away at least half of their wealth to philanthropy. The foundation supports transformative change at the intersection of environment, public health, and community resiliency, with a strong emphasis on locally-led solutions. Their approach is characterized by long-term commitment, experimentation, science-based decision-making, and deep listening to local experts. Nearly all of their funding supports international programs, though they maintain limited engagement with North Carolina education initiatives through the Triangle High Five program.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation does not operate formal grant programs with set amounts. Instead, grants are awarded by trustee discretion on an invitation-only basis. Recent grant awards (2023) demonstrate their funding scale:

  • CARE: $7,600,000 for programmatic support (17-year partnership)
  • World Wildlife Fund Inc: $4,600,000 for programmatic support (nearly two-decade partnership)
  • Rocky Mountain Institute: $2,900,000 for programmatic support and general operating
  • The Nature Conservancy: $2,600,000 for programmatic support
  • Environmental Defense Fund: $2,000,000 for general operating

Grant amounts range from $10,000 to over $7 million, with most grants falling in the $25,000 to $100,000 range. The foundation distributed 63 grants in 2023.

Priority Areas

The foundation focuses on three interconnected areas:

Environment: Natural resource management supporting community-driven conservation, including:

  • Protecting critical ecosystems (e.g., Okavango River Basin)
  • Supporting artisanal fisher and farmer livelihoods
  • Community-centered conservation approaches

Global Public Health: Multisectoral health interventions, with emphasis on:

  • Nutrition programming
  • Community health systems strengthening
  • Programs addressing environment-health nexus

Poverty Reduction: Programs helping communities achieve economic security, including:

  • Village Savings and Loan Associations
  • Cash transfer programs
  • Livelihood development
  • Disaster resilience

Geographic Focus: Latin America, Caribbean, sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Asia Pacific, and the Arctic. Limited North Carolina grants (primarily Triangle High Five education program).

What They Don't Fund

The foundation explicitly states it "only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations" and has specific restrictions (though not all are publicly detailed). Based on their funding patterns, they do not fund:

  • Unsolicited proposals
  • Organizations outside their priority geographic regions (except in rare North Carolina cases)
  • Programs not aligned with the nexus of environment, health, and poverty
  • Short-term projects without potential for long-term impact

Governance and Leadership

Board Members and Co-Founders (since 1992):

  • John P. Sall: President and Chair of the Board, SAS co-founder
  • Virginia B. Sall: Treasurer and Vice Chair, WWF board member

Leadership Team:

  • Jason W. Haggins: Executive Director (joined 2018)
  • Sara J. Bender: Managing Director of Programs (joined 2024)
  • Marina T. Campos: Managing Director of Programs (joined 2022)

Foundation Philosophy: According to their website, "They have learned through deep listening to the lived experiences of local experts as well as world-renowned scientists that given the right information, communities with the agency to self-govern will create sustainable long-term benefits for people and nature."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

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

Grants are awarded through trustee discretion on an invitation-only basis. The foundation identifies potential grantees through:

  • Long-term relationships with trusted partners
  • Recommendations from existing grantees
  • Board member and staff networks in their priority sectors
  • Proactive identification of organizations working at the local level

One source indicates the foundation may accept "unsolicited letters of inquiry via regular mail," though this contradicts other sources stating they do not accept unsolicited requests. Organizations can contact info@sallfamily.org for general information only.

Decision Timeline

Decision timelines are not publicly disclosed. Given the invitation-only nature and emphasis on long-term partnerships, the foundation appears to operate on its own timeline rather than fixed grant cycles.

Success Rates

Not applicable, as the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications. All grants are by invitation only.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable, as there is no public application process.

Application Success Factors

Since the Sall Family Foundation operates on an invitation-only basis, traditional application success factors do not apply. However, understanding what the foundation values provides insight into the types of organizations they choose to support:

Community-Led Approach: The foundation emphasizes that "the people in communities are best placed to make the decisions that affect their everyday lives, enabling them to generate locally governed and sustainable solutions for the long-term." Organizations that demonstrate genuine community ownership and leadership are central to their model.

Nexus Thinking: The foundation explicitly funds at the intersection of environment, public health, and poverty reduction. Organizations working in only one silo may be less aligned than those addressing interconnected challenges.

Long-Term Commitment: The foundation values sustained partnerships (e.g., 17 years with CARE, nearly two decades with WWF). They "embrace the complexity and long-term nature of problems, knowing that simplification of situations rarely leads to sustainable solutions."

Experimentation and Learning: According to their philosophy, "They explore areas where success isn't guaranteed, and they're not afraid to make mistakes, because the true successes of the past three decades have often been born out of the times when things haven't always gone to plan." Organizations with adaptive learning approaches are valued.

Science-Based Decision-Making: The foundation's approach is "guided by humility, curiosity, science" and informed by "world-renowned scientists." Evidence-based programs with scientific grounding align with their values.

Dual Funding Model: The foundation funds "both locally-led civil society organizations and larger non-profit agencies, with whom we encourage knowledge sharing and collaboration." They value partnerships between local organizations and larger NGOs that can facilitate knowledge sharing and scale.

Recent Funding Examples:

  • CARE: Multisectoral nutrition programming across African and Asian countries
  • WWF: Community-centered conservation in the Okavango River Basin
  • The Nature Conservancy: Partnership with government of Angola on water resource management
  • Supporting artisanal fishers and farmers in Mozambique to improve livelihoods while protecting natural resources

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No Public Application Process: This foundation exclusively funds by invitation, not through open applications. Do not submit unsolicited proposals.
  • Relationship-Based Funding: The foundation identifies partners through long-term relationships, board networks, and recommendations from existing grantees. Building visibility in the international development/conservation sector is essential.
  • International Focus: Despite being North Carolina-based, nearly all funding goes to international programs in Latin America, Caribbean, Africa, and Asia. U.S.-based organizations are primarily large international NGOs.
  • Intersection Funding: Organizations must work at the nexus of environment, health, and poverty—not just one area. Demonstrate interconnected approaches to complex challenges.
  • Local Leadership Required: The foundation prioritizes locally-led organizations or partnerships that genuinely empower community decision-making and self-governance.
  • Long-Term Partnership Model: With partnerships lasting 10-20 years, this foundation invests in sustained relationships rather than one-off grants. They value organizations ready for long-term collaboration.
  • Risk-Tolerant: The foundation embraces experimentation and learning from failure, making them potentially open to innovative approaches with uncertain outcomes—if invited to the table.

References

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