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Halvorsen Family Foundation

Annual Giving
$21.0M
Grant Range
$10K - $20.0M

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $21 million (2024)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly available (invitation-only giving)
  • Decision Time: Not applicable (no public application process)
  • Grant Range: $10,000 - $20,000,000
  • Geographic Focus: Connecticut and surrounding states (NY, MA, VT), with limited grants in CA, ME, Norway, and France
  • Total Assets: $322 million (2024)

Contact Details

Address: Viking 600 Washington Blvd., 11th Floor, Stamford, CT 06901

Phone: (203) 863-5039

Note: The foundation does not have a website and does not provide an email address for inquiries. They do not accept unsolicited grant applications.

Overview

Established in 2000 and based in Greenwich/Stamford, Connecticut, the Halvorsen Family Foundation is a private family foundation overseen by trustees Ole Andreas Halvorsen and Diane K. Halvorsen. Ole Andreas Halvorsen is the co-founder of Viking Global Investors, a prominent hedge fund firm. With total assets of $322 million and annual distributions of approximately $21 million, the foundation has grown significantly from its initial assets of $16.2 million in 2011. The foundation takes a highly selective, proactive approach to grantmaking, focusing primarily on organizations with personal connections to the Halvorsen family. Their giving emphasizes higher education (particularly institutions the Halvorsens attended), arts and culture, environmental conservation and biodiversity, health, economic justice, and outdoor recreation in Connecticut and surrounding New England states.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation does not operate formal grant programs with fixed deadlines. Instead, it makes strategic grants throughout the year to preselected organizations. Recent major grants include:

  • Stanford Medical Development: $20 million (2023) - Educational support
  • Williams College: $3.7 million (2019), $350,000 (2023) - Educational support
  • Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute: $2.1 million (2019), $100,000 (2023) - Arts and cultural initiatives
  • Stanford University Graduate School of Business: $1 million (2019)

The foundation also makes smaller community grants ranging from $10,000 to $50,000 to local Connecticut organizations.

Priority Areas

Higher Education: The foundation prioritizes institutions attended by the trustees, including:

  • Williams College (Ole Andreas Halvorsen's alma mater, class of 1986)
  • Stanford University Graduate School of Business (where Ole earned his MBA in 1990)
  • Teachers College Columbia University
  • Rockefeller University

Arts and Culture: Multi-year grants totaling millions of dollars to:

  • Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute (for academic libraries)
  • Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art Foundation
  • Darien Library

Environment and Biodiversity: Focus on biodiversity, environmental education, and watersheds:

  • Westport River Watershed Alliance
  • Darien Nature Center
  • Wildlife Conservation Society
  • Stowe Land Trust
  • Connecticut Audubon Society

Local Connecticut Community Support: Smaller grants to Darien-area organizations:

  • Darien Community Association
  • Darien EMS Post 53
  • Darien Library
  • Greens Ledge Light Preservation

Health: Medical education and healthcare initiatives

Economic Justice and Outdoor Recreation: Supporting access and equity in these areas

What They Don't Fund

While not explicitly stated, the foundation's giving pattern suggests they do not fund:

  • Organizations without personal connections to the Halvorsen family
  • Organizations outside their geographic focus areas (primarily Connecticut, NY, MA, VT)
  • Unsolicited applications from any organization
  • Individuals or for-profit entities

Governance and Leadership

Trustees:

  • Ole Andreas Halvorsen: Co-founder and Chief Investment Officer of Viking Global Investors, a prominent hedge fund firm. Graduated from Williams College (1986) with a degree in economics and received his MBA from Stanford University Graduate School of Business (1990). He is also involved with the Viking Global Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Viking Global Investors, which focuses on early childhood education and employee volunteerism.
  • Diane K. Halvorsen: Co-trustee

The foundation operates with a lean structure with just two trustees making all funding decisions, allowing for highly personalized and strategic grantmaking aligned with family interests and values.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. The foundation has explicitly indicated it only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. According to multiple foundation directories, the Halvorsen Family Foundation "prefers a proactive approach to grantmaking" and is described as "not an accessible foundation."

Grants are awarded through trustee discretion based on:

  • Personal connections to the Halvorsen family
  • Institutions the trustees attended or have relationships with
  • Organizations already known to the trustees
  • Invitation-only basis

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - the foundation does not have a formal application cycle or timeline. Decisions are made throughout the year at the trustees' discretion.

Success Rates

Not applicable - as the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, there is no public success rate data.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications or reapplications.

Application Success Factors

Since the Halvorsen Family Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, traditional application success factors do not apply. However, organizations that have received funding share these characteristics:

Personal Connection: The most critical factor is a direct personal connection to Ole Andreas or Diane Halvorsen. Major beneficiaries include:

  • Educational institutions the Halvorsens attended (Williams College, Stanford)
  • Organizations in Darien/Greenwich, Connecticut, where the family resides
  • Institutions where family members serve on boards or have involvement

Alignment with Family Interests: Successful recipients align with documented Halvorsen family priorities:

  • Higher education, particularly liberal arts colleges and business schools
  • Arts and culture, especially museums and academic libraries
  • Environmental conservation and biodiversity protection
  • Local Connecticut community organizations

Institutional Prestige and Impact: The foundation favors established, reputable institutions with significant impact:

  • Major universities with national recognition
  • Prominent cultural institutions (Clark Art Institute, MASS MoCA)
  • Well-established conservation organizations

Multi-Year Partnerships: The foundation has shown a pattern of making multi-year commitments to organizations, particularly in arts and culture, suggesting they value long-term partnerships over one-time grants.

Geographic Proximity: Organizations in Connecticut and surrounding New England states, particularly those in the Darien/Greenwich area, receive consistent support through smaller community grants.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No Public Application Process: This foundation operates exclusively through trustee discretion and does not accept unsolicited grant applications. Do not attempt to submit proposals.

  • Personal Connection Required: Virtually all grants go to organizations with direct personal connections to the Halvorsen family, particularly institutions they attended (Williams College, Stanford) or organizations in their community (Darien/Greenwich, CT).

  • Significant Giving Capacity: With $322 million in assets and $21 million in annual distributions, the foundation has substantial resources but directs them to a small number of preselected beneficiaries.

  • Wide Range in Grant Sizes: Grants range from $10,000 for local Darien organizations to $20 million for Stanford Medical Development, with the median grant around $28,000-$100,000.

  • Education is Top Priority: Higher education institutions, particularly Williams College and Stanford University, receive the largest grants, often in the millions.

  • Multi-Year Support: The foundation has demonstrated a pattern of making multi-year commitments, especially to arts and cultural institutions like the Clark Art Institute.

  • Limited Geographic Focus: While primarily focused on Connecticut and surrounding states (NY, MA, VT), the foundation has made occasional grants to organizations in California, Maine, Norway, and France.

References

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