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Jean And David W Wallace Foundation Inc

Annual Giving
$6.8M
Grant Range
$1K - $12.0M

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $6,800,000 (2023)
  • Success Rate: Not applicable (invitation only)
  • Decision Time: Not applicable (preselected organizations)
  • Grant Range: $1,000 - $1,000,000
  • Geographic Focus: Primarily Connecticut, with select institutions in Rhode Island and Massachusetts

Contact Details

Address: c/o Anne S Wallace Juge, 687 Oenoke Ridge, New Canaan, CT 06840

EIN: 06-1626691

Note: The foundation does not have a public website, email, or phone number for grant inquiries.

Overview

The Jean and David W. Wallace Foundation Inc. was established in 2009 to honor the philanthropic legacy of Jean and David Wallace of Greenwich, Connecticut. Jean Wallace passed away in 2019 at age 93. With total assets of approximately $40 million and annual giving of $6.8 million (2023), the foundation supports educational and healthcare institutions primarily in Connecticut. The foundation is led by the Wallaces' daughters, Mary Wallace Strizek and Anne S. Wallace Juge, who serve as co-presidents. The foundation's giving reflects the Wallaces' lifelong commitment to institutions they personally supported, with Salve Regina University being their most generous beneficiary (over $24.6 million lifetime). David Wallace served as a trustee of Smith College from 1983 to 1987, and both daughters attended Smith College.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation operates through trustee-directed grantmaking with no formal grant programs or application cycles. Grants range from $1,000 to $1,000,000, with a median grant of $50,000. In 2023, the foundation made 22 grants.

Priority Areas

Higher Education:

  • Business and economics programs
  • Arts programs
  • General institutional support
  • Named professorships and department chairs
  • Student experiential learning programs

Healthcare:

  • Neuroscience and neurovascular surgery
  • Cancer care
  • Medical research facilities
  • Hospital endowments and capital projects

Secondary Education:

  • Independent school capital campaigns
  • Lower school building projects

What They Don't Fund

  • Organizations outside their established network of beneficiaries
  • Unsolicited requests from new organizations
  • International programs (focused on Connecticut and select Northeast institutions)

Governance and Leadership

Co-Presidents:

  • Mary Wallace Strizek - Co-President and Secretary (volunteer, 1 hour/week)
  • Anne S. Wallace Juge - Co-President and Treasurer (volunteer, 1 hour/week)

Both daughters of Jean and David Wallace, they design grants specifically to honor their parents' values and commitment to education and healthcare.

Quote from Mary Wallace Strizek: "Our father considered Robert Young a dear friend and mentor... We are so pleased to honor them together" (regarding the creation of the Anita and Robert R. Young Department Chair at Salve Regina University).

Quote from Anne Wallace Juge: "We are grateful to recognize our parents and the Youngs together with Salve's expanding business and economics department."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations with which the Wallace family has long-standing relationships. Unsolicited requests for funds are not accepted.

Grants are awarded through trustee discretion to institutions the Wallace family has personally supported over multiple generations. The foundation's 990-PF filings indicate that all grants go to organizations with established connections to the family.

Getting on Their Radar

This section is intentionally omitted as there are no documented pathways for new organizations to approach this foundation. The foundation operates exclusively within its network of pre-established beneficiary relationships built over generations of family involvement.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - grants are awarded through trustee discretion to preselected organizations on an ongoing basis.

Success Rates

Not applicable - the foundation does not accept applications from organizations outside its established network.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - unsolicited applications are not accepted.

Application Success Factors

Since this foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, there are no application success factors to document. Organizations currently receiving support from the foundation benefit from:

Long-standing Family Relationships: All major beneficiaries have multi-generational connections to the Wallace family, often including:

  • Board service by family members (David Wallace served on Smith College board 1983-1987)
  • Multiple family members attending as students (both daughters attended Smith College)
  • Personal friendships and mentorships (Robert Young's relationship with David Wallace)

Mission Alignment: Recent gifts demonstrate the foundation's priority on supporting values and programs that:

  • "Provide students with values and skills needed to make a positive difference in the world" (Salve Regina gift)
  • Advance innovative techniques and partnerships (Greenwich Hospital neuroscience partnership with Yale)
  • Create permanent impact through named positions and endowments

Strategic Impact: Major gifts support transformational initiatives:

  • $12 million to Salve Regina (2025) to name business department and create department chair
  • $5 million to Greenwich Hospital (2020) to establish neurovascular surgery program
  • $4.25 million to Greenwich Hospital for neuroscience interventional laboratory
  • $3 million to Smith College to endow Office for the Arts directorship

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No Public Access: This foundation does not accept unsolicited applications or requests for funds from organizations outside its established network
  • Family Legacy Focus: All grantmaking reflects the personal philanthropic interests and relationships of Jean and David Wallace, continued by their daughters
  • Major Institutional Support: The foundation makes substantial gifts ($1-12 million) to institutions with multi-generational family connections
  • Primary Beneficiaries: Salve Regina University (most generous beneficiary, $24.6M+ lifetime), Greenwich Hospital (neuroscience focus), Smith College, Greenwich Academy, and Yale University
  • Strategic Endowments: Recent giving emphasizes permanent impact through named programs, professorships, and facilities
  • Connecticut Focus: Majority of grants support Connecticut institutions, particularly in Fairfield County
  • Education and Healthcare: Nearly all grants fall within higher education, secondary education, or healthcare/medical research

References

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