Roy H & Natalie C Roberts Family Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: $2.3M - $2.7M
• Success Rate: N/A (invitation-only)
• Decision Time: N/A (trustee discretion)
• Grant Range: ~$2.3M - $2.7M (single annual grant)
• Geographic Focus: Chicago, IL and Grosse Pointe Farms, MI

Contact Details

• Website: None
• Phone: Not publicly available
• Email: Not publicly available
• Mailing Address: PO Box 803878, Chicago, IL 60680-3878
• Physical Address: 5944 Sundown Ln, Freeland, WA 98249-9726

Overview

The Roy H & Natalie C Roberts Family Foundation is a private non-operating foundation established in 2005 in Florida, with IRS tax-exempt status granted in July 1998. With assets of approximately $32.3 million as of 2024, the foundation distributes between $2.3 million and $2.7 million annually. Named for founders Roy H. Roberts and Natalie C. Roberts, the foundation is now administered by the next generation of the Roberts family. The foundation operates as a highly concentrated grantmaker, typically making just one large grant per year to what appears to be a single primary institutional beneficiary. The foundation maintains no public presence, website, or published grant guidelines.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation makes a single annual grant of approximately $2.3M - $2.7M through trustee discretion. There are no named programs or open application opportunities.

Priority Areas

Based on IRS classification and foundation directory data:

• Higher education (particularly medical education)
• Arts and culture
• Health (outpatient medical care)
• Human services

What They Don't Fund

As an invitation-only foundation making a single annual grant, the foundation effectively does not fund unsolicited requests from organizations without existing relationships.

Governance and Leadership

The foundation is governed by the Roberts family trustees:

• John H. Roberts - President ($60,840 annual compensation)
• Anne W. Roberts - Vice President ($60,840 annual compensation)
• Rebecca Roberts - Secretary ($60,840 annual compensation)
• David Roberts - Treasurer ($60,840 annual compensation)

The trustees appear to be the children or relatives of the original founders, Roy H. and Natalie C. Roberts.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process. The foundation makes grants exclusively through trustee discretion, typically awarding a single large grant annually to what appears to be a pre-selected institutional beneficiary. There is no website, no published guidelines, and no application portal.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - grants are made at trustee discretion without a public application process.

Success Rates

Not applicable - the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - the foundation does not maintain a public application process.

Application Success Factors

Given the closed nature of this foundation's grantmaking, traditional application success factors do not apply. The foundation's pattern of making a single large annual grant suggests a deep, ongoing relationship with a specific institution or set of institutions. Any approach would need to come through existing trustee relationships rather than through a formal application process.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• This is an invitation-only foundation with no public application process
• The foundation makes just one grant per year at approximately $2.3M - $2.7M
• No website, published guidelines, or application materials exist
• The single-grant model suggests an ongoing relationship with a major institutional recipient
• This foundation is not accessible to organizations without existing trustee relationships
• The scale of giving ($2M+) indicates focus on major institutions rather than smaller nonprofits
• Any engagement would require introduction through the Roberts family trustees

References

• ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer: Financial data and leadership information (https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/656269008) - Accessed February 2026
• ProPublica Form 990-PF Filing 2024 (https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/656269008/202543099349101804/full) - Accessed February 2026
• OpenGovUS: Address and registration data (https://opengovus.com/tax-exempt/656269008) - Accessed February 2026
• Cause IQ: Financial summary data (https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/roy-h-and-natalie-c-roberts-family-foundation,656269008/) - Accessed February 2026
• Instrumentl: Grant amounts and patterns (https://www.instrumentl.com/990-report/roy-h-natalie-c-roberts-fam-foundation) - Accessed February 2026
• Candid Foundation Directory: Foundation profile (https://fconline.foundationcenter.org/fdo-grantmaker-profile/?key=ROER014) - Accessed February 2026