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Wallace H Coulter Trust

Annual Giving
$16.3M
Grant Range
$500K - $1.2M

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $16,345,000 (2024)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly available
  • Decision Time: Not publicly available
  • Grant Range: Varies widely; recent grants from $500,000 to $1,200,000
  • Geographic Focus: National (United States)
  • Application Method: No public application process - invitation only/trustee discretion

Contact Details

Address: 790 NW 107th Avenue, Suite 215, Miami, FL 33172-3158
Phone: (305) 559-2991
Website: None specific to the Trust (associated with Wallace H. Coulter Foundation at whcf.org)

Note: The Trust does not accept unsolicited proposals or applications.

Overview

The Wallace H Coulter Trust was established in 1999 as a private foundation funded by the Wallace H. Coulter Foundation. The Trust operates as a distinct grant-making entity with approximately $12.9 million in assets (2023). Led by President and CEO Sue Van, the Trust focuses exclusively on supporting Asian American/Pacific Islander (AAPI) and American Indian/Alaska Native (AIAN) civic engagement organizations, as well as immigrant rights and social justice initiatives across the United States. The Trust awarded 63 grants totaling over $16.3 million in 2024, making it a significant funder in the civic engagement and immigrant rights space. The Trust operates with no full-time employees and is funded by the Wallace H. Coulter Foundation, which was established from the estate of biomedical inventor Wallace H. Coulter (1913-1998).

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Trust does not have formalized grant programs with specific names or tiers. Instead, grants are awarded at the discretion of trustees to organizations aligned with the Trust's mission. Recent grant amounts have included:

  • Large-scale grants: $500,000 - $1,200,000 (for major national advocacy organizations)
  • Grant distribution: Rolling/ongoing based on trustee decisions
  • Application method: Invitation only - no public application process

Priority Areas

Civic Engagement for Underrepresented Communities:

  • Asian American/Pacific Islander (AAPI) civic engagement and voter participation
  • American Indian/Alaska Native (AIAN) civic engagement initiatives
  • Building capacity for grassroots organizing in AAPI and AIAN communities

Immigrant Rights and Social Justice:

  • Immigrant rights advocacy organizations
  • Refugee rights and support
  • Legal defense and education for immigrant communities
  • Organizations working to "give voice" to Asian American communities

Community Capacity Building:

  • Infrastructure and capacity building for underrepresented community organizations
  • Supporting organizations that are "under-resourced, under-represented, and under-recognized"
  • Collaboration and partnership building among AAPI and AIAN organizations

What They Don't Fund

The Trust does not fund:

  • Biomedical research or translational research (this is the domain of the Wallace H. Coulter Foundation)
  • Higher education institutions
  • Organizations outside the AAPI, AIAN, and immigrant rights focus areas
  • International programs
  • Individual scholarships or fellowships

Governance and Leadership

Key Personnel

Sue Van - President and CEO
Sue Van has served as the only president of both the Wallace H. Coulter Foundation and the associated Trust since their establishment. Van worked for the Coulter Corporation since 1975 and served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Coulter Corporation by 1997. She was initially hired in 1975 to manage Wallace Coulter's personal and business assets. Wallace Coulter placed extraordinary trust in her, leaving no further instruction regarding the disposition of his estate beyond saying, "Sue will know what to do."

Under Van's leadership, the Trust's grant strategy has been clear: "Every grant from the Foundation was designed to support groups that were under-resourced, under-represented, and under-recognized."

Other Leadership:

  • Wayne Barlin - Trustee (works full-time without compensation)
  • Susan Racher - Trustee (works full-time without compensation)
  • Susie Sands - Trustee (works full-time without compensation)

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Wallace H Coulter Trust does not have a public application process. The Trust does not accept unsolicited proposals or applications for funding. Grants are awarded through trustee discretion to organizations with which the Trust maintains ongoing relationships or organizations identified by trustees and the parent Wallace H. Coulter Foundation.

Grants appear to be awarded based on:

  • Pre-existing relationships with the Wallace H. Coulter Foundation
  • Organizations identified through the Foundation's networks in AAPI and AIAN communities
  • Trustee discretion and strategic alignment with the Trust's mission

Getting on Their Radar

Networking with Past Grantees:
According to Inside Philanthropy, "civic organizations that focus on Asian American immigrant communities may want to network with past grantees to get on Coulter's radar." Known grantees include:

  • Asian & Pacific Islander American Vote
  • National Urban Indian Family Coalition
  • Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition
  • Asian Law Caucus of San Francisco
  • Asian Americans Advancing Justice (Chicago and other locations)
  • Asian American Federation
  • Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund
  • Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights
  • Immigrant Legal Resource Center of San Francisco

Wallace H. Coulter Foundation Programs:
The Trust is funded by the Wallace H. Coulter Foundation, which has developed programs like the "Coulter Conveners Program" that emphasizes direct investment in states with AAPI populations, including states with small but growing communities. Organizations selected for such programs may have opportunities to develop relationships that could lead to Trust funding.

Decision Timeline

No public information is available about decision timelines, as the Trust does not accept applications. Grants appear to be made on a rolling basis at trustee discretion.

Success Rates

Not applicable - the Trust does not accept unsolicited applications.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - the Trust does not accept unsolicited applications. Organizations appear to receive ongoing support through multi-year relationships rather than discrete application cycles.

Application Success Factors

Since the Trust does not accept public applications, traditional "success factors" do not apply. However, understanding what the Trust values can help organizations position themselves for potential relationship-building:

Organizations That Align With the Trust's Values:

  • Underrepresented and under-resourced: The Trust explicitly seeks to support "groups that were under-resourced, under-represented, and under-recognized"
  • AAPI and AIAN focus: Organizations working specifically with Asian American/Pacific Islander or American Indian/Alaska Native communities
  • Civic engagement orientation: Organizations that help communities "participate in the democratic process in America through civic engagement"
  • Comprehensive community support: Organizations that help communities "reach out to their members and encourage them to become citizens, attend school, achieve post-secondary education, have a career or start a business to support their families"

Characteristics of Recent Grantees:

  • National or multi-state reach in AAPI/AIAN communities
  • Focus on voter engagement and civic participation
  • Legal advocacy and defense for immigrant communities
  • Capacity-building and infrastructure development
  • Collaborative approaches and coalition-building

Wallace Coulter's Vision: The Trust reflects "the founder's interest in Asian cultures and a commitment to 'give voice' to Asian American communities across the U.S." Organizations that embody this vision of amplifying underrepresented voices are most aligned with the Trust's mission.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No public application process exists - The Trust awards grants through trustee discretion and pre-existing relationships only
  • Networking is essential - Building relationships with past grantees and the Wallace H. Coulter Foundation is the primary pathway to potential funding
  • Focus areas are specific - AAPI civic engagement, AIAN civic engagement, and immigrant rights are the core focus areas; organizations outside these areas will not be considered
  • Grant amounts can be substantial - Recent grants have ranged from $500,000 to over $1 million, indicating the Trust makes significant investments in aligned organizations
  • Trust is connected to larger Foundation - The Wallace H Coulter Trust is funded by the Wallace H. Coulter Foundation; understanding the Foundation's broader programs (particularly "Sharing the American Dream") provides context for the Trust's priorities
  • Limited life foundation context - The parent Wallace H. Coulter Foundation is a limited life foundation with "a sense of urgency to create impactful grant programs"; this may affect long-term funding availability
  • Values-driven grantmaking - The Trust prioritizes supporting organizations that are under-resourced, under-represented, and under-recognized in the civic engagement space

References

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