Notsew Orm Sands Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: $4.6 million (2023)
• Success Rate: Not publicly available
• Decision Time: Not publicly available
• Grant Range: $250,000 - $3,000,000
• Geographic Focus: Virginia, New Hampshire, Connecticut; international (UK, Africa)

Contact Details

Address: 92 Washburn Hill Road, Lyme, NH 03768
Phone: (210) 341-9400
Email: Not publicly available
Website: No public website

Overview

The Notsew Orm Sands Foundation is a private foundation established in 1995 with assets of approximately $55-62 million. Named using "Sands Orm Weston" spelled backward (referencing the Weston family heritage), the foundation honours the legacy of Miriam Weston Burnett and her son Charles Ryland Burnett III. The foundation focuses on education, leadership development, and conservation, making transformative gifts primarily to educational institutions. In 2023, the foundation disbursed $4.6 million in grants.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programmes

The foundation makes large, strategic grants rather than operating public grant programmes:

• Educational Endowments: $2,600,000 - $5,250,000 (leadership programmes and scholarships)
• Conservation Education: $1,500,000+ (multi-year commitments for international programmes)
• General Education Support: $250,000 - $3,000,000 per grant

Priority Areas

• Leadership development and ethical leadership education
• Higher education endowments and scholarship funds
• Conservation education, particularly in Africa
• Human services programmes

What They Don't Fund

Not publicly specified, though the foundation appears to focus exclusively on major strategic partnerships rather than smaller community grants.

Governance and Leadership

Board of Directors:

• Garfield Mitchell, Trustee
• Melissa Baron Murdoch, Trustee
• Pilar Bauta, Director

The foundation maintains strong family connections to the Burnett and Weston families. Garfield Mitchell noted the foundation's commitment to honouring "our dear Aunt Miriam Burnett and our wonderful cousin Charles Ryland Burnett III" through strategic philanthropy.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process. Grants are awarded through trustee discretion and pre-existing institutional relationships. Organisations cannot apply directly for funding.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - grants are initiated by the foundation rather than through applications.

Success Rates

Not applicable due to lack of public application process.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable.

Application Success Factors

Based on the foundation's known grants, successful recipients share these characteristics:

• Established educational institutions with strong track records
• Programmes that create lasting impact through endowments or multi-year commitments
• Focus on leadership development, particularly ethical leadership
• International reach or unique conservation focus
• Prior relationship with the foundation or Burnett family
• Ability to honour the Burnett family legacy through naming opportunities

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• The foundation operates entirely through trustee-initiated grants with no public application process
• Focus is on transformative, multi-million dollar gifts rather than smaller grants
• Strong preference for educational institutions, particularly those with historical connections to the Burnett family
• International programmes are considered, particularly in conservation education
• Direct contact via phone ((210) 341-9400) may be the only way to explore potential partnership
• Foundation disbursed $4.6 million in 2023 based on 990-PF filings

References

• UST Houston News: "UST receives $5.25 million gift to foster ethical leadership" (November 2024) - https://news.stthom.edu/ust-houston-receives-525-million-gift-to-foster-ethical-leadership/
• ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer: Notsew Orm Sands Foundation Form 990 filings (2022-2024) - https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/760455176
• University of Kent: "New philanthropic grant provides 18 scholarships for conservation in Africa" (2024) - https://www.kent.ac.uk/news/education/36102/new-philanthropic-grant-provides-18-scholarships-for-conservation-in-africa
• Philanthropy News Digest: "University of St. Thomas, Houston Receives $2.6 Million for Endowed Chair" (2008) - https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/university-of-st.-thomas-houston-receives-2.6-million-for-endowed-chair
• Various foundation directory sources including GuideStar, Candid Foundation Directory, Grantmakers.io, and Instrumentl (accessed January 2025)