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Wanda Bobowski Fund

Annual Giving
$0.2M
Grant Range
$5K - $0.1M

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $244,000 (2024)
  • Success Rate: N/A (invitation only)
  • Decision Time: N/A (trustee discretion)
  • Grant Range: $5,000 - $65,000
  • Median Grant: $10,000
  • Total Assets: $4.6 million
  • Geographic Focus: National and international

Contact Details

Address: 560 Oak Street, Mountain View, CA 94041

Note: The foundation does not have a public website, email, or phone number for grant inquiries. This is a private foundation that only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations.

Overview

The Wanda Bobowski Fund is a private family foundation established in February 1997 and based in Mountain View, California. With total assets of approximately $4.6 million and annual distributions of around $244,000, the foundation supports a diverse range of charitable causes including environmental conservation, human rights, international humanitarian aid, journalism, and scientific research. The foundation is governed by family members who serve without compensation, operating as a traditional private foundation that identifies and selects grant recipients through trustee discretion rather than through a public application process. In 2024, the foundation made 14 grants ranging from $5,000 to $65,000, with a median grant size of $10,000.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Wanda Bobowski Fund does not have formal grant programs or structured funding streams. Instead, the trustees make discretionary grants to organizations across various sectors.

Funding Characteristics:

  • Grant range: $5,000 - $65,000
  • Median grant: $10,000
  • Typical number of grants: 12-14 annually
  • Application method: Invitation only/preselected organizations

Priority Areas

Based on recent grantmaking patterns, the foundation supports:

  • Environmental Conservation: Organizations working on environmental protection and conservation
  • Human Rights and Civil Liberties: Civil rights organizations and advocacy groups
  • International Humanitarian Aid: Organizations providing medical care and emergency relief globally
  • Media and Journalism: Public broadcasting and educational media organizations
  • Scientific Research: Research institutions and scientific advancement
  • Education: Educational institutions and programs

The foundation provides general operating support to its grantees rather than project-specific funding.

What They Don't Fund

The foundation has stated it "only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations" and explicitly does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.

Governance and Leadership

The Wanda Bobowski Fund is governed by a family board with four members, all of whom serve without compensation:

  • Debra Simons, President (1 hour/week)
  • Erica J. Simons, Vice President (1 hour/week)
  • Daniel R. Corbet, Treasurer (1 hour/week)
  • Lyndsey Simons, Secretary (1 hour/week)

All board members dedicate minimal time (1 hour per week) to foundation governance, typical of small family foundations where trustees make periodic decisions about grantmaking.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process.

The Wanda Bobowski Fund explicitly states that it "only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations" and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. This is common among small family foundations where trustees identify organizations they wish to support based on personal interests, networks, and philanthropic goals.

Grants are awarded through:

  • Trustee identification and selection of recipients
  • Personal connections and relationships
  • Trustees' philanthropic interests and priorities

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - the foundation does not accept applications. Grant decisions are made at the discretion of the trustees throughout the year.

Success Rates

Not applicable for unsolicited applications, as the foundation does not accept them.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - the foundation does not have a formal application process.

Application Success Factors

For organizations seeking support from this type of funder:

Since the Wanda Bobowski Fund does not accept unsolicited applications, traditional application success factors do not apply. The foundation's grantmaking is driven entirely by trustee discretion and their personal philanthropic interests.

Pattern observations from recent grants:

  • The foundation supports a diverse portfolio spanning multiple issue areas
  • Grant sizes typically range from $5,000 to $65,000, with most grants clustered around the $10,000 median
  • The foundation supports both large, established national organizations (like Doctors Without Borders, ACLU) and smaller specialized groups (like Amazon Conservation Team)
  • General operating support appears to be the preferred grant type
  • Geographic scope is broad, including both domestic and international organizations

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No public application process: This foundation does not accept unsolicited grant requests and only funds preselected organizations
  • Family foundation structure: Governed by family members who make discretionary funding decisions based on personal philanthropic interests
  • Diverse funding portfolio: Supports organizations across environmental, human rights, humanitarian, media, and scientific sectors
  • Moderate grant sizes: Typical grants range from $5,000 to $65,000, with a $10,000 median
  • Limited transparency: Minimal public information available about decision-making criteria or strategic priorities
  • Stable grantmaking: Consistent annual distributions of approximately $150,000-$244,000 per year
  • Not a prospect for cold outreach: Organizations should not attempt to submit proposals or make unsolicited contact

References

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