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Coulter Family Foundation

Annual Giving
$2.2M
Grant Range
$5K - $1.1M

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $2.2 million (2024)
  • Success Rate: Not applicable (invitation only)
  • Decision Time: Not applicable (preselected organizations)
  • Grant Range: $5,000 - $1,055,000
  • Grant Median: $58,000
  • Geographic Focus: National, with concentration in California, Louisiana, New York, and Washington, D.C.
  • Total Assets: $49 million

Contact Details

Address: 301 Commerce St Ste 3150, Fort Worth, TX 76102-4102

Important: The foundation does not accept unsolicited funding requests. Grants are made only to preselected charitable organizations.

Overview

The Coulter Family Foundation was established in 2014 by James G. Coulter and Phyllis S. Coulter, who serve as founding trustees. James Coulter is co-founder and executive chairman of TPG, a global alternative asset management firm, and vice chair emeritus of Dartmouth's Board of Trustees. The foundation holds approximately $49 million in assets and distributed $2.2 million in grants in 2024 to 13 organizations. The foundation does not specify particular subject areas of focus but has consistently supported causes related to education, arts and culture, healthcare, environmental conservation, and community development across multiple U.S. cities. Notable giving includes significant support to San Francisco Bay Area institutions, education initiatives, and organizations in New Orleans, where Phyllis Coulter is from. The foundation operates as a private family foundation with invitation-only grantmaking.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation does not maintain structured grant programs with application cycles. All grants are made at the discretion of the trustees to preselected organizations.

2024 Grant Recipients (Partial List):

  • San Francisco Museum of Modern Art: $1,055,000
  • California College of the Arts: $250,000
  • Target ALS Foundation: $250,000
  • Aspen Institute: $200,000
  • University of California San Francisco: Grant amount not specified
  • San Francisco Symphony: Grant amount not specified
  • SF-Marin Food Bank: Grant amount not specified
  • Holy Name of Jesus School: Grant amount not specified

Historical Giving:

  • 2024: 13 grants totaling $2.2 million
  • 2023: 14 grants totaling $10.95 million
  • 2022: 7 grants
  • 2021: 7 grants

Priority Areas

Based on grant history and the trustees' known philanthropic interests, the foundation focuses on:

Education: Strong focus on STEM education, higher education, and digital technology in schools. James Coulter co-chairs the LEAD Commission studying digital technology in education and sits on the Stanford University and Dartmouth boards of trustees.

Arts and Culture: Significant support to San Francisco arts institutions including SFMOMA, San Francisco Symphony, SF Jazz, and San Francisco Film Society.

Healthcare and Medical Research: Support for organizations like Target ALS Foundation and University of California San Francisco.

Environmental Conservation: Recent grants to Audubon Nature Institute and Grand Canyon Trust indicate emerging environmental focus.

Community Development: Support for poverty alleviation through organizations like Tipping Point Community and SF-Marin Food Bank.

Entrepreneurship: James Coulter founded the Coulter IDEAPitch competition at New Orleans Entrepreneur Week, with winners receiving $100,000 investments.

Geographic Focus

  • Primary concentration in San Francisco Bay Area
  • New Orleans, Louisiana (Phyllis Coulter's hometown)
  • Hanover, New Hampshire (Dartmouth College location)
  • Other cities: Denver, Metairie, New York, Santa Barbara, Washington, D.C.

What They Don't Fund

The foundation has not published exclusions, but as they only fund preselected organizations, unsolicited applications are not accepted.

Governance and Leadership

Founding Trustees:

  • James G. Coulter: Co-founder and executive chairman of TPG, a global alternative asset management firm. Managing Partner of TPG Rise Climate, TPG's climate investing initiative. Vice chair emeritus of Dartmouth's Board of Trustees and member of Stanford University Board of Trustees. Member of Common Sense Media Board of Advisors. Co-chair of LEAD Commission studying digital technology in schools.

  • Phyllis S. Coulter: Board member of San Francisco University High School. Originally from New Orleans, Louisiana.

Both trustees serve without compensation.

James Coulter on Education: "The most important content area is education... and somehow, technology has barely scratched it."

James Coulter on Climate: "In the next 30 years, the climate revolution is going to look like the digital revolution of the last 30 years."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. The foundation's IRS filings explicitly state: "The foundation only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds."

All grants are made at the discretion of the founding trustees, James G. Coulter and Phyllis S. Coulter, to organizations they have identified and selected.

Getting on Their Radar

Given the foundation's invitation-only approach, building relationships within the trustees' networks may be relevant:

James Coulter's Known Affiliations:

  • TPG (his firm) - connections through his business network
  • Dartmouth College - Board of Trustees (vice chair emeritus)
  • Stanford University - Board of Trustees
  • Common Sense Media - Board of Advisors
  • LEAD Commission - Co-chair (digital technology in education)
  • New Orleans Entrepreneur Week - Founder of Coulter IDEAPitch competition

Phyllis Coulter's Known Affiliations:

  • San Francisco University High School - Board member
  • New Orleans community connections

Geographic Connections: Organizations based in San Francisco, New Orleans, or connected to Dartmouth/Stanford have received support.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable. Grants are made at trustee discretion without formal application cycles or decision timelines.

Success Rates

Not applicable. The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable. The foundation does not accept applications.

Application Success Factors

Since this foundation operates on an invitation-only basis, traditional application success factors do not apply. However, analysis of their giving patterns reveals:

Organizational Characteristics of Grant Recipients:

  • Established institutions with strong reputations (major museums, universities, national foundations)
  • Organizations in the trustees' geographic areas of interest (San Francisco, New Orleans, Hanover/Dartmouth)
  • Causes aligned with the trustees' known interests: education (especially STEM and educational technology), arts and culture, medical research, environmental conservation, and community development
  • Organizations where the trustees have direct board involvement or personal connections

Thematic Alignment:

  • Education innovation: Organizations advancing STEM education, increasing diversity in STEM fields, or using technology to improve educational outcomes
  • San Francisco Bay Area causes: Strong local giving pattern to SF institutions
  • Entrepreneurship: Support for startup ecosystems, particularly in New Orleans
  • Climate and environment: Emerging focus area given James Coulter's leadership of TPG Rise Climate

Notable Large Grants as Examples:

  • Outside the foundation, the Coulters personally gave $25 million to Dartmouth in 2022 for the STEM-X program, which seeks to increase representation of underrepresented groups in STEM-related advanced-degree programs
  • Foundation's largest 2024 grant of $1,055,000 went to San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
  • Multiple six-figure grants to education, arts, and healthcare institutions

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No public application process: This foundation cannot be approached through traditional grant applications; they fund only preselected organizations
  • Relationship-driven grantmaking: Grants appear to flow through the trustees' board memberships, geographic connections, and personal networks
  • Geographic strategy: Focus your relationship-building if you're in San Francisco, New Orleans, or connected to Dartmouth/Stanford
  • Thematic alignment matters: Education (especially STEM and ed-tech), arts/culture, healthcare, environment, and entrepreneurship are consistent focus areas
  • Scale and reputation: Recent grant recipients are primarily established, well-known institutions rather than small or emerging nonprofits
  • Personal connection is key: James Coulter's quote emphasizes education technology and climate as personal priorities; alignment with trustees' stated values may be important
  • Long-term approach required: Building relationships with board members or connecting through mutual networks at Dartmouth, Stanford, Common Sense Media, or TPG may take years

References

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