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Robert F Stone Foundation

Annual Giving
$2.9M
Grant Range
$0K - $0.8M

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $2,859,794
  • Total Assets: $19.5 million
  • Grant Range: $250 - $750,000
  • Median Grant: $5,000
  • Number of Grants: 100 (2023)
  • Geographic Focus: Multi-state (Alabama, Colorado, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia)
  • Primary Focus: Tennessee (especially Chattanooga, Nashville, Asheville)

Contact Details

Address: Lake Success, NY (administrative); Wilmington, DE (registration)

Note: The foundation does not maintain a public website and does not accept unsolicited grant requests.

Overview

The Robert F. Stone Foundation (also known as the Bobby Stone Foundation) is a private independent foundation that received tax-exempt status in February 2019. With assets of $19.5 million and annual giving of approximately $2.86 million, the foundation describes its mission as "helping people build cycles of generational prosperity." The foundation focuses on four core areas: poverty alleviation, homelessness, education, and arts & culture. Based administratively in Lake Success, NY, but registered in Delaware, the foundation shows a strong geographic preference for the Southeastern United States, particularly Tennessee communities including Chattanooga, Nashville, and Asheville. The foundation operates through a preselected grantmaking model, making 100 grants annually ranging from small gifts of $250 to major investments of $750,000.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation operates on a trustee-discretion model rather than formal grant programs. Recent awards demonstrate significant range:

  • Major Capital Grants: $200,000 - $750,000 (infrastructure, capital campaigns)
  • Program Support: $50,000 - $100,000 (operating support, specific programs)
  • General Support: $5,000 (median grant size)
  • Small Grants: $250 - $5,000 (various organizations)

The foundation does not operate on fixed deadlines or a rolling application basis—all grants are made through trustee discretion to preselected organizations.

Priority Areas

Based on the foundation's stated mission and recent grantmaking patterns:

Poverty Alleviation: Food security, basic needs support

  • Chattanooga Area Food Bank ($100,000)

Homelessness: Services and support for homeless populations

  • Animal Care Trust ($105,000 for Comprehensive Pet Safety-Net Project)

Education: Educational access and opportunity building

Arts & Culture: Cultural institutions, theaters, community arts

  • The Tivoli Theatre Foundation ($750,000 for theatre renovation)
  • Chattanooga FC Foundation ($200,000 for Montague Park Field Construction)

Community Development: Public lands, recreational facilities

  • Trust for Public Land - Tennessee ($75,000 for Chattanooga Community Schoolyards)

Faith-Based Organizations: General and unrestricted support

  • Metropolitan Ministries ($55,000)

What They Don't Fund

While not explicitly stated, as a private foundation with preselected grantees:

  • The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications
  • Geographic focus appears limited to specific Southeastern states
  • No evidence of international grantmaking

Governance and Leadership

Key Personnel

Thomas H. Hopper - President (uncompensated)

Michael Pollock - Director and sole compensated staff member ($92,500 annual compensation). Pollock's LinkedIn profile describes the foundation's mission as "a small private foundation helping people build cycles of generational prosperity" with focus areas in "Poverty, Homelessness, Education, Arts & Culture."

Board of Directors (all uncompensated trustees):

  • Danna Bailey
  • David Brock
  • Bryan Patten
  • Keith Sanford
  • Lee Towery

The foundation appears to be connected to Robert F. Stone (Bobby Stone), a philanthropist with ties to Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. The foundation has explicitly indicated it "only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds."

All grants are made through trustee discretion. Organizations are identified and selected by the board and foundation leadership rather than through competitive application processes.

Getting on Their Radar

The foundation's preselected grantmaking model means organizations must be identified by trustees or foundation leadership. Based on grantmaking patterns:

Geographic Connection: The foundation shows strong preference for Tennessee communities (Chattanooga, Nashville, Asheville area). Having operations or significant impact in these communities appears important.

Board Connections: With seven board members and directors including the President and compensated Director Michael Pollock, grants appear to flow from board members' knowledge of and connections to organizations doing work in the foundation's priority areas.

Demonstrated Impact in Priority Areas: Organizations working in poverty, homelessness, education, and arts & culture—particularly those with measurable community impact—align with the foundation's stated mission of "helping people build cycles of generational prosperity."

Community Infrastructure: Recent large grants suggest the foundation values investments in community infrastructure (theatres, sports facilities, schoolyards) that create long-term community benefit.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable—the foundation does not accept applications. Grant decisions are made at the discretion of trustees on an ongoing basis throughout the year.

Success Rates

Not applicable for traditional success rate metrics. The foundation made 100 grants in 2023, all to preselected organizations.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable—organizations cannot apply or reapply as the foundation does not accept unsolicited requests.

Application Success Factors

Since this foundation does not accept applications, traditional application success factors do not apply. However, their grantmaking patterns reveal what the foundation values:

Geographic Alignment: Strong Tennessee presence, especially Chattanooga—$750,000 to Tivoli Theatre Foundation, $200,000 to Chattanooga FC Foundation, $105,000 to Animal Care Trust, $100,000 to Chattanooga Area Food Bank—all Chattanooga-based organizations receiving major support.

Capital and Infrastructure Investments: Willingness to make large capital grants ($750,000 theatre renovation, $200,000 field construction) suggests the foundation values permanent community infrastructure that serves priority populations.

Mission Alignment: Recent grants directly align with stated priorities—food bank (poverty), pet safety-net (homelessness support), schoolyards (education), theatre (arts & culture).

Range of Grant Sizes: With grants ranging from $250 to $750,000 and a median of $5,000, the foundation supports both major institutional partners and smaller community organizations.

Multi-Year Relationships: As a foundation making grants to preselected organizations, they likely value ongoing relationships with trusted grantees rather than one-time transactions.

Generational Prosperity Focus: The foundation's mission specifically mentions "cycles of generational prosperity," suggesting preference for programs that create lasting change rather than short-term relief.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • This foundation does not accept unsolicited applications—traditional grant writing will not result in funding from this source
  • Geographic focus on Tennessee (especially Chattanooga, Nashville, Asheville) with expansion to other Southeastern states
  • Trustee-directed grantmaking means funding flows through board relationships and direct knowledge of organizations
  • Significant range in grant sizes from $250 to $750,000 shows flexibility in funding approaches
  • Focus on infrastructure and capital alongside program support—major recent grants support permanent community assets
  • Priority areas clearly stated: poverty, homelessness, education, arts & culture
  • Building cycles of generational prosperity is the core mission—programs should demonstrate long-term community impact
  • For organizations in Tennessee: focus on building visibility and relationships in communities where foundation is active rather than submitting applications

References

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