William And Joanne Miller Charitable Trust

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: $3.4 million
• Success Rate: N/A (invitation only)
• Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
• Grant Range: $500 - $3.6 million
• Geographic Focus: California (primarily)

Contact Details

• Location: Simi Valley, CA 93065
• Website: Not available
• Email: Not publicly available
• Phone: Not publicly available

Overview

The William And Joanne Miller Charitable Trust is a private non-operating foundation established in 2020 with assets of approximately $65 million. The trust operates from Simi Valley, California, and has quickly become a significant philanthropic force in the region, distributing over $3.4 million annually to preselected charitable organizations. The foundation focuses on philanthropy and grantmaking foundations, arts and culture, and voluntary health associations. Since its inception, the trust has maintained a highly selective approach to grant-making, working exclusively with organizations identified through their trustees' networks rather than accepting unsolicited applications.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The trust does not operate formal grant programs but makes discretionary grants to preselected organizations:

• Large Strategic Grants: $1.8 million - $3.6 million (supporting major institutional initiatives)
• Smaller Support Grants: $500+ (specific amounts not disclosed)

Priority Areas

• Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Foundations
• Arts, Culture & Humanities
• Voluntary Health Associations & Medical Disciplines
• Education (particularly STEM education through affiliated scholarship programs)

What They Don't Fund

As the foundation works only with preselected organizations, they do not fund:

• Unsolicited requests
• Organizations outside their established network
• Individual requests

Governance and Leadership

Specific trustee and officer information is not publicly available through standard web searches. The foundation's leadership structure and key personnel would be documented in their annual Form 990-PF filings with the IRS.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process. The William And Joanne Miller Charitable Trust explicitly states that it only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Grants are awarded at the discretion of the trustees to organizations identified through their existing networks and relationships.

Decision Timeline

Decision timelines are not publicly disclosed as the foundation operates through trustee discretion rather than a formal application cycle.

Success Rates

Not applicable due to invitation-only funding model.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - the foundation does not accept applications.

Application Success Factors

Given the foundation's invitation-only model, traditional application success factors do not apply. The trust makes a limited number of large grants annually (typically 1-2 grants per year) to organizations preselected by the trustees. Recent grant patterns show a preference for substantial, transformational gifts rather than numerous smaller grants.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• This foundation does not accept unsolicited applications - grants are by invitation only
• The trust makes a small number of very large grants annually (median grant size $1.8 million in 2022)
• Focus areas include arts and culture, health associations, and philanthropy infrastructure
• Geographic preference for California-based organizations
• Associated with STEM education support through the Ventura County Community Foundation scholarship program
• Organizations seeking support would need existing relationships with trustees or connections through their network

References

• ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer - William And Joanne Miller Charitable Trust profile
• Candid/Foundation Directory Online - Foundation profile data
• IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search - EIN verification
• Ventura County Community Foundation - William and JoAnne Miller Scholarship Fund information
• Foundation Search databases - Grant distribution data 2020-2023