Clausen Family Foundation
At a glance
Key takeaways
- The foundation's stated geographic focus is worldwide, with an emphasis on education, and it looks for goal-oriented projects with a measurable purpose, realistic goals and a time horizon for impact.
- A small charity whose education work fits that approach and can show measurable results is a reasonable candidate.
- Most of its grants are modest: about 8 in 10 of its 12 grants to organisations fall between $1,500 and $250,000, and half were $50,000 or less, so a request near $50,000 is a sensible starting point, although its largest grant was $600,000.
- Applications are rolling, so there is no deadline; send your mission statement and a clear case for why you should receive a grant, and upload a formal request if you have one.
- In the filing, 99% of grant dollars to organisations went to groups it had funded before, so the process leans heavily on existing relationships and new applicants may find it harder to win a grant, though approaching it is still reasonable.
Overview
Clausen Family Foundation is a US private foundation based in Wilmington, DE.
What they fund
Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2025, TY2024, TY2023) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The Clausen Family Foundation provides philanthropic grants to organisations worldwide, with an emphasis on Education. It supports goal-oriented projects, organisations and initiatives that benefit the communities in which its grantees operate. Its stated approach is to provide a hand-up rather than a hand-out, backing work with a measurable purpose and helping organisations and individuals reach their full potential. It assesses opportunities for passion, a worthy recipient, alignment with its mission and the type of gift, realistic and attainable goals, and a time horizon for impact. Its stated goal is to help others become agents of their own uplift.
Themes
- Education
Geographic Focus
Worldwide.
How to apply
Applicants provide their organisation’s mission statement and why they believe they should receive a grant; they may upload a formal grant request.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2025 filing, 99% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2023 or TY2024 filing.
- Grant size: Across its TY2023, TY2024 and TY2025 filings, half of its 12 grants to organisations were $50,000 or less.
What the foundation says:
- The foundation looks first for opportunities rich with passion, where ideas and visions can be brought to life.
- It considers a worthy recipient crucial and requires each grant to align with its mission of empowering others to become agents of their own uplift.
- It seeks people and organisations aligned with its mission and purpose, and considers the type of gift.
- It values realistic and attainable goals.
- It considers the time horizon, seeking measurable impact beyond the immediate period.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2023–2025.
Grant dollars by state
1 other state: <1%
- The largest single recipient received 85% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2025, 99% of grant dollars went to organisations Clausen Family Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
Grants
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Hillsdale College · To support the production of Hillsdale College's free online course on Homer's The Iliad, including filming, editing, and distribution, advancing Hillsdale's mission to make classical education rooted in the Western tradition accessible worldwide$250,0002025 tax year
- Hillsdale College · To support the production of Hillsdale College's free online course on Homer's The Odyssey, including filming, editing, and distribution, advancing Hillsdale's mission to make classical education rooted in the Western tradition accessible worldwide$250,0002025 tax year
- Judicial Watch · General & Unrestricted$1,5002025 tax year
- American Transparency · General & Unrestricted$1,5002025 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Craig M Clausen — Director, President, Secretary
- David Cessna — Treasurer
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 tax year | $136,024 | $106,000 | $2,614,399 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $836,241 | $810,466 | $2,891,045 | Filing for 2024 tax year |
| 2025 tax year | $520,748 | $503,000 | $2,570,402 | Filing for 2025 tax year |
Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.
Sources
Registers and filings
Other sources
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At a glance
Applying to Clausen Family Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Wilmington, DE
- clausenfamilyfoundation.com
Applying to Clausen Family Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Wilmington, DE
- clausenfamilyfoundation.com