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Saunders House Foundation

Annual Giving
$0.6M

Saunders House Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $649,633 (2024)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly available
  • Decision Time: Not publicly available
  • Grant Range: Not publicly available
  • Geographic Focus: Philadelphia area seniors
  • Total Assets: $26.6 million (2024)

Contact Details

Mailing Address:
PO Box 26804
Collegeville, PA 19426-0804

Note: The foundation does not currently have a public website, email, or phone number listed. This is a private foundation with no public application process.

Overview

The Saunders House Foundation was established in 2023 with proceeds from the sale of Saunders House, a nursing and rehabilitation facility founded in 1864 as the Old Man's Home of Philadelphia (the name was changed in 1960 when the charter was amended to include women). After 160 years of operation, the standalone nonprofit facility faced challenges from the pandemic, declining census, rising costs, and staffing difficulties, leading to its sale in 2022. The foundation was created to continue the legacy of serving Philadelphia-area seniors through grant-making rather than direct care. With total assets of approximately $26.6 million and annual charitable disbursements of $649,633 in 2024, the foundation supports organizations providing services to seniors in the Philadelphia community. The foundation generates income primarily through investment dividends (88.7% of revenue) and interest (4.4%).

Funding Priorities

Mission Focus

The foundation's core purpose is to award grants to organizations in the community providing services to seniors, with a particular focus on seniors housing and healthcare providers whose residents may lack financial resources.

Priority Areas

  • Senior housing and care services
  • Healthcare providers serving seniors
  • Organizations supporting low-income or vulnerable seniors
  • Senior services in the Philadelphia metropolitan area

What They Don't Fund

Not publicly documented, though given the foundation's narrow focus on senior services in the Philadelphia area, projects outside this scope would likely not be considered.

Governance and Leadership

Board of Trustees:

  • Gordon Mott - President/Chair
  • A. Louis Denton - Treasurer/Vice Chair
  • Tim Rubin - Secretary
  • Additional board members (names not publicly available in recent filings)

The board operates on an unpaid basis, with all trustees serving without compensation. The foundation appears to operate with minimal administrative overhead, focusing resources on charitable distributions.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process. The Saunders House Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation that awards grants through trustee discretion. There is no public website, application portal, or published guidelines for submitting grant proposals.

Grants are awarded based on decisions made by the board of trustees, likely through their own research and knowledge of organizations serving seniors in the Philadelphia area.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly available. As a private foundation without a public application process, decision timelines are at the discretion of the board.

Success Rates

Not publicly available. Grant recipient information from Form 990-PF filings may provide insight into the number and types of organizations funded, but specific success rates and application volumes are not tracked for public applicants.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable, as there is no public application process.

Application Success Factors

Given the lack of a public application process, the following factors are relevant:

Foundation Origins and Values:

  • The foundation emerged from 160 years of direct service to Philadelphia seniors, suggesting deep roots in and commitment to the local senior care community
  • The original Saunders House was known for quality of care and deep community connections
  • The decision to create a foundation rather than dissolve indicates commitment to continuing the legacy of service

Geographic Focus:

  • Clear emphasis on Philadelphia area organizations
  • Likely preference for Main Line and surrounding communities given the original Saunders House location in Wynnewood

Target Beneficiaries:

  • Explicit focus on organizations serving seniors who may lack financial resources
  • Interest in both housing and healthcare providers
  • Organizations addressing gaps in senior care access

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No public application process exists - This foundation operates through trustee discretion rather than open solicitation
  • Very specific mission - Focus is exclusively on Philadelphia-area organizations serving seniors, particularly those lacking financial resources
  • Substantial assets - With $26.6 million in assets, the foundation has significant capacity for sustained grant-making
  • New foundation - Established in 2023, so grant-making patterns are still being established
  • Legacy orientation - The foundation carries forward 160 years of service tradition from the original Saunders House
  • Relationship-based - Without a public process, trustees likely fund organizations they know or discover through their networks in the senior care community
  • Financial focus - Stated interest in supporting providers whose residents lack financial resources suggests alignment with serving low-income seniors

References

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