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Ames Family Legacy Foundation

Annual Giving
$0.2M
Grant Range
$5K - $0.0M
00

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $157,231 (2024)
  • Success Rate: Not applicable (invitation only)
  • Decision Time: Not applicable (preselected organizations)
  • Grant Range: $5,000 - $30,000
  • Median Grant: $10,000
  • Geographic Focus: National (US-based organizations)

Contact Details

Address: PO Box 0634, Milwaukee, WI 53201
Phone: (513) 629-8111
Email: Not publicly available
Website: None

Overview

The Ames Family Legacy Foundation is a newly established private foundation granted charitable status in October 2024. Founded by Raymond G. Ames, the foundation had total assets of approximately $45 million as of 2024. In its first year of grantmaking, the foundation distributed $157,231 across seven grants ranging from $5,000 to $30,000. The foundation's giving reflects an interest in youth development, mentoring, workforce development, and support for first responders and therapeutic programs. The foundation operates as a private family foundation with two trustees and explicitly states that it only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation does not have formal grant programs or application cycles. All grants are made at the discretion of the trustees to preselected organizations.

2024 Grant Recipients (all general operating support):

  • Genesys Works (St. Paul, MN): $30,000
  • First Responders Children's Foundation (New York, NY): $25,000
  • Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (Tampa, FL): $20,000
  • Camelot Therapeutic Horsemanship (Scottsdale, AZ): $10,000
  • Three additional organizations: grants between $5,000-$10,000

Priority Areas

Based on 2024 grantmaking patterns:

  • Youth mentoring and development programs
  • Career readiness and workforce development for underserved youth
  • Support for first responders and their families
  • Therapeutic programs (equine-assisted therapy)
  • General operating support for established national nonprofits

What They Don't Fund

The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications and only funds preselected organizations. They do not provide information about specific exclusions.

Governance and Leadership

Trustees:

  • Raymond G. Ames, Trustee (1 hour/week, uncompensated)
  • Sonja C. Savage, Trustee (1 hour/week, uncompensated)

Both trustees serve without compensation. The foundation operates with no full-time employees and minimal administrative expenses.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

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

All grants are made at the discretion of the trustees to organizations they have identified and selected. There is no application portal, no application deadlines, and no formal proposal process.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - grants are made to preselected organizations at the discretion of the trustees.

Success Rates

Not applicable - the foundation does not accept applications.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - the foundation does not accept applications.

Application Success Factors

Since this foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, there are no application success factors to document. Organizations cannot apply to this foundation directly.

The foundation's grantmaking decisions are made entirely at trustee discretion, selecting organizations that align with their interests in youth development, mentoring, workforce readiness, and support services.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No public application process: This foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals or applications
  • Preselected organizations only: All grants are made to organizations chosen by the trustees
  • Small, focused giving: With only 7 grants totaling $157,231 in 2024, this is a modest family foundation
  • National scope: Despite being based in Milwaukee, the foundation has funded organizations across multiple states
  • Focus on youth and workforce: Recent grants show interest in mentoring, career development, and therapeutic programs for young people
  • General operating support: All 2024 grants were for general operating purposes rather than specific projects
  • Newly established: Granted tax-exempt status in October 2024, so grantmaking patterns may evolve

References

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