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Edwards Foundation Inc

Annual Giving
$0.6M
Grant Range
$5K - $0.2M
Success Rate
12%

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $637,000 - $768,000
  • Total Assets: $21-23 million
  • Grant Range: Typically $5,000 - $200,000
  • Median Grant: $5,000
  • Number of Grants: 30-32 annually
  • Geographic Focus: Multi-state (12 states including CA, TX, AZ, CO, DC, HI, ID, IL, MD, NC, NV, PA)
  • Success Rate for New Applicants: 12%

Contact Details

Edwards Foundation Inc 611 Middlefield Road Redwood City, CA 94063-1625

Phone: 650-350-1555

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

Overview

Edwards Foundation Inc was established in November 1967 as a private family foundation based in Redwood City, California. With total assets of approximately $21-23 million and annual charitable disbursements ranging from $637,000 to $768,000, the foundation supports organizations across education, healthcare, government and freedom, intellectual infrastructure, and civic initiatives. The foundation is led by President Paul C. Edwards and operates with an all-volunteer board of family members who receive no compensation for their service. The foundation takes a highly selective approach to grantmaking, funding only preselected organizations with which trustees have direct familiarity. While they award 30-32 grants annually, the success rate for new applicants is notably low at 12%, reflecting their preference for established relationships. The foundation operates across 12 states with concentrated activity in major metropolitan areas including San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Dallas.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation does not operate formal grant programs but makes discretionary grants across several focus areas. Grant amounts range from small contributions of $5,000 (the median grant size) to larger awards of $200,000 for major institutions.

Application Method: Invitation only - contributions are made to preselected charitable organizations only.

Priority Areas

Based on recent grantmaking patterns, the foundation supports:

  • Education: Including support for educational foundations, policy organizations, and campus initiatives (e.g., Prager University Foundation, Turning Point USA)
  • Healthcare: Major medical institutions and health-related organizations (e.g., Cedars-Sinai)
  • Government and Freedom: Think tanks and policy research institutions (e.g., Hoover Institution)
  • Intellectual Infrastructure: Organizations focused on ideas, research, and thought leadership
  • Strengthening Private Initiative: Support for organizations promoting individual liberty and free enterprise
  • Civic Initiatives: Community-based organizations and civic engagement efforts

The foundation operates in multiple states across the United States, with particular presence in California, Texas, Arizona, Colorado, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Maryland, North Carolina, Nevada, and Pennsylvania.

What They Don't Fund

While the foundation does not publish explicit exclusions, their stated policy of funding only preselected organizations effectively excludes:

  • Organizations without existing relationships with trustees
  • Unsolicited applications from any organization
  • International organizations (focus is domestic U.S. only)

Governance and Leadership

The Edwards Foundation Inc is governed by a family board with the following leadership:

  • Paul C. Edwards - President and Director
  • Wm L. Edwards - Vice President, Treasurer, and Director
  • Barbara Haag Edwards - Director
  • Cree A. Edwards - Director
  • Sabrina Jorgensen - Secretary

All board members serve without compensation, reflecting the foundation's private family foundation structure. The foundation has been led by the Edwards family since its establishment in 1967.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process.

The Edwards Foundation Inc has explicitly indicated 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 with which they have pre-existing relationships and direct familiarity.

Getting on Their Radar

As a small family foundation, the Edwards Foundation focuses on organizations with which one or more trustees are closely acquainted. Their most successful grants historically go to groups where trustees have direct personal knowledge and involvement.

While the foundation does not encourage unsolicited contact, organizations seeking to establish a relationship might consider:

  • Building connections with board members through shared sector involvement in education, healthcare, policy research, or civic initiatives
  • Demonstrating alignment with the foundation's focus areas, particularly if your organization operates in one of their 12 active states
  • Understanding their giving patterns by reviewing their publicly available IRS Form 990-PF filings, which list all grant recipients

It is important to note that with a 12% success rate for new applicants, the foundation strongly prefers organizations already known to trustees.

Decision Timeline

The foundation does not operate on a fixed grant cycle. As a discretionary grantmaker, decisions are made by trustees on a rolling basis throughout the year. There is no publicly available information about typical decision timeframes.

Success Rates

  • New Applicant Funding Rate: 12%
  • Total Grants Awarded: 30-32 grants annually
  • Competition: Highly selective given the preselected nature of grantmaking

Reapplication Policy

Given that the foundation only funds preselected organizations, there is no formal reapplication policy for unsuccessful applicants. Organizations that have received funding in the past appear more likely to receive ongoing support if they remain in trustees' consideration.

Application Success Factors

Since this foundation does not accept applications, traditional "success factors" do not apply. However, analyzing their grantmaking patterns reveals several characteristics of funded organizations:

Organizations They Fund Tend to Have:

  • Trustee connections: Direct relationships with one or more board members appear essential
  • Strong institutional reputation: Major recipients include recognized institutions like Cedars-Sinai and the Hoover Institution
  • Alignment with foundation values: Organizations promoting education, healthcare excellence, free market principles, intellectual infrastructure, and civic engagement
  • Geographic presence: Organizations operating in the foundation's 12 active states, particularly California
  • Track record: Established organizations with demonstrated impact rather than startups

Grant Size Patterns:

  • Most grants cluster around the $5,000 median
  • Larger grants ($100,000-$200,000) go to major institutions with which trustees have long-standing relationships
  • The foundation appears comfortable with a wide range of grant sizes based on project scope and organizational capacity

Giving Philosophy:

The foundation's approach reflects a classical family foundation model where trustees use their personal knowledge and judgment to direct charitable resources to organizations they trust and understand deeply.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • This foundation does not accept unsolicited applications - attempting to submit an application will not be successful
  • Relationship-building is essential - with a 12% success rate for new applicants, direct trustee connections are critical
  • Geographic considerations - while the foundation operates in 12 states, California organizations receive significant attention
  • Values alignment matters - the foundation's support for conservative educational organizations, think tanks, and institutions promoting individual liberty suggests ideological considerations factor into grantmaking
  • Grant sizes vary widely - from $5,000 to $200,000, so demonstrating clear project scope and appropriate request size would be important for any future consideration
  • Institutional credibility - major recipients tend to be well-established, nationally recognized organizations
  • Long-term perspective - this is a family foundation likely to continue operating for generations, so building relationships over time may be more effective than immediate funding requests

References

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