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Greene Family Foundation

Annual Giving
$0.2M
Grant Range
$1K - $0.0M
Success Rate
12%

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $171,000-$201,000
  • Success Rate: 12% (for new applicants)
  • Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
  • Grant Range: $1,000 - $20,000
  • Typical Grant: $7,000
  • Geographic Focus: Santa Barbara County and surrounding California areas

Contact Details

Address: 1187 Coast Village Rd Ste 1 PMB 127, Montecito, CA 93108-2761

Note: The foundation does not have a public website or published contact information for grant inquiries.

Overview

The Greene Family Foundation is a private independent foundation based in Montecito, California, established to support local community organizations. With assets of approximately $4 million, the foundation distributes between $171,000 and $201,000 annually through approximately 21-25 grants per year. The foundation focuses exclusively on supporting nonprofits in Santa Barbara County and surrounding California communities, including Camarillo, Carpinteria, Goleta, Pasadena, Santa Barbara, Santa Ynez, and Ventura. The foundation does not specify particular subject areas for its funding, providing primarily general operating support to preselected charitable organizations. Leadership includes President Larame Greene, Vice President Nicole Sterndahl, and Treasurer Ted Greene, all of whom serve without compensation, reflecting a family-operated philanthropic approach.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation operates a single grant program providing general purpose support to local California nonprofits. Based on 2023-2024 data:

  • Typical grant range: $1,000 - $20,000
  • Average grant size: $7,000
  • Most common grants: $5,000 - $15,000
  • Number of annual grants: 21-25

Recent grant recipients include:

  • Storyteller Children Center Inc: $20,000
  • Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation: $20,000
  • Girls Inc of Greater Santa Barbara: $17,000
  • St. Vincents-Paths: $15,000

Priority Areas

While the foundation does not specify particular subject areas, analysis of their grant-making patterns shows consistent support for:

  • Youth development and education programs
  • Children's services
  • Health and human services
  • Community service organizations
  • Local nonprofit infrastructure

Geographic Focus: Santa Barbara County is the primary focus, with additional support for organizations in Camarillo, Carpinteria, Goleta, Pasadena, Santa Ynez, and Ventura.

What They Don't Fund

  • Organizations outside of California
  • National or international programs
  • Organizations without a strong local presence in their service area
  • The foundation has not disclosed specific exclusions

Governance and Leadership

Leadership Team (all serve without compensation):

  • Larame Greene, President
  • Nicole Sterndahl, Vice President
  • Ted Greene, Treasurer

The foundation operates as a family foundation with all key officers from the Greene family. The leadership's decision to serve without compensation reflects a commitment to maximizing charitable distributions to the community.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. According to their Form 990-PF filings, the Greene Family Foundation "only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds."

This means:

  • Grants are awarded to organizations identified and selected by the trustees
  • Unsolicited proposals are not accepted
  • There is no application portal or form available
  • Organizations cannot apply unless specifically invited by the foundation

Decision Timeline

Not publicly disclosed, as the foundation operates on an invitation-only basis.

Success Rates

For organizations that do receive consideration (preselected organizations), the new applicant funding rate is approximately 12%. The foundation makes 21-25 grants annually from assets of approximately $4 million.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable given the invitation-only model. Organizations are selected at the discretion of the trustees.

Application Success Factors

While there is no public application process, analyzing the foundation's grant-making patterns reveals the following characteristics of funded organizations:

Geographic Proximity: All funded organizations have a strong presence in Santa Barbara County or surrounding California communities. The foundation demonstrates a clear commitment to local impact.

General Operating Support: The foundation provides "GENERAL" purpose grants rather than project-specific funding, suggesting they support organizations they trust to allocate funds where most needed.

Consistency in Funding: Analysis of multi-year patterns suggests the foundation maintains relationships with certain organizations over time, indicating they value long-term partnerships with effective nonprofits.

Focus Areas: While not explicitly stated, grant patterns show consistent support for:

  • Organizations serving children and youth
  • Health and human services providers
  • Community-based organizations with direct service delivery
  • Established nonprofits with proven track records

Grant Size Consistency: Most grants fall in the $5,000-$20,000 range, suggesting the foundation prefers to make meaningful contributions to a select number of organizations rather than spreading funds more thinly.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • This foundation does not accept unsolicited applications - there is no point in submitting a proposal unless specifically invited
  • Geographic proximity is essential - only organizations serving Santa Barbara County and nearby California communities receive funding
  • The foundation operates through trustee discretion - grants are made to preselected organizations identified by the Greene family trustees
  • Relationship-based giving - the foundation appears to support organizations known to the trustees through personal connections or community involvement
  • General operating support is the norm - the foundation trusts recipient organizations to use funds effectively rather than restricting grants to specific projects
  • New applicant success rate is low (12%) - the foundation maintains consistent relationships with trusted organizations
  • Building visibility in the Santa Barbara nonprofit community may eventually lead to trustee awareness, though there are no guarantees given the closed application process

References

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