OVERVIEW: The Michael E. Gellert Trust primarily funds grantmaking related to education and the arts. It also earmarks funds for causes like health, public policy and the environment.
IP TAKE: The foundation lacks transparency, which limits information available on its grantmaking priorities and activities. To network here, you would have to find a way to get on one of the boards where family members serve or with organizations which they are affiliated due to a personal connection. While the trust provides a phone number, it takes a while to reach someone, but don’t hesitate to make contact. This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. It also doesn’t make many grants a year, and often to the same grantees; however, it leaves some room for new grantees of interest to the family.
That said, the civically active Catherine should be watched as the family’s philanthropy shifts to its next generation.
PROFILE: The Michael E. Gellert Trust was founded in 1964 by veteran financier Michael E. Gellert, who was a general partner of Windcrest Partners, which he cofounded in 1968. He graduated with an A.B. in government from Harvard University and an M.B.A. in finance from the Wharton School. He served as a trustee for many major organizations, including Human Rights Watch. Gellert died in 2021. This private foundation is currently steered by family members, including his daughter Catherine.
The foundation does not maintain a website, which restricts further information on its priority areas and grantmaking strategies. Tax filings suggest that the Michael E. Gellert Trust primarily funds grantmaking related to education and the arts. It also earmarks funds for causes like health, public policy and the environment.
Grants for K-12 and Higher Education
This funder’s giving for education appears to support foundations that are directly affiliated with the family rather than providing grants with distinct grantmaking goals.
Gellert’s daughter Catherine also graduated from Harvard, where the family has recently directed seven-figure sums. Other grantees have included St. Paul’s School (Catherine attended and is a trustee), Hunter College Foundation, Chapin School, and The American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Another important grantee is The New School, where Gellert is on the board.
Grants for Arts and Culture
This funder’s giving for the arts invests in organizations with which the family is affiliated, typically boards on which they serve.
The Gellerts serve on several boards of organizations aligned with family giving priorities. They are on the boards of American Repertory Theater, Lincoln Center Institute, and Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts. Other grantees include New York Philharmonic, The Frick Collection, the Metropolitan Museum, Central Park Conservancy, and the Metropolitan Opera.
Grants for Health, Human Rights, and the Environment
The Gellerts support organizations that work in health and public policy. The family traces its roots to Prague, which Gellert’s family fled in the late 1930s. Gellert is on the board of Human Rights Watch, and Catherine is on the board of International Women’s Health Coalition, another grantee. The trust gave almost $200,000 to Social Science Research Council.
The family has supported environmental organizations including Black Rock Forest Consortium, but environmental grantmaking appears to occur on a smaller scale.
Important Grant Details:
The foundation keeps a low profile and does not accept unsolicited proposals. It made over $2 million in grants in 2022. Grants tend to range from about $10,ooo to $500,000; however, established and well-known organizations tend to receive the largest grants.
PEOPLE:
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CONTACT:
Michael E. Gellert Trust
750 Third Avenue, Suite 3300
New York, NY 10017
(212) 599-3620