Francis R. Dewing Foundation
/OVERVIEW: This funder supports innovative educational programs for early childhood and elementary school students.
IP TAKE: This is an accessible funder for nonprofits and schools developing innovative or interdisciplinary curricula in a variety of subject areas. The foundation runs two annual grant cycles and accepts applications through its online system. They’re straightforward to work with and want to see their grantees succeed. Transparent and supportive, this funder is also open-minded.
PROFILE: The Frances Dewing Foundation is the philanthropy of the late Frances Hall Rousemaniere Dewing. A native of Massachusetts, Dewing earned a Ph.D. from Radcliffe in 1906 and taught philosophy and psychology at Mt. Holyoke College. She later worked at Bennington College as a professor of mathematics. She established her foundation in 1963, the year before she died, to “provide seed money for the intellectual stimulation of young children.” The foundation was at first run by Dewing’s three daughters, and it is now overseen by her great-grandchildren and extended family. Based in Townsend, Washington, the foundation supports innovative educational programs for children between the ages of two and twelve.
Grants for Early Childhood Education
The FRD Foundation supports early childhood education broadly, prioritizing “new, untried or unusual educational organizations or institutions which endeavor to introduce new educational methods.” Although it does not name specific areas of interest, early childhood education funding has gone to programs supporting early literacy, socio-emotional development, STEM education and the arts. One grantee, the Heritage Museum and Garden in Sandwich, Massachusetts, used funding to pilot a pre-school STEM program at local preschools and public libraries. In New Jersey, Kids Bridge Inc. received a grant to support its development of an anti-bullying program for pre-K and kindergarten students.
Grants for K-12 and Arts Education
Dewing’s K-12 funding follows the same mandate as its work in the early childhood arena, emphasizing innovative programs that expand and deepen student learning. Grants support programs for children up to the age of twelve, and recent funding has prioritized environmental and arts education programs. The Connecticut River Watershed Council used funding to develop a program that infuses arts and literacy into a program about local ecology. In Lawton Oklahoma, educators at Eisenhower Middle School received a grant for a combined art and science curriculum, and the Hull Lifesaving Museum used funding to develop a curriculum about the history of Boston Harbor and its lighthouses.
Important Grant Details:
FRD grants range from $1,000 to $20,000 with an average grant size of $5,000. This foundation makes between 20 and 30 grants each year, with most grants targeting specific, identifiable projects rather than general operational support. Profiles of previous grant recipients are available at the foundation’s website.
This funder accepts applications through its online application system and posts proposal guidelines on its website. It runs two yearly funding cycles, with submission deadlines of April 1 and October 1 each year. Direct general inquiries to the foundation’s manager, Nicole Rousemaniere, via email.
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