Neil & Amelia McDaniel Charitable Trust

OVERVIEW: The McDaniel Charitable Trust supports organizations focusing on a wide variety of funding areas, primarily in California. It keeps a low profile and does not maintain a website.

IP TAKE: While the trust has no problem supporting its grantees over multiple years, few new organizations appear on its grantee list. Coupled with its low public profile, this suggests grantseekers may have to overcome a few hurdles to get this funder’s attention. This is a tough nut to crack, but contact this funder at the number provided below to learn more about how its grantmaking may be evolving and how it chooses what to fund. This funder is not able to be your primary source of funding depending on the size of your project.

PROFILE: The San Francisco, California-based Neil & Amelia McDaniel Charitable Trust was founded in 1977. This modest supporter of a variety of issues does not employ a formal staff or operate a website. McDaniel is a relatively small organization with assets of around $6 million to $8 million. Its tax filings reveal grantmaking to a few small to mid-sized groups that are building capacity, such as the group Last Mile Health. 

Grants for K-12, Higher Education, and Economic Opportunity

McDaniel funds more grants for education than for any other issue, but in this area, as in its other grantmaking, it is unclear what specifically this funder looks for in a grantee. This foundation supports adult education in the form of adult literacy and high school equivalency programs, and has made grants to organizations including Next Step Learning Center and Holy Names University in Oakland, California. K-12 education grant recipients include Cantare con Viva, Northern Light School, San Ramon Valley Educational Foundation, Holy Names High School, and Saint Mary's College of California. Previous higher education grantees include Willamette University in Oregon, Colorado College, Sonoma State University, University of Puget Sound, University of California at Berkeley Foundation, and Georgetown University.

Grants for Health and Diseases

Much of McDaniel’s health grantmaking focuses on disease research and treatment. It has funded organizations working in areas including brain and nervous system disorders, cancer, immune system diseases (specifically for HIV/AIDS), and musculoskeletal diseases. Previous grantees include National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Jonsson Cancer Center Foundation, Cancer Support Community San Francisco Bay Area, and Arthritis Foundation.

Grants for Housing and Community Development

The Trust’s community development grants support a variety of issues including basic and emergency aid, food insecurity, youth development, homelessness, immigrant support, and disability services. Past grant recipients include Doctors Without Borders USA, Inc, Catholic Charities of Santa Rosa, Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano, Women to Women International, Shelter Inc of Contra Costa County, Contra Costa Clubhouses, TLC Child and Family Services, and International Rescue Committee

Grants for Global Development and Global Health

The trust is a modest supporter of global poverty alleviation organizations based in the U.S. The trust tends to support larger organizations such as Care USA, a leading humanitarian group. It also supports broad-based global health efforts rather than those related to a specific condition, disease, or healthcare topic. Past grantees include big players in the global poverty alleviation and humanitarian landscape, such as Oxfam, Heifer International and Finca International.

Grants for Arts & Culture and Arts Education

McDaniel supports local arts and culture, and arts education, primarily in California. Past grantees include Friends of the Bancroft Library and Sebastopol Center for the Arts. This funder is also a strong supporter of local music presenting organizations, including Lamplighters Music Theatre, Music From Bear Valley, and Womensing.

Important Grant Details:

Grants range from $1,000 to $200,000. Most grants range between $1,000 to $5,000. The Neil and Amelia McDaniel Charitable Trust tends to give multi-year support to its grantees. It does not accept unsolicited requests for funding or grant applications, instead opting to proactively seek out organizations to fund.

PEOPLE:

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CONTACT:

Neil and Amelia McDaniel Charitable Trust

625 Fair Oaks Ave Suite 360

South Pasadena, CA United States 91030

(626) 441-5188