Davis Educational Foundation
/OVERVIEW: The Davis Educational Foundation awards grants to private and public undergraduate colleges and universities in the New England states.
FUNDING AREAS: Undergraduate education, public and private colleges and universities
IP TAKE: Unlike the family foundation associated with this Davis family, all six New England states are on equal footing with DEF. Pitch an idea to make college more affordable for New England students.
PROFILE: Established in 1985, the Davis Educational Foundation (DEF) is the charitable foundation of Elisabeth K. Davis and Stanton W. Davis and remains separate from the Davis Family Foundation. Mr. Davis retired as the chairman of Shaw’s Supermarkets, and then the couple established the Davis Educational Foundation in order to support undergraduate education in New England. During Mr. Davis’ time with the company, it experienced tremendous growth and transformation with automation and technical advances. But his core value remained listening to his customers, which is what drives DEF’s individualized approach to grantmaking today. Funding areas of interest include undergraduate programs of both public and private colleges and universities that are regionally accredited and offer baccalaureate degrees.
The DEF conducts higher education grantmaking through its Presidential Grant Program, which has evolved and become an ongoing program. The program helps college and university leaders establish initiatives to curb cost increases and make college more affordable for students. Grants to build awareness about this issue are eligible for $2,500 grants, and grants for longer-term exploration and pilot initiatives are eligible for $10,000 grants.
Other DEF funding objectives support effective teaching and learning. DEF awards implantation grants for this purpose and also for cost affordability. Implementation grants support projects to improve curriculum, assessment outcomes, learning environments, planning efforts, and incentive systems. However, they do not support capital campaigns, endowments, or scholarships.
DEF grants typically range between $2,500 and $300,000. Grantseekers can learn about past grantees in the funder’s online grants database. The foundation geographically focuses on six states in New England: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. The foundation often makes multi-year grants for two or three-year periods.
This funder accepts unsolicited grant requests from New England applicants. Only educational institutions may apply for DEF grants. Submission deadlines are typically in March, May, and October. There is no letter of inquiry process, but the funder encourages contact before submitting an application. Grantseekers should direct general questions to the staff at def@davisfoundations.org or 207-846-9132.
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