Ambrose Monell Foundation
/OVERVIEW: The Ambrose Monell Foundation does not maintain specific grantmaking programs. However, it funds a wide range of projects related to disease and medical research, education, and arts and culture. For over 20 years, Monell’s biggest cause has been the Monell Chemical Senses Center, which studies taste and smell.
IP TAKE: Despite its accessible online application process and year-round acceptance of unsolicited proposals, many grantseekers will find it difficult to secure funding. Smaller- and mid-sized organizations face fierce competition from larger, well-established grantees. The foundation is approachable though, so reach out if necessary to discuss general questions.
PROFILE: The Ambrose Monell Foundation is one of two closely connected foundations started in 1956 by Norwegian shipbuilder G. Unger Vetlesen and wife Maude Monell. The Monell and Vetlesen Foundations share the same goals, which are loosely defined. Both foundations now have identical missions, serving religious, charitable, scientific, literary and educational purposes. Monell provides “a long-term commitment to voluntarily aiding and contributing to scientific, cultural, educational, and other charitable initiatives.”
Grants for Diseases and Public Health
Though the foundation appears to prioritize cancer work, Ambrose Monell also supports the diagnosis, research, and treatment of other diseases and conditions, such as Alzheimer’s, blindness, and multiple sclerosis. Monell typically awards grants to larger hospitals and research institutions. Monell also supports medical care at hospitals throughout the US, including Cleveland Clinic, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Mount Sinai Hospital.
Past disease grantees include Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Association, Brady Urological Institute, Columbia University International AIDS Program, and Seton Pediatric Center.
Grants for Science Research
The foundation’s signature program is the Monell Chemical Senses Center, which is associated with the University of Pennsylvania and bills itself as the “world’s only independent, non-profit scientific institute dedicated to interdisciplinary basic research on the senses of taste and smell.” The center was founded in 1967 with a $1 million grant from Ambrose Monell, and it receives roughly another $1 million yearly.
The rest of Monell’s grantmaking is less specifically targeted, but a good deal of it goes to science-based research. It frequently supports research to cure diseases, especially cancer. Past grantees in this area include the Nutrition Science Initiative, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, American Federation for Aging Research, Emory University, Vaccine Center of the School of Medicine, and Institute for Advanced Study. The foundation has funded Yale for research on parasitic disease in Africa, as well as the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute.
Grants for Higher Education
Monell supports education programs throughout the US that focus on students from kindergarten through college; however, the vast majority of education grants support higher education, specifically those schools with medical students. As in other areas, these grants tend to prioritize larger institutions with well-established medical programs.
Past grantees include Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences, Bronx Charter School for Children, Wake Forest University, and Rockefeller University. It has also helped to fund Columbia University’s College of Physicians & Surgeons Summer Research Program for Secondary School Teachers, and Community College of Philadelphia’s Student-Faculty International Fellows Program. It has also given to Howard University for Scholarships at the College of Medicine.
Grants for Arts and Culture
The foundation’s support for arts and culture is broad and covers a wide range of performing and visual arts institutions. Larger organizations receive the most funding and are the priority. Some smaller museums and arts groups, like Massachusetts’ American Friends for the Preservation of Czech Culture, have been supported in the past, but these are the exceptions.
Past grantees include New York Botanical Garden, Juilliard School, Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the New York City Ballet. It has also supported Jazz at Lincoln Center for programming and educational activities, and Library of America for its Core Collection Initiative for NYC Libraries.
Important Grant Information:
The Ambrose Monell Foundation accepts unsolicited letters of inquiry, which must be submitted electronically. The foundation will no longer review hard copy applications. Preliminary applications must go through the foundation’s online form. The foundation will respond four to six weeks after receiving an application to indicate whether they want a full proposal.
Each year, the foundation regularly awards dozens of grants. Most fall within the $25,000 to $100,000 range, but a smaller portion have reached $300,000 or higher. Past grantees can be viewed here, and featured case studies can be found here.
PEOPLE:
Search for staff contact info and bios in PeopleFinder (paid subscribers only).
LINKS:
