Cloverfields Foundation

Cloverfields Foundation is the personal family philanthropy of Stephen J. Hemsley — former longtime CEO of UnitedHealth Group (2006–2017) — and his wife Barbara K. Hemsley. The foundation operates with zero paid staff and zero officer compensation, functioning as a direct expression of the Hemsley family's values rather than a professionally managed institutional grantmaker. This context shapes every aspect of strategy.

The single most critical fact: the foundation is preselected-only and does not accept unsolicited applications. IRS 990 filings explicitly state application instructions as 'none.' No submission portal, no grant guidelines, and no public-facing foundation website exist. The cloverfields.org domain belongs to an unrelated Maryland homeowners' association. Access to this foundation's funding is entirely relationship-driven.

The Hemsley family's giving clusters around three interlocking pillars: Catholic and Jesuit educational institutions, Twin Cities community organizations, and human services for vulnerable populations. Georgetown University — a Jesuit institution — has received $6.8M across 5 grants, making it by far the largest single relationship. Marywood University (Catholic, Scranton PA) has received $1.4M. The University of St. Thomas (Catholic, St. Paul MN) has received $2.0M combined. The faith-based institutional pattern is deep and repeating across the entire grantee history.

Geographically, 75 of 131 recorded grants (57%) are to Minnesota organizations, reflecting the Hemsley family's decades-long roots in the Minneapolis business community. Washington DC (10 grants, driven by Georgetown) and Illinois (8 grants) round out the footprint. Organizations outside MN, DC, IL, CA, and MD are rarely funded at mid-to-large grant sizes.

For first-time approaches, the realistic strategy is not a cold application but: (1) demonstrating authentic connection to Catholic educational or community networks already trusted by the Hemsley family; (2) seeking a warm introduction through existing grantees such as Interfaith Outreach & Community Partners or the Constellation Fund; or (3) developing genuine visibility in Minneapolis civic and philanthropic circles where Stephen Hemsley remains active post-UnitedHealth.

First-time applicants should know there is no review cycle, no deadline, and no acknowledgment system. The relationship itself is the application.

Cloverfields Foundation's giving has grown substantially over the past decade, closely tracking the Hemsley family's increasing philanthropy. Annual giving rose from $2.5M (FY2015) to $5.8M (FY2023), with FY2024 estimated at approximately $5.3M. Total documented giving across all available fiscal years exceeds $30M.

Grant size distribution: The foundation's 990-reported data shows a bimodal pattern. The median grant in the typical_grant_size dataset is $17,200, while the average is $154,083 — a gap reflecting a small number of very large multi-year relationships alongside many smaller faith-community and local-organization gifts.

• Largest single cumulative relationship: Georgetown University, $6.8M over 5 grants (~$1.36M per grant)
• Largest single grant on record: $1.5M (Leo C. Byrne Residence Fund)
• Upper mid-tier: $200,000–$1.0M to university and community service partners
• Small grants: $10,000–$75,000 for Catholic schools, arts organizations, and international relief
• Minimum recorded grant: $500

By program area (estimated from grantee analysis across all recorded years): - Higher education: ~45% of total giving (Georgetown, University of St. Thomas, Marywood, University of Minnesota) - Faith communities and interfaith outreach: ~20% (Interfaith Outreach, Basilica of St. Mary's, St. Olaf Church, multiple Catholic parish schools) - Community services and human services: ~15% (Neighborhood Development Center, Second Harvest, Project Hope, Midtown Global Market) - Arts and culture: ~8% (Children's Theatre, Minneapolis Institute of Arts, French American International School, Alliance Française) - Health and medical: ~7% (University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital, JDRF, Courage Kenny, Washburn Center for Children) - International relief: ~5% (Lifesong for Orphans at $500,000, Smile Train, Children's HeartLink)

Revenue trend context: FY2023 contributions received were $28.5M, more than double FY2022's $14.7M, suggesting active refilling of the foundation corpus. Net investment income was $14.8M in FY2023. This dual engine of new contributions plus investment returns positions the foundation for sustained or increased grantmaking through FY2025-2026.

The following foundations are asset-comparable peers in the Philanthropy & Grantmaking category, all holding approximately $58M in assets as reported to the IRS:

Note: Annual giving data for peer foundations other than Cloverfields is not available in the current dataset; comparisons are based on total assets and publicly available NTEE classifications.

Cloverfields stands out among its asset peers in two important ways. First, its FY2023 giving of $5.8M represents approximately 10% of total assets — nearly double the IRS-mandated 5% minimum distribution for private foundations — indicating the Hemsley family treats this as an active grantmaking vehicle rather than a long-term wealth-preservation endowment. Second, the complete preselection model (no open applications) is typical of closely-held single-family foundations of this size, unlike the C T Bauer Foundation or World Food Prize Foundation, which maintain defined open or program-specific application processes.

FY2024 financials (most recent available): Total assets of $58.4M on total revenue of $37.3M, including $31.1M in new contributions from the Hemsley family and $2.9M in dividends. Charitable disbursements were approximately $5.26M — consistent with the prior year's $5.8M. The foundation's asset base has ranged from $40.6M (FY2022 low, after market downturn) to $60.3M (FY2023 peak), driven primarily by contribution timing rather than investment returns alone.

Cloverfields Scholars Program (2024-2025): Marywood University in Scranton, PA administered an active named Cloverfields Foundation Scholars Program for the 2024-2025 academic year — a full scholarship covering tuition, required fees, and on-campus room and board for first-generation college students demonstrating servant leadership potential. Renewal requires maintaining a 3.0 GPA. This program directly reflects the Hemsley family's stated interest in Catholic higher education and first-generation student access.

Recent notable grantee (FY2024, per CauseIQ): Lifesong for Orphans — a Christian international orphan care nonprofit — received $500,000, representing one of the largest international grants in the foundation's recorded history and a significant expansion of the international giving track.

No public announcements were found from Cloverfields Foundation itself in 2025 or 2026. The foundation maintains no public-facing website under its name, and leadership — Stephen and Barbara Hemsley — have not made public statements about the foundation's direction in recent cycles. The foundation's activity must be tracked entirely through IRS 990 filings, which typically become available 12-18 months after the fiscal year closes.

Stephen Hemsley, who turned the CEO role at UnitedHealth Group over to Andrew Witty in 2021 after a period as executive chairman, remains a prominent figure in Minnesota business and civic philanthropy.

Because Cloverfields Foundation is preselected-only with no formal application process, the conventional grant-seeking playbook does not apply. These tips are specific to this funder's actual access dynamics.

Conduct a relationship audit first. Map your board, staff, major donor network, and alumni community for any direct connection to Stephen J. Hemsley, Barbara K. Hemsley, UnitedHealth Group alumni (particularly Minneapolis-based former executives), or current and emeritus board members of the University of St. Thomas (St. Paul, MN) or Georgetown University (Washington, DC).

Catholic institutional identity is a primary filter. The grantee list is dominated by Catholic and Jesuit organizations. If your organization has formal Catholic affiliation — through founding religious order, diocesan relationship, or Catholic educational mission — document this prominently. This is your strongest credential for visibility with this funder, not your programmatic outcomes data.

Use existing grantees as connectors. Organizations receiving recurring multi-year grants — Interfaith Outreach & Community Partners ($1.27M cumulative), the Constellation Fund ($1.2M over 4 grants), French American International School ($810K), Northern Star Scouting ($150K) — are trusted intermediaries in the Hemsley philanthropic network. A peer introduction from one of these organizations carries substantially more weight than any cold outreach.

Minnesota geography confers structural advantage. With 57% of all grants going to MN organizations, Twin Cities-based nonprofits have a built-in proximity advantage. Visibility at Minneapolis civic events and the Minnesota Council on Foundations increases the probability of organic relationship development.

Align language around 'servant leadership' and 'community transformation.' The Marywood Scholars Program explicitly uses 'servant leadership' as a core selection criterion. Avoid transactional or ROI-heavy framing. The Hemsley giving philosophy emphasizes long-term institutional relationships and community embeddedness, not short-term programmatic deliverables.

Do not cold-contact the foundation. The listed phone number (952-208-8623) and Naples, FL mailing address (111 10th St S Ste 200) are administrative. Unsolicited inquiries are unlikely to be productive and may be counterproductive with a closely-held family foundation of this character.