Danford Foundation

The Danford Foundation (formally the Danford Fisher Hannig Foundation) operates as a relationship-driven private foundation that is intentionally insulated from open grant markets. Founded in 1982 by Fred and Gladys Danford of Redwood City, California, the Foundation was shaped by its naming history — Katherine Fisher (executive assistant to the Danfords) and attorney Frank Hannig helped establish it, and both names were later incorporated as tribute. Today it is led by President and CEO Ted J. Hannig, an attorney and avid sailor whose personal passions — law, sailing, and philanthropy — directly shape the Foundation's giving portfolio.

The core strategy is portfolio maintenance rather than competitive grant-making. The Foundation describes itself as supporting "over 150 local charities" and notes it is "rarely open to new grant requests due to longstanding commitment to and relationship with its existing portfolio of recipients." This means the vast majority of annual disbursements go to organizations with multi-year, sometimes decades-long relationships with the Foundation and the Hannig family. New applicants face a high barrier not because of formal process barriers, but because the portfolio is considered full.

For applicants that do qualify, the process requires submission via the Foundation's website only, accompanied by a current financial statement and the IRS 501(c)(3) determination letter. Geographic eligibility is restricted to organizations in the San Francisco Peninsula or Northern California. No formal deadlines are published. Contact is via admin@danfordfoundation.org or (650) 482-3082 at 990 Industrial Rd Ste 206, San Carlos, CA 94070.

The strategic implication for nonprofits is clear: cold applications have minimal success. The highest-yield path to a Danford grant is cultivating a personal relationship with Ted Hannig, connecting through the Redwood City civic community (particularly the Sequoia Yacht Club or Sequoia Awards network), or demonstrating alignment with his documented interests in marine/environmental research, youth sailing, and Peninsula social services.

The Danford Foundation distributed approximately $1.08–$1.25 million annually in recent years, across 52–88 individual grants depending on the fiscal year. The grant count has been declining — from 88 awards in 2022 to 76 in 2023 to 52 in 2024 — while total disbursements have remained relatively stable at roughly $1.1–1.2M, suggesting the Foundation is concentrating grants with fewer, larger awards.

Grant size data from the most recent available 990 filings reveals a bimodal distribution: - The median grant is approximately $5,500, consistent with small community-support donations to local nonprofits - The vast majority of grants (roughly 85–90%) fall in the $1,000–$40,000 range - A small number of outlier grants are dramatically larger, most notably a $525,000 grant to the Hannig Environmental Research Organization for marine and coral reef connectivity research - St. Jude Children's Research Hospital received $100,000 (national exception to the Peninsula geographic focus) - Peninsula Youth Sailing Foundation received $40,000 - Floating Doctors (international humanitarian healthcare) received $32,500

Focus areas by disbursement volume: 1. Environmental/marine research — outsized due to the Hannig Environmental Research Organization relationship 2. Children's health and medical research — St. Jude and comparable organizations 3. Youth development and sailing programs — Peninsula Youth Sailing Foundation and similar 4. Social services (food, housing, job training, homeless services, substance abuse) — the bulk of the 150-organization portfolio at smaller grant amounts 5. International humanitarian aid — Floating Doctors and related organizations

Assets stand at $15.6 million (FY2024), down from $19.7M in FY2023, reflecting market valuation shifts. Revenue is primarily investment-driven: dividends ($349K), realized asset gains ($1.49M), and interest ($23K). The Foundation holds minimal liabilities ($200) and maintains a lean administrative structure with three compensated staff (Ted Hannig $150K, Secretary Elmer Guerrero $75K, CFO Stacy Talamantes $55K) and two uncompensated board directors (Paula Uccelli, Christine Ackermann).

The Danford Foundation occupies a distinctive niche among San Mateo County and Peninsula private foundations: mid-size assets (~$15M), relationship-driven giving, and a strong personal-values overlay from its long-tenured leadership. The comparison below covers foundations of broadly similar scale and geography:

Key differentiators for Danford: - Much higher grant count (52–88) relative to asset size than peers, reflecting its broad 150-organization portfolio model - Lower median grant ($5,500) than most comparably-sized foundations, reflecting many small sustaining gifts alongside a few very large ones - Unusual concentration: one grant ($525K to Hannig Environmental) can represent ~49% of total annual giving — a pattern not typically seen among peer foundations of this size - Stronger personal/leadership influence on grant selection than most peer foundations - Less formal process than peers: no LOI requirement, no published deadlines, website submission only vs. formal portals used by Atkinson or SVCF donor-advised funds

The Danford Foundation's most notable recent giving pattern is the emergence of the Hannig Environmental Research Organization as its dominant single grantee, receiving $525,000 in 2023 — an amount representing nearly half of total annual disbursements. This organization focuses on marine biology and coral reef connectivity research, directly reflecting Ted Hannig's longstanding personal commitment to ocean conservation and rain forest preservation.

The Hannig Cup sailing fundraiser, launched in 2006 at the Sequoia Yacht Club and having raised over $7.4 million for charity to date, has become a major pipeline for the Foundation's youth sailing and maritime giving. Peninsula Youth Sailing Foundation ($40,000 in 2023) is a consistent beneficiary of this ecosystem.

In the medical/health space, the $100,000 grant to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital represents the largest national (non-California) grant and signals continued alignment with pediatric cancer research as a priority that transcends the usual geographic restriction.

Floating Doctors ($32,500), which provides medical and dental services to indigenous and underserved communities in Central America, reflects Hannig's documented interest in bringing healthcare to unserved populations — a cause he has personally supported through the broader Redwood City civic community.

The declining grant count from 88 (2022) to 52 (2024) while maintaining roughly flat total disbursements suggests the Foundation is consolidating its portfolio — fewer but larger relationships — which could make it even harder for new organizations to enter the grantee pool in coming years. This is consistent with strategic consolidation as the Foundation matures under Hannig's leadership.

The Hannig entities (Hannig Environmental Research Organization, Hannig Sail It Forward Foundation, Hannig Law LLP) are listed as Platinum Sponsors of the Sequoia Awards for 2020–2023, confirming sustained and multi-faceted civic engagement at the leadership level. This network remains the primary ecosystem from which new grantee relationships emerge.

Given the Danford Foundation's closed-portfolio model, applicants should approach with realistic expectations and a long-term relationship strategy rather than a transactional grant application mindset. The following tips reflect what actually drives success at this funder:

1. Establish a connection before applying. The Foundation's core portfolio was built through personal relationships over decades. Attend Redwood City civic events, the Sequoia Awards (co-founded by Ted Hannig), and Sequoia Yacht Club activities. A warm introduction dramatically outweighs a cold application.

2. Align with Ted Hannig's personal passions. Marine/environmental research, youth sailing, Peninsula community social services, and international humanitarian health are not just program categories — they reflect the CEO's direct interests. Organizations working in reef conservation, ocean education, youth maritime programs, or global health access should lead with that alignment explicitly in any communication.

3. Be Peninsula/Northern California focused. The Foundation explicitly restricts eligibility to organizations based in the San Francisco Peninsula or Northern California. National organizations (St. Jude) are rare exceptions, not the rule. Emphasize your local footprint and community ties.

4. Submit via the website with required documents. The only stated process is: submit through the Foundation's website (danfordfisherhannig.org), include a current financial statement, and include the IRS 501(c)(3) determination letter. Do not attempt to substitute mail, email, or cold calls for the website submission.

5. Keep the initial ask modest. Given the $5,500 median grant size, a first-time request in the $5,000–$15,000 range is more likely to succeed than a large ask. Demonstrate organizational value at a small scale and then build the relationship for sustained multi-year support.

6. Leverage existing grantees as connectors. If your organization works alongside any of the Foundation's ~150 existing grantees (especially Peninsula Youth Sailing Foundation, Floating Doctors, or Sequoia Awards participants), a co-referral or shared-program connection can open a door that cold applications cannot.

7. Accept that timing is indefinite. There are no published deadlines. The Foundation reviews when it chooses. Follow up politely once every few months after initial submission, and do not interpret silence as rejection — the process is informal and relationship-gated rather than cycle-based.