Huber Foundation

The Huber Foundation takes a highly focused, proactive approach to grantmaking, concentrating exclusively on reproductive rights and family planning. Established in 1949 and based in Falmouth, Maine, the foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals — it identifies and preselects all grantee organizations. With approximately $80 million in assets, the foundation distributes around $3.7 million annually across only 8-12 grants, making it one of the most concentrated grantmakers in the reproductive rights space. The foundation's strategy centers on three pillars: (1) keeping abortion safe, legal, and increasingly rare; (2) contraceptive choice and availability; and (3) relevant education. Rather than spreading funding thinly, the Huber Foundation makes large, sustained investments in established national organizations that lead litigation, policy advocacy, and direct service delivery in reproductive rights. The foundation's leadership includes President Jennifer G. Goodspeed and Vice President/Executive Director Lorraine Barnhart, who guide the preselection process. The foundation has grown significantly from $17 million in assets in 2011 to nearly $80 million in 2024, enabling increasingly substantial grants to its core partners.

The Huber Foundation's 990 filings reveal a remarkably consistent and concentrated funding pattern. In 2024, the foundation made just 9 grants totaling $3.7 million, with individual awards ranging from $50,000 to $750,000. The grant count has been stable over the past six years: 10 grants (2019), 8 grants (2020), 11 grants (2021), 12 grants (2022), 9 grants (2023), and 9 grants (2024). The top two recipients — the ACLU Foundation ($750,000) and Center for Reproductive Rights ($750,000) — account for over 40% of total giving. The next tier includes National Abortion Federation ($500,000), National Women's Law Center ($450,000), and Planned Parenthood Federation of America ($400,000). The foundation's payout rate in 2024 was approximately 4.6% of assets ($3.7M on $80M), which is slightly below the required 5% minimum distribution rate for private foundations, though qualifying distributions may include administrative costs. Revenue comes primarily from dividends (51%) and asset sales (49%), with zero contributions received. Charitable disbursements represent 93% of total expenses ($3.85M of $4.14M), indicating very lean operations with only $120K in officer compensation.

The Huber Foundation is distinctive for its single-issue focus and extreme concentration — 9 grants per year versus hundreds or thousands from larger funders. While the Buffett Foundation dwarfs all others in reproductive rights funding, the Huber Foundation achieves outsized impact per grant dollar by targeting the most established national advocacy organizations. Its closed application model is unusual even among reproductive rights funders.

In 2024, the Huber Foundation distributed $3.7 million across 9 grants, maintaining its long-standing commitment to the nation's leading reproductive rights organizations. The largest grants went to the ACLU Foundation ($750,000 for reproductive rights work) and Center for Reproductive Rights ($750,000 for domestic reproductive rights work). Other significant 2024 awards included $500,000 to the National Abortion Federation for its Hotline Fund and general support, $450,000 to the National Women's Law Center, $400,000 to Planned Parenthood Federation of America, $300,000 each to NARAL Pro-Choice America Foundation (now Reproductive Freedom for All Foundation) and the National Partnership for Women and Families, $200,000 to the Feminist Majority Foundation for its National Clinic Access Project, and $50,000 to Planned Parenthood of Northern New England. The foundation saw a board transition in November 2024, with Eliza Brooke joining as Director and Catherine Niederer departing. The foundation's assets have grown substantially over the past decade — from $17M in 2011 to nearly $80M in 2024 — though it operated at a net loss of $1.59M in 2024 as charitable disbursements exceeded investment returns.

The Huber Foundation explicitly states that it only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. This makes traditional application strategies inapplicable. However, organizations working in reproductive rights may consider these approaches to build visibility: (1) Focus on the foundation's three stated pillars — abortion access, contraceptive choice, and relevant education — and ensure your organization's work directly addresses one or more of these. (2) Build relationships with current Huber grantees (ACLU Foundation, Center for Reproductive Rights, Planned Parenthood, National Women's Law Center, etc.), as co-funding and coalition work can increase visibility to the foundation's leadership. (3) The foundation's only regional grant in 2024 went to Planned Parenthood of Northern New England ($50,000), suggesting a secondary interest in New England-based reproductive health services given the foundation's Falmouth, Maine location. (4) Maintain strong Form 990 filings and financial transparency, as the foundation clearly values organizational stability — its grantee list has remained remarkably consistent year over year. (5) Contact the foundation's Vice President/Executive Director Lorraine Barnhart at 732-933-7700 only if your organization is a well-established reproductive rights entity with a clear alignment to the foundation's mission — cold calls from misaligned organizations are unlikely to be productive.