Hultquist Foundation Inc.

The Hultquist Foundation operates as a deeply community-rooted, family-legacy philanthropic vehicle anchored in Jamestown, New York. Established in December 1965 and administered by a four-person volunteer board of local attorneys and professionals — Stephen J. Wright (President), Thomas I. Flowers and John K. Plumb (Vice Presidents), and Robert F. Rohm Jr. (Secretary/Treasurer) — each receiving $1,200 annually, there is no program staff, no published strategic plan, and no competitive RFP cycle.

The operative phrase that should guide every prospective applicant's framing is the foundation's stated restriction: it gives to "religious, charitable and educational organizations in Chautauqua County, NY which the Hultquist family supported during their lives." This is legacy-stewardship philanthropy, not open-market grantmaking. The board sustains a set of relationships and causes the Hultquist family itself championed — meaning organizational alignment with that legacy is more persuasive than any grant-writing technique.

Grantee data confirms this relationship-driven model. Of the top 28 tracked recipients, at least 18 received multiple grants, many spanning three or four funding cycles. The YMCA of Jamestown received $612,100 across four grants including a landmark $500,000 capital project; United Way of Southern Chautauqua County received $220,000 across four annual campaign grants; the American Red Cross received $109,600 across four grants. These are ongoing partnerships, not competitive awards.

First-time applicants should understand that entry-level grants appear to range from $5,000 to $25,000, with larger commitments ($100,000–$500,000) reserved for established relationships and clearly scoped capital projects. The process begins with obtaining the foundation's Grant Guidance Letter, which governs all procedural requirements. There is no online portal; all requests are submitted in writing to President Wright's law office (Wright Calimeri, 525 Fairmount Ave., Jamestown, NY 14701).

The typical relationship progression for a new organization: initial written request, modest pilot grant ($5,000–$25,000), satisfactory reporting through a second grant cycle, then eligibility for larger project or capital support. Connecting your mission to institutions the Hultquist family historically supported — the YMCA, arts organizations, environmental conservation of Chautauqua Lake, higher education — maximizes alignment probability.

Hultquist Foundation distributes approximately $835,000–$1.09 million in grants annually from a ~$15 million asset base. Financial trends over the past decade show a stable but investment-return-sensitive foundation: in FY2021, net investment income of $1.76 million supported peak distributions of $1,092,679; in FY2022, investment income fell to $292,141 and giving moderated to $875,508. FY2023 saw $553,221 in net investment income supporting $919,738 in total giving, with FY2024 disbursements rising to $935,735 on total revenue of $1,001,516.

Across 70 tracked disbursements in the grant database, the average grant is $47,106 and the median is $25,427 — a right-skewed distribution where a handful of large capital grants pull the average well above the typical award. The observed range spans $3,000 (Busti Historical Society, campus surveillance system) to $500,000 (YMCA of Jamestown, construction of new central facility). Most grants fall in the $10,000–$75,000 range.

Geographic concentration is near-absolute: 96% of tracked grants (67 of 70) go to New York organizations, virtually all in Chautauqua County and the Jamestown metro. Three Oregon grants likely reflect legacy relationships outside the stated geographic focus and should not be interpreted as geographic openness.

Program area breakdown by cumulative giving across tracked grantees: - Youth and community services (YMCA, YWCA, Boys & Girls Club): ~$844,000 (26%) - Arts and culture (Reg Lenna Center, Infinity Visual & Performing Arts, Chautauqua Foundation, Fund for the Arts, Chautauqua Institution): ~$613,000 (19%) - Healthcare and human services (Chautauqua Hospice, Red Cross, United Way, Community Helping Hands): ~$656,000 (20%) - Education (Jamestown Community College): ~$371,000 (11%) - Environmental conservation (Chautauqua Lake & Watershed Management Alliance): $280,000 (8%) - Other civic/community (Audubon Nature Center, libraries, sports, historical): ~$210,000 (6%)

The foundation makes 17–22 grants per year, reflecting a selective pipeline rather than a broad open program. Officer compensation of $4,800/year (FY2023) represents less than 0.6% of distributions, confirming the bare-bones administrative model of a trustee-managed legacy fund.

The Hultquist Foundation competes for applicant attention alongside several Chautauqua County and Western New York private funders. The table below compares key metrics; figures for peer foundations are approximate, drawn from available public 990 data and regional funder databases.

Among these, Hultquist is distinguished by its explicit family-legacy mandate and concentration on pre-established organizational relationships. The Chautauqua Region Community Foundation offers a more accessible competitive process with online applications and broader thematic coverage, making it a stronger fit for newer organizations without Hultquist-family historical connections. Gebbie Foundation is the most structurally comparable peer — also a Jamestown-based private legacy fund — though it has historically demonstrated somewhat broader geographic reach within the region. Applicants seeking Chautauqua County funding should pursue Hultquist and the regional community foundation in parallel, as their application requirements and timelines differ substantially and are not mutually exclusive.

No press releases, organizational announcements, or leadership changes were publicly identified for the Hultquist Foundation through 2025–2026 web searches. The foundation maintains a minimal public presence consistent with its trustee-managed, no-staff operating model, and its website (hultquist.org) provides limited publicly accessible content.

The most recent verified financial data (FY2024 990 filing) shows $935,735 in charitable disbursements and $1,001,516 in total revenue — the strongest revenue year since FY2021, driven primarily by dividends (44%) and asset sales (56%). Net assets remained stable at $15,079,758, essentially flat compared to FY2023 ($15,093,081). This stability suggests the foundation's portfolio has weathered recent market volatility and distributions should remain in the $850,000–$1,000,000 range for the near term.

Grantmakers.io data referencing the 2024 tax year identifies recent recipients including Jamestown Community College (capital support), Chautauqua Institution, and continued environmental giving for Chautauqua Lake management — consistent with the multi-year pattern in the full grantee database. The foundation's 2024 cycle produced an estimated 17–22 grants.

Leadership has been fully stable across multiple filing years: Stephen J. Wright (President), Thomas I. Flowers and John K. Plumb (Vice Presidents), and Robert F. Rohm Jr. (Secretary/Treasurer) appear unchanged on filings from at least 2019 through 2024. The most visible recent legacy recognition is the naming of the Hultquist Building at Jamestown Community College, reflecting a cumulative capital gift of $370,558 for building renovations — the kind of institutional partnership that defines this foundation's model.

Hultquist Foundation's application process is among the most straightforward in the Chautauqua County funding landscape — but simplicity should not be mistaken for leniency. The following tips are specific to this funder's actual process and history.

Obtain the Grant Guidance Letter first. Email swright@wrightcalimeri.com or call (716) 483-1122 before preparing any materials. This document governs all procedural requirements and may contain specific formatting or content instructions not published elsewhere. Submitting without reviewing it signals you have not done your homework.

Choose your deadline cycle strategically. Three windows open each year: September 15, March 15, and May 15. Submit no earlier than the 10th of each deadline month. The May 15 deadline may draw fewer applicants; September 15 follows summer capital planning cycles and is often when capital campaign requests land. March 15 aligns with fiscal year-end planning for many nonprofits and may be the most competitive window.

Invoke the Hultquist family legacy explicitly. The restriction language — "organizations which the Hultquist family supported during their lives" — is not boilerplate. Research established grantees (YMCA, Chautauqua Hospice, Chautauqua Lake conservation, Reg Lenna Center, Jamestown Community College) and identify direct thematic overlap with your work. If your organization shares constituents, mission overlap, or partnerships with these institutions, name that connection directly in your opening paragraph.

Lead with a specific project and a specific dollar amount. The stated application requirement is a "description of program, project, or capital improvement/replacement, including estimated cost." For capital requests, attach a formal cost estimate. For program requests, define measurable outcomes and scope.

Target your first ask modestly. Entry-level awards for new organizations appear to fall in the $5,000–$25,000 range. Requesting $100,000+ on a first application is unlikely to succeed; build toward larger awards over two to three grant cycles.

Mail physical submissions only. No online portal exists. Mail or hand-deliver to: Hultquist Foundation, c/o Stephen J. Wright, Esq., 525 Fairmount Ave., Jamestown, NY 14701.

Common mistakes to avoid: submitting before the earliest acceptable date (the 10th of each deadline month); omitting a cost estimate; addressing the submission to the wrong officer; requesting support for programs outside Southern Chautauqua County without a documented legacy connection.