Lattner Family Foundation Inc.

The Lattner Family Foundation is a traditional, trustee-driven private family foundation founded in 2006 by Forrest C. Lattner and headquartered in Delray Beach, Florida. With $106.9 million in assets and annual grantmaking of $5.7–$6.7 million, it operates with a lean, relationship-oriented model that prizes personal connection over transactional volume. The foundation does not conduct open RFPs or maintain a public grants portal — instead, it invites organizations to submit a straightforward mailed letter of inquiry, making it one of the more accessible mid-to-large private foundations for first-time applicants.

The board is led by Trustees Richard M. Harris and Andrew L. Harris (each compensated $15,000/year), Susan B. Walker and Rick Walker ($11,000/year each), and Forrest C. Brown and Janet Brown (uncompensated). This is a tightly controlled family-and-friends governance structure typical of foundations in this asset range. Decisions are made collectively by trustees, likely at two in-person meetings per year (spring and fall), which means relationship-building with any single trustee or the foundation's contact person, Patty Gerhart, can be meaningful.

For first-time applicants, the most important strategic point is geography. The foundation's giving tracks trustee residency: Kansas organizations receive roughly 45% of total grants, with Palm Beach County FL, Rhode Island, and Georgia sharing the remainder. Organizations outside these four states should not apply unless they have a compelling connection to a trustee's interests or a program with direct local impact.

The second critical filter is mission alignment. The foundation explicitly supports Christian organizations delivering services in arts, education, environment, and health. Faith-based nonprofits with direct service programs — schools, clinics, social service agencies — represent the ideal applicant profile. Secular organizations can be funded, but they compete against a field that includes values-aligned counterparts at the same grant level.

The typical relationship arc runs: mailed letter of inquiry → board review at biannual meeting → written decision notification (~12 weeks after deadline). There is no formal site visit requirement noted publicly, but organizations receiving larger grants ($75,000–$150,000) should expect deeper trustee engagement.

The Lattner Family Foundation has demonstrated consistent and growing grantmaking over its documented history, with grants paid rising from $3.9 million in 2011 to $6.5 million in 2022 — a 67% increase over eleven years. Total giving (which includes grants plus related charitable expenses) tracks slightly higher, reaching $7.2 million in 2022 and an estimated $6.6–$6.7 million in 2024 based on the most recent 990-PF filing.

Grant size range: $2,000–$150,000, with $150,000 representing the de facto ceiling. Known 2024 awards include Alliance Defending Freedom ($150,000), Family First ($150,000), and Classical School of Wichita ($135,000), suggesting that top-tier grantees are well-established, values-aligned organizations with multi-year relationships. The foundation distributes 142–195 grants per year, implying many awards are in the $10,000–$50,000 range. The median grant is estimated at approximately $25,000–$40,000 based on total giving divided by grant count.

By program area: Social and human services receive approximately 32% of annual giving (~$2.1M at 2024 levels), education approximately 22% (~$1.5M), health approximately 12% (~$800K), with arts/culture, environment, and religion sharing the remaining third. Christian-affiliated organizations appear to have a meaningful funding advantage across all categories.

By geography: Kansas dominates at approximately 45% of grants (~$3M), reflecting the Lattner family's roots in that state. Palm Beach County FL accounts for a meaningful share given the headquarters location. Rhode Island and Georgia together represent the balance. Arizona and Texas appear in secondary giving patterns.

Asset trajectory: The foundation grew from $71.8M in assets (2015) to $106.9M (2024) — a 49% asset increase in nine years — driven almost entirely by net investment income (e.g., $8.7M in 2022). The absence of external contributions confirms this is a purely endowed foundation with no capital campaign or donor acquisition. The strong asset base relative to annual giving (~6.3% payout rate) suggests the foundation is financially stable and likely to maintain current giving levels.

The following table compares Lattner Family Foundation to four peers with similar asset levels, all classified under NTEE T (Philanthropy & Grantmaking), drawn from the foundation's peer dataset:

Among this peer set, Lattner Family Foundation stands out for its relative transparency: it publicly discloses application deadlines (March 1 and September 1), maintains an active website with downloadable application materials, and accepts unsolicited inquiries — features that many comparably sized private foundations do not offer. The M D Anderson Foundation in Texas operates by invitation only and focuses narrowly on medical and scientific causes, making it non-competitive for most applicants who might approach Lattner. For organizations in the four Lattner geography states (FL, KS, RI, GA), Lattner offers a meaningfully more accessible path to six-figure support than most peers in this asset tier.

No formal press releases, leadership announcements, or new program launches have been publicly issued by the Lattner Family Foundation in 2025 or early 2026. The foundation operates without a communications function — it does not issue annual reports, maintain social media accounts, or participate in philanthropy conferences on the public record.

The most significant recent development is the filing of the 2024 Form 990-PF on November 13, 2025, which confirmed total assets of $106.9 million (up from $82.5 million in 2022 — a 29.5% increase in two years). This asset growth is the largest documented jump in the foundation's history and likely reflects both sustained investment portfolio performance and potential Lattner estate contributions.

Known 2024 grantees from the 990-PF include Alliance Defending Freedom ($150,000, December 2024), Family First ($150,000, December 2024), and Classical School of Wichita ($135,000, December 2024). These awards are at the top of the foundation's range and indicate that large, repeat grantees with values alignment to the Lattner family's conservative, Christian worldview continue to receive ceiling-level support.

Trustee compensation has remained flat since at least 2019 — Richard M. Harris and Andrew L. Harris at $15,000/year each, Susan B. Walker and Rick Walker at $11,000/year each — suggesting no governance restructuring is underway. Forrest C. Brown and Janet Brown remain uncompensated, consistent with their role as founding family members rather than professional trustees. Total officer compensation declined from $72,000 in 2012 to $52,000 in 2019–2022, a signal of operational tightening.

Timing is the single most controllable variable. The foundation holds two grant cycles per year with hard deadlines of March 1 and September 1. Materials submitted even one day late are presumed rejected — mail your package at least 10 business days before the deadline. The upcoming deadline is September 1, 2026. Decisions are communicated approximately 12 weeks after each deadline, meaning March 1 applicants hear in late May/early June and September 1 applicants hear in late November/early December.

Mail only — no exceptions. Proposals submitted by fax, email, or online form are not accepted. Physical mail to 770 East Atlantic Avenue, #201, Delray Beach, FL 33483, Attention: Patty Gerhart. Use certified mail with return receipt so you have delivery confirmation.

What belongs in the package: (1) A cover letter of 1–2 pages maximum including your organization's name, address, phone number, a brief overview of your mission, and a specific description of the grant request — what the funds will accomplish, the dollar amount requested, and the timeline. (2) Your IRS 501(c)(3) determination letter with EIN. (3) Your most recent IRS Form 990. (4) Supporting materials such as photos, brochures, program flyers, or architectural renderings are explicitly welcome and can bring the work to life for trustees who may not know your organization.

Language that resonates: Frame proposals around personal responsibility, hope, and measurable community impact — language drawn directly from the foundation's own mission statement. Faith-based organizations should not obscure their religious identity; the foundation explicitly lists Christian organizations as preferred partners. Secular organizations should emphasize concrete, person-level outcomes over systems change or advocacy.

Geographic alignment is mandatory. If your work is not in Palm Beach County FL, Kansas, Rhode Island, or Georgia, do not apply without a trustee connection. Kansas alone accounts for ~45% of the foundation's giving — organizations in Wichita, Kansas City (KS side), and Topeka are particularly well-positioned.

Grant size calibration: Request between $25,000 and $100,000 for a first-time ask. The $150,000 ceiling is reserved for established, repeat grantees. A $25,000–$50,000 request signals programmatic fit without overreaching.