One Hive Foundation

One Hive Foundation is a Boston-based private foundation that was established in fiscal year 2022 when it received a $60 million founding contribution, immediately positioning it as a significant force in pollinator conservation philanthropy. The foundation is advised and led by an intergenerational beekeeping family and is managed operationally by Hemenway & Barnes LLP, a Boston law firm that provides legal, fiduciary, and grants administration services. Philanthropic Advisor Gioia Perugini oversees grant strategy, grantee outreach, and nonprofit partnerships day-to-day.

The foundation's giving philosophy centers on five explicit values: science-based decision-making, inclusivity, community support, collaboration across disciplines, and family-centered stewardship. These values translate directly into grantmaking preferences — proposals grounded in peer-reviewed science, field-based evidence, or credible quantitative outcomes carry the most weight. The foundation explicitly positions itself as nonpartisan and evidence-driven, meaning applicants should anchor their narratives in research data rather than advocacy framing alone, even when the work is inherently political (pesticide legislation, farm policy).

Geographic context strongly favors Vermont and the broader New England region. Of 38 tracked grants in the IRS 990 record, 12 went to Vermont-based organizations and 4 to Massachusetts-based groups — together comprising 42% of all grants by count. That said, the foundation has demonstrated genuine national reach with gifts to Cornell University (New York), University of Nebraska, University of Minnesota, and organizations in Colorado, Ohio, Michigan, North Dakota, and Washington D.C., suggesting any credible pollinator-focused organization can make a compelling case regardless of location.

The typical relationship progression begins with a Letter of Intent submitted through the AkoyaGo portal. Invited applicants then proceed to a full proposal, and the foundation offers a rare financial incentive — a proposal writing stipend — to reduce burden on under-resourced nonprofits. The foundation explicitly welcomes general operating support and multi-year commitments, setting it apart from funders that restrict grants to discrete project costs.

For first-time applicants, the key differentiator is scientific credibility. The foundation's single largest documented award — $477,558 to Cornell University for a Pesticide Analytical Lab — and its $204,128 to the University of Nebraska Bee Lab signal deep respect for university-based research programs. At the same time, the foundation funds small beekeeping clubs ($1,221–$3,720) and regional advocacy organizations, indicating a deliberate effort to support the full spectrum of the pollinator health ecosystem. Organizations that can credibly bridge grassroots community work with scientific evidence are particularly well-positioned.

One Hive Foundation's grantmaking data reveals a funder that spans a wide spectrum of grant sizes with a clear hierarchy of investment by recipient type. Across 38 documented grants totaling $1,626,772 from IRS 990 filings through FY2023, the average grant was $42,810. However, this average is heavily skewed by large institutional awards. The true median grant is significantly lower — the most common grant amounts cluster in the $1,221–$20,000 range for smaller grantees, while research institutions and advocacy organizations command $65,000–$477,558.

The grant portfolio breaks into three clear tiers:

Research and University Tier ($100,000–$477,558): Cornell University received $477,558 for a Pesticide Analytical Lab Discretionary Fund — the largest single documented grant. The University of Nebraska Foundation received $204,128 for a Bee Lab pollinator health research fund. The University of Vermont Foundation received $170,000 for the Vermont Bee Lab. A $160,000 grant to Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund for a donor-advised fund also falls at this level. These four recipients account for approximately 62% of all documented grant dollars.

Advocacy and Policy Tier ($15,000–$100,000): The Pollinator Stewardship Council received $100,000 across 2 grants (unrestricted). NOFA-VT received $90,000 across 3 grants for policy, grassroots organizing, and resilience work. NRDC received $75,000 for the Birds and Bees Protection Act in New York. The Conservation Law Foundation received $65,000 for neonicotinoid reduction and water quality work in Vermont. VPIRG received $42,000 for a statewide pollinator education campaign. These represent roughly 30% of total dollars.

Grassroots and Education Tier ($1,221–$20,000): State beekeeping associations and local clubs receive micro-grants in the $1,221–$20,000 range, including Xerces Society ($20,000 across 2 grants), University of Minnesota ($20,000 for Dr. Marla Spivak's lab), Vermont Center for Ecostudies ($20,000 across 2 grants), Vermont Beekeepers Association ($13,000 across 3 grants), and local clubs receiving $1,221–$3,720 for beekeeping education.

Geographically, Vermont dominates with 12 of 38 grants (32% of count). Colorado accounts for 6 grants, Massachusetts 4, Minnesota 3, DC and Michigan 2 each. Annual giving has scaled sharply: from $95,000 in FY2022 to $1,436,772 in FY2023. The April 2025 announcement of $1.7 million in a single round confirms continued scaling. Total assets stood at $57.87 million in FY2024, with net investment income of approximately $1.55 million in FY2023 providing a sustainable long-term funding base. The foundation's stated cap is $75,000 per year per request.

One Hive Foundation's closest asset-matched peers in the Granted database are all similarly-sized private foundations clustered around $57.8–58M in assets, all classified under NTEE T20 (Philanthropy & Grantmaking). None of the asset-matched peers maintain public websites or have published annual giving data, making direct programmatic comparison limited. The table below uses available asset data alongside One Hive's documented giving:

Among these asset-matched peers, One Hive Foundation stands apart in three significant ways. First, it maintains a fully public-facing website with detailed application guidelines, proposal timelines, and clear funding priorities — a level of transparency rare among private foundations of similar size. Second, it runs two open LOI rounds per year accessible to any qualifying nonprofit, rather than operating as an invitation-only funder. Third, it offers a proposal writing stipend — a practice almost unheard of in private foundation grantmaking. For grant seekers in the environmental conservation and agricultural science space, One Hive is an unusually accessible and mission-specific funder relative to its asset size and private foundation structure.

The foundation's most significant recent action was the April/May 2025 announcement of more than $1.7 million in grants to 10 Vermont organizations, described publicly as a response to 'devastating honeybee losses nationwide and increasing threats to native pollinators.' The 10 grant recipients — Appalachian Mountain Club, Cedar Circle Farm and Education Center, Intervale Center, Natural Resources Defense Council, Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont, Shelburne Farms, Vermont Center for Ecostudies, Vermont Monitoring Cooperative, Winooski Valley Park District, and Xerces Society — represent a broad coalition spanning scientific monitoring, habitat restoration, sustainable agriculture, youth education, and pesticide policy advocacy. Grants span one to three years, confirming the foundation's stated commitment to multi-year funding.

Philanthropic Advisor Gioia Perugini, who manages grant strategy through Hemenway & Barnes LLP, characterized the moment as urgent in public statements, noting that pollinators are essential to Vermont's ecosystems and agriculture and that current loss levels are deeply concerning. This framing signals an elevated sense of urgency driving the foundation's grantmaking pace.

In October 2025, the foundation published updated 2025-2026 Full Proposal Guidelines, confirming the continuation of its two-round annual cycle. An earlier guidance document was published in July 2025, suggesting active pipeline management. Trustee Charles E. Mraz (listed in IRS filings) provides oversight, while day-to-day grantmaking is led by Perugini. The foundation's IRS ruling date is May 2023, making it a relatively new private foundation now entering its fourth year, with grantmaking volume scaling rapidly relative to its $57.9M asset base.

One Hive Foundation runs two clearly defined grant rounds annually, making timing one of the most straightforward aspects of planning an application. Round 1: LOI due September 15, full proposal invitations issued October 15, full proposals due December 1, funding awarded January 15. Round 2: LOI due January 15, full proposal invitations issued February 15, full proposals due April 15, funding awarded June 15. For organizations with summer fieldwork seasons, Round 2 (award in June) aligns well with project start needs; for winter research cycles, Round 1 is preferable.

All applications flow through the AkoyaGo portal at goapply2.akoyago.com/OneHive. The LOI is a short online form covering organizational demographics and a project or operating support summary — invest significant care in this concise pitch, as it is the primary filter before full proposal invitation. If invited, the foundation's proposal writing stipend removes a common financial barrier for smaller nonprofits, so actively claim it.

The most important strategic signal in One Hive's documented grantee history is the primacy of scientific credibility. The foundation's largest single award ($477,558 to Cornell's Pesticide Analytical Lab) and its cluster of university-based bee lab grants reflect deep trust in evidence-based methodologies. Non-research organizations should explicitly partner with or cite published work by credible scientific entities. Mirror the foundation's own language: 'science-based,' 'pollinator health,' 'ecologically responsible agriculture,' 'neonicotinoid reduction,' 'native pollinator habitat,' and 'next-generation farmer and beekeeper development' all appear throughout their materials.

Vermont-specific work carries a clear strategic premium right now. The April 2025 round was entirely Vermont-focused. National or regional organizations should connect their work explicitly to Vermont outcomes or the broader New England pollinator ecosystem.

Do not artificially projectize operating costs. One Hive explicitly encourages general operating support and multi-year requests — a rare and valuable posture. Requests up to $75,000 per year are considered. Common mistakes to avoid: framing work in advocacy-only terms without scientific grounding; applying for a geographic area with no Vermont or New England connection without explanation; requesting more than $75,000 per year without prior relationship context. Pre-submission outreach to Hemenway & Barnes LLP at (617) 619-9722 is appropriate and encouraged.