Oxford League Inc.

## Approach Strategy

Oxford League Inc. is a preselected-only private foundation — it does not accept unsolicited proposals. All grants are initiated by the foundation leadership, primarily directed by Mary Damas from Seabrook, NH. The foundation operates without a public application process and its website (previously hosted on Squarespace) is no longer active.

### How to Get on Their Radar

1. Relationship-driven: Oxford League giving follows clear personal and institutional relationships. Organizations that receive funding tend to have direct ties to the Damas family or their community networks. 2. Catholic and educational networks: The foundation has strong connections to Catholic education (Catholic Schools Foundation, Canterbury School, Leadership Roundtable, Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal Parish). Organizations in Catholic educational networks in the Northeast have the best positioning. 3. Arts patronage circles: Sustained, multi-year giving to the Metropolitan Opera and Boston Symphony Orchestra suggests engagement through patron/donor circles at major cultural institutions. 4. New Hampshire community ties: Local NH organizations (The Penates Foundation, Friends of Abenaki, Wright Museum, Granite State Ambassadors, Open Sky) receive smaller but consistent support. 5. Medical research connections: Grants to Yale School of Medicine (MS research), Brigham and Womens Hospital (Ann Romney Center), and FAES suggest personal connections to specific research areas.

### Realistic Assessment

This is a family-directed foundation where all giving decisions appear to be made by a small group of insiders. Cold outreach is very unlikely to succeed. The best path is through shared networks — particularly Catholic educational organizations, New England cultural institutions, or NH community organizations where natural introductions could occur.

## Funding Patterns

### Annual Giving Trends

### Key Observations

• Highly variable annual giving: Total grants ranged from 17,700 (2020) to 728,430 (2022), driven largely by one-time major gifts (e.g., 500,000 to Metropolitan Opera in 2022).
• Typical grant range: 490 to 100,000 with a median around 8,000 and average of 14,909 (excluding the 500K outlier).
• Investment-driven capacity: Assets grew from roughly 2.3M (2019-2021) to 6M+ (2023) to 7.6M (2024), primarily through capital gains. This growth has enabled larger giving.
• Revenue vs. giving: In 2023, the foundation received 3.55M in revenue but gave only 408K (11.5% payout). With 7.6M in assets, the 5% minimum distribution requirement would be roughly 380K.

### Giving by Category

1. Arts and Culture: 610,335 (47%) — dominated by Metropolitan Opera (501K) and Boston Symphony Orchestra (109K) 2. Education and Scholarships: 332,720 (26%) — UNH scholarships, Catholic Schools Foundation, Canterbury School, Governors Academy 3. Matching/Community: 64,000 (5%) — The Penates Foundation matching gifts 4. Medical Research: 32,385 (2.5%) — Yale MS research, Brigham and Womens 5. Community/Other: roughly 234K (18%) — Leadership Roundtable, FAES, Boch Center, capital campaigns

## Peer Comparison

### Oxford League vs. NH Private Foundations

### Key Differences

• Oxford League is small by NH standards — at 7.6M in assets, it is well below the top-tier NH foundations (38M-363M).
• Highly concentrated giving: Unlike diversified community foundations, Oxford League directs most funding to a small number of favored institutions (Metropolitan Opera alone received 39% of all-time giving).
• No application process: Most larger NH foundations accept applications; Oxford League is strictly preselected.
• Niche focus: The arts + Catholic education + medical research combination is distinctive. Most NH peers focus on broader community or health issues.

## Recent Activity

### 2023 Highlights (Most Recent Tax Year)

• Total giving: 408,225 across 12 grants — a decrease from 728K in 2022 but up from 119K in 2021
• Largest 2023 grant: 100,000 to Catholic Schools Foundation (Building Minds Scholarship)
• New recipients in 2023: Canterbury School (50K), Leadership Roundtable (50K), Yale School of Medicine (31K), Boch Center (25K), FAES (25K), Open Sky (5K), Alzheimers Association (2K)
• Continued support: UNH Scholarship (60K), Boston Symphony Orchestra (29K), The Penates Foundation (16K), Governors Academy (15K)

### Financial Growth

• Asset growth trajectory: Assets nearly tripled from 2.3M (2020) to 7.6M (2024), driven by strong investment returns (3.37M in capital gains in 2023 alone)
• Revenue: 3.55M (2023), up from 2.9M (2022) and 141K (2021) — reflects increased investment activity
• Zero officer compensation: No salaries paid to officers or staff — entirely volunteer-managed

### Website Status

• The foundation website (oxfordleague.com, hosted on Squarespace) is currently expired/inactive. No public digital presence is maintained.

## Application Tips

### Important: This is a Preselected-Only Foundation

Oxford League Inc. does not accept unsolicited grant applications. All grants are initiated by the foundation leadership. There is no public application form, no published deadlines, and no formal RFP process.

### If You Are Already Connected

If you have an existing relationship with the foundation or its leadership:

1. Articulate alignment with their core interests: Education (especially Catholic), performing arts, medical research, or NH community development 2. Frame requests around specific programs: Their giving history shows preference for named initiatives — scholarships, capital campaigns, named funds (e.g., Building Minds Scholarship, Campaign for the Met, Business Partners/Pres at the Pops) 3. Consider the typical range: Most grants fall between 5,000 and 60,000. Only organizations with deep, multi-year relationships receive 100K+ 4. Matching gifts: The Penates Foundation receives a consistent 16,000/year as a matching gift — if your organization can demonstrate a matching opportunity, this may resonate

### If You Are Not Connected

• Network through shared institutions: Catholic Schools Foundation, Boston Symphony Orchestra patron circles, or UNH alumni networks
• Local NH organizations have the best chance of establishing new relationships — the foundation supports several small Seabrook/Hampton-area organizations
• Do not cold-call or cold-email — the phone number (603-929-2205) is a personal/family number, and cold outreach to preselected foundations is generally counterproductive