Saxer Family Foundation

The Saxer Family Foundation operates as a tightly closed, preselected grantmaker with no open application process and no stated deadlines. The foundation has maintained the same core portfolio of partner organizations for at least five consecutive years (2019–2023), indicating deep long-term relationships rather than competitive grantmaking. The family leadership structure (Michelle K. Saxer as President, Margot Saxer as Secretary, Christopher Saxer as Treasurer) reflects a personally guided foundation where philanthropic priorities are driven by family values around spiritual education, food justice, and social services.

The foundation's giving philosophy blends an unconventional pairing: metaphysical and spiritual learning institutions (Association for Research and Enlightenment/Edgar Cayce organization, Kabbalah Experience, Atlantic University) alongside progressive social services for vulnerable populations (food access, job training, domestic violence services). This distinctive combination suggests the family holds both spiritual development and practical social uplift as core values. General support grants dominate — every recorded grant is labeled "GENERAL SUPPORT" — indicating trust in partner organizations' leadership rather than project-tied funding.

Solicitations are almost certainly ineffective given the fully preselected nature and multi-year consistent grantee pool. Organizations interested in this foundation should focus on relationship-building with the Saxer family through personal introduction rather than formal grant applications.

The foundation awarded approximately $575,000 across 20 grants in 2023, with total assets of $3,457,269. Grant sizes ranged from $10,000 (minimum) to $60,000 (maximum), with a median of $30,000 and an average of approximately $28,750. The payout ratio of roughly 16.6% (giving/assets) slightly exceeds the typical 5% minimum requirement for private foundations, suggesting moderate but disciplined grantmaking.

Geographic concentration is pronounced: approximately 5 grantees per year are based in Denver, Colorado; 2 in Los Angeles, California; 2–3 in the Virginia Beach, Virginia area (tied to the Edgar Cayce/ARE spiritual community); 1–2 in North Carolina coastal areas; and 1 in Floyd, Virginia (Spikenard Farm). This stable geographic clustering across Denver, Los Angeles, and the Virginia Beach area suggests the family has direct ties or residence connections to these markets.

Historical giving data from Grantmakers.io (2019–2023) shows nearly identical grantee lists each year, with very rare additions. The largest gifts consistently go to spiritual education organizations (ARE, Atlantic University) and Denver social services (The Growhaus, Women's Bean Project, The Gathering Place). Funding is exclusively general operating support with no project-tied grants observed.

Compared to other preselected family foundations in the $3–5M asset range, the Saxer Family Foundation's grant sizes ($10K–$60K) are on the higher end, suggesting meaningful multi-year commitments rather than token gifts. Most peer foundations in this range award $5K–$25K grants; the Saxer foundation's $60,000 top grant signals genuine anchor-level support to a small set of trusted partners.

The foundation's metaphysical/spiritual focus is highly unusual — few family foundations in the U.S. explicitly fund organizations like the Association for Research and Enlightenment (Edgar Cayce's century-old organization), Kabbalah centers, and related New Age educational institutions alongside conventional social services. This makes the Saxer foundation nearly unique in its philanthropic niche.

In contrast to peers like the Joanna Foundation (open applications, 3 cycles/year) or Frazier Foundation (May and November deadlines), Saxer is fully closed with no pathways for new applicants. Its consistency and longevity of grantee relationships more closely resemble endowment-style foundations than active program officers doing annual discovery.

Based on 2023 IRS 990-PF data (the most recent available through Grantmakers.io), the foundation awarded $575,000 across 20 grants — its highest recorded giving year in the 2019–2023 window. The grantee portfolio remains nearly identical to prior years, indicating no major strategic shifts. No press releases, news announcements, or updated web presence were found, consistent with a low-profile family operation.

The foundation's website (saxer.org) does not belong to the Saxer Family Foundation — the domain hosts a German-language saxophone music blog unrelated to the foundation. The foundation has no public web presence, no social media, and no EIN-indexed contact information beyond the tax filings. All research was conducted via IRS 990-PF filings and the Grantmakers.io database.

No recent grant announcements, RFP releases, or leadership changes were identified. The foundation appears operationally stable with consistent family leadership and a mature, settled grantee portfolio. There are no signals of a strategic pivot or new funding priorities.

Given the fully preselected nature of the Saxer Family Foundation, direct grant applications are not a viable path for new organizations. The only realistic route to funding would be through a personal introduction from a current grantee organization or a trusted mutual connection to the Saxer family. Organizations in the foundation's existing grantee network (particularly in Denver and the Virginia Beach area) are the most likely conduits for relationship-building.

If you are affiliated with the Association for Research and Enlightenment, Atlantic University, Spikenard Farm, or any of the Denver-based grantees (The Growhaus, Women's Bean Project, The Gathering Place, Fresh Food Connect), you may be in the best position to request a warm introduction. Presenting a mission alignment with spiritual education, sustainable food systems, or domestic violence services for women — particularly in Denver, Los Angeles, or Virginia Beach — would be most relevant.

Do not submit a formal grant application, letter of inquiry, or cold outreach — the foundation has no mechanism to receive or process unsolicited requests. Monitor IRS 990-PF filings annually (available via ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, Grantmakers.io, or Candid/GuideStar) to track any shifts in grantee portfolio that might signal openings for new organizations.