Seven Bridges Foundation Inc.

Seven Bridges Foundation Inc. is a private operating foundation (IRS foundation code 03), which fundamentally distinguishes it from conventional grant-making foundations. Rather than distributing funds to outside nonprofits, it directly operates programs — specifically a contemporary and modern art gallery and sculpture garden on 80 acres in backcountry Greenwich, Connecticut. All public grant databases confirm the foundation "does not respond to unsolicited applications for funding" and "only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations." Traditional grant applications are not an appropriate or effective engagement pathway.

The foundation was established in 1993 by Richard C. McKenzie Jr. to support both established and emerging living artists and to promote their creativity. Richard McKenzie Jr. continues to serve as President without compensation, a sign of deep personal commitment to the mission. The board reflects strong family stewardship: Karla Rosellen McKenzie and Jennifer McKenzie Glass serve alongside independent directors Bryon W. Harmon, Stephen Walker, John Ryan, and James Schantz. By FY2024, Jamie Dimiceli joined as a director with $97,917 in compensation, indicating the foundation is investing in professional management infrastructure for the first time in its history.

Organizations best positioned to engage Seven Bridges are those working with living artists producing contemporary or modern works — especially sculpture and large-scale works suited to an outdoor environment. The 80-acre Greenwich property lends itself strongly to site-specific installations, monumental sculpture, and immersive visual art. Artist residencies, exhibition collaborations, collection loans, and co-produced public programs are the viable entry points. Organizations doing work in historical art, craft, performing arts, or social services have no clear alignment with this foundation's documented mission.

Any outreach must begin through relationship-building, not formal application. The ideal first contact is a warm introduction through mutual connections in the Greenwich or broader Connecticut arts network — arts councils, museum boards, regional gallery openings, or academic fine arts circles. Cold mail to the foundation's address at 114 John St., Greenwich, CT 06831 or a professional call to (203) 861-7527 addressed to Richard C. McKenzie Jr. are appropriate for organizations that cannot identify a warm connection but must proceed with caution and brevity. The family-driven governance model means patience and genuine artistic alignment matter far more than technical grant-writing prowess.

Seven Bridges Foundation's financial activity reflects the operational costs of running a gallery and sculpture garden, not an external grant portfolio. Understanding the numbers requires an important reframe: the annual "giving" figures in IRS Form 990-PF filings represent program service expenditures — money spent on art acquisitions, gallery maintenance, and grounds upkeep — not distributions to third-party grantees. The "grants_paid" field is $0 in every fiscal year on record.

Annual program disbursements over time tell the story of a foundation transitioning from an endowment-flush arts philanthropist to a leaner operating institution: - FY2010: $1,957,622 (assets: $150.9M) - FY2011: $1,963,617 (assets: $120.9M) - FY2012: $1,893,069 (assets: $106.8M) - FY2013: $1,664,166 (assets: $93.7M) - FY2014: $2,099,626 (assets: $84.8M) - FY2018: $1,277,485 (assets: $70.0M) - FY2019: $1,112,587 (assets: $69.4M) - FY2020: $1,477,729 (assets: $68.0M) - FY2021: $1,137,982 (assets: $64.4M) - FY2022: $1,538,135 (assets: $63.0M) - FY2024: $620,657 (assets: $62.1M)

The average annual disbursement across FY2018–FY2022 was approximately $1,308,784. The sharp drop to $620,657 in FY2024 is the most notable recent development and may indicate program contraction or the completion of capital improvement cycles on the grounds.

Program expenses fall across two documented areas based on FY2022 990-PF data: art collection acquisitions and improvements ($56,800) and gallery operations, sculpture garden development, and grounds maintenance ($1,086,978). This split reveals that approximately 95% of operating spend supports the physical campus and its programs, with a modest 5% directed to new acquisitions.

The foundation's assets declined 59% over 14 years — from $150,908,853 in FY2010 to $62,110,316 in FY2024 — as operational costs consistently exceeded revenue. In FY2024, revenue was just $61,737 against expenses of $1,011,385, a nearly $950,000 annual deficit financed through asset liquidation. Revenue is primarily passive: investment income (interest: $143,066; dividends: $71,832 in FY2024) plus occasional contributions ($124,014 in FY2024). Geographic concentration is entirely Connecticut-based.

Seven Bridges Foundation operates within a cohort of similarly sized private arts foundations in the $60–65 million asset range. Its private operating foundation model, however, sets it apart from most peers in this category.

Among identified peers, Seven Bridges most closely resembles Seward Johnson Atelier in operating model: both are foundation-operated entities dedicated to a specific artistic vision and a defined physical collection, rather than distributing funds externally. Tidewater and Big Bend Foundation is similarly a direct operator — stewarding land and historical structures rather than awarding grants.

What distinguishes Seven Bridges from this cohort is its concentrated focus on living artists (contemporary and modern), its substantial and active Greenwich campus, and its nearly three-decade institutional history under consistent McKenzie family leadership. The Seward Johnson Atelier, by comparison, is organized around a single artist's legacy and sells works commercially — a revenue model Seven Bridges does not appear to employ. Organizations comparing funders in the visual arts space at this asset level should understand that direct operating foundations like these engage partners through artistic relationships rather than competitive grant cycles.

Web research conducted in May 2026 found no news announcements, press releases, exhibition openings, or media coverage specific to Seven Bridges Foundation for 2025 or 2026. The foundation maintains a minimal public profile consistent with its private, family-governed model and does not appear to issue press releases or maintain active social media accounts.

The most substantive recent development visible in public filings is the elevation of Jamie Dimiceli to a director-level role with $97,917 in annual compensation in FY2024, up from $70,211 as Business Manager in FY2023 — a 39% increase and a title change that signals growing professional infrastructure. Richard C. McKenzie Jr. has served as President since the foundation's 1993 founding and continues without compensation, reflecting an enduring personal commitment.

The FY2024 filing (fiscal year ending September 2024) shows a notable reduction in annual disbursements to $620,657, compared to $1,538,135 in FY2022 and the $1.1–1.5M range across FY2018–FY2022. This approximately 60% single-period drop warrants attention — no public explanation has been offered, and it may reflect completed capital projects on the 80-acre campus, a deliberate operational scaling back, or a change in accounting classification for certain expenses.

On a longer arc, the foundation's asset base has stabilized in the $62–63M range after declining from $150.9M in FY2010, suggesting the pace of endowment drawdown has slowed and the foundation may have reached a sustainable operational floor. The website continues to present the organization as "Seven Bridges Gallery," emphasizing its gallery identity. No leadership transitions beyond the Dimiceli role change have been reported.

The single most critical piece of advice for any organization considering Seven Bridges Foundation is this: it is a private operating foundation that does not accept unsolicited grant applications. Confirmed by Charity Navigator, Instrumentl, ProPublica, and Cause IQ, the foundation explicitly "does not respond to unsolicited applications for funding." Submitting a grant request — in any format — is counterproductive and will not be reviewed.

The appropriate pathway is relationship-building oriented toward artistic partnership. Concrete and specific guidance:

• Define your artistic alignment first. The foundation's documented mission is supporting both established and emerging living artists in contemporary and modern visual art. Your organization must work directly with living artists in these disciplines. Historical art, performing arts, craft, community arts, or social-services-adjacent programming are outside scope.

• Lead with sculpture and outdoor work. The 80-acre Greenwich campus with its sculpture gardens strongly favors artists and organizations connected to large-scale, site-specific, or outdoor installations. If your programming includes any sculptural or outdoor dimension, lead with it.

• Contact Richard C. McKenzie Jr. directly. The President can be reached at (203) 861-7527 or by letter to 114 John St., Greenwich, CT 06831. A brief, professionally framed phone call is more likely to be productive than a letter. Identify one specific collaboration idea before calling — not a funding request, but an artistic conversation starter.

• Use the fall timing window. The foundation's fiscal year ends in September. New operational cycles begin in October. Initial outreach in October–November aligns with natural planning rhythms at operating foundations.

• Prioritize the Connecticut arts network. Attend Greenwich Art Society events, Connecticut Commission on the Arts convenings, or regional museum board events where McKenzie family members are likely present. A warm introduction from a mutual contact is worth more than any written proposal.

• Do not reference grants in any outreach. Any communication framed as a funding request signals a misunderstanding of the foundation's operating model and will damage your credibility with leadership. Frame everything as artistic partnership, exhibition opportunity, or program collaboration.

• Follow up once. Given the private governance structure, one professional follow-up after 3–4 weeks is appropriate. Repeated contact risks damaging the relationship before it begins.