Stuller Family Foundation

The Stuller Family Foundation operates as a classic founder-led family foundation with a deeply regional mission — every dollar it awards must demonstrably benefit the six-parish Acadiana footprint of Lafayette, Iberia, St. Martin, St. Landry, Vermilion, and Acadia. Founded in 1994 by Matthew G. Stuller Sr. (the jewelry industry magnate behind Stuller Inc.), the foundation is governed by a family trustee board that includes Catharine O. Stuller, Alexandra Graham Stuller, Lauren Stuller, and Matthew Stuller Jr., alongside non-family trustee William P. Mills. President/Trustee Michael G. DeHart and Executive Director Charles Lagrange handle day-to-day operations.

First-time applicants should understand that this foundation prizes relationship over paperwork. The explicit requirement for a pre-application meeting on any request exceeding $10,000 signals that the Stullers want to know you before they fund you. Approach the foundation as a community partner, not a grant vendor — establish contact well before a deadline, frame your work in terms of Acadiana's development, and reference the foundation's history with similar organizations.

The foundation has a demonstrated affinity for organizations serving children and youth, Christian-based schools, and educational equity initiatives (ACE Scholarships is a flagship grantee). Human services, conservation, and cancer-related healthcare also appear in their portfolio. Organizations that serve multiple parishes simultaneously, or that address workforce and economic development in the region, are especially well-positioned.

Relationship progression typically follows this arc: optional LOI or phone call → formal application submission via DonorSense/Community Foundation of Acadiana platform → possible site visit → funding decision within 30-45 days → quarterly reporting obligation. The foundation funds the same organizations repeatedly (their top-line grantee data shows $21.28M across just 10 grants, all in Louisiana), so longevity and reliability matter enormously. First-time applicants should budget 2-3 cycles for relationship development before expecting a transformative award.

The Stuller Family Foundation has grown from a modest regional grantmaker into a substantial philanthropic force. Total assets reached $155.7M in FY2024 (up from $43M in FY2011), driven by consistent contributions from the Stuller family — $11.6M received in FY2023 alone — and strong investment returns ($14.35M net investment income in FY2023).

Annual giving has scaled proportionally: $2.79M (FY2011), $1.99M (FY2014), $4.38M (FY2020), $4.80M (FY2021), $7.00M (FY2022), and $6.86M (FY2023). The FY2024 filing shows no grants-paid figure yet, but the foundation's public materials cite $4.82M in 2024 grants — suggesting a slight moderation, possibly reflecting portfolio rebalancing as assets surged to $155.7M.

Grant size range is extremely wide: from as low as $71 to as large as $1,250,000 (the 2025 Miles Perret Cancer Services gift). However, the internal data shows only 10 disclosed grant records totaling $21.28M — an average of $2.13M per disclosed recipient — which reflects aggregate annual totals rather than individual grants. Community intelligence from Instrumentl places typical awards in the $5,000-$500,000 range, with the foundation making multi-year investments in anchor institutions.

By program area, education (particularly K-12 private Christian schools and scholarship programs) historically receives the largest share. Human services and healthcare have grown, evidenced by the $1M MPCS commitment in 2025. Conservation and environmental programming (Louisiana Swamp Base) represents a smaller but consistent allocation. Geographically, 100% of confirmed grants flow within Louisiana, with Lafayette Parish serving as the epicenter. Organizations headquartered in Lafayette with multi-parish reach are the modal grantee type.

The following table compares the Stuller Family Foundation to asset-comparable peers in the Philanthropy & Grantmaking category:

Among similarly-sized peers, the Stuller Family Foundation stands out for its open, competitive application process — three cycles per year with published deadlines — which is notably more accessible than the invitation-only posture common at this asset level. Its strict six-parish geographic restriction is more limiting than peer foundations with state-wide or national footprints, but for Acadiana-based nonprofits this geographic exclusivity is a strategic advantage: the pool of eligible applicants is relatively small and the foundation is deeply embedded in the local ecosystem. The Williamsburg Community Health Foundation is the closest structural peer — a regional health-focused community foundation with open applications — though Stuller's education-first identity and private family governance distinguish it meaningfully.

The foundation's most significant recent announcement is the $1 million commitment to Miles Perret Cancer Services for the Stuller Healthy Living Center, announced in 2025. This gift — creating an expanded wellness space with a teaching kitchen, enhanced amenities, and nutrition programming for cancer patients and their families — represents the largest single publicly-disclosed grant in recent memory and marks a meaningful expansion into healthcare infrastructure funding.

On the leadership front, Michael G. DeHart (President/Trustee, compensated at $198,000 in the most recent disclosed year) and Charles Lagrange (Executive Director, $109,615) continue to manage operations. The Stuller family trustees — Matthew G. Stuller Sr., Catharine O. Stuller, Alexandra Graham Stuller, Lauren Stuller, and Matthew Stuller Jr. — remain the board, indicating stable family governance with no leadership transitions flagged in recent filings.

Financially, FY2023 was a strong year: $27.4M in total revenue (including $11.6M in family contributions and $14.4M in investment income), pushing assets from $117M (FY2022) to $137.6M (FY2023), then surging further to $155.7M by FY2024. This asset growth trajectory suggests the foundation may increase annual giving meaningfully in coming years. No major programmatic overhauls or new named initiatives beyond the Healthy Living Center have been publicly announced for 2025-2026.

Timing is everything. The foundation runs three grant cycles annually with published deadlines of approximately February 18, June 17, and September 16 (dates shift slightly year to year — verify at stullerfoundation.org/apply/). The summer cycle (June) tends to be the most competitive; the February cycle often has lighter competition as many organizations are still closing out their fiscal years.

Pre-application contact is mandatory for $10,000+ requests. Email stullerfoundation@stuller.com or call (337) 262-7713 before submitting. Frame this call as a relationship-building conversation, not a pitch — ask about current priorities, mention specific Acadiana community needs, and gauge fit. This step is non-negotiable and skipping it for larger asks will result in rejection.

Align language to their stated identity. Use phrases like 'Acadiana region,' reference specific parishes by name, and invoke the foundation's 30-year legacy of community partnership. The Stullers care deeply about being recognized as foundational to Acadiana's civic fabric — your proposal should honor that identity. Mention children, youth development, and education even if your primary program area is different (tie it to outcomes for young people where authentic).

Complete your DonorSense profile first. The foundation uses the Community Foundation of Acadiana's DonorSense platform. Having an incomplete or absent profile will delay processing. Set up your profile before the application deadline.

For capital campaigns, the foundation has a separate Capital Campaign Form (stullerfoundation.org/capital-campaign-form/) — do not use the general grant application for bricks-and-mortar or equipment requests.

Avoid these common mistakes: applying for programming outside the six-parish area; submitting a second funded grant in the same calendar year; missing the quarterly progress report requirement on a prior grant; and applying for individual scholarships or athletic team support (explicitly excluded).

Build a multi-year relationship. The foundation's grantee data shows deep investment in repeat partners. First-time grants often come in smaller amounts ($5,000-$25,000) as the foundation tests organizational capacity. Plan your ask accordingly and demonstrate strong fiduciary stewardship from day one.