The Daniels Family Foundation

The Daniels Family Foundation is a small, family-governed private trust headquartered at 4250 Lancaster Pike, Suite 150, Wilmington, Delaware, operating under EIN 38-7143843. Founded in 2015 and substantially capitalized in 2019 with a $4 million founding contribution, the foundation is governed entirely by the Daniels family — Michael J. Daniels, Elizabeth M. Daniels, Holly M. Daniels, and Stephanie Daniels Costa — all serving as uncompensated trustees. Zero officer compensation across every year of operation signals this is a deeply personal, values-driven philanthropic vehicle with no professional program staff.

The foundation's stated mission on its website is "dedicated to preservation of nature, resources, animals, and improvement of health and life for all persons within the United States." In practice, this broad mandate translates into four concrete areas: arts and higher education (led by a multi-year commitment to Moore College of Art and Design in Philadelphia); environmental and wildlife conservation (freshwater fisheries, marine coral reefs, Pocono-region open space); reproductive and women's health (Planned Parenthood Federation, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia); and Pocono Mountains community services (Barrett Township municipal functions, veterans memorialization).

The foundation operates with no public application portal, no published RFP schedule, and no formal grant guidelines. The database record confirms application_instructions as none and the foundation is flagged as preselected-only, meaning relationships and trustee familiarity with an organization are the primary selection mechanism. This is not a foundation you apply to cold.

The relationship pattern in grantee data is decisive: 9 of 12 tracked recipient organizations have received 2–4 separate grants each, demonstrating strong loyalty to existing partners. Moore College of Art and Design — the foundation's first charitable initiative through the Aftermath Scholarship — has received $227,000 across four grants, averaging $56,750 per disbursement. First-time applicants should pursue warm introductions through current grantees, align tightly to the four identified pillars, and demonstrate a genuine Pennsylvania or Pocono-region connection. A brief, personalized email to contact@thedanielsfamilyfoundation.org is the appropriate entry point. Generic, unsolicited requests from outside the foundation's demonstrated geography and focus will not succeed.

The Daniels Family Foundation has grown its annual grantmaking steadily since becoming fully operational, though from a modest base. Grants paid rose from just $45,000 in FY2020 to $153,000 in FY2021, reached a high of $205,000 in FY2022, and pulled back slightly to $181,500 in FY2023. Total giving (grants plus modest program expenditures) tracked higher: $59,277 (2020), $185,218 (2021), $236,106 (2022), $209,815 (2023).

Across 30 discrete grant transactions to 12 organizations in the tracked period, the average individual disbursement is $21,217 (total $636,500). Grant sizes span a meaningful range: the smallest is $5,000 to Barrett Township Volunteer Fire Department; the largest single transaction to any organization is Moore College of Art and Design, which has accumulated $227,000 across four grants (averaging $56,750 per grant). The majority of individual disbursements cluster in the $5,000–$40,000 range.

Breaking down by program area: - Arts and Education: ~56% of total tracked giving ($227,000 Moore College of Art and Design + $125,000 University of Massachusetts = ~$352,000). This is the foundation's dominant category by dollar value. - Environmental Conservation: ~22% ($65,000 Brights Creek Conservancy + $36,000 Coral Restoration Foundation + $18,000 Buck Hill Conservation Foundation + $12,500 Trout Unlimited + $7,500 Wild Salmon Center = ~$139,000 across five organizations). - Reproductive and General Health: ~16% ($90,000 Planned Parenthood Federation + $8,500 Children's Hospital of Philadelphia = ~$98,500). - Community and Veterans: ~7% ($30,000 Veterans Memorial Museum + $12,000 Barrett Township + $5,000 Barrett Township Volunteer Fire = ~$47,000).

Geographically, Pennsylvania captures 53% of grants by count (16 of 30 tracked transactions), with Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, and Virginia each receiving approximately 3 grants. The foundation's $3.85M in assets (FY2023) and declining net investment income (from $253,482 in FY2021 to $77,234 in FY2023) suggest the annual grant budget will remain in the $150,000–$210,000 range unless investment returns recover or new capital is contributed.

The foundation's peers in the IRS database are other small Philanthropy & Grantmaking trusts. Note that the IRS Business Master File reports a higher asset figure (~$20.2M) for this foundation and its peer group, which diverges from the $3.85M total assets reported on the FY2023 Form 990; the 990 figures are the most operationally accurate.

The Daniels Family Foundation stands out from its peer cohort for several reasons. First, its trustee structure is entirely family-based with zero paid staff, making it more personal and relationship-driven than corporate or institutional peer foundations like MFS Investment Management Foundation or the Synopsys Foundation. Second, it has established named scholarship programs (Aftermath Scholarship at Moore College), suggesting a higher level of philanthropic intentionality than typical pass-through family vehicles. Third, its focus on arts education alongside environmental conservation and reproductive health is a distinctive combination not typically found in the Philanthropy & Grantmaking peer category, which more commonly favors social services or broad charitable grantmaking.

No press releases, news articles, or third-party coverage specific to The Daniels Family Foundation (EIN 38-7143843, Wilmington, DE) were identified in web research conducted in June 2026. The foundation maintains a minimal public profile consistent with a small family trust that does not issue formal announcements or maintain active social media.

The most significant documented recent activity remains the establishment of the Aftermath Scholarship at Moore College of Art and Design in Philadelphia in 2020, which marked the foundation's transition from a nominal holding entity to an active grantmaker. Moore College has since become the foundation's largest cumulative grantee at $227,000 across four grants.

FY2022 was the foundation's most active year on record, with $205,000 in grants paid distributed across recurring partners including Planned Parenthood Federation, Brights Creek Conservancy, and the University of Massachusetts — each receiving their third consecutive grant that year. FY2023 reflected a modest pullback to $181,500 in grants paid, likely tied to the sharp decline in net investment income ($77,234 in FY2023 versus $131,113 in FY2022 and $253,482 in FY2021).

The four Daniels family trustees — Michael J. Daniels, Elizabeth M. Daniels, Holly M. Daniels, and Stephanie Daniels Costa — appear stable based on IRS filings across multiple years. No leadership changes, new board additions, or strategic pivots were identified in public records through June 2026.

1. Email is your only entry point. The foundation has no online grant portal, no published application form, and no formal guidelines. The sole documented contact is contact@thedanielsfamilyfoundation.org. Address correspondence to Michael Daniels and keep your initial inquiry to one page. Lead with a single sentence explaining why your organization's work aligns with the Daniels family's demonstrated interests.

2. Align tightly to the four funded pillars. The foundation's 990 data reveals four concrete areas: (a) arts education at the collegiate or conservatory level; (b) freshwater and marine ecological conservation; (c) reproductive and women's health; (d) Pocono Mountains community infrastructure. If your work does not genuinely fit one of these four categories, this foundation is not a match — do not attempt to stretch.

3. Pennsylvania connection is nearly essential. Over 53% of all grants go to Pennsylvania organizations, with repeat support for entities in the Barrett Township/Pocono Mountains area and Philadelphia (Moore College). Massachusetts, Oregon, New York, and Virginia organizations have also been funded, but they share an apparent personal connection to the Daniels family. Lead with any Pennsylvania impact or presence.

4. Request unrestricted general operating support only. Every single tracked grant is labeled "GENERAL" or "GENERAL OPERATING." Do not propose restricted project funding, capital campaigns, equipment grants, or endowment contributions. The foundation gives operating support for mission delivery, not programmatic line items.

5. Build through existing grantee introductions. Of the 12 tracked grantees, 9 have received 2–4 grants, revealing a relationship-first approach. A personal introduction from a current grantee — particularly Moore College of Art and Design, Planned Parenthood Federation, Brights Creek Conservancy, or Trout Unlimited — is the highest-probability path to a first grant.

6. Size requests proportionately. With an annual grant budget of $150,000–$205,000 spread across 5–10 organizations, a first-time request should be $10,000–$25,000. Requests above $50,000 should only come after a multi-year track record with this funder.

7. Use mission-resonant language. Phrases that align with the foundation's website and grantee portfolio: "conservation of natural ecosystems," "preservation of freshwater habitats," "arts education access and equity," "reproductive autonomy and women's health." Avoid corporate jargon, impact metrics-heavy language, or overhead-justification framing.