Tuesday, July 8, 2025 at 12:00 pm ET

Demystifying foundation grants: How to secure funding from major private foundations

Over the past few decades, large private foundations have quietly become some of the most influential funders in philanthropy – providing flexible, high-impact grants in areas ranging from education and health to economic justice and the arts. Yet for many nonprofits, securing support from these foundations can feel impossible. Watch this webinar, hosted by Patrick Schmitt, co-CEO of FreeWill, to help your organization build the knowledge and confidence needed to engage more effectively with major private foundations. We're joined by special guests: Molly Gelinas, Program Officer at Gerstner Philanthropies, Caitlin Orth, Executive Director of The Ruth and Hal Launders Charitable Trust, and Danielle Woodhouse Johnson, Director of Partnerships at National Association of Community Health Centers and Founder of The Oasis Alliance.

In this session, we covered:
* What foundation staff look for in strong proposals
* Tips for aligning your initiatives with foundation goals
* Best practices for building successful foundation relationships
* Common questions and misconceptions about private foundation grants

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Speakers

Caitlin Orth

Executive Director, The Ruth and Hal Launders Charitable Trust

Caitlin Orth (pronouns she/her) serves as the Executive Director of The Ruth and Hal Launders Charitable Trust, a private family foundation located in Herndon, VA. The Trust’s grantmaking is focused on addressing the root causes of hunger and homelessness through the provision of multiyear, general operating grants to nonprofit partners operating across the US and around the world.

Danielle Woodhouse Johnson

Director of Partnerships, National Association of Community Health Centers

Danielle Woodhouse Johnson (she/her) is the Director of Partnerships at the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC), where she helps a diverse range of stakeholders in the community health center space create shared value and partner effectively. Her work supports efforts to promote efficient, high-quality, comprehensive health care that is accessible, culturally and linguistically competent, community directed, and patient-centered for all.

Molly Gelinas

Nonprofits

Proposal Writing

Strategy