ARTHUR VINING DAVIS FOUNDATIONS

Contact information:
225 Water Street, Suite 1510
Jacksonville, FL 32202-5185 

Phone: (904) 359-0670
Email: office@avdf.org

Website: www.avdf.org

Type of foundation: Independent

Types of grants: Program support, especially capstone grants for media production.

Description: The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations were founded by Arthur Vining Davis, president and long-time Chairman of Alcoa. The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations are comprised of two separate foundations, but they function as one philanthropic entity with one Board.

The Foundations make grants in the areas of private higher education, religion (graduate theological education), secondary education, health care (caring attitudes) and public television.

The Foundations are specifically interested in public television as an educational medium. They have special interest in:

• Providing partial support for major series with lasting educational value that are assured of national airing by PBS. Consideration is given on occasion to single stand-alone programs of exceptional merit.
• Programs of enduring value on subjects such as history and science.
• Children’s series.
• Programs that contribute to teaching (K-12, higher and continuing education).
• Educational outreach, including online.

The Foundations prefer “capstone” grants to complete production funding. They do not like to support research or pre-production.

Sample grants:

• $500,000 to WETA-Greater Washington Educational Telecommunications Association for Ken Burns' Telling America's Stories (2011).
• $400,000 to WETA-Greater Washington Educational Telecommunications Association for Ken Burns' Projects for the New Century (2010).
• $400,000 to WETA-Greater Washington Educational Telecommunications for Ken Burns' Projects for the New Century (2009).
• $400,000 to WETA-Greater Washington Educational Telecommunications Association for Ken Burns Projects for New Century (2008).
• $400,000 to WETA-Greater Washington Educational Telecommunications Association for Ken Burns' Projects for New Century (2007).
• $400,000 to WETA-Greater Washington Educational Telecommunications Association for Ken Burns' documentary film projects for first decade of new century (2006).
• $400,000 to WETA-Greater Washington Educational Telecommunications Association for Ken Burns' documentary film projects for first decade of new century (2005).
• $400,000 to WETA-Greater Washington Educational Telecommunications Association for Ken Burns' documentary film projects for first decade of new century (2004).
• $400,000 to WETA-Greater Washington Educational Telecommunications Association for Ken Burns' Projects for the New Century (2003).
• $350,000 to KCET Community Television of Southern California for documentary film about Joseph Stalin and his relationship with allies (2007).
• $350,000 to WNED-TV for production of Reading Rainbow (2006).
• $300,000 to WGBH Educational Foundation for completion funding for The Fabric of the Cosmos (2010).
• $300,000 to WGBH Educational Foundation for We Shall Remain for PBS (2008).
• $300,000 to WNET Channel 13 for programs on Willa Cather and Ernest Hemingway (2005).
• $285,000 to WETA-Greater Washington Educational Telecommunications Association to complete production of PBS series, The Latino Americans (2011).
• $250,000 to Public Broadcasting Service for development of the PBS Kids Go! Website (2011).
• $250,000 to WETA-Greater Washington Educational Telecommunications Association to complete production of The Italian Americans (2012).
• $250,000 to WGBH Educational Foundation for season four of Martha Speaks, a literacy series for children (2011).
• $250,000 to Claremont McKenna College for endowment for programming at the Center for Writing and Public Discourse (2011).
• $250,000 to Family Communications to complete production of Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood (2010).
• $250,000 to KCET Community Television of Southern California for Sid the Science Kid for PBS (2009).
• $250,000 to WNED-TV for 1812: War We Forgot for PBS (2008).
• $250,000 to WGBH Educational Foundation for Martha Speaks for PBS (2008).
• $250,000 to WGBH Educational Foundation for third season of Postcards from Buster (2007).
• $250,000 to James Agee Film Project for documentary on human and natural history of Appalachia (2007).
• $250,000 to WGBH Educational Foundation for production of Digging Bible (2006).
• $250,000 to WETA-Greater Washington Educational Telecommunications Association for production of Jewish Americans (2006).
• $250,000 to WQED Multimedia for completion funding for War that Made America (2005).
• $250,000 to National Geographic Society for television series called Guns, Germs and Steel (2004).
• $240,000 to WGBH Educational Foundation for PBS series called The Question of God (2003).
• $200,000 to WGBH Educational Foundation to complete production of The Abolitionists (2012).
• $200,000 to WGBH Educational Foundation for completion funding for The Panama Canal (2010).
• $200,000 to KCET Community Television of Southern California for second season for Sid the Science Kid (2010).
• $200,000 to WGBH Educational Foundation for God in America for PBS (2009).
• $200,000 to WNET Channel 13 for Franny's Feet for PBS (2008).
• $200,000 to WGBH Educational Foundation for documentary program on life of Robert E. Lee (2007).
• $200,000 to National Geographic Society for production of documentary program called Chesapeake (2007).
• $200,000 to WGBH Educational Foundation for production of Fetch (2006).
• $200,000 to Filmmakers Collaborative for production of film biography of Louisa May Alcott (2006).
• $200,000 to KTCA/KTCI Twin Cities Public Television for completion funding for documentary on Alexander Hamilton (2005).
• $200,000 to WGBH Educational Foundation for completion funding and outreach for Postcards from Busters (2005).
• $200,000 to South Carolina ETV for documentary program called State of the Planet (2004).
• $199,650 to Middlebury College for expansion of the Bread Loaf Teacher Network (2012).
• $199,285 to WGBH Educational Foundation for video toolkit for implementing high school common core standards for math (2012).
• $199,262 to American Academy on Physician and Patient for web-based teaching program on physician-patient communication (2003).
• $150,000 to WGBH Educational Foundation to complete production of Death and The Civil War (2012).
• $150,000 to WGBH Educational Foundation to complete production of The Amish (2011).
• $150,000 to WETA-Greater Washington Educational Telecommunications Association for completion funding for Faith and America's Founders (2010).
• $150,000 to Big Picture Company for electronic network for delivery of professional development to high school teachers (2005).
• $100,000 to David Grubin Productions for completion funding for a documentary film on the Buddha's life (2010).
• $100,000 to South Carolina ETV for Plan B: Rescuing a Planet Under Stress and a Civilization in Trouble for PBS (2009).
• $100,000 to Mason Productions for Journey to Palomar for PBS (2008).
• $100,000 to South Carolina ETV for documentary on life and theology of Dietrich Bonhoeffer (2005).
• $50,000 to South Carolina ETV for State of Planet's Oceans for PBS (2009).
• $35,000 to KQED for PBS presentation of Hold Your Breath (2006).

Fit for public broadcasting: The Foundations have an explicit interest in funding educational public television programming. The best fit is completion funding for production. The Foundation has funded several projects that focus on history, immigration, environmental issues and religion, among other topic areas.

Eligibility:

• The Foundations are generally not interested in public television programs that are primarily focused on advocacy, topical news coverage or entertainment.
• The Foundations do make multi-year grants, but typically do not make grants to the same organization in successive years. Multi-year and annual funding for ongoing TV series are typically not considered.
• Endowment grants are typically not made to public television.
• The Foundations prefer not to fund indirect costs or overhead.

Deadline: None. The Board meets three times per year.

How to apply: Submit an initial proposal to the attention of Dr. Jonathan T. Howe, President, by U.S. mail. The request must come from the President or other primary executive of the requesting organization (not from development staff). Foundation staff will typically ask for additional information and, in the later stages of review, will visit the organization. The proposal review process may take as long as a year. The Foundation will not accept proposals via fax or e-mail.

Giving range: Capstone production projects generally range from $100,000 – $400,000.

Assets: $222,871,018 (as of 12/10)

Total giving: $9,038,094 (as of 12/10)