Grantmakers in the News
April 1, 2003
Name: John H. and Wilhelmina D. Harland Charitable Foundation, Inc.
Year Founded: 1972
Contact Person: Jane G. Hardesty, Executive Director
Address: Two Piedmont Center, Suite 106
Atlanta, GA 30305
Phone: 404-264-9912 Fax: 404-266-8834
Mission:
The John H. and Wilhelmina D. Harland Charitable Foundation, Inc. was established by John H.
Harland in May, 1972, as a means of providing ongoing financial support for educational,
cultural, community, religious, and charitable institutions to which he and Mrs. Harland had
given their personal support and to other institutions of a like nature.
Background:
Mr. Harland, a native of northern Ireland, came to Atlanta in 1906 as a young man of 21. In
1923 he founded the John H. Harland Company, which is now a national firm operating in segments
of the financial and educational markets. Mrs. Harland was born in Atlanta and lived her
entire life in this city except for several years as a student at the New England Conservatory
of Music in Boston and immediately following the First World War. Mr. and Mrs. Harland were
persons with broad charitable interests and a deep affection for Atlanta and the South.
Does your foundation have any new staff you would like to introduce?
Jane Hardesty became the Executive Director of the John H. and Wilhelmina D. Harland Charitable
Foundation, Inc. in October 2002. A native of North Carolina, she received her bachelor’s
degree in Political Science from Duke University and her master’s degree in communications from
American University. Prior to joining the foundation, Jane served as Vice President of the
Southeastern Council of Foundations, a regional association of 350 family, corporate, community
and private foundations from twelve states in the southeast. Additional experiences in Atlanta
include a year-long fellowship with the Woodruff and Whitehead Foundations and working with
Hands On Atlanta as a project manager for an "Olympic Legacy" project in Mechanicsville. She
is a member of the advisory board of the Foundation Center-Atlanta, the Childhood Obesity
Initiative Advisory Committee of the Philanthropic Collaborative for a Healthy Georgia, and the
Southeastern Council of Foundations’ Hull Leadership Program Committee.
What are the foundation's current priorities/programs?
The Harland Foundation is a family foundation which gives away approximately $1.5 million
annually. Grants are given for programmatic, capital, and operating needs with a primary
geographic focus within metropolitan Atlanta, specifically Fulton and DeKalb Counties, and no
grants are made outside the state of Georgia. The Foundation prefers to support organizations
which originate within the state versus national affiliate organizations and grants are not
made for start up organizations which is defined as having their 501(c)3 for less than two
years. The Foundation does not make grants to individuals, annual appeals or special events.
The Harland Foundation has broad interests, which encompass several areas: Children & Youth;
Community Services; Cultural; Education; Health; and Religious. Mr. and Mrs. Harland had a
particular interest in causes that serve children and in higher education, which continue to be
areas of concern for the foundation trustees. In addition, the trustees have an interest in
grants that will strengthen an organization’s ability to fulfill its mission or serve to
encourage other donors. Specific areas within the category of children and youth include:
Improved education for children & young people - starting at the earliest ages of 0-5 years
with quality daycare options; after school opportunities; opportunities for special needs
children including both physical and learning disabilities; and preparing our youth for
graduation from high school and productive employment. Grants are not made to private primary
and secondary schools, except for those whose specific purpose is to serve special needs
children.
The category of community service touches a wide range of areas that often include issues for
families, addiction, abuse, homelessness, disabilities, and broad services for urban,
low-income individuals. Cultural institutions that the Foundation has supported include the
performing arts, such as theater, visual arts, and music. Education interests often align with
organizations providing during or after-school programming or a select few higher education
institutions, while some of the grants made in the area of health re-connect to children and
youth concerns. The remaining grant areas considered are religious and environmental. Grants
are not made to individual churches.
What initial approach do you prefer?
In approaching the Foundation, we have two processes:
- Organizations which have no history with the Foundation:
- Send a two-page letter to the Foundation stating the mission of the organization,
what the organization does, the target audience, and the project or need or
campaign, etc. the organization would like the Foundation to support.
- Once reviewed, we will contact the organization and indicate that a) we see a
possible fit with the Foundation’s interests, and, therefore, we’d like to set up
a meeting to learn more about the organization and offer guidance about whether
they should submit an application for consideration, or b) we don’t believe there
is a fit with the interests or abilities of the Foundation to respond to the needs
outlined.
- Organizations who have applied to the Foundation previously:
Often, we will proceed with
setting up a meeting with the organization to learn where they are at this time and
offer guidance as to whether the organization should submit an application.
If you do submit a questionnaire/application, we also ask for a formal letter of request, which
provides the opportunity to explain any ideas or issues not addressed in the questions on the
questionnaire that are helpful or relevant to the grant proposal. Additional attachments
requested include: a copy of the organization’s current operating budget and project budget if
applicable; a copy of the organization’s balance sheet and income statement from the most
recent fiscal year; a list of board members and/or campaign board; a copy of the organization’s
IRS determination letter; and then any descriptive materials which are optional.
The trustees meet twice a year to consider requests. Application deadlines are March 1st for
the April meeting and September 1st for the October meeting. Once an application has been
submitted, there is a waiting period of 21 months before a new grant proposal will be eligible
for consideration.
How do you measure the success of your grantee's project?
To learn about the outcomes of the projects funded by the Foundation, we request a report from
the grantee when the project is complete or the funds have been expended.
What keeps you motivated to work in the field of philanthropy?
The many wonderful people who are so dedicated to improving our community and to helping those
served is a strong motivation to work within the field of philanthropy.
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