Funding

ACLS was founded in 1919 thanks to the foresight of a small group of learned societies and generous philanthropists who believed in their vision for the humanities and social sciences. Among the most instrumental funders in the first fifty years of our existence were the Bollingen Foundation, Carnegie Corporation, Ford Foundation, and the Rockefeller Foundation. Other funders who lent their support in those years included Corning Glass Works Foundation, the Markle Foundation, National Endowment for the Humanities, and The New York Times. The Mellon Foundation became one of our most important partners after they were established in 1969, and in later years, they were joined by the Arcadia Charitable Trust, Atlantic Philanthropic Companies, Freeman Foundation, Getty Trust, Hewlett Foundation, Robert H.N. Ho Foundation, Chiang Ching-Kuo Foundation for International Scholarly Exchange, Henry Luce Foundation, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Pew Charitable Trusts, Alfred Sloan Foundation, and the Wallace Foundation. In 1926, fellowships and grants totaled $4,500 for a handful of scholars. Nearly 100 years later, our fellowships exceed $25 million in support of over 300 scholars.

Today, ACLS continues to be funded by public and private grants, endowment income, annual dues from member institutions dues and gifts from individual donors. Our $125 million centennial campaign was launched in 2019 at our centennial dinner which honored the tenure of Pauline Yu, ACLS’ president for 16 years until her retirement that year.

We are pleased to recognize all of our current funders in our annual report. We would especially like to thank our major funders for their cumulative generosity, listed below:

$5 million + 
Carnegie Corporation of New York 
The Robert H.N. Ho Foundation
The Henry Luce Foundation 
The Mellon Foundation

$1,000,000 – $4,999,999 
Arcadia, a charitable fund of Lisbet Rausing and Peter Baldwin 
Estate of Morton Norton Cohen †
The Getty Foundation
Susan McClary & Robert Walser
The National Endowment for the Humanities

$500,000 – $999,999 
Pauline Yu

$250,000 – $499,999 
Chiang Ching-Kuo Foundation for International Scholarly Exchange
Lilian Handlin 
H. and T. King 
Carl & Betty Pforzheimer 
Lea Wakeman
Scott L. Waugh

$100,000 – $249,999 
Jim & Janet Averill
Roger & Whitney Bagnall 
The Barrington Foundation/Robert B. Strassler
Joy Connolly
The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation
Yvette & William Kirby
Lund Trust (CAF), a charitable fund of Lisbet Rausing and Peter Baldwin
James J. O’Donnell
Susan S. and Kenneth L. Wallach Foundation 
Wen-hsin Yeh & James C. Sha

$25,000 – $99,999 
Nicola M. Courtright & David A. Levine
D. Ronald Daniel † & Lise Scott
Ann Fabian & Christopher Smeall
Frances Ferguson 
Renée B. Fisher Foundation/Shelley Fisher Fishkin
Claire Gaudiani † & David Burnett
Ute & Marwan Kraidy
Robert S. Rifkind
Preston M. Torbert 
Nancy J. Vickers 
Anonymous

$5,000 – $24,999 
Sheila Biddle 
Elizabeth Birkelund
Donald Brenneis
Brock Capital Group
Caroline Walker Bynum
James H. Cole
Nancy F. Cott
BMM Art & Computer, Inc. 
Jonathan D. Culler & Cynthia Chase 
Frances D. Fergusson
Ford Foundation
Valerie Wilson Travel and Matthew Gill 
Madeline Einhorn Glick 
Charlotte V. Kuh & Roy Radner †
Nicholas R. Lardy 
Monticello Associates
Susan Naquin
Francis Oakley
Jessie Ann Owens
Joan R. Piggott
Abby Smith Rumsey 
Richard Salomon & Robin Dushman
Matthew S. Santirocco
Walter Scheidel
Judith L. Sensibar
Estate of Richard N. Swift †
Lavori Sterling Foundation, Inc.
James C. Turner
United Airlines
Anonymous

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For further information on becoming a major donor, please contact Mary Richter at [email protected] or 646-485-5951.