High Meadows Foundation C/O Carl Ferenbach
ActivePhilanthropy & Voluntarism
About High Meadows Foundation C/O Carl Ferenbach
High Meadows Foundation concentrates its philanthropy on climate and environmental science, paired with investments in education and leadership development tied to those issues. The foundation makes multi-year, sizable grants to advocacy and research organizations focused on climate solutions, while also funding teacher training, university fellowship programs, and its own associated institutes and community foundations, including regional support in Vermont.
Focus Areas
Climate science, policy and advocacy organizations (e.g., Environmental Defense Fund)Climate communication and media translating science for public audiences (e.g., Climate Central)University-based climate and sustainability leadership fellowships (Princeton PACE High Meadows Fellows)Teacher preparation and graduate programs focused on sustainability education (High Meadows Graduate School of Teaching and Learning)Regional philanthropy in Vermont and administrative/field-building support via donor-advised/umbrella charities (Vermont Community Foundation, CAF America)
Who They Fund
universities and academic research centers
About High Meadows Foundation C/O Carl Ferenbach
High Meadows Foundation C/o Carl Ferenbach gives large, repeated grants to climate research and environmental policy work, with Environmental Defense Fund receiving $3,000,000 in 2023, 2024, and 2025 for continuing support of environmental research. That pattern sits alongside funding for climate education and leadership, including the Trustees of Princeton University for the PACE Center High Meadows Fellows Program and the High Meadows Graduate School of Teaching and Learning for its charitable activities. The foundation also backs organizations that translate climate science for public audiences, such as Climate Central Inc, and supports field-building entities like High Meadows Institute. Its grant list shows a mix of university-based programs, advocacy organizations, and institutions connected to sustainability education. The recurring grants suggest a funder that favors sustained commitments rather than isolated awards, especially where research, fellowships, and training can reinforce one another. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including Princeton University, High Meadows Institute, and Climate Central Inc, which points to continuity in the foundation’s relationships with grantees.
What High Meadows Foundation C/O Carl Ferenbach Funds
Climate science and environmental research are central to the foundation’s giving. Environmental Defense Fund received $3,000,000 in each of 2023, 2024, and 2025 for continuing support of environmental research, and the Trustees of Princeton University received $400,000 in each of those same years for the Center for Policy Research on Energy and the Environment. The foundation also funds climate communication. Climate Central Inc received $1,000,000 in 2023 and $250,000 in 2025 for charitable activities, indicating support for public-facing science translation. Education and leadership development are another thread: the High Meadows Graduate School of Teaching and Learning received $1,000,000 in 2023, and the PACE Center High Meadows Fellows Program at Princeton University received grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025. Regional philanthropy also appears through Vermont Community Foundation and Let's Grow Kids.
How High Meadows Foundation C/O Carl Ferenbach Gives
Grant sizes cluster at the upper end of the nonprofit range: p25 is $100,000, median is $300,000, and p75 is $750,000. The pattern is strongly recurring; several recipients appear across multiple years, including Environmental Defense Fund, Trustees of Princeton University, High Meadows Institute, Climate Central Inc, Harvard Business School, The Wilderness Society, Vermont Community Foundation, and Let's Grow Kids. The foundation is classified as a regular funder and does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. Recent awards are mostly program support or continuing support rather than one-time project grants, and several payments are framed as charitable activities or continuing support.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$4.9M
Total Assets
$3.5M
Total Revenue
$10.6M
Total Expenses
$4.9M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $100K and $750K, with a median of $300K.
25th Percentile
$100K
Median
$300K
75th Percentile
$750K
Geographic Reach
Regional8 states funded
About 27% of grants go to recipients in NJ.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
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