OVERVIEW: The Wiederhold Foundation is housed within the Community Foundation of Northwest Connecticut, but it does not restrict giving to Connecticut. The foundation funds projects that better the lives of domesticated and wild animals, including animal rescue and land conservation.
IP TAKE: This legacy donor foundation prioritizes organizations that are based in or do work in Connecticut. As it is housed by the Northwest Connecticut Community Foundation, Wiederhold does not maintain its own website.
PROFILE: The John T. and Jane A. Wiederhold Foundation became entrusted to the Community Foundation in 2012. John and Jane Wiederhold were a Connecticut couple who loved animals, pets especially, but who appreciated nature and wildlife across the board. The Wiederholds had no heirs, and when investor John passed away in 1998, Jane, a former New York City model, inherited assets of $12.7 million, establishing the foundation in his memory. Unfortunately, the Wiederhold foundation does not maintain a website of its own. As a result, no information exists regarding specific program priorities.
The foundation’s animal and wildlife grantmaking is almost entirely devoted to animal welfare, with an emphasis on dogs and cats. One of the foundation’s largest grants in recent history, however, supported marine wildlife work at Connecticut’s Mystic Aquarium to establish an Ocean Research and Conservation Center. The aquarium has a living collection of more than 4,000 animals including sea lions, seals, penguins, sharks and more. The grant funds a new facility for the aquarium, animal care, water quality work, and research. Other grantees include the New Hampshire Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the Dan Crosgrove Animal Shelter in Connecticut, the Connecticut River Conservancy and the Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society in Massachusetts.
The Wiederhold Foundation makes about $1 million a year in grants ranging from $2,000 to $100,000. Grantmaking appears to prioritize organizations in Connecticut and the New England states. The foundation does not run a formal application program; grantseekers are advised to contact the Northwest Connecticut Community Foundation prior to submitting a proposal. They may be reached at (860) 626-1245 or info@northwestcf.org.
PEOPLE:
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CONTACT:
John T. and Jane a. Wiederhold Foundation
c/o Northwest Connecticut Community Foundation
33 East Main St. P.O. box 1144
Torrington, CT 06790
(860) 626-1245