The Arts
Film, performance, and the institutions that bring artists and audiences together — supporting work that challenges and delights.
The Montecillo Foundation is a family charitable fund. We make grants to organizations that cultivate creativity, protect the natural world, and advance human understanding — carefully, and for the long term.
The foundation carries our family name — Montecillo, which means “little hill.” We take the image to heart: like a hill that keeps its shape through every season, we try to give steadily and without hurry, supporting institutions that make communities richer in beauty, knowledge, and connection to the natural world. We favor durable relationships over one-time gestures, and we let the organizations we trust do what they do best.
We give with a multi-year mindset, not a single season in view.
We back capable institutions and stay out of their way.
Rooted in our community, open to work of national significance.
A family fund, run simply, so more reaches the mission.
That culture, the natural world, and the life of the mind are worth protecting — and that thoughtful philanthropy can help them thrive.
Film, performance, and the institutions that bring artists and audiences together — supporting work that challenges and delights.
Gardens, conservation, and public green spaces that connect people to nature and preserve it for the generations that follow.
Scholarship, research, and educational programs that expand what we know and who gets to pursue knowledge.
Rather than accept unsolicited proposals, the foundation identifies and builds relationships with organizations whose work we admire. Recent partners include:
Championing independent storytellers and the discovery of new voices in film — a cornerstone of American independent cinema.
The ArtsA living museum of plants advancing conservation, research, and public education — and one of the region's great cultural landscapes.
The Natural WorldA note on proposals: The Montecillo Foundation does not currently accept unsolicited grant applications. We reach out directly to organizations aligned with our focus areas. If your work speaks closely to our mission, you're welcome to introduce yourself.
The Montecillo Foundation is the charitable vehicle of the Montecillo family. It was established to bring intention and continuity to the family's giving — to support fewer causes, more deeply, and to make philanthropy a shared and lasting part of family life.
The foundation is organized as a donor advised fund. Contributions are irrevocably dedicated to charitable purposes, and grants are recommended by the family and administered through the fund's sponsoring organization to qualified charitable recipients. This structure lets us focus entirely on the work we care about, with minimal overhead.
We keep our footprint small on purpose. There is no large staff and no elaborate process — just a family committed to giving well, over time.
For inquiries about the foundation or its giving, please write to us.
info@montecillofoundation.orgWe read every note, though we may not be able to reply to every request.