The Charles Edison Fund

The Charles Edison Fund (the "Fund") is an endowed philanthropic institution dedicated to the support of worthwhile endeavors generally within the areas of medical research, science education and historic preservation. The Fund is an extension of the benefactions and aspirations of its Founder, a man of discerning foresight, rare achievement and background.

Science Teaching Experiments
Teaching Experiments Kit

Paramount among its public sector operations for the past quarter century is the providing of science teaching kits outlining simple, proven experiments to teachers throughout the United States. They are constantly updated and, to date, over 60,000 kits have been distributed. They appeal to simplicity, are in an attractive loose-leaf binder and contain instructions which can be xeroxed easily thereby permitting a teacher to copy any of the 82 experiments for classroom use by students. As a philanthropic, charitable foundation, the Fund distributes these kits free (except for a $1.00 handling charge) for grades 4 through junior high. The Fund's motto is "Keep it Simple" providing the 1-2-3 in basic science experiments which last forever and is never out of touch with current knowledge of science education needed by everyone, past, present and future. Based on its database, the Fund estimates that over 15 million students have used these kits.

Future Hypermedia Projects

Parenthetically, the Fund is committed to producing its own programs for use on the Internet. The "Best of Edison" Science Teaching Kits and its eighty museum programs displaying Edison artifacts together with a walking tour of the Edison National Historic Site are included in this project. Finally, the Fund would like to link all seven Edison Sites in the United States so they can share their respective contributions to Edison and his work.

Grants and "Seed Money"

Apart from dollars spent by the Fund on its own programs, it has given financial support since its inception to other charitable, scientific and educational organizations, institutions and projects in an amount which exceeds $35 Million. It is a seed money organization. It does not just make grants but makes grants happen. It starts projects which would not otherwise "get off the ground." Because the Fund remained relatively small until its inheritance from the estate of Charles Edison, its record of providing financial assistance to other organizations mushroomed following his death.

Patterns of Giving

In more recent years, a pattern of giving has emerged within the Fund. Its contributions tend to be almost equally divided among medical research projects, science education and historic preservation. Additionally, but with some important and increasing exceptions, institutions and organizations assisted are based principally in the New York-New Jersey Metropolitan area. This concentration of interest facilitates the efforts of the Trustees to evaluate the work of recipient groups, frequently accomplished by personal visitations.

Applying To The Fund

The Fund recommends that a grant request be submitted on the requesting organization's letterhead and be signed by an official on behalf of the governing board. The Fund does not require or supply application forms. The request should be detailed, complete and include background information about the organization, a full explanation of the project and its costs, and a financial report, current budget and evidence of tax-exempt status of the requesting organization.

The Fund meets three times a year, usually in February or March, June and December at which time requests which have been submitted at least three weeks prior to the meeting will be considered. Progress reports and a final accounting of the use of grant funds will be required of all grant recipients.

Continuing grants over a period of time are made in special circumstances; however, the Fund reserves the right to accept or reject future contributions based on annual performance reports, which it monitors closely