About the Foundation & Guidelines

About the Foundation

The Charles and Elizabeth Wetmore Fund is a perpetual charitable trust established in the will of Elizabeth Bisland Wetmore (1861 – 1929). Mrs. Wetmore was born into a Louisiana plantation family. She moved to New Orleans and then, a few years later, to New York, where she contributed to a variety of magazines like the Atlantic Monthly and the New York World. Notably, Mrs. Wetmore participated in a 76 day race around the world which was an incredible feat for a young woman in 1889-1890. She published a book, In Seven Stages: A Flying Trip Around the World (1891). She eventually married corporate attorney Charles Whitman Wetmore (1854-1919). Mr. Wetmore was a partner in Barlow & Wetmore and became President of the North American Company. Mrs. Wetmore died of pneumonia.

Funding Guidelines

Funding Priorities:

• Patient Care and Support
  The Wetmore Fund provides for the care of indigent native sufferers* of tubercular consumption (tuberculosis) and other respiratory illnesses and disorders.
• Medical Research
  It also funds medical research to obtain a cure or improved treatment for respiratory diseases or disorders that affect indigent native sufferers* in and about the City of New Orleans, Louisiana.

Respiratory illnesses include but are not limited to COVID-19 (novel coronavirus), emphysema, chronic bronchitis, asthma, bronchiectasis, pulmonary non-tuberculosis mycobacteria, & lung cancer.

We highly encourage organizations who are working with patients or research involving COVID-19 that also meet the other funding criteria and restrictions to apply for funding.

Geographic Focus:

All grants made support organizations in New Orleans–Metairie-Kenner Metropolitan Statistical Area or the Greater New Orleans Region. This area includes Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. John the Baptist, and St. Tammany Parishes.

Types of Support:

• Program Support
• General Operating

Restrictions:

Due to an existing partnership, the Wetmore Fund is not accepting grant applications for direct payment assistance programs like emergency funds, prescription medication funds, durable medical equipment funds or any other program that facilitates cash payments to individuals or organizations to pay for personal expenses.

No grants will be for the erection of a building. In general, capital projects are not funded.

Eligibility Requirements:

The Trustee and Distribution Committee will consider all qualified applications received from organizations that are exempt from taxation under the Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3). If you are a 509 (a)(3) Supporting Organization, please be prepared to provide additional information. Grants are not made to support individuals or for-profit institutions.

Application Deadline:

The application deadline is April 15th.

Grant Range:

The average grant size is between $10,000 and $75,000.

Contact Information:

You may contact Laura Galaida, Trustee on behalf of Truist, laura.galaida@truist.com.

* At least 60% of program participants and/or beneficiaries of Wetmore Fund supported programs must earn an income less than 200% of the federal poverty level.