Aaron Diamond Foundation (1955–1996)
The Aaron Diamond Foundation, which finished spending out its funds in 1996, was founded by Aaron and Irene Diamond in 1955. Aaron had accumulated substantial…
Albert A. List Foundation (1952–2004)
The Albert A. List Foundation was founded by Albert and his wife Vera List. Albert acquired his wealth through a family grocery business that quickly…
American Fund for Public Service (1922–1941)
The American Fund for Public Service was founded thanks to Charles Garland’s decision to channel his inheritance from his Wall Street Broker father toward helping…
Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies (1986–projected: 2016)
Total assets (as of 2001 spend-down decision): $4,646,406 [1] Total assets (as of 2012): $10,011,566 [2] Total giving in 2012: $4,271,997 Prominent grants: Best known for grants supporting Jewish organizations, including…
AVI CHAI Foundation (1984–projected: 2020)
Total Assets in 2012: $570,152,807 [1] Total giving in 2012: $35,535,000 Total Assets in 2005 (when spend-down was announced): $649,096,797 [2] Prominent grants: Funding activity has included directing funds…
Beldon Fund (1982–2009)
Total Giving 1982-2009: $120 million Average Annual Giving during 10-year spend-down:[1] $14 million Total Assets when spend-down was initiated:[2] $100 million Prominent Grants: Thanks to…
Bemis Taylor Foundation (1927–1974)
Summary: The Bemis Taylor Foundation was founded under the leadership of Alice Bemis Taylor. Taylor came from a family with an extensive philanthropic history: Her father,…
Brainerd Foundation (1995–projected: 2020)
Total Assets (2012):[1] $26,187,673 Total giving (2012): $2,581,024 Total assets in 2008 (when spend-down commenced):[2] $30,216,336 Prominent Grants:[3] The Brainerd Foundation has invested in over 300…
Carl Schurz Memorial Foundation (1930–1962)
Summary: The Carl Schurz Memorial Foundation was founded and named in honor of Carl Schurz, who served as ambassador, Senator, and Secretary of the Interior during…
Center for the Public Domain (1999–2005)
Summary: The Center for the Public Domain, originally known as the Red Hat Center for Open Source, was founded as a short-term philanthropy venture by entrepreneurs…
Century Fund (1985–projected: 2021)
Total Assets as of 2004: $27,532,300 as of 2012: $20,876,081 Total Giving (2012): $832,946 Prominent grants: Allentown Symphony Association, Lehigh County Historical Society, Allentown Art Museum,…
Chaloner Prize Foundation (1890–1974)
Summary:[1] John Armstrong Chaloner, an attorney, founded the Chaloner Prize Foundation in order to promote opportunities for artists to study abroad in Paris. The fund, originally…
ClearWay Minnesota (1998–projected: 2023)
Total Assets (at creation): $183,000,000 [1] As of 2013: $89,331,817 [2] Total Giving in 2013: $3,848,173 [3] Prominent Grants: Tobacco-related research, programs, and initiatives in Minnesota. 2014 recipient organizations include the…
Columbia Foundation (1940–projected: 2013)
Total Assets (approx. as of 2012 spend-down decision): $83,965,658 [1] Total Giving: $85,000,000 Total Giving (FY2013): $4,469,315 [2] Prominent Grants: Focus areas included arts, human rights, sustainable food and farming. Notable…
Corella and Bertram F. Bonner Foundation (1980–2010)
Total Assets (as of 2004 spend-down announcement): $93,223,050 [1] As of 2013: $40,080,407 Total Giving in 2013: $5,719,490 Prominent Grants: The Foundation gives through two different avenues. The Bonner…
Danforth Foundation (1927–2011)
Total Assets (as of 2011 spend-down announcement): $60,000,000 As of 2009: $120,452,076 [1] Total Giving: $1,000,000,000 [2] Total Giving in 2009: $39,574,528 [3] Prominent Grants: Concentrated on the St. Louis region, primarily for…
Davison Fund (1930–1942)
Prominent Grants: Davison Fund was created to handle John D. Rockefeller, Jr.’s annual, small-scale grants to his local New York City area. Summary: The Davison Fund was…
Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund (U.K.) (1997–projected: 2013)
Total Assets: £138,645,000 [1] As of 2007 spend-down decision (approx.): £80,000,000 Total Giving: £111,978,000 Total Giving in 2007-2012 spend-down (approx.): £50,000,000 Prominent Grants: £650,000 to Action on Armed Violence, which works…
Donald W. Reynolds Foundation (1954–projected: 2022)
Total Assets (as of 2013): $175,552,668 As of 2014 spend-down decision: $160,000,000 [1] Total Giving (up to 2014): $1,800,000,000 Total Giving (2013): $58,939,931 Prominent Grants:$87,000,000 to the University of Arkansas…
Eckerd Family Foundation (1987–projected: 2014)
Total Assets: $100,000,000 endowment As of 2009: $20,000,000 [1] Total Giving (2009): $6,000,000 Total Giving (2008): $6,400,000 Prominent Grants:Giving is focused on the Florida region, including $365,000 to found…
Eleos Foundation (2007–projected: 2020)
Total Assets: $6,000,000 endowment As of 2010: $6,834,293 Total Giving (2012): $19,000 Prominent Grants:Sanergy, a startup that’s bringing clean toilets to slums in Kenya through a franchise model;…
Endswell Foundation (1992–2009)
Total Assets: $17 million endowment[1] Total Giving: $20 million[2] Total Giving (2003-2009): $8.7 million[3] Prominent Grants: Provided over 700 grants in the environmental and social justice sectors in B.C.;…
Field Foundation of New York (1940–1989)
Total Assets (1977): $16 million[1] Prominent Grants: $30,000 to the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund Summary: The Field Foundation was established by Marshall Field III in…
Fleischmann Foundation (1951–1980)
Total Assets (at creation): $50,000,000[1] Total Assets (as of 1971): $100,000,000 Total Giving: $192,037,457[2] Total Giving (1970): $4,400,000 Prominent Grants:$1,000,000 to the Nevada Dept. of Conservation and Natural…
Four Acre Trust (U.K.) (1995–projected: 2015)
Total Assets (2013): £4,470,421 Total Assets (2008): £9,700,000[1] Total Giving (2013): £1,486,067[2] Total Giving (2008): £2,300,000 Prominent Grants: Room to Read (£105,000); Visions for the Future (£77,000); International Childcare…
Frank H. and Eva B. Buck Foundation (1990–projected: 2015)
Total Assets (2013): $21,491,385[1] Total Assets (2008): $49,216,244[2] Total Giving (2013): $3,434,780 Total Giving (2008): $13,408,418 Summary: Located in Vacaville, California, the Buck Foundation is focused on education in the six…
French American Charitable Trust (1992–projected: 2016)
Total Assets[1]: $40 million endowment Total Giving: $54 million[2] Prominent Grants: Focused on California, the Southwest and the South. A small grant-making program was also established in France.…
Fund for Democratic Communities (1997–projected: 2020)
Total Assets (2012): $7,957,284 Total Assets (2013): $9,263,393[1] Total Giving (2012): $226,096 Total Giving (2013): $728,924 Prominent Grants:$60,000 to Project South-Institution for general operating support in the elimination of…
General Education Board (1903–1960)
Total Assets: $180 million endowment Total Giving (1934): $5.5 million Total Giving: $324.6 million[1] Prominent Grants: $659,700 for establishing demonstration farms in the South with the purpose of promoting…
Gill Foundation (1994–projected: twenty years after death of founder)
Total Assets (2012): $ 222,817,729 Total Giving (through 2012): $243 million[1] Total Giving (2012): $15.5 million[2] Total Giving (2010): $11.8 million Prominent Grants:Established the Gay and Lesbian Fund for…
Girls’ Best Friend Foundation (1994–2007)
Total Giving: $8.3 million[1] Total Giving (2007): $1.6 million Prominent Grants: Giving primarily focused in Illinois. Established Sisters Empowering Sisters (SES), a leadership development program. Summary: The Girls’ Best…
Hagedorn Foundation (2005–projected: 2017)
Total Assets: $58 million endowment[1] Total Assets (2012): $31,994,459 Total Giving (through 2013): $37 million Total Giving (2012): $4,460,823 Prominent Grants: Giving is limited to Long Island, NY. Prominent grants…
Haigh-Scatena Foundation (1967–2007)
Total Assets (2001): $3,095,169[1] Total Assets (2007): $72,311[2] Total Giving (2001): $249,850 Total Giving (2007): $1,057,000 Prominent Grants: Youth Law Center, California Juvenile Justice Reentry Partnership. Summary: The Haigh-Scatena Foundation provided…
Henry Kaufmann Foundation (1928–1999)
Total Assets (1998): $441,114[1] Total Giving (1998): $284,500 Prominent Grants:Giving primarily to Jewish organizations in New York. Prominent grants included $1 million in 1953 to establish the…
HKH (Harold K. Hochschild) Foundation (1980–projected: 2012)
Total Assets (2011): $6,334,099 Total Assets (2002): $28,161,128[1] Total Giving (2011): $7,205,000 Total Giving (2002): $2,002,811 Prominent Grants:$235,000 in 2002 to the National Resources Defense Council. $685,000 in 2003…
International Education Board (1923–1938)
Total Assets (endowment): $28 million[1] Prominent Grants:$40,000 institutional grant to Niels Bohr and the Institute for Theoretical Physics at the University of Copenhagen in 1923. Its…
International Health Board (1913–1951)
Total Giving (2011): $94 million[1] Prominent Grants:Focused mainly on strengthening developing country public health infrastructure and combatting hookworm, tuberculosis, yellow fever, and malaria. Summary: This division of…
Jacobs Family Foundation (1988–projected: 2030)
Total Assets (2013): $150,369,772 Total Assets (2002): $83,366, 827 Total Giving (2013): $81,274 Total Giving (2002): $163,152 Prominent Grants: Giving limited to the Village at Market Creek, a 60-acre community…
James Foundation (1941–1965)
Total Assets (endowment): $25 million[1] Summary: The Foundation was established after the death of Arthur Curtiss James, a wealthy speculator in copper mines and railroads. He left…
JDR 3rd Fund (1963–1979)
Total Assets: $10 million annually[1] Summary: The JDR 3rd Fund was the primary philanthropic institution of John D. Rockefeller 3rd. The Fund did not have an endowment, but…
John M. Olin Foundation (1953–2005)
Total Assets (endowment): $120 million Total Giving: $370 million[1] Total Giving (2005): $5 million[2] Prominent Grants:Primarily towards organizations preserving free market ideals. Established the Federalist Society. Summary: The John…
John Merck Fund (1970–projected: 2022)
Total Assets (2012): $73,942,428 Total Assets (as of 2011 spend-down announcement): $75,000,000[1] Total Assets (2001): $194,017,773[2] Total Giving (2012): $7,319,500 Total Giving (2001): $12,715,944 Prominent Grants:Grant-making is focused in 4…
Julius Rosenwald Fund (1917–1948)
Total Giving: $22,249,624[1] Prominent Grants: $4.4 million to build 5,000 one-room schoolhouses for African American students in the rural South. Grants to prominent individuals, including Ralph Ellison,…
Kahanoff Foundation (1979–projected: 2012)
Total Giving: $250,000,000[1] Prominent Grants: Provided most of the financial support for The Banff Centre in Calgary. Also gave to charitable programs in Israel. Summary: The Kahanoff Foundation…
Lenfest Foundation (2000 – projected: 2023)
Total Assets (2013): $103,125,296 Total Assets (2001): $155,637,336[1] Total Giving (2013): $7,476,737 Total Giving (2001): $8,366,066 Prominent Grants: Primarily focused on students in rural Pennsylvania and Philadelphia. Prominent programs include…
Lewis B. and Dorothy Cullman Foundation (1958–projected: one year after death of founder)
Total Assets (2013): $1,277,274 Total Assets (2001): $50,153,309[1] Total Giving (2013): $1,401,564 Total Giving (2001): $10,662,246 Prominent Grants: Giving primarily in New York and Maryland. Prominent recipients include Johns Hopkins…
Lincy Foundation (1989–2011)
Total Giving: $1.1 billion[1] Prominent Grants: Housing in Armenia following the 1989 earthquake in Spitak. At its closure, $200 million was transferred to UCLA for The Dream…
Lucille P. Markey Charitable Trust (1983–1997)
Total Assets (endowment): $300 million[1] Total Giving: $500 million Prominent Grants: University of Virginia Molecular Biology Institute, Markey Scholar Awards. Grants were primarily to prominent universities and scholars,…
Martha H. Beeman Foundation (1929–2011)
Total Assets (2009): $593,398[1] Total Assets (2001): $1,652,416[2] Total Giving (2009): $26,500 Total Giving (2001): $127,650 Prominent Grants: $4,000 gift to the Child Advocacy Center of Niagara at Niagara Falls…
Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust (1968–2009)
Total Assets (endowment): $72,482,155[1] Total Giving: $334,245,969 Prominent Grants: Chesapeake Bay Foundation, EarthJustice Legal Defense Fund, National Audubon Society, Natural Resources Defense Council. Summary: Mary Flagler Cary was heir…
Maurice and Laura Falk Foundation (1929–1965)
Total Assets (endowment): $10,000,000[1] Total Assets (1961): $6,895,575[2] Prominent Grants: Falk Project for Economic Research in Israel, Maurice Falk Medical Foundation. Summary: The Maurice and Laura Falk Foundation is…
Mustard Seed Foundation (1983–projected: 2020–2025)
Total Assets (2013): $2,381,755[1] Total Assets (2012): $4,046,909[2] Total Giving (2013): $1,629,736 Total Giving (2012): $2,971,375[3] Prominent Grants: Church-based grants provide seed funding for small startup projects of churches…
Nathan Hofheimer Foundation (1919–1970)
Summary: The Hofheimer Foundation was established in 1919 by Nathan Hofheimer, one of the founders of General Motors, to “improve the living conditions of unfortunate persons…
NoVo Foundation (2006–projected: lifetime of cochair)
Total Assets (endowment): $1 billion[1] Total Assets (2012): $200,696,839 Total Giving (2012): $36,548,528 Total Giving (2007): $45,624,287 Prominent Grants: Focus on empowering adolescent girls, ending violence against girls and women,…
One Foundation (Ireland) (2004–projected: 2013)
Total Assets (endowment): $1 billion[1] Total Assets (2012): $200,696,839 Total Giving (2012): $36,548,528 Total Giving (2007): $45,624,287 Prominent Grants: Focus on empowering adolescent girls, ending violence against girls and women,…
Paul Rapoport Foundation (1987–projected: 2015)
Total Assets (endowment): $7,500,000[1] Total Giving (1987-2009): $11,000,000 Total Giving (2010): $2,328,300[2] Prominent Grants: Giving limited to LGBT causes in the New York metropolitan area. Grantees include the Long…
Quixote Foundation (1997–projected: 2017)
Total Assets (2009): $15,588,000 Total Giving (1997-2009): $9,657,718[1] Prominent Grants: $80,000 to the Center for Social Inclusion, $600,000 over 3 years to Legal Voice (formerly NW Women’s Law…
Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation (2015–projected: 2035)
Total Assets: $1.2 billion Total Giving (2015-16): $60,000,000 Summary: The foundation is the legacy of entrepreneur Ralph C. Wilson, former owner of the Buffalo Bills, who died in…
Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund (1951–projected: 2012)
Total Giving (1951-2011): $700,000,000[1] Total Assets (as of 2011 spend down decision): $280,000,000 Prominent Grants: $5 million to protect Alaskan wilderness, $25 million to the San Francisco Symphony,…
Robert Bowne Foundation (1968–projected: 2015)
Total Assets (2013): $6,285,619[1] Total Assets (2001): $18,608,408[2] Total Giving (2013): $1,561,000 Total Giving (2001): $1,300,850 Prominent Grants: Giving primarily in the New York City area. Prominent grantees include Rauschenbusch…
Robina Foundation (2004-projected: 2025)
Total Assets (2012): $76,591,184 Total Assets (2005): $9,837,990 Total Giving (2012): $26,428,609 Total Giving (2005): $150,000 Prominent Grants: Grantmaking limited to Northwestern Hospital, The Council on Foreign Relations, University of…
Roy G. Kerr Foundation (1994–projected: 2019)
Total Assets (endowment): $770,000[1] Total Assets (2013): $541,991 Total Giving (2013): $164,732 Prominent Grants: National Hispanic Institute in Texas for leadership training, College of Lake County, ChildServ. Summary: Roy G.…
Russell Berrie Foundation (1986–projected: 2033)
Total Assets (2013): $215,018,834 Total Giving (2013): $18,532,935 Prominent Grants: Primarily focused in New Jersey, Metropolitan New York and Israel. Prominent grant recipients include The Center for Interreligious…
S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation and Stephen Bechtel Fund (1957–projected: 2020)
Total Assets (2013): $339,549,608 Total Assets (2010): $280,700,000 Total Giving (2013): $109,000,000[1] Total Giving (2010): $57,100,000 Prominent Grants: $5,000,000 to the Boy Scouts of America; $4,000,000 to the California Waterfowl…
Spelman Fund of New York (1928–1949)
Total Assets (endowment): $10,000,000[1] Prominent Grants: Provided grants to numerous agencies concerned with public administration, the most important being the Public Administration Clearing House at the University…
Stern Family Fund (1992–2005)
Total Assets (2005): $806,158 Total Giving (2005): $311,500 Prominent Grants: Among the many recent recipients of Stern Family Fund grants are: the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN);…
Stern Fund (1961–1986)
Prominent Grants: Prominent recipients included groups that questioned economic arrangements under the status quo, including Ralph Nader’s Project on Corporate Responsibility, the National Organization of Women…
Stone Ashdown Trust (U.K.) (1968–2010)
Total Giving: £50,000,000[1] Prominent Grants: Primarily to support Jewish causes, including establishing the London School of Jewish Studies. Also worked on humanitarian causes, such as providing internet…
Stupski Foundation (1998-projected: 2024)
Total Assets (endowment): $260,000,000[1] Total Assets (2012): $112,000,000[2] Summary: The Stupski Foundation was established in 1996 as an operating foundation, providing consulting services designed to improve the way public education…
Taconic Foundation (1959–projected: 2012)
Total Assets (endowment): $7,000,000[1] Total Assets (as of 2010 spend-down decision): $10,953,714 Total Giving (as of 2010 spend-down decision): $340,00 Prominent Grants: Established to fund the civil rights movement.…
Tubney Charitable Trust (U.K.) (1997–2012)
Total Assets (endowment): £500,000[1] Total Assets (as of 2001 spend-down decision): £50,000,000 Total Giving: £65,000,000[2] Prominent Grants: Prominent grant recipients include the Rare Breeds Survival Trust, Help the Hospices,…
Vincent Astor Foundation (1959–1997)
Total Assets (endowment): $65,000,000[1] Total Assets (as of 1996 spend-down decision): $25,000,000[2] Total Giving: $175,000,000 Prominent Grants: Giving primarily limited to New York City. Prominent grant recipients include the…
Vivian B. Allen Foundation (1938–1971)
Prominent Grants: the National Rehabilitation Center at the National Jewish Hospital in Denver, the Vivian Beaumont Theater at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. Summary: Vivian…
Whitaker Foundation and Helen F. Whitaker Fund (1975–2006)
Total Assets (endowment): $60,000,000[1] Total Giving: $800,000,000[2] Prominent Grants: The Whitaker Foundation funded the establishment of more than 75 biomedical engineering departments at prominent universities nationwide. Summary: The Whitaker…
Whitman Institute (1985–projected: 2022)
Total Assets (as of 2011 spend-down decision): $12,000,000[1] Total Assets (2013): $12,546,314 Total Giving: $1,279,000 Prominent Grants: Prominent grant recipients include Active Voice, Mediators Foundation, and the Right Question…
William E. Harmon Foundation (1922–1967)
Prominent Grants: Prominent grant recipients include Hale Woodruff, Langston Hughes, and Palmer Hayden. Summary: The Harmon Foundation was established in 1922 by William E. Harmon. It served as a large-scale…
William E. Simon Foundation (1967–projected: lifetime of sons of founder)
Total Assets (2012): $92,523,052 Total Giving (2012): $11,315,938 Prominent Grants: Prominent grant recipients include Seton Education Partners, New City Kids, Abraham House, and Educators for Excellence. Summary: The William E.…