The Top 10 Private Charitable Foundations in the US
According to figures published by the National Center for Charitable Statistics, approximately $798.2 billion in US assets fall under the jurisdiction of private foundations. Read on to learn about America’s top 10 private charitable foundations and the vital work they undertake.
10. The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation
Gordon and Betty Moore have made a lasting contribution to science, education, technology, and conservation through their foundation. Established in 2000, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation aims to improve outcomes for future generations, supporting nonprofit endeavors in environmental conservation, patient care, and science throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.
9. The David and Lucile Packard Foundation
Founded to improve the lives of children, families, and local communities, as well as restoring and protecting the planet, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation supports initiatives focusing on the following issues:
· Gaining knowledge through science
· Supporting local communities
· Protecting our oceans
· Advancing reproductive rights and health
· Empowering future generations of engineers and scientists
8. The Bloomberg Family Foundation
Based in New York, the Bloomberg Family Foundation was created by former New York City mayor Michael R. Bloomberg.
As a large component of Bloomberg Philanthropies and with assets of more than $7.1 billion, the Bloomberg Family Foundation has invested over $100 million in climate initiatives and, in partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the United Nations, and the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, pledged $50 million in support of family planning services throughout four developing nations.
7. The W. K. Kellogg Foundation
A grantmaker, the W. K. Kellogg Foundation has three interconnected priorities: thriving children, working families, and equitable communities.
The foundation engages in grantmaking, networking, impact investing, and convening to make a measurable impact in children’s lives. Specifically, it supports maternal and infant healthcare programs and children’s early development initiatives. It also finances programs to increase breastfeeding rates, as well as those that provide fresh, healthy, nutritious food to families and children in early childcare settings.
6. The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
Created in 1966, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation awarded more than $450 million in grants in 2019 alone, supporting organizations across the globe to help people build better lives.
The Hewlett Foundation finances long-standing programs in support of education, global development and population, the performing arts, the environment, and effective philanthropy. It also supports disadvantaged communities in the San Francisco Bay Area.
5. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Founded in 1972, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation was established to improve the wellbeing and health of American citizens.
The foundation issues grants of up to $500 million a year in support of a range of health issues, including access to care, professional training for doctors and nurses, and tackling childhood obesity, malnutrition, and poverty.
4. Lilly Endowment
In 1937 J. K. Lilly Sr. and sons founded Lilly Endowment Inc. as a private foundation dedicated to the support and promotion of educational, religious, and charitable purposes.
The organization continues to promote the concept of community and encouraging unselfish concern for the welfare of others. Through its grantmaking initiatives, Lilly Endowment has nurtured the human spirit, character, and intellect.
3. The Getty Foundation
The Getty Foundation is committed to preserving and improving understanding of the visual arts, both within Los Angeles and all over the world. The foundation provides grants to initiatives increasing access to museum collections, advancing conservation practices, and strengthening art history as a global undertaking.
Established in 1984, the Getty Foundation has, to date, awarded over 8,000 grants to more than 180 countries.
2. The Ford Foundation
The Ford Foundation is committed to empowering people, instilling in them the dignity and self-worth that will help them realize their maximum potential. Over the past eight decades, the Ford Foundation has sought to reduce injustice and poverty, promote international co-operation, strengthen democratic values, and ultimately advance human achievement.
The Ford Foundation has supported 376 grants, providing more than $92 million in funding. It supports a range of initiatives in countries including the United States, Colombia, France, Tanzania, Uganda, China, and Indonesia.
1. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
When Bill Gates, the world’s richest man, stepped down from Microsoft in 2014, he decided to devote his time to the world’s biggest foundation.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation seeks to ensure that people all over the world, irrespective of background and circumstances, have the opportunity to share and reach for their dreams. The organization seeks to unlock people’s potential, creating a level playing field where everyone benefits from the same opportunities in life.
The Gates Foundation’s Global Health Program has made a vast impact in terms of improving health care in developing countries. It has created new tools to tackle HIV/AIDS, improved family health, and prevented infectious diseases through the implementation of worldwide vaccination programs.
According to statistics published by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has donated more than $24.34 billion to health and development initiatives around the world, preventing children in developing nations from contracting debilitating diseases, potentially saving millions of lives.
