About Your Philanthropy

Can you tell us about a time when you were able to see the impact of your giving?
For our 10th anniversary, we awarded larger-than-normal grants to Colorado State to develop a pathway for youth entrepreneurship at the college level. Additionally, we funded the JA Rocky Mountain’s Northern Colorado region to expand its work into southern Wyoming. Both grantees were able to grow their programs significantly and have today established strong, sustainable programs to continue their impactful work. Today, both grantees are working in collaboration with several other nonprofits (Youth Biz, Young Entrepreneurs Tournament, and Generation Schools Network) to create an ecosystem in Northern Colorado, Eastern Colorado, and Southern Wyoming. Each organization is leveraging its strengths to create a larger collaboration and opportunities for educators and students.

Do you work with other grantors, foundations or nonprofits to drive specific projects forward?
The OtterCares Foundation partners with the Northern Colorado Foundation to manage employee-donated funds that support our Innovation Station grants. As the corporate foundation of OtterBox/OtterProducts, we host an annual employee giving campaign, inviting Otter employees to contribute to the Innovation Station Fund. This fund helps create and sustain hands-on makerspaces in K–12 schools across Larimer and Weld counties. The Northern Colorado Foundation securely holds and administers these funds on our behalf.

In celebration of our 15th anniversary, we made two significant pledges to nonprofit organizations we’ve proudly supported over the years. The first is Global Leaders, a service-learning organization that empowers teens in Larimer County. Each year, Global Leaders students travel to Guatemala to build clean cookstoves for local communities. The second is Engineering Brightness, an initiative started by a schoolteacher that engages middle school students in designing, 3D printing, and soldering solar lanterns. These lanterns are then sent to communities in the Dominican Republic and Uganda, bringing light and opportunity to areas in need.

About Your Foundation

How do you engage employees in your foundation?

We engage with our Otter employees in a variety of ways including:

• We send out a weekly email with volunteering opportunities.
• We have a group of employees who apply to be ambassadors for a year in their department within the company, and we train them to cascade Voluntary Time Off (VTO) opportunities or to set up group opportunities with favorite local nonprofits.
• We work hard to get to know employees and help them identify their passions, then connect them with organizations that align with those passions.
• We share information on the company’s TV channel, featuring data, stories, and videos.
• We discuss giving moments in department meetings that share the data on the hours volunteered, or even those who have used all 24 volunteer hours given by the company. They also spotlight an employee or group opportunity to inspire and create awareness.
• Story Tell! This is where employees share a give-back moment or story.

What is one long-term goal for your foundation?
We want to create a movement of philanthropy in the next generation!

Do you have any advice for people looking to start or grow their own corporate foundation?
Establish strong communication channels and key personnel within each department to effectively cascade opportunities with nonprofits, as well as current data on monthly engagement toward quarterly and yearly goals. It’s also important to have leadership buy-in and support, as well as provide the opportunity for employees to take time off work to engage in volunteering or record hours volunteered, if not in the payroll system. Competition between departments is also effective, as well as beginning meetings regularly with a “Give Back Moment or Story”!

Is there a unique foundation feature that has helped you pursue your mission?
By prioritizing relationship-based grantmaking, we can build strong, lasting partnerships with our grantees. This approach allows us to serve not only as a funder but also as a connector within our community. When a teacher has a big idea or needs support to implement a program, we can often connect them with another educator who has faced similar challenges, helping spark collaboration and innovation. Additionally, by engaging employees from OtterBox and OtterProducts, we can provide volunteer support to many organizations we fund, further strengthening our impact and community ties.

What was the worst mistake you made? How did you solve it?
Working with new organizations or organizations with new ideas and not creating a Memorandum of Agreement to give money out in phases or when milestones were reached, especially if the grant is a larger grant. We learned that committing to a larger amount was acceptable, but phasing the grant helped yield better results and more impactful work.

Working with Foundation Source

How does Foundation Source help to simplify your company’s charitable giving?
Foundation Source and their Impactfully platform has been an invaluable tool in streamlining our grantmaking process. The application wizard makes it simple to create user-friendly, easy-to-navigate forms for applicants. Matching grants with their corresponding outcome reports has significantly improved our ability to track long-term impact. Additionally, the built-in charity database and support from the charity research team save us considerable time and effort, ensuring our funding goes to the right organizations.

Can you tell us a little about your experience working with the Foundation Source team?
Working with the team at Foundation Source has been a truly positive experience. Not only do they provide exceptional customer service, but they also take our user feedback seriously, often implementing suggestions that enhance the platform. Our Private Client Advisor is consistently responsive and thorough when communicating. One of the highlights has been the opportunity to meet quarterly with the software development team. These sessions allow me to learn about new features in Foundation Source and explore how to apply them to further our mission of igniting tomorrow, today.

How was the process of getting your corporate foundation set up or transitioned to Foundation Source?
The process was very smooth, and I believe OtterCares has used Foundation Source since its establishment as a private foundation.

Thank you to the OtterCares Foundation for sharing their story with us! To learn more, visit ottercares.org.

Have a Foundation Source story you’d like to share?
Write to us at marketing@foundationsource.com for a chance to be featured in an upcoming issue!

Want to learn more about the ways we support private foundations?
Whether you are looking for support for your existing foundation or want to create a private foundation, our philanthropic specialists are here to help. To learn more, schedule a call with us or reach us at 800-839-0054. Together, let’s #begiving.

The post OtterCares Foundation Interview Part Two: Inspiring Students To Give Back appeared first on Foundation Source.

What inspired the creation of the Foundation?
OtterCares was founded in 2009 by Nancy Richardson, co-founder of OtterBox. Nancy founded OtterCares to create lasting change in education through philanthropy, entrepreneurship, and innovative education. We believe that one young and inspired mind can change the world.

What causes are you most passionate about?
The Foundation is passionate about learning experiences and environments that inspire students to become entrepreneurs and philanthropists who create lasting and impactful changes in their communities.

What is one of your corporate foundation’s achievements that you are proud of and why?
We’re proud of our external grants. We see educators as innovative and entrepreneurial in their ideas. Often, they recognize the needs and problems faced by students and the schools in which they work, and they devise solutions. We appreciate the opportunity to listen to educators’ ideas related to these needs and provide seed funds, so to speak, for new ideas and programs.

One example of this is Geometry in Construction where two educators (one a math teacher and one a Career Technical Education Teacher) created a solution to a problem they both were seeing in education. The math teacher saw Geometry as the most failed class across the US at the high school level, and the CTE teacher saw declining enrollment in the construction pathway. The two educators created a new course, “Geometry in Construction.” The class became one of the most popular math and CTE classes in their school because students loved the hands-on, innovative learning environment and were fueled by purpose and passion as they built each home. The educators established a partnership with Habitat for Humanity, and each year, the students in the class would build a house for the organization. The students met the family, and now they were constructing not just a building, but also creating someone’s next home. The connection to philanthropy (using your time, talent, or treasure) resonated deeply with them. The initial grant, seed-funded by OtterCares, was approximately $10,000, and the funds were used to purchase trusses for the house’s construction. The educators started a nonprofit and subsequently expanded the program to over 1,000 schools in the US.

Another example of this is the nonprofit Engineering Brightness, which was established by an educator who was inspired by students’ desire to solve light poverty. Students learn STEM principles as they connect with children in other countries and build solar-powered lanterns tailored to their specific needs.

Project Heart is another example. This philanthropy program was created in 2016 for educators and youth program providers. The website serves as a digital hub where educators and youth program providers can inspire one another with ideas to integrate the language and experience of philanthropy into their learning environments. Our dream is to create a movement of philanthropy in the next generation!

Internally at Otterbox, we serve as the connection point of nonprofits to employees. Consistently, our corporate engagement rate of employees volunteering is over 90%. Last year, 96% of OtterBox employees volunteered for at least one hour, with an average of 18 hours per employee. We also facilitate closed2open, a day where Otterbox closes all doors and all employees open their hearts to their community, volunteering for the day. You can watch a recap video of our 2025 closed2open and see the incredible stories and moments including:

• 540 Otter employees volunteered across 13 countries and 4 continents
• 4,320 total hours contributed
• $144,677 in estimated value delivered to nonprofits
• 31 in-person projects in Northern Colorado, 42 remote projects, and 4 virtual collaborations

What would you want other philanthropists to know about your work?
Educators and youth program providers inspire us, and to best understand what they hope to achieve, building a relationship and seeing their work and impact is extremely important! Most educators aren’t great at writing grants, so seeking to understand is vital to us. We fund in a small geographic footprint, so knowing who we are investing in and the ideas they have is significant. It also allows us to connect like-minded grantees and grow the impact of the dollars we invest in them.

We would like to thank the OtterCares Foundation for sharing their story with us! Plus, keep an eye out for part two of this interview! To learn more, visit ottercares.org.

Have a Foundation Source story you’d like to share?
Write to us at marketing@foundationsource.com for a chance to be featured in an upcoming issue!

Want to learn more about the ways we support private foundations?
Whether you are looking for support for your existing foundation or want to create a private foundation, our philanthropic specialists are here to help. To learn more, schedule a call with us or reach us at 800-839-0054. Together, let’s #begiving.

The post Setting Students Up For Success: A Conversation with The OtterCares Foundation appeared first on Foundation Source.

Can you tell us about AtlasDaughters?
AtlasDaughters cultivates transformative journeys for mothers and their children to fuel philanthropy in innovative nonprofit work— inspiring giving and empowering the next generation of change agents. It is a social venture, which was born out of all my philanthropic work. We’re on a fearless mission to move significant capital into the hands of women who are leading innovative solutions for human and planetary health. We are dedicated to delivering impeccable trip curation, multi-generational learning, and high-end touches, while our nonprofit partners offer us unprecedented access to opportunities that will transform their regions once capital is unlocked.

How does the Marks Family Foundation support AtlasDaughters?
The foundation, which is managed by Foundation Source, gives grants to all of the AtlasDaughters non-governmental organization (NGO) partners, investing in these important projects while also educating the next generation about global impact. We use the Marks family Foundation to deliver grants to each of our NGO partners that AtlasDaughters works with because I feel strongly that giving is led by women. I’m the first to check in, and then I bring my daughter in and ask other families to join me. So, we invest in all those nonprofits as well, which are related to the foundation.

What inspired you to start AtlasDaughters?
It was inspired by a field journey I took to Zimbabwe with my daughter, Ruby, and my mother in the spring of 2023. I wanted to bring my daughter into my world of philanthropy, and I experienced her blossom into a global traveler who contemplates global challenges and her ability to contribute to meaningful change. Spending a day with her peer kindergarten class at a school in the middle of Harare was a transformational experience for her. She learned how solar electricity works, witnessed a birth in a rural health clinic, and even helped with a solar panel installation. When we returned, I sat in the back of a crowded room as I watched her give a 45-minute presentation to her school all by herself on her experience in Zimbabwe. She was 6 years old at the time. We revel almost weekly on the beautiful memories we created together and today, a philanthropist is emerging. She understands intrinsically the work that her mother does in philanthropy and she wants to be involved.

How does AtlasDaughters approach intergenerational philanthropy and why do you think it’s so important?
I’m so passionate about intergenerational philanthropy and how we can show up, create, and give back together as families. AtlasDaughters is dedicated to teaching the next generation of philanthropists and ensuring everyone has a spectacular experience along the way. We believe in you, your children, and our collective power to drive significant impact with the next generation of change agents and for families and communities around the world. I personally have so many peers of young moms with school-age children that are already exercising philanthropy in various ways and it’s no longer something people think about as a “legacy” and when they get older in life. I see so many people with school-age children and there’s just so many ways that they can create impact and do meaningful things together.

What gaps have you seen when it comes to fostering intergenerational philanthropy and how are you approaching this?
My role in the family foundation is self-taught. As I was educating myself and taking next-generation courses, I noticed that the educational resources available are really geared towards adults of wealthy families and not towards kids. So, I just knew I had to create something that would give kids a seat at the table. For instance, we have a whole curriculum on global impact, and I host workshops for families. I redeveloped all of this global impact and philanthropy work in a way that’s simplified and palatable for kids to understand because it didn’t exist.

What cause(s) are you passionate about?
The Marks Family Foundation was started by my parents and as the next generation, I run the foundation. Since we don’t have any staff, I have a lot of agency within my family to direct some of the issue areas and where we give. We also still offer some of the original interests of my parents, but for me personally, I feel strongly about investing through a gender lens with women and girls. Not as a giving area, but as a giving lens. We fund various causes around education, music in the arts, healthcare, and disease research. But whatever vertical it is, I’m always looking at that from a female lens and asking, well, how are women and girls inadvertently affected by these causes that we care about as a family, and are there specific areas that we can dive into and fund that will help close the gap?

In terms of your current projects and initiatives, do you have anything that you’re particularly excited about?
I’m looking forward to our inaugural AtlasDaughters trip to Samoa. We are collaborating with Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, on the Greater Good Diaper Project. The Marks Family Foundation founded the pilot for this project that focuses on eradicating plastic diapers, which account for nearly one third of plastic waste in the region by implementing a compostable diaper solution. This initiative not only addresses waste management but also creates employment opportunities for women in Samoa.

Can you tell us about a time when you were able to see the impact of your giving?
One that comes to mind is related to AtlasDaughters and my experience of getting involved with the family foundation and learning about philanthropy. My mom, my daughter, and I went to Zimbabwe to see the project work that we were doing with an organization based out of California called We Care Solar, which delivers life-saving electricity to rural birthing clinics across Africa. In some of these geographies, women would have to go with candles or kerosene to light their birth because there is no electricity. Imagine being in labor and walking three hours to the nearest birthing center, and then getting turned away because you don’t have a safe way to deliver your baby by providing your own light. Our family invested in bringing solar electricity to all of Zimbabwe. And we went there on a trip with my mom and daughter, there were three generations who were learning and seeing the impact of literally bringing light to every birthing center. We visited the communities that were celebrating light for the first time, and seeing the impact of what our foundation had done was a monumental moment for me and the inspiration for starting AtlasDaughters.

Do you have any advice for people who might be thinking about starting their own private foundation or maybe a social venture like you have?
Start. Just start. Some philanthropists are holding back their charitable intentions due to fear of making mistakes, but the moment to help is now. While we may be facing uncertain times, there is a lot of paralysis around spending and not getting it right, and the only way to figure out your philanthropic path is to find the causes that you like and the things that you care about and just start doing it. Start learning as much as you possibly can. You’ll make mistakes and that’s okay because you learn from them. Also, if you’re young and still working, there’s no reason to hold your money captive because they’ll be more down the line—you’ll continue to generate income and there’s never a better time than yesterday or now. Problems are not going to get easier to solve in the future. There’s just going to be new ones.

What has your experience been like working with Foundation Source?
Foundation Source has been immensely helpful to me because I’m a one-woman show managing the foundation. Just the administrative aspect of dealing with all the grants can be burdensome. I also run AtlasDaughters, have a venture fund, and three kids, so I’m just busy. Prior to Foundation Source, it had been difficult for me to figure out what I can and can’t do with the foundation, but now I feel supported with the team of resources. I feel like if there is a will, there is a way, and I feel supported!

We’d like to thank Amy for sharing her story with us! If you would like to learn more, visit the Marks Family Foundation at marksfamilyfdn.org and AtlasDaughters at atlasdaughters.com

Have a Foundation Source story you’d like to share?
Write to us at marketing@foundationsource.com for a chance to be featured in an upcoming issue!

Want to learn more about the ways we support private foundations?
Whether you are looking for support for your existing foundation or want to create a private foundation, our philanthropic specialists are here to help. To learn more, schedule a call with us or reach us at 800-839-0054. Together, let’s #begiving.

The post Giving Kids a Seat at the Table: The Marks Family Foundation Shares Their Insights on Intergenerational Philanthropy appeared first on Foundation Source.

Two of these studies – both conducted in “real world” primary care settings – showed reductions in suicide risk for over 50% of “at risk” patients receiving CoCM services. BFF funded these studies.

The third study – conducted by Kaiser Permanente, which is currently implementing CoCM in all of its markets – found a 25% reduction in suicide attempts and deaths among more than 225,000 patients in day-to-day care who were treated using key elements of CoCM.

The results of these studies are striking, but so is the fact that, now, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, The Jed Foundation and Shatterproof have made statements urging implementation of this specific method of rigorous screening and integrated care, which are highlighted in the Press Release:

“These studies confirm the value of the Collaborative Care Model for saving lives and helping people at risk for suicide…It’s time to embrace this model of care…” – American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

“These compelling studies on the Collaborative Care Model validate…that integrated, accessible mental health care saves lives. By implementing the CoCM in primary care and family practices, we create more opportunities to identify and support those at risk, especially young people who might not otherwise seek specialized help.” – The Jed Foundation

“We must do everything in our power to accelerate implementation of this model in primary care – the most ubiquitous existing care setting to help save lives.” – Shatterproof

We’d like to thank the BFF for sharing their story with us! And if you missed our interview with them, check out their full story.

Have a Foundation Source story you’d like to share?
Write to us at marketing@foundationsource.com for a chance to be featured in an upcoming issue!

Want to learn more about the ways we support private foundations?
Whether you are looking for support for your existing foundation or want to create a private foundation, our philanthropic specialists are here to help. To learn more, schedule a call with us or reach us at 800-839-0054. Together, let’s #begiving.

The post Mental Health Awareness Month: “Large Reductions in Suicide Risk, Attempts and Deaths” by The Bowman Family Foundation appeared first on Foundation Source.

How was the process of getting your private foundation set up or transitioned to Foundation Source?

The Zain Jaffer Foundation
The process was incredibly seamless and easy. The Zain Jaffer Foundation is my very first foray into formal philanthropic work, so it was all a new experience for me when I started. After my exit, I knew for sure that I wanted to set aside some funds for charitable causes, but I didn’t have much background about the process at all. Fortunately, trusted partners recommended Foundation Source. They took care of all the behind-the-scenes work and handled the administrative details for compliance. It was reassuring to have such a smooth transition and to know that the technicalities were in capable hands.

The Reid Burns Foundation
My investment advisors and Foundation representative helped me out with the process, which went smoothly. Note that there is a 5% minimum distribution requirement per year by law, so it helps to keep an eye on that and not have to scramble at the end of the year to meet the minimum.

Lee Oceans Foundation
The process of setting up our private foundation with Foundation Source was easy and seamless. Each step of the way, our private client advisor was there to advise what decisions needed to be undertaken, what considerations should be taken into account, and what decisions could be deferred or changed at a later point. Coming into this process with no previous exposure or knowledge of private foundations, Foundation Source made the entire process painless and approachable.

Achieving Giving Goals

How does Foundation Source help you achieve your goals?

The Morgridge Family Foundation
Foundation Source helps us track our financial transactions, and through the online platform, we can run reports in real time and see where we stand at all times. But even more important is the ability to see our year-end impact. Our nonprofit partners submit impact reports and we are then able to assess our cumulative impact in order to adjust our giving and our thinking as needed. Foundation Source helps us continue to learn as we go, and as we grow.

The Rodriguez Cheever Foundation
They help us with all of the regulatory and administrative functions so that we are compliant with nonprofit status. They are also a great sounding board for things we are considering doing.

The Gupta Charitable Foundation
They help us to focus on what our passion is, and devote time to real work, rather than the mundane legal, governmental requirements. They are also helping us by providing advice and guidance when we have questions around how to run the foundation, how to promote our cause of OneInMath, and bringing in experts in tax and nonprofit entities to advise on various aspects of how to financially and legally organize ourselves.

The Overall Process and Client Experience

Can you tell us about your experience working with the Foundation Source team?

The Boris Lurie Art Foundation
With all the moving parts of organizing exhibitions worldwide, Foundation Source’s services prove indispensable. We rely on the client services team’s expertise to collaborate with vendors around the world and can feel assured that they are keeping a close eye on all transactions to ensure compliance with IRS guidelines.

Pincus Family Foundation
PFF has been a client of Foundation Source for over ten years. We have been quite satisfied with the support that we receive. We appreciate the structure of having one dedicated Private Client Advisor and the facilitation of platform training for new staff. Interactions with other departments, i.e., accounting and product support, are productive. There is comfort in knowing this resource is available as we pursue our passions.

Bowman Family Foundation
We have been a client since 2008. The entire experience has been a pleasure – great advice, novel ideas that had not occurred to us, and minimization of the administrative functions that we would otherwise have to staff.

Looking for more client stories and other smart ways to give through planned giving programs and donor-advised funds?
We have a full range of tech-enabled giving solutions for donor-advised funds, planned giving and charitable trusts. And with our philanthropic advisory services, our subject matter experts are there to guide you every step of the way.

Have a Foundation Source story you’d like to share?
Write to us at marketing@foundationsource.com for a chance to be featured in an upcoming issue!

Want to learn more about the ways we support private foundations?
Whether you are looking for support for your existing foundation or want to create a private foundation, our philanthropic specialists are here to help. To learn more, schedule a call with us or reach us at 800-839-0054. Together, let’s #begiving.

The post In Their Own Words: What Our Private Foundation Clients Said About Working with Us appeared first on Foundation Source.

What inspired you to start your foundation?
Before MFF became a private family foundation, we had a donor-advised fund (DAF). We worked with our community foundations and made gifts where we lived and where our kids went to school. As we learned on the job, we found that we were most interested in ensuring access to education, especially in rural communities, and training teachers to use the latest tools. As we saw the impact we could have, we were inspired to work in more communities and across more sectors. By 2008, we saw that we needed more control than we could have by giving through a DAF, so we started our private family foundation. To date, we have granted more than $160 million to hundreds of nonprofits. Our philosophy is based on investing to solve the root causes of long-standing societal issues. Our commitment almost always continues long after we write a check. We have helped great leaders get their start and have continued to support them to ensure the ripple effect of their work.

What is one of your private foundation’s achievements that you are proud of and why?
The Rollins College’s philanthropy programming, which was made possible through MFF’s Student Support Foundation, is among many of our proud achievements. ​​We started the program in 2003, which was five years before MFF became a standalone private family foundation in 2008. The aim was to cultivate the next generation of philanthropists, and the longevity of the program proves that high school and college students do want to learn about the needs of their fellow students. Once they know, they have tremendous empathy and drive to make a difference.

Here is what we heard from Meredith Hein, Director of Rollins’s Center for Leadership & Community Engagement:

“I wanted to share something really cool that Rollins is doing that could also benefit other SSF groups! For the first time ever, we worked hand in hand with alumni and advancement to launch the inaugural student philanthropy week. As such, 38 groups completed paperwork, went through training and marketing their groups to fully participate. We worked so hard to make this happen, and while advancement didn’t anticipate this high of a turnout, we told them otherwise! Needless to say, all the groups combined have already raised over $37,000 in four days! It’s been amazing to see our students learn more about advocating for themselves and philanthropy. ​​I think SSF played a role in showing the campus the importance of this work. I just thought you’d want to see how impactful this can be and even share it with other schools as a model! Our advancement team has been great too!”

The total amount raised reached $83,942 from 1717 donors.

Can you tell us about a time when you were able to see the impact of your giving?
Transparency is very important to us, so at the end of every year, we calculate the direct and indirect impact of our work (based on reports from our nonprofit partners). Last year, for example, our grants directly impacted 2,087,261 lives. Our indirect reach was more than four times greater, impacting 8,527,108 lives.

Do you work with other grantors, foundations or nonprofits to drive specific projects forward? If so, how?
Yes, we partner with Stand Together, the Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation, Mile High United Way (Denver), and other groups to help us identify impactful new projects we might not know about. This allows us to pool our funds with other donors and provide even greater support than we could on our own. We also can bring ideas to these partners. Because of their vast experience, they can help us validate our instincts or maybe steer us away from opportunities that are not yet ready for our investment. If they agree we’ve found something with great potential, they might even recommend to other donors that they invest.

About Your Foundation

How do you engage your family in your foundation?
Our children, John C. and Michelle Morgridge, grew up learning about and seeing philanthropy firsthand. Now, as the third Morgridge generation involved in giving, they each control their own budgets. We encourage them to honor their grandparents but also put their unique touch on their own giving.

Do you have any advice for people looking to start or grow their own private foundation?
Yes. The most important thing is to discover their “why.” Once their giving purpose is clear, it will drive every donation decision they make. It also helps to do an inventory of their passions, skills and values. This exercise in self-discovery can reveal what kinds of people and organizations they want to work with, and what role they want to play.

Working with Foundation Source

How does Foundation Source help you achieve your goals?
Of course Foundation Source helps us track our financial transactions, and through the online platform, we can run reports in real time and see where we stand at all times. But even more important is the ability to see our year-end impact. Our nonprofit partners submit impact reports and we are then able to assess our cumulative impact in order to adjust our giving and our thinking as needed. Foundation Source helps us continue to learn as we go, and as we grow.

We are proud to support the work of The Morgridge Family Foundation and thank them for sharing their story with us! To learn more, visit their website.

Have a Foundation Source story you’d like to share?
Write to us at marketing@foundationsource.com for a chance to be featured in an upcoming issue!

Want to learn more about the ways we support private foundations?
Whether you are looking for support for your existing foundation or want to create a private foundation, our philanthropic specialists are here to help. To learn more, schedule a call with us or reach us at 800-839-0054. Together, let’s #begiving.

The post Empowering The Next Generation: How The Morgridge Family Foundation Supports Students appeared first on Foundation Source.

The primary reason for lack of impact is constraining focus. Breakthroughs come from science, not engineering. Success in science results from savoring surprises that result from experiments and pivoting to take advantage of a new insight. In contrast, engineering is focused on delivering the best version of something that is already known. Investigators who receive funding from a foundation that narrowly focuses on a particular type of cancer know they are unlikely to continue to receive funding if they veer away from the foundation’s preferred path. Limiting serendipity radically reduces the odds of a breakthrough. Similarly, funding a physician who focuses on improving patient care could lead to incremental benefits, but their efforts are likely to be constrained to their particular area of expertise. In fact, only a small subset of physicians conduct basic science research at all, and that is how breakthroughs are likely to arise.

The odds of success/impact are further reduced by exclusively funding senior, more experienced investigators. Almost every breakthrough in science, the arts and humanities come from young people. Sadly, the data shows a mathematician is unlikely to conceptualize a new approach after the age of 24. The average age of a Nobel laureate in medicine is 36 at the time they conceive their idea (they are older than mathematicians because they require more years of training before they are in the position to conceive a breakthrough). Perhaps young people dominate breakthroughs because they are better positioned to think differently, which is necessary to succeed. However, the vast majority of biomedical research funding is directed to senior investigators, likely because very few people are aware of this very clear data.

In contrast, the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation focuses all its funding on young investigators who are pursuing high-risk/high-reward research. Despite only making grants of $18 million each year, Damon Runyon funded scientists have been involved in almost every major breakthrough in cancer, including identification of the first cancer-causing gene, and development of the first FDA-approved targeted therapy and immunotherapy. Thirteen of the scientists it has funded went on to win Nobel prizes. This is real, measurable impact.

Any foundation that currently funds cancer research should consider allocating a small part of their annual cancer funding budget to Damon Runyon, analogous to the best practice of investment portfolio management of allocating a small portion of one’s portfolio to high risk/high reward investments. For those principals who want to be involved in the process, Damon Runyon can act as the foundation’s search partner to identify the most promising young investigators who are most likely to develop breakthrough discoveries. Their selection process is exceptional because they have leading senior scientists across the country who give their time and expertise to select the next generation of leaders in all areas of cancer research. The result is a high return on investment and confidence that each dollar supports the brilliant young scientists who have a chance at a breakthrough.

Want to learn more about their approach to funding cancer research?
We would be happy to connect you with the Westridge Foundation to see how you can help support their evolving approach to funding cancer research.

Have a Foundation Source story you’d like to share?
Write to us at marketing@foundationsource.com for a chance to be featured in an upcoming issue!

Learn more about the ways we support private foundations
If you’re looking for an easier way to manage a foundation or want to start a foundation, our philanthropic specialists are here to help! To learn more, schedule a call with us or reach us at 800-839-0054. Together, let’s #begiving.

The post Making The Case For Funding Cancer Research Rooted In Science: The Westridge Foundation’s Approach appeared first on Foundation Source.

What inspired you to start your foundation?
Growing up in a family that struggled financially, I saw firsthand the challenges that come with limited resources. Those early experiences instilled in me a deep sense of responsibility to give back when I had the means to do so. Even then, I already had this drive to help others, whether it was through charity work in the Philippines as a student, volunteering as a police officer in the UK, or setting up student organizations at university. The Zain Jaffer Foundation is a natural extension of that lifelong desire to make a difference. After the successful exit from my former startup, I realized I finally had the resources to make this bigger commitment. So, the Foundation has become a vehicle to turn my passion for helping others into tangible actions. And I’m really grateful I get to pay my success forward in a way that feels true to who I am.

What causes are you most passionate about?
The Zain Jaffer Foundation’s biggest commitment is to champion underserved communities and give a voice to those who are often overlooked. Having had the support and opportunities that helped me thrive as a young entrepreneur, I feel a strong responsibility to pay it forward. Through the Foundation, we focus on improving access to clean water, education, and safe environments for those who, like me, have to overcome significant obstacles. I also care deeply about the world my children will inherit, which is why we’re dedicated to supporting climate change and environmental causes. Ensuring a sustainable future isn’t just a responsibility—it’s a promise I want to keep for them and their generation’s young minds that are full of potential.

What projects/initiatives are you excited about currently?
I’m particularly excited about Under The Open Sky, an upcoming documentary for which the Zain Jaffer Foundation is associate producer. It’s a docu-film about pastoralist communities in Kutch, India. This project is especially meaningful because Kutch is actually where my family originally hails from—it’s my heritage town. So I see this as a unique opportunity to pay homage to my roots.

It’s also been some time since we last supported a full-length documentary. There’s a special excitement in watching a film like this unfold, knowing it has the potential to raise awareness, spark conversations, and make a positive impact on the featured community, just as previous documentaries we’ve supported, like The Weight of Water, have done.

Can you tell us about a time when you were able to see the impact of your giving?
One big success we had this year was our first joint project with Waves for Water Philippines. We did a water filter donation drive in a remote barangay in the province of Rizal in the Philippines. This was the first time I truly saw the real, direct human impact of our grant-making. We’ve supported various charities and organizations in the past, but this felt different — our team was physically there, interacting with the actual people, especially women and children, who were benefiting from our initiative. Seeing their gratitude and knowing that we were making a tangible difference reaffirmed our commitment to partnering with smaller, grassroots organizations. These groups are often on the front lines, working directly with communities that need our support the most, and that’s where we know we can make a real and lasting impact.

What would you want other philanthropists to know about your work?
I’d tell other philanthropists that our work is driven by a deep sense of responsibility and urgency. We don’t shy away from tough issues, and we aim to support projects that might not get attention otherwise. I think it’s important to stay connected to the causes you care about and to look for innovative ways to make an impact, whether that’s through a film, a partnership, or direct action on the ground.

About Your Foundation

How do you engage your family in your foundation?
The Foundation is deeply connected to my and my family’s personal stories and passions. For example, we support documentaries and video-based initiatives because my connection with the video format runs deep. It’s video technology that helped me become successful, through my previous company, and has enabled me to do philanthropic work.

My wife is also involved in exploring and championing causes that resonate with us; she was instrumental in our support for Moms Against Poverty. Another cause we want to raise awareness for is celiac disease, and that’s because it’s something close to our hearts due to her personal experience with the illness.

With my children, even though they’re still young, I strive to involve them in our work by teaching them about empathy and the importance of giving back. I share with them the causes our Foundation supports and encourage them to think about how they can contribute, fostering a sense of connection to the issues that matter to our family.

What is one long-term goal for your foundation?
One of our most exciting long-term goals is to build an in-house documentation team that can work closely with smaller organizations. In our experience, small cause-oriented groups often lack the resources to document and communicate their stories effectively. We hope to be a Foundation that can help them with that. And this is something we feel not many nonprofits or grantmakers do. The vision is to provide pro-bono support and expertise to highlight their work and impact, whether it’s by creating video content for their website, filming their projects or events, or even producing full-length documentaries for them. We’re pushing the Zain Jaffer Foundation to grow so we’d be capable of giving smaller organizations a voice they might not otherwise have, and help more worthy stories reach a wider audience.

Do you have any advice for people looking to start or grow their own private foundation?
Start with your passion and let that guide you. Philanthropy isn’t just about writing checks—it’s about being hands-on and truly caring about the issues you’re tackling. Surround yourself with people who share your vision, and don’t be afraid to take risks. The most impactful work often comes from stepping out of your comfort zone and addressing the problems others might overlook.

Working with Foundation Source

How does Foundation Source help you achieve your goals?
Foundation Source has really become more of a partner than just a service for us. We want to evolve the Zain Jaffer Foundation from merely donating to charity into taking a more active role and initiating unique projects of our own. However, the compliance and regulations around philanthropy can be complicated. That’s where Foundation Source has been invaluable. They’ve guided us through what’s allowed and what isn’t, especially now that we’re exploring more ambitious goals like building an in-house documentation team. Their consultancy is crucial in ensuring we’re making informed decisions, and they help us make sure we’re doing things the right way. We’ve built a relationship where they’re the first ones we talk to when planning our next steps.

How was the process of getting your private foundation set up or transitioned to Foundation Source?
The process was incredibly seamless and easy. The Zain Jaffer Foundation is my very first foray into formal philanthropic work, so it was all a new experience for me when I started. After my exit, I knew for sure that I wanted to set aside some funds for charitable causes, but I didn’t have much background about the process at all. Fortunately, trusted partners recommended Foundation Source. They took care of all the behind-the-scenes work and handled the administrative details for compliance. It was reassuring to have such a smooth transition and to know that the technicalities were in capable hands.

We are proud to support the work of The Zain Jaffer Foundation and thank them for sharing their story with us! To learn more, visit their website.

Have a Foundation Source story you’d like to share?
Write to us at marketing@foundationsource.com for a chance to be featured in an upcoming issue!

Want to learn more about the ways we support private foundations?
Whether you are looking for support for your existing foundation or want to create a private foundation, our philanthropic specialists are here to help. To learn more, schedule a call with us or reach us at 800-839-0054. Together, let’s #begiving.

The post Lights, Camera, Action: How The Zain Jaffer Foundation Is Using Film To Shine a Spotlight on Underserved Communities appeared first on Foundation Source.

• 3.5 times more often to see a behavioral health clinician than a medical/surgical clinician
• 8.9 times more often to see a psychiatrist
• 10.6 times more often to see a psychologist
• 6.2 times more often for acute behavioral inpatient care
• 19.9 times more often for sub-acute behavioral inpatient care

The study also revealed that in-network office visit reimbursement, a key lever that health plans use to encourage provider in-network participation, was 22% higher on average for medical/surgical clinicians than office visits with behavioral clinicians.

“RTI concluded that high out-of-network use for mental health and substance use treatment cannot be explained by a shortage of behavioral health providers,” said Henry Harbin, M.D., senior advisor to The Bowman Family Foundation. “If that were the explanation, we’d see the same out-of-network use disparities for primary care physicians, which are in even shorter supply than mental health providers, according to HRSA, the federal agency that monitors health care workforce shortages.”

Supporters of the report’s recommendations include more than 40 of the nation’s leading mental health and employer groups, many of whom have provided comments about the importance of the research and resulting recommendations.

Read the full press release, and if you missed our interview with them, check out their full story.

We are proud to continue to support The Bowman Family Foundation. Have a Foundation Source story you’d like to share? Write to us at marketing@foundationsource.com for a chance to be featured in an upcoming issue!

Want to learn more about the ways we support private foundations?
Whether you are looking for support for your existing foundation or want to create a private foundation, our philanthropic specialists are here to help. To learn more, schedule a call with us or reach us at 800-839-0054. Together, let’s #begiving.

The post In the News: The Bowman Family Foundation Commissions New Report appeared first on Foundation Source.

Akamai Foundation
We as individuals can champion inclusivity in our everyday lives. To be role models, to listen, educate, be open, to change, grow and adapt. Just leading with positivity. We can all make a difference.

The Kendeda Fund
Something my mom has always been able to do is see herself and her work as part of a process. As people often stay, it’s standing on the shoulders of the activists, funders, groups, and social movements that came before. And there will be others who come after you that will continue to advance the work in ways that are meaningful, relevant and powerful. That humility was very much baked into Kendeda by my mom’s values or just that lack of seeing that Kendeda is the center of the universe. I do think it’s important to take the role really seriously…to do your very best work that you can with good resources that you have and knowing that you are part of a much broader set of dynamics, forces, partners, and communities. That also makes the end easier. It is our goal for people who visit our website and resources to find lessons learned and pieces to borrow from that they can then use and interpret in their own ways.

The Boris Lurie Art Foundation
With all the moving parts of organizing exhibitions worldwide, Foundation Source’s services prove indispensable. We rely on the client services team’s expertise to collaborate with vendors around the world and can feel assured that they are keeping a close eye on all transactions to ensure compliance with IRS guidelines.

Lee Oceans Foundation
The foundation structure, which allows us to combine grant-giving with direct charitable activities, has been crucial in allowing us the most flexibility in finding the most effective way to pursue our mission.

The Bowman Family Foundation
By having a foundation (versus a donor-advised fund), we are able to have a “presence” with a track record, a website, etc. We also enter into contracts to commission work by for-profit or non-profit entities. For us, contracting has become our primary mode of “doing business”. These features of a foundation structure can add to a donor’s ability to make an impact.

Wags and Menace Make a Difference Foundation
I work with a tremendous team of nonprofits, each of which has its own strengths and assets that have helped me make a difference in the lives of animals. Instead of organizations, I research worthy projects. I’ll watch over an organization’s social media presence for months to learn more about what they do.

The Reid Burns Foundation
My investment advisors and foundation representative helped me out with the process of setting up a foundation with Foundation Source, which went smoothly. Note that there is a 5% minimum distribution requirement per year by law, so it helps to keep an eye on that and not have to scramble at the end of the year to meet the minimum.

We are proud of our clients and all the good they are doing. To learn more, you can read their full stories in our Foundation Friday series.

Want to learn more about the ways we support private foundations?
Looking for an easier way to manage a foundation or want to start a foundation? Our philanthropic specialists are here to help! To learn more, schedule a call with us or reach us at 800-839-0054. Together, let’s #begiving.

Have a Foundation Friday story you’d like to share?
Write to us at marketing@foundationsource.com for a chance to be featured in an upcoming issue!

The post Lessons They’ve Learned: Celebrating International Client’s Day with Their Words of Wisdom appeared first on Foundation Source.