In 1953, Joseph Drown founded his eponymous foundation as a conduit for philanthropic pursuits that would continue beyond his lifetime. Drown acquired his wealth through a long career in the hotel industry – perhaps best known by his creation of Los Angeles’ Hotel Bel-Air, a get-away steeped with “old Hollywood” history, thanks to frequent stays by people like Marilyn Monroe and Grace Kelly.
To continue Drown’s philanthropic legacy, the Joseph Drown Foundation’s giving supports projects and organizations that tackle issues of particular importance to its founder. The foundation aims to “assist individuals in becoming successful, self-sustaining, contributing citizens. [It] is interested in programs that break down any barrier that prevents a person from continuing to grow and learn.”
Major Program Categories: To support efforts to help people become “successful, self-sustaining, contributing citizens,” the foundation focuses its grantmaking on “education, medical and scientific research; community, health and social services; arts and humanities.” In these areas, it offers both program and operating support. Some grantees may receive funding for up to four years, but the foundation doesn’t offer multi-year support so after a four-year grant, an organization will have to step back for two years before applying for further funding.
The foundation’s list of grantees in the 2015-2016 grant cycle included several organizations dedicated to serving children, youth and families, including the Alliance for Children’s Rights, and CASA. It has also supported several charter schools, and scholarship funds at independent schools in the Los Angeles area, and the funding guidelines listed on the website actually outline education as the Joseph Drown Foundation’s primary area of focus. For more information on grantees, click here.
How to Apply: The grant application process for a grant from the Joseph Drown Foundation is extremely straightforward and user-friendly. The foundation reviews grants four times per year, in March, June, September and December. Deadlines for proposals are:
- January 15th for grants to be reviewed in March
- April 15th for grants to be reviewed in June
- July 15th for grants to be reviewed in September
- October 15th for grants to be reviewed in December
Proposals can be either mailed directly to the foundation’s president, or submitted via an online form. The foundation’s mailing address, contact information, online proposal form and outline of what a proposal should include can all be found here.
Name of Foundation: The Joseph Drown Foundation
Location: Los Angeles
Website: http://www.jdrown.org
Contact Information: Program Officer: Alyssa Santino (Eichelberger), 310.277.4488, [email protected]
Coverage Area: National, with a heavy focus on Los Angeles.
Subject Area: Education, medical and scientific research; community, health and social services; arts and humanities.
Assets: $80,234,457 (2015-2016)
Last Year Total Giving: $2,835,750 (2015-2016)
Recent News and Grantmaking: