Arcus Foundation
Arcus Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation founded in 2000 that funds nonprofits advancing LGBTQ social justice and great apes conservation across 29 countries, operating from New York and Cambridge, UK.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2000
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Arcus Foundation does
Arcus Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation founded in 2000 by Jon Stryker and headquartered in New York, with a second office in Cambridge, United Kingdom. The foundation operates two principal grantmaking programs: the Social Justice Program, which supports nonprofit organizations advancing LGBTQ rights, safety, and legal protections, and the Great Apes & Gibbons Conservation Grants program, which funds protection of endangered apes and their habitats. Together these programs serve a grantee network operating in 29 countries across Africa, Asia, and the Americas, addressing what the foundation describes as the intersection of social and environmental justice.
The foundation's "products" are programmatic offerings rather than commercial goods: grantmaking cycles, capacity-building support, and strategic convening (including co-founding the Global Trans Initiative with NoVo Foundation and supporting the State of the Apes publication). It also operates two content hubs and produces annual reports and topical publications to document grantee impact, alongside active social media channels for each program. Leadership is led by CEO Annette Lanjouw, with Jon Stryker serving as Founder and Board President.
Arcus has no commercial revenue model; as a private foundation, its capital base is endowment- and donation-driven, and it deploys grants rather than sells services. Its business model centers on programmatic grantmaking, ecosystem convening, and thought-leadership publications, with a small staff of 11–50 operating across its two offices. No acquisitions, funding rounds, or technology platforms are disclosed in the source material.
Arcus Foundation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Arcus Foundation
- Legal name
- Arcus Foundation
- Website
- https://arcusfoundation.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2000
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Arcus Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation founded in 2000 that funds nonprofits advancing LGBTQ social justice and great apes conservation across 29 countries, operating from New York and Cambridge, UK.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Arcus Foundation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Philanthropic Grantmaking
- NAICS
- Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN), Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM)
Keywords
Where Arcus Foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Arcus Foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Others
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Arcus Foundation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Arcus Foundation is a private grantmaking institution that funds nonprofit organizations working on two program areas: LGBTQ social justice and the conservation of great apes and gibbons. The foundation provides grants, capacity building support, and strategic resources to grantees operating in 29 countries across Africa, Asia, and the Americas.
Product overview
Arcus Foundation is a private grantmaking institution that operates two primary grantmaking programs: the Social Justice Program and the Great Apes & Gibbons Conservation Grants program. The foundation supports nonprofit organizations driving progress toward LGBTQ social justice and conservation of great apes and gibbons. Additional offerings include two content hubs—Latest on Ape Conservation and Latest on LGBTQ Social Justice—which aggregate stories, publications, and resources related to the foundation's strategic focus areas.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Social Justice Program
Quantifiable outcome
- Grantees work in 29 countries affecting millions of lives in Africa, Asia, and the Americas
Companies that use Arcus Foundation
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Arcus Foundation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Arcus Foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- NoVo FoundationcoreNoVo Foundation is a founding partner of the Global Trans Initiative, together with Arcus Foundation. The initiative employs three key strategies: listening and learning, strategic grantmaking, and leading.
- State of the ApescoreArcus Foundation supports the State of the Apes publication, an initiative focused on great apes conservation awareness and education.
Scale indicators2 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Arcus Foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Gill Foundation: Major U.S. private foundation dedicated to LGBTQ rights advocacy and grantmaking. Closely comparable as a peer private foundation funding LGBTQ organizations across the U.S. and internationally.
- Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice: International grantmaking foundation supporting LGBTQI+ human rights movements globally. Direct peer given shared focus on funding LGBTQ social justice organizations in multiple geographies.
- NoVo Foundation: Private foundation active in social justice grantmaking including the Global Trans Initiative co-founded with Arcus. Direct peer with overlapping portfolio and confirmed co-funding partnership.
- Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund: Conservation NGO and grantmaker dedicated to gorilla and great ape protection. Direct peer to Arcus's Great Apes program, operating in the same species-protection niche.
- Outright International: International NGO advancing LGBTQ human rights globally through advocacy and grantmaking support. Direct peer to Arcus's Social Justice Program in mission and global grantee model.
Broad incumbents
- Wildlife Conservation Society: Large established conservation organization with active great ape and habitat programs. Broad incumbent comparable to Arcus on the conservation side but with much larger operational scope.
- Fauna & Flora International: Long-established international conservation NGO with primate and great ape programs. Broad incumbent peer to Arcus's conservation grantmaking on species protection and habitat.
- World Wildlife Fund (WWF): Global conservation leader with ape and forest habitat initiatives. Broad incumbent whose grantmaking and program work overlaps with Arcus's conservation portfolio at scale.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Arcus Foundation social profiles
Digital presenceArcus Foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Arcus Foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Arcus Foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Arcus Foundation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Arcus Foundation
What does Arcus Foundation do?
Arcus Foundation is a private grantmaking institution that funds nonprofit organizations working on two program areas: LGBTQ social justice and the conservation of great apes and gibbons. The foundation provides grants, capacity building support, and strategic resources to grantees operating in 29 countries across Africa, Asia, and the Americas.
Is Arcus Foundation a public or private company?
Arcus Foundation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Arcus Foundation founded?
Arcus Foundation was founded in 2000. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Arcus Foundation based?
Arcus Foundation is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
Who are Arcus Foundation's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Gill Foundation, Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice, NoVo Foundation, Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund and Outright International. Broad incumbents are Wildlife Conservation Society, Fauna & Flora International and World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
Does Arcus Foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for Arcus Foundation.
What industry is Arcus Foundation in?
Arcus Foundation's product category is Philanthropic Grantmaking. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAA, Private Foundations, with a secondary code of BPAGAKAN, Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations. Its NAICS code is 813211.