What Surdna Foundation does

Surdna Foundation is a private, family-governed 501(c)(3) philanthropic foundation founded in 1917 by John Emory Andrus and headquartered in New York City, with national grantmaking reach across the United States. The foundation distributes grants from an endowment exceeding $1 billion at an annual run-rate above $53 million, with FY2024 disbursements of $46.8 million and cumulative 2018-2024 giving of $297.5 million across 1,124 grants averaging $274,261 each. Its mission is to foster sustainable communities guided by principles of social justice, organized around four program verticals: Inclusive Economies, Sustainable Environments, Thriving Cultures, and the Andrus Family Fund, all explicitly centered on advancing racial equity since the 2018 strategy refresh under President Don Chen.

The foundation's core operating model is grantmaking rather than product development, supported by a small staff of roughly 24 people and a Fluxx-powered grants portal. Approximately 76% of grants are multi-year and 64% are unrestricted general operating support, reflecting a trust-based philanthropy approach; 66% of grants flow to BIPOC-led organizations. Beyond grantmaking, Surdna operates a $230 million+ mission-aligned impact investing portfolio launched in 2017 (with the MRI sleeve returning +12.4% annually), the Resilient Organizations Initiative providing technical assistance and capacity-building services to grantees, and a public grants database for transparency. Revenue mechanics are endowment-driven rather than commercial: capital inflows come from investment returns on the endowment, and outflows are grants plus impact investments deployed alongside grantees and field partners.

The foundation has no proprietary technology products and does not monetize grants; it does not charge for services, has no published pricing, and reports no commercial revenue streams. Its growth in impact investing and capacity-building, along with a February 2026 leadership transition (retirement of 35-year VP Marc de Venoge and internal promotions across finance, investments, and operations), points to organizational consolidation rather than expansion of operating footprint.

Name

Surdna Foundation

Legal name

Surdna Foundation

Website

https://surdna.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1917

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Surdna Foundation is a 108-year-old, family-governed U.S. philanthropic foundation that distributes grants and mission-aligned investments from a $1B+ endowment to BIPOC-led and frontline organizations across Inclusive Economies, Sustainable Environments, Thriving Cultures, and youth justice programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Philanthropic Foundation Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN), Family Offices & Philanthropic Advisors (Grantmaking) (BPAGAKAD), Philanthropy, Foundations & Grantmaking Advisory (FSAAADAG)

Keywords

• Philanthropic grantmaking
• Impact investing
• Social justice funding
• Family foundation grants
• Racial equity programs

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Others, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Grantmaking from Endowment: Surdna Foundation distributes grants from its endowment to support social justice organizations. The foundation has assets of more than $1 billion and an annual grantmaking budget of over $53 million.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Surdna Foundation is a private family foundation that distributes grants from its endowment (over $1 billion) through four core grantmaking programs: Inclusive Economies, Sustainable Environments, Thriving Cultures, and the Andrus Family Fund. It also operates an impact investing portfolio exceeding $200 million committed since 2017 and provides capacity-building support to grantees through its Resilient Organizations Initiative. The foundation centers its work on racial justice and supports U.S.-based social justice organizations through multi-year unrestricted grants averaging $274,261.

Product overview

Surdna Foundation is a family foundation (not a technology company) that operates as a unified grantmaking organization with multiple program areas. Its core offering consists of grantmaking programs across four areas: Inclusive Economies, Sustainable Environments, Thriving Cultures, and the Andrus Family Fund. These programs are unified by a shared focus on racial justice and are complemented by an Impact Investing portfolio that deploys mission-aligned capital, and a Resilient Organizations Initiative that provides capacity-building support to grantees. A public Grants Database offers transparency into the foundation's giving. The foundation does not offer technology products or software services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Andrus Family Fund: Program supporting self-determination, power, and liberation of Black, Brown, AAPI, and Indigenous youth and families impacted by youth incarceration, family policing, and other disruptive systems

Products and services

• Inclusive Economies Program

Quantifiable outcome

• $297.5 million distributed through 1,124 grants (2018-2024)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Better MarketscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 June 2026Multi-year general operating support partnership to advance financial reform and build a more inclusive economy. Better Markets fights for an economy and financial system that works for everyone, not just those at the top.
• BDOcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartnership with BDO (Surdna's auditor) to offer Surdna and AFF grantees financial planning and consulting support. BDO provides 1:1 financial planning consulting ranging from coaching to full-scale multiyear capacity support.
• Institute for Nonprofit PracticecoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartnership provides Core Certificate Program for leadership training. 32 Surdna and AFF grantee leaders have enrolled in this management training program.
• Thread StrategiesminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProvides fundraising training program pairing nonprofits with personal fundraising coaches. Over 30 Surdna and AFF grantees have participated.
• Mission Investors ExchangeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSurdna participates in MIE Conference for foundation leaders to discuss impact investing strategies, place-based community investing, and catalytic capital mechanisms.
• Investment Integration Project (TIIP)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on TIIP's Racial Equity Working Group that produced report on racial inequity as systemic risk to investment.
• Pop Culture CollaborativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSurdna has been a member and supporter since 2020. Collaborative supports BIPOC artists, strategists, researchers, and communities to advance narrative change for racial justice.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Ford Foundation: One of the largest U.S. private foundations with $16B+ in assets and a comparable focus on racial justice, economic fairness, and democratic participation. Surdna's president Don Chen previously led Ford's Cities & States program, underscoring operational and strategic parallels.
• Open Society Foundations: Large global grantmaker with comparable racial justice and democratic participation agendas. Surdna's U.S.-only focus and smaller scale contrast, but the grantmaking model and movement-building strategy are highly aligned.
• Bloomberg Philanthropies: Major philanthropic funder with comparable multi-issue programs (environment, economic opportunity, arts). Operates at a much larger scale than Surdna but with similar place-based, evidence-driven grantmaking.
• Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: Large health-focused foundation that also runs place-based community grantmaking and impact investing. Comparable in endowment scale and operational sophistication, though with a narrower health mission.
• John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation: Large U.S. private foundation with $8B+ in assets; operates grantmaking across equity, environment, and culture, alongside impact investing. Comparable in scale, programmatic structure, and use of MRI/PRI capital.

Direct peers

• Annie E. Casey Foundation: Private foundation focused on child welfare, economic opportunity, and racial equity through place-based grantmaking. Directly comparable to Surdna's Andrus Family Fund work on youth justice and family policing.
• Kresge Foundation: National private foundation with comparable endowment size ($4B+) and program focus on racial equity, environmental health, and arts/culture. Shares Surdna's multi-program, place-based grantmaking approach.
• W.K. Kellogg Foundation: Major private foundation with $8B+ in assets explicitly focused on racial equity, child welfare, and community-led change. Operates multi-year, unrestricted grantmaking similar to Surdna's model.
• Mott Foundation: Multi-generational family foundation with similar $3B+ asset base and longstanding programs in education, economic opportunity, and civil society; aligns with Surdna's mix of grantmaking and program-related investments.
• Barr Foundation: Mid-sized private foundation with comparable climate, arts, and education portfolios. Aligns with Surdna's program areas and multi-year unrestricted grantmaking philosophy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/surdna_fndn
• Facebookfacebook.com/surdna-foundation-506060839448602
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/surdna-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments5 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Surdna Foundation