What The Auen Foundation does

The Auen Foundation is a private nonprofit foundation established in 1992 and headquartered in the Coachella Valley of Southern California. Originally benefiting a broad range of health-related needs, the foundation redefined its mission in 1995 to concentrate on the aging population and its emerging needs, dedicating itself to building and supporting aging programs that include the entire family. The foundation operates as a grant-making organization, awarding funding to charitable and educational programs serving seniors across social services, healthy aging, caregiving, end-of-life care, intergenerational programs, and family support services. The foundation does not accept unsolicited grant requests; instead, its Trustees and program officers proactively research and identify nonprofit partners, with letters of intent reviewed quarterly on January 10, April 10, August 10, and November 10.

The foundation's geographic footprint is concentrated in Southern California, with approximately 80% of grantees located in the region and the remaining 20% potentially awarded outside the area only when solicited by Trustees. To date, the foundation has awarded more than 1,000 grants, with disclosed recipients spanning healthcare (Loma Linda University Children's Health, Desert AIDS Project, Neuro Vitality Center, American Heart Association), food security (FIND Food Bank, AIDS Assistance Program), higher education (USC Davis School of Gerontology, California State University San Bernardino Palm Desert Campus, College of the Desert, Chapman University Elder Law Center), arts and culture (Palm Springs International Film Festival, CVREP), and animal welfare (Guide Dogs of the Desert). The foundation is led by sole Trustee and Program Director Sherrie S. Auen and Senior Program Officer Catharine N. Reed, who has served in the role since 1993.

The foundation's capacity for giving has been built over three decades through real estate and other investments, with founding Trustee Ronald M. Auen (1932–2019) credited with more than doubling the endowment. The foundation maintains strategic co-funder relationships with the H.N. and Frances C. Berger Foundation on multi-million-dollar capital projects, a long-running research partnership with USC Davis School of Gerontology supporting Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease research, and recurring annual grants to high-performing grantees such as the AIDS Assistance Program food voucher program (18+ consecutive years). The foundation does not publicly disclose financial statements, and revenue figures are not available.

Name

The Auen Foundation

Legal name

The Auen Foundation

Website

https://auenfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Auen Foundation is a private nonprofit foundation established in 1992 that awards grants to charitable and educational programs serving the aging population, primarily in the Coachella Valley and Southern California region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Philanthropic Foundation

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL)

Keywords

• Grant-making foundation
• Aging population services
• Nonprofit philanthropy
• Charitable foundation grants
• Senior services funding

Headquarters

HQ city

Palm Desert

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Investment Returns and Endowment: The foundation grows its capacity for giving through real estate and other investments, using returns to fund grants to charitable organizations benefiting the aging population.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Auen Foundation is a private, nonprofit grant-making foundation that awards funding to charitable and educational organizations whose programs benefit the aging population. Its core activity is identifying, vetting, and financially supporting nonprofits in areas such as social services, healthy aging, caregiving, end-of-life care, intergenerational programs, and family support services, primarily in the Coachella Valley and Southern California. The foundation does not accept unsolicited grant requests and instead works through a quarterly letter-of-intent process initiated at the invitation of its Trustees and program officers.

Product overview

The Auen Foundation is a private grant-making foundation established in 1992 that focuses on enriching quality of life for the aging population. The foundation does not offer a technology product but rather operates as a philanthropic organization that awards grants to charitable and educational programs serving seniors in the Coachella Valley region and beyond. The foundation's primary offering is its grant-making program, which supports organizations in areas including social services, healthy aging, caregiving, end-of-life care, intergenerational programs, and family support services. The foundation does not accept unsolicited grant requests and considers letters of intent on a quarterly basis.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Grant Making Program A private foundation grant program that awards funding to charitable and educational organizations serving the aging population, primarily in the Coachella Valley and Southern California. The foundation does not accept unsolicited grant requests; organizations must receive authorization from Foundation Trustees or program staff before submitting a letter of intent, which is reviewed quarterly.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,000 grants awarded to charitable and educational programs primarily in Coachella Valley
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• University of Southern California Davis School of GerontologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNearly two-decades-old partnership supporting gerontology research. Grants have funded Real-Time qPCR equipment and Cell Culture Incubators for DNA research into aging diseases including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Supports the foundation's mission to enhance lives of the elderly through scientific research.
• Palm Springs International Film SocietycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAnnual grants supporting the Palm Springs International Film Festival's Senior and Active Retirement Programs. Funding aids recruitment, training, management, and retention of nearly 600-800 senior volunteers. Grant also underwrites free screening tickets and shuttle service for local seniors.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• H.N. and Frances C. Berger Foundation: The H.N. and Frances C. Berger Foundation is a private Coachella Valley-based family foundation that frequently co-funds aging-related and community projects with the Auen Foundation. Shared geography, overlapping mission, and Ronald M. Auen's prior role as Berger Foundation President make it the most direct peer.
• The SCAN Foundation: The SCAN Foundation is an independent California foundation focused on transforming care for older adults. Both foundations concentrate on aging-related advocacy, healthcare, and quality-of-life issues with a Southern California footprint.
• Eisner Foundation: The Eisner Foundation is a Los Angeles-based private foundation focused on intergenerational programs and aging. Its exclusive focus on connecting older adults with younger generations directly mirrors the Auen Foundation's aging and intergenerational priorities.
• The Archstone Foundation: The Archstone Foundation is a private California foundation dedicated to aging and quality of life for older adults. It shares the Auen Foundation's exclusive focus on the aging population and operates at a comparable scale as a private grantmaking foundation.
• Gary and Mary West Foundation: The Gary and Mary West Foundation is a private foundation focused on aging, health, and senior services. Its nonprofit grantmaking model and exclusive focus on the aging population make it a closely comparable peer to the Auen Foundation.
• The Retirement Research Foundation: The Retirement Research Foundation is one of the first private foundations in the US devoted exclusively to aging issues. It shares the Auen Foundation's specific focus on the aging population and private grantmaking model.

Broad incumbents

• The California Wellness Foundation: The California Wellness Foundation is a major California-based private foundation that funds health and aging programs. Its California focus and aging-related grantmaking overlap with the Auen Foundation's mission, though its scope is broader.
• The John A. Hartford Foundation: The John A. Hartford Foundation is a national private foundation focused on improving care for older adults, with significantly larger assets. Comparable aging-focused mission and grantmaking format, but operates at a much broader national scale.
• The Weingart Foundation: The Weingart Foundation is a large private foundation serving Southern California with a broader social services mission. Its geographic overlap and nonprofit grantmaking format make it a relevant comparable, though its focus is broader than aging.
• UniHealth Foundation: UniHealth Foundation is a Southern California private foundation supporting health and healthcare access. Its regional California focus and health-oriented grantmaking align with many of the Auen Foundation's funded programs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/auen-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about The Auen Foundation