Johnson Family Foundation
OVERVIEW: The Johnson Family Foundation makes grants to support the LGBTQ community, as well as promote democracy and civic engagement throughout the United States. It also broadly supports a number of initiatives in Colorado and Vermont that focus on the environment, community development and local arts and culture.
IP TAKE: Johnson’s grantmaking is most often place-based rather than national in scope. Grantseekers outside Vermont and Colorado may find little success here. This is not an accessible funder, though it is supportive and approachable.
PROFILE: Thomas Phillips and Jane Moore Johnson established the Johnson Family Foundation (JFF) in 1990 to support the “development of healthy, vibrant and just communities where individuals, families and the next generation of leaders will thrive.” It is headquartered in New York City and maintains focus areas in LGBTQ issues and social justice, with a broader range of grantmaking initiatives in Vermont and Colorado.
Grants for LGBTQ
JFF conducts grants for LGBTQ funding at the national level, rather than just tied to Vermont and Colorado. JFF supports mental health, youth populations, and movement building within the LGBTQ community. Grants made through this program seek to make the “world free from discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression, where LGBTQ people are empowered to lead healthy and productive lives.”
JFF’s Mental Health strategy awards grants to LGBTQ community centers that emphasize and expose mental health issues and those that advance the understanding of mental health matters as they relate to the LGBTQ community. Its Youth strategy supports organizations that promote safe schools and “empower LGBTQ youth.” The overall goal of this strategy is to improve the lives of young people. Finally, JFF’s Movement Building strategy builds strong and sustainable LGBTQ movements. The foundation does so by supporting public education and collaborations among like-minded funders.
Past grantees include Demos: A Network for Ideas and Action, National LGBTQ Task Force Foundation, and Lesbian and Gay Community Services Center.
Grants for Democracy and Civic Engagement
JFF conducts democracy and civic engagement-related grantmaking through its Justice focus area, the only other funding area not tied exclusively to Vermont or Colorado. It works to promote “a world in which all members of society have the opportunity and ability to participate fully in civic life.” One of this program’s priorities is “access to government institutions and processes.” The foundation’s Vermont grantmaking also supports local programs concerned with “reinvigorating participation in community and democracy.” Past grantees in this space include the ACLU, the Democracy Initiative and Every Voice Center.
Grants for Environmental Conservation, Education and Community Development
JFF’s two place-based programs broadly support organizations and projects that seek to enhance and develop local communities in Vermont and Colorado, and to preserve the natural environment in each state. The Vermont program prioritizes “finding pathways out of poverty, sharing equitably […] limited common resources, and reinvigorating participation in community and democracy.” The Colorado program seeks to “enhance educational opportunities, enrich the arts, preserve [the] environment, and provide support for those most in need,” as well as increase access to healthcare and educational opportunities, and support “an entrepreneurship ecosystem.” Past grantees include Vermont Community Foundation, 1% for the Planet, Telluride Foundation, Telluride Mountain School, and Conservation Colorado.
Important Grant Details:
The foundation awards grants of up to $500,000 but the majority of grants fall in the $25,000 to $75,000 range. JFF does not accept unsolicited grant applications or requests for funding.
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