Surdna Foundation Inc

Quick Stats

Annual Giving: $54,655,193 (2023)
Average Grant: $275,000 (2018-2024)
Decision Time: 3 months (standard cycle)
Grant Range: $15,000 - $900,000+
Geographic Focus: National (U.S. focus)
Total Assets: Over $1 billion
Annual Grant Volume: 349 grants (2023)

Contact Details

Website: https://surdna.org
Phone: 212-557-0010
Email: news@surdna.org (media inquiries)
Location: New York, New York
EIN: 13-6108163

Overview

Established in 1917 by John Emory Andrus, the Surdna Foundation is a family foundation now in its fifth generation of leadership. With over $1 billion in assets, Surdna distributed 1,124 grants totaling $297.5 million between 2018-2024. In 2018, the foundation made a strategic shift to place racial justice at the center of all its grantmaking, viewing it as fundamental to addressing systemic inequities. The foundation emphasizes trust-based philanthropy, with 64% of grants provided as unrestricted funding and 76% as multi-year commitments. President Don Chen leads the foundation with a focus on the question: "What would it take for everyone in our nation to have a fair shot?" Surdna's impact investing portfolio has committed $230 million with 67% invested in diverse-owned firms, generating 12.4% annual returns that outperform their total endowment by 5.5%.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

1. Inclusive Economies ($63.7M, 2018-2024)

Supports worker organizing, wealth-building for communities of color
Recent example: PowerSwitch received $900,000 over three years (2024)
Focus on diverse businesses owned by people of color and equitable economic development

2. Sustainable Environments ($64.9M, 2018-2024)

Environmental justice and grassroots climate solutions
Empowers low-wealth communities and communities of color to control land and infrastructure
Recent success: Ironbound Community Corporation secured landmark environmental justice law in New Jersey

3. Thriving Cultures ($64.6M, 2018-2024)

Invests in artists, culture-bearers, designers, and media-makers of color
Partners with communities to radically imagine justice
Example: Ashé Cultural Arts Center preserved Black cultural heritage while providing economic opportunity

4. Andrus Family Fund ($30.2M, 2018-2024)

Youth justice, closing youth prisons
Recent example: RISE for Youth received $200,000 over 36 months (2024)

5. Resilient Organizations Initiative

Launched 2022 to provide grantees with financial consulting, leadership training, fundraising coaching, and technology assistance
Organizational capacity-building grants up to $15,000 for minor management and governance issues

Priority Areas

Organizations led by people of color working on racial justice
Front-line and most-affected communities in decision-making roles
Worker advocacy and economic justice initiatives
Environmental justice in underserved communities
Arts and cultural preservation in communities of color
Policy, advocacy, and organizing efforts
Multi-year, unrestricted general operating support preferred
Medium to large-sized national and regional organizations
Regranters and participatory grantmaking initiatives

What They Don't Fund

Unsolicited applications (invitation-only process)
Organizations not aligned with racial justice framework
Specific exclusions not publicly detailed, but focus is clearly on U.S.-based social justice organizations

Governance and Leadership

Board Leadership

Caitlin Boger-Hawkins, Board Chair - Fifth-generation Andrus family member, 25 years as community college administrator, currently Senior Director of Institutional Research at Connecticut State Community College
Shari Wilson, Vice Chair - Fifth-generation Andrus family member, consultant on public health and environmental issues affecting the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
Peter C. Voorhees, Secretary/Treasurer - Fifth-generation Andrus family member
Gary Hall, Board Member (elected 2025)
Ommeed Sathe, Investment Committee Chair (2025)

Executive Leadership

Don Chen, President
Patrice R. Green, Vice President of Programs
Elizabeth Cahill, Vice President of Communications and Engagement
Marc de Venoge, Vice President, Finance and Investing

Key Program Staff

Mishi Faruqee, Director, Andrus Family Fund
Adam Connaker, Director, Impact Investing
Silvana Serafimovska, Director of Grants Management
Sophy Yem, Senior Program Officer, Philanthropy
Robert Smith III, Senior Program Officer, Thriving Cultures
Thanu Yakupitiyage, Program Officer, Sustainable Environments
Danielle LeBlanc, Program Officer, Inclusive Economies

Leadership Quotes

President Don Chen emphasizes trust as foundational: "trust is fundamental to our collective success" and "honest feedback is essential to improve our work." On the foundation's mission, Chen asks: "What would it take for everyone in our nation to have a fair shot?"

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. Surdna does not accept unsolicited letters of inquiry or applications.

According to their prospective grantees page: "we do not accept unsolicited letters of inquiry" and "we have limited resources, nonprofits have limited time, and few unsolicited letters of inquiry have historically led to a grant."

How Grants Are Awarded:

Foundation staff build long-term relationships with people, organizations, communities, and movements working toward racial justice in the United States
These relationships can lead to an invitation to apply for a grant
Program staff conduct research to identify potential grantees
The foundation develops partnerships with regranting partners and participatory grantmaking initiatives
Organizations closest to the problems have a say in how and where funding flows

For Organizations Interested in Funding: Sign up for updates on new funding opportunities through the foundation's website contact form.

Getting on Their Radar

The Surdna Foundation has publicly stated they stopped accepting unsolicited applications because they "saw the practice of accepting unsolicited applications as needlessly extractive." Instead, they recommend:

Networking with past grantees: The foundation suggests interested grantseekers consider networking with past grantees or staff members to gain Surdna's attention
Review the grants database: Explore the publicly available grants database at surdna.org to understand what types of organizations and projects they fund
Align with participatory grantmaking partners: The foundation works through regranting partners who may have more accessible application processes
Sign up for updates: Use the foundation's website to receive notifications about new funding opportunities

The foundation's shift away from unsolicited applications reflects their commitment to relationship-building and ensuring funding reaches communities most affected by injustice.

Decision Timeline

For invited applicants, the typical grant cycle from request to payment is approximately 3 months under standard circumstances.

However, Surdna has demonstrated flexibility:

During COVID-19, rapid response grants averaged 1.98 days to process
The foundation has committed to streamlining processes permanently

Success Rates

Traditional success rate statistics are not applicable because Surdna operates on an invitation-only basis. The foundation explicitly states that "few unsolicited letters of inquiry have historically led to a grant," which led them to discontinue accepting them entirely.

Grant Volume:

349 grants awarded in 2023
351 grants awarded in 2022
1,124 grants totaling $297.5 million distributed from 2018-2024

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable. Since Surdna does not accept unsolicited applications, there is no formal reapplication process. Organizations are identified through the foundation's ongoing relationship-building and research efforts by program staff.

Application Success Factors

What Surdna Values (Based on Their Documented Priorities)

1. Racial Justice Leadership The foundation explicitly seeks organizations "most of which are led by people of color" and requires all work to be "conducted through a racial justice lens." This is non-negotiable.

2. Community-Centered Decision Making Surdna looks for organizations that "involve front-line and most-affected communities in decision making and action for equitable development." Successful grantees demonstrate that communities most affected by issues have real power in shaping solutions.

3. Examples of Recently Funded Work

Communities United (Chicago): Removed police from schools and reinvested $10M in counselors and support staff
PowerSwitch Action: Advocacy that increased minimum wage to $16/hour in NYC, benefiting 1.1 million workers
Ironbound Community Corporation: Secured landmark environmental justice law in New Jersey
Ashé Cultural Arts Center: Preserved Black cultural heritage while providing economic opportunity in New Orleans

4. Trust-Based Partnership Approach From their grantee perception report response, Surdna committed to:

Unrestricted, multi-year funding (64% unrestricted, 76% multi-year)
Maximum grant duration extended from 3 to 6 years
Streamlined application and reporting processes
"Beyond-the-money" support including financial consulting, leadership training, and fundraising coaching

5. Systemic Change Orientation The foundation's theory of change centers on addressing "racial inequity and power imbalances" as critical to resolving embedded social, environmental, economic, and cultural challenges. They prefer organizations working on policy, advocacy, and organizing efforts that create systemic impact.

6. Financial Sustainability While Surdna has reduced burdens, they do conduct financial due diligence. They developed "a new approach to financial due diligence that significantly lessens the burden on grant applicants" while ensuring organizational sustainability.

7. Values-Based vs. Metrics-Driven Leadership identified that "values-based mandates prove more effective than top-down metrics." Successful partners align with Surdna's values of racial justice, trust, and community power rather than focusing primarily on traditional metrics.

What to Avoid

Generic applications not clearly centered on racial justice
Work that doesn't involve affected communities in decision-making
Proposals focused on short-term, one-off projects rather than sustained change
Organizations without clear leadership or significant participation from people of color
Work outside the three program areas (Inclusive Economies, Sustainable Environments, Thriving Cultures)

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

Invitation-only process: You cannot apply directly. Focus on building authentic relationships with program staff, past grantees, or through participatory grantmaking partners
Racial justice is central: This is not a side consideration but the foundation's core lens. Every program area must advance racial justice in measurable ways
Community power matters: Demonstrate that front-line communities and people most affected lead or significantly shape your work
Think long-term: Surdna prefers multi-year partnerships (76% of grants) and now offers up to 6-year grants. Show sustained commitment, not one-off projects
Unrestricted funding preference: 64% of grants are unrestricted. Be prepared to discuss organizational capacity and general operating support needs, not just project funding
Study their portfolio: Review the grants database thoroughly. Surdna funds specific types of organizing, advocacy, and systems-change work. Your organization should fit existing patterns
National and regional scope: Most grants support large to medium-sized national and regional organizations or regranters, not solely local groups
Beyond the grant: Surdna offers financial consulting, leadership training, and other capacity-building support. Express openness to partnership beyond funding

References

Surdna Foundation official website - https://surdna.org/ (Accessed December 2024)
Prospective Grantees page - https://surdna.org/prospective-grantees/ (Accessed December 2024)
Grants Database - https://surdna.org/grants-database/ (Accessed December 2024)
Our Organization - https://surdna.org/our-organization/ (Accessed December 2024)
Team Directory - https://surdna.org/team/ (Accessed December 2024)
Surdna Impact Report 2018-2024 - https://surdna.org/impact-report-2018-2024/ (Accessed December 2024)
"Grantee Perception Report: What We Heard and How We Plan to Do Better" - https://surdna.org/news-insights/grantee-perception-report-what-we-heard-and-how-we-plan-to-do-better/ (Accessed December 2024)
"High Risk, High Reward: Bold Investments Driving Change" - https://surdna.org/news-insights/high-risk-high-reward-bold-investments-driving-change/ (Accessed December 2024)
Financial Reports - https://surdna.org/financial-reports/ (Accessed December 2024)
"Surdna Foundation Elects Board Chair, Vice Chair, and Two New Members" - https://surdna.org/news-insights/surdna-foundation-elects-board-chair-vice-chair-and-two-new-members/ (Accessed December 2024)
"Seven Recommendations for Rapid Response Grantmaking" - https://surdna.org/news-insights/case-study-7-recommendations-for-rapid-response-grantmaking/ (Accessed December 2024)
Surdna Foundation Inc - Nonprofit Explorer - ProPublica - https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/136108163 (Accessed December 2024)
Surdna Foundation | Inside Philanthropy - https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/find-a-grant/grants-s/surdna-foundation (Accessed December 2024)
SURDNA FOUNDATION INC | Foundation Directory | Candid - https://fconline.foundationcenter.org/fdo-grantmaker-profile?key=SURD001 (Accessed December 2024)