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American Express Foundation

Annual Giving
$25.7M
Grant Range
$25K - $0.5M

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American Express Foundation

Quick Stats

  • EIN: 13-6123529
  • Founded: 1954
  • Annual Giving: $25,711,713 (2023)
  • Total Assets: $71,012,960 (2023)
  • Grant Range: $25,000 - $500,000
  • Geographic Focus: U.S. priority locations (South Florida, Greater Phoenix, New York City, Salt Lake City, Washington DC) and 17 international countries where American Express operates
  • Application Method: Invitation only - no public application process

Contact Details

Email: communitygiving@aexp.com (for introductions only - not guaranteed response)

Address: 200 Vesey Street, 48th Floor, New York, NY 10285-1000

Website: https://www.americanexpress.com/en-us/company/corporate-sustainability/community-impact/

Note: Organisations can introduce themselves via email but should expect a response only if there is mutual interest in further conversation.

Overview

Founded in 1954, the American Express Foundation is the philanthropic arm of American Express Company, with total assets of $71 million and annual giving of approximately $25.7 million distributed through over 9,000 grants in 2023. Since its inception, the Foundation has provided over $1 billion to charitable causes worldwide. The Foundation focuses on three strategic priorities: Backing Equal Futures (youth workforce development), Backing Small Businesses (supporting small business owners and disaster recovery), and Backing Low-Carbon Communities (climate resilience and disaster preparedness). The Foundation operates on an invitation-only basis, working with strategic partners aligned with their focus areas. A hallmark programme is the American Express Leadership Academy, which has invested over $100 million since 2007 to enhance leadership skills of more than 165,000 nonprofit leaders globally through a partnership with Common Purpose.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programmes

Backing Equal Futures Provides skills and pathways to prepare youth ages 13-30 for long-term success and the future of work, including the green economy, digital futures, and STEAM fields (science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics). Programmes may include school-based, college, trade school, public service, or workforce-related training or mentoring to support skill-building, education, transition to meaningful employment, or self-sufficiency for underrepresented populations (racial, ethnic and Indigenous minorities, women, refugees, incarcerated or formerly incarcerated, unhoused and formerly unhoused people, veterans or families of veterans).

Backing Small Businesses Supports small business owners and nonprofit leaders through various programmes. Recent initiatives include the Backing Historic Small Restaurants programme ($50,000 grants to 50 restaurants in 2024, totalling $2.5 million) and the Backing Small Businesses programme with Main Street America ($10,000 grants to 500 small business owners). Since 2020, grants have supported nearly 5,000 small businesses across six countries and all 50 U.S. states, Washington DC, and Puerto Rico.

Backing Low-Carbon Communities Focuses on helping communities prepare for and recover from climate events through disaster relief, resilience building, and initiatives in extreme weather-prone areas. In 2024, American Express committed $12.75 million in grants to five nonprofits (U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Resilient Cities Catalyst, Local Initiatives Support Corporation, Urban Sustainability Directors Network, and Oxford Brookes University) to support small businesses in climate resilience and disaster recovery.

Historic Preservation Supports programmes and projects designed to preserve, restore, or sustain historic places, landmarks, and public spaces; preserve sites that represent diverse cultures. The Partners in Preservation programme has awarded over $28 million to support more than 260 sites in cities from San Francisco to New York, Seattle to Washington, D.C., and beyond.

Leadership Development The American Express Leadership Academy is a flagship six-month programme delivered in partnership with Common Purpose. The programme convenes nonprofit leaders in locations including Sydney, London, and New York, focusing on building resilience and adaptive leadership skills. Applications typically open annually for the following year's cohorts.

Community Service Programmes designed to cultivate meaningful opportunities for civic engagement and encourage community service.

Priority Areas

  • Youth workforce development (ages 13-30) with focus on underrepresented populations
  • Small business support and resilience
  • Climate adaptation and disaster preparedness
  • Historic preservation and cultural heritage
  • Nonprofit leadership development
  • Community engagement and volunteerism

What They Don't Fund

  • Individual needs, including scholarships, sponsorships, and other forms of financial aid
  • Fund-raising activities such as galas, benefits, dinners, and sporting events
  • Goodwill advertising, souvenir journals, or dinner programmes
  • Travel for individuals or groups
  • Sectarian activities by religious organisations
  • Political causes, candidates, organisations, or campaigns
  • Books, magazines, or articles in professional journals
  • Endowments or capital campaigns (except restoration projects)
  • Travelling exhibitions (will only consider each venue separately)

Governance and Leadership

Madge Thomas - President, American Express Foundation and Head of Corporate Sustainability at American Express Company (since June 2021). Thomas directs all global social responsibility, philanthropy, and employee engagement programmes, and oversees American Express's Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) strategy. Before joining American Express, she served as Head of Innovative Finance, Corporate and Philanthropic partnerships at UNICEF's Education Cannot Wait Fund, and prior to that was Vice President of Global Policy & Advocacy at Global Citizen.

Richard Brown - Vice President of Philanthropy at American Express, overseeing the company's global giving programmes.

The Foundation's governance structure is not publicly disclosed in detail, though it operates as a separate 501(c)(3) entity from its parent corporation.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The American Express Foundation does not have a public application process. The Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications for funding and operates on an invitation-only basis. All prospective grantees must be invited to submit a grant application and will receive specific details to complete their application should they be invited.

Organisations may introduce themselves by emailing communitygiving@aexp.com with their business contact, organisational objective, and website. However, due to the volume of incoming requests, the Foundation does not respond to every enquiry and will only respond if further conversation is of mutual interest.

For the American Express Leadership Academy programme, applications do open to the public annually through the Common Purpose website for the following year's cohorts.

Getting on Their Radar

The American Express Foundation identifies potential grantees through strategic alignment with their three core priorities. Specific strategies include:

Geographic Alignment: The Foundation prioritises organisations in locations where American Express operates. In the U.S., this includes South Florida, Greater Phoenix, New York City, Salt Lake City, and Washington DC. Internationally, they support organisations in Argentina, Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom.

Programme-Specific Opportunities: Organisations working in historic preservation, small business support, youth workforce development, climate resilience, or nonprofit leadership development are more likely to align with Foundation priorities. Recent partnerships include the National Trust for Historic Preservation (Backing Historic Small Restaurants), Main Street America (Backing Small Businesses), and Common Purpose (Leadership Academy).

Leadership Academy Participation: Nonprofit leaders can build connection with the Foundation by applying to and participating in the American Express Leadership Academy, which is a publicly available opportunity through Common Purpose.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly disclosed. Timeline varies based on the nature of the partnership and grant initiative. For invitation-based grants, organisations receive specific details about timeline when invited to apply.

Success Rates

Not publicly disclosed. In 2023, the Foundation distributed 9,499 grants totalling $25,711,713.

Reapplication Policy

Not publicly disclosed due to invitation-only application process.

Application Success Factors

Since the American Express Foundation operates on an invitation-only basis, success depends on strategic alignment rather than traditional application strength. Key factors include:

Geographic and Strategic Alignment: The Foundation targets "geographic areas where its parent company operates" and works with "strategic partners aligned with their focus areas and priorities." Organisations should have a clear connection to American Express's operational footprint and demonstrated expertise in one of the three core funding priorities.

Scale and Capacity: Recent grantees include major national organisations (American Red Cross, World Central Kitchen, International Rescue Committee, Habitat for Humanity) as well as programme-specific recipients like the 50 historic restaurants receiving $50,000 each. The Foundation gives "to large national and global organisations" but also supports targeted programmes for smaller entities through structured initiatives.

Focus on Underrepresented Communities: The Foundation specifically supports programmes serving "racial, ethnic and Indigenous minorities, women, refugees, incarcerated or formerly incarcerated, unhoused and formerly unhoused people, veterans or families of veterans, disadvantaged youth or people." Organisations with demonstrated track records serving these populations align with the "Backing Equal Futures" priority.

Leadership Development Commitment: The Foundation has invested over $100 million since 2007 in programmes that develop critical leadership skills of nonprofit and social purpose leaders. Organisations that incorporate leadership development components or have leaders who have participated in the Leadership Academy may have stronger alignment.

Innovation in Core Areas: Recent initiatives show the Foundation's interest in innovative approaches, including climate resilience for small businesses, historic preservation tied to economic development (historic restaurants), and future-of-work skills for youth in green economy and digital futures.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Invitation-only model: Do not expect to submit a traditional grant application. Focus instead on building visibility and strategic alignment with Foundation priorities through your work and networks in their priority areas.

  • Geographic targeting essential: Ensure your organisation operates in American Express's priority U.S. cities (South Florida, Greater Phoenix, New York City, Salt Lake City, Washington DC) or one of their 17 international markets.

  • Large organisational capacity: The Foundation primarily funds "large national and global organisations" with grants ranging from $25,000 to $500,000, though structured programmes support smaller entities.

  • Three clear priorities: Align your work explicitly with Backing Equal Futures (youth workforce), Backing Small Businesses (entrepreneurship and climate resilience), or Backing Low-Carbon Communities (disaster preparedness).

  • Leadership development matters: Consider how your organisation's leaders might participate in the American Express Leadership Academy as a way to build connection and alignment with Foundation values.

  • Multi-year commitment possible: The Foundation has demonstrated sustained partnerships with organisations like the National Trust for Historic Preservation and Common Purpose, suggesting openness to long-term relationships.

  • Intermediary partnerships: Many recent grants flow through established intermediary organisations (U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Main Street America, National Trust). Consider whether your organisation could be positioned as a sub-grantee or local implementation partner.

References

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