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Dunaway Foundation

Annual Giving
$23.3M
Grant Range
Up to $26.4M00
00

Dunaway Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $23.3 million (2024 tax year, though $0 in 2023)
  • Success Rate: N/A - No public application process
  • Decision Time: N/A - Invitation only
  • Grant Range: Variable - awarded $26.4 million to 4 organizations in most recent active fiscal year
  • Geographic Focus: Primarily San Diego County, California
  • Application Policy: Does not accept unsolicited applications

Contact Details

Address: La Jolla, CA 92037

EIN: 27-1996754

Note: The Dunaway Foundation does not maintain a public website and only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations. Contact information is not publicly listed as they do not accept unsolicited requests for funds.

Overview

The Dunaway Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation established in 2010 and funded by San Diego philanthropists Joan Klein Jacobs (1933-2024) and Irwin M. Jacobs, co-founder of Qualcomm. The foundation primarily supports education and health causes, reflecting the broader philanthropic priorities of its founders, who have contributed over $460 million to various causes throughout their lifetime. With total assets of approximately $37.9 million as of 2024, the foundation operates as one of several philanthropic vehicles through which the Jacobs family supports charitable organizations. The foundation made significant grants totaling $26.4 million to four organizations in its last major grantmaking year, though grantmaking has been variable, with $0 awarded in 2023. The foundation reported charitable disbursements of $23.3 million in 2024. Joan and Irwin Jacobs signed the Giving Pledge in 2010, committing to give away most of their wealth to philanthropy, and were honored with UC Presidential Medals in December 2024 for their transformative impact on education, healthcare, technology, and the arts.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Dunaway Foundation does not have formal grant programs or application cycles. All grants are made at the discretion of the foundation's directors to preselected organizations.

Recent Grantmaking Activity:

  • Last active fiscal year: $26,439,683 awarded to 4 organizations
  • 2023: $0 in grants
  • 2024: $23,343,264 in charitable disbursements
  • Historical pattern: 4 awards in 2018, 1 award in 2019

Priority Areas

While the foundation itself does not publish specific priority areas, the Jacobs family's broader philanthropic interests provide insight into potential focus areas:

Education:

  • K-12 education initiatives
  • University programs, particularly in engineering and computer science
  • Scholarships and fellowships
  • Educational technology and mobile technology for learning
  • Libraries

Healthcare:

  • Medical research and innovation
  • Healthcare facilities and centers
  • Head and neck cancer research
  • Digital health innovation
  • Patient care improvements

Arts and Culture:

  • Performing arts organizations
  • Cultural institutions
  • Community arts programs

Geographic Focus:

  • Primarily San Diego County and Southern California
  • Strong connection to UC San Diego and related institutions

What They Don't Fund

The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications from any organization. As a family foundation supporting preselected organizations, they do not fund:

  • Organizations outside their predetermined selection
  • Unsolicited grant requests
  • Organizations without existing connections to the Jacobs family or their philanthropic network

Governance and Leadership

Key Officers (as of 2024):

  • Joan K. Jacobs - Director, President (deceased May 6, 2024)
  • Irwin M. Jacobs - Director, CFO, Secretary
  • Harlan Jacobs - Director, Secretary

About the Leadership:

Irwin M. Jacobs co-founded Qualcomm in 1985 and served as chairman and CEO until his retirement. He is an MIT-trained engineer who has been described as San Diego's "Philanthropist in Chief" by the San Diego Union-Tribune. He has contributed hundreds of millions of dollars to education, healthcare, and the arts.

Joan Klein Jacobs (1933-2024) was a Cornell University graduate (Class of 1954) and a beloved philanthropist and community leader. The San Diego Foundation remembered her as "a philanthropic giant whose legacy transcends generations." Together with her husband, she transformed the San Diego region through strategic giving focused on education, healthcare, technology, and the arts.

Philanthropic Philosophy:

In their Giving Pledge letter, the Jacobs stated: "Education – K-12, university, libraries, and the use 24/7 of mobile technology – was an early and remains a key component of our philanthropy."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Dunaway Foundation does not have a public application process. The foundation only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and explicitly does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.

This is clearly stated in the foundation's IRS filings and confirmed across multiple nonprofit databases. Organizations cannot submit grant applications, letters of inquiry, or funding requests to this foundation.

Alternative Jacobs Family Philanthropic Vehicles:

Organizations seeking support from the Jacobs family should note that they also give through:

  • The Joan and Irwin Jacobs Fund at the Jewish Community Foundation of San Diego (a donor-advised fund with $60 million in contributions)
  • The Jacobs Family Foundation (focused on community transformation in southeastern San Diego)
  • Direct major gifts to institutions

Application Success Factors

As the Dunaway Foundation does not accept applications, there are no success factors for grant seekers in the traditional sense. The foundation's grantmaking decisions are made entirely at the discretion of its directors based on their personal philanthropic priorities and existing relationships.

Understanding the Jacobs' Philanthropic Approach:

Based on their public statements and giving history, the Jacobs family prioritizes:

  1. Transformative Impact: They favor large, strategic gifts that can fundamentally change organizations or create new capabilities (e.g., $100 million to establish Jacobs Medical Center, naming gifts for UC San Diego's engineering school)

  2. Education Excellence: Particularly in STEM fields, engineering, computer science, and programs that use technology to enhance learning

  3. Local Impact: Strong preference for San Diego-based organizations and institutions, though they also support national causes

  4. Innovation: Healthcare innovation, digital health, precision medicine, and cutting-edge research

  5. Long-term Relationships: The Jacobs tend to support the same organizations over many years rather than making one-time grants

  6. Matching Existing Excellence: They support organizations already demonstrating excellence that can be enhanced through philanthropic support

Quote from their Giving Pledge letter: "Education – K-12, university, libraries, and the use 24/7 of mobile technology – was an early and remains a key component of our philanthropy."

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No Public Application Process: The Dunaway Foundation is not accessible through traditional grant-seeking approaches. It operates as a private family foundation making grants solely to preselected organizations.

  • Significant but Variable Grantmaking: When active, the foundation makes substantial grants ($26+ million to just 4 organizations), but grantmaking is irregular and entirely at the directors' discretion.

  • Family Foundation Structure: This is one of several vehicles the Jacobs family uses for philanthropy. Understanding their broader philanthropic ecosystem is important.

  • Education and Health Focus: Consistent with the Jacobs' documented priorities, the foundation supports education (especially STEM and technology-enhanced learning) and healthcare initiatives.

  • San Diego Regional Focus: Strong geographic preference for San Diego County organizations, particularly those connected to UC San Diego and the broader San Diego community.

  • Relationship-Driven: All grantmaking appears to be based on pre-existing relationships and alignment with the Jacobs family's specific interests and philanthropic vision.

  • Consider Alternative Approaches: Organizations interested in Jacobs family support should explore their donor-advised fund at the Jewish Community Foundation of San Diego or the Jacobs Family Foundation, which may have different application policies.

References

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