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Swenson Family Foundation

Annual Giving
$6.0M
Grant Range
Up to $7.0M00
00

Swenson Family Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $6,040,000 (2024)
  • Total Assets: $97.1 million
  • Grant Range: Varies widely from scholarships to multi-million dollar capital gifts
  • Geographic Focus: Primary focus on Orange County, California, with additional support for universities in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and California
  • Application Process: No public application process - contributions to preselected organizations only
  • Decision Model: Trustee discretion - invitation only

Contact Details

Mailing Address: PO Box 12263, Orange, CA 92859-8263
Phone: 714-264-6814
EIN: 33-0603766

Note: The foundation does not accept unsolicited grant applications.

Overview

Founded in 1994 following the sale of Details Inc., the Swenson Family Foundation represents the philanthropic legacy of Jim and Sue Swenson. With assets of $97.1 million and annual grant distributions of approximately $6 million, the foundation has been a pillar of Orange County philanthropy for over three decades. The foundation focuses primarily on three areas: children's health and wellness (particularly through CHOC Children's Hospital), Lutheran and secular higher education (with emphasis on science and engineering programs), and arts and cultural institutions. Jim Swenson, who passed away in 2018, built Details Inc. into the fastest quick-turnaround engineering prototype circuit board shop in the nation, serving clients including Apple, IBM, and Motorola. Sue Swenson continues to lead the foundation as President. In 2008, the couple was named Outstanding Philanthropists by the Orange County Register and the Association of Funding Professionals. The foundation is distinguished by its long-term relationships with beneficiary organizations and its focus on creating enduring impact through endowments and capital projects.

Funding Priorities

Primary Focus Areas

Children's Health and Wellness

  • Pediatric healthcare and mental health services
  • School-based health and wellness programs
  • Family assistance programs for families facing financial hardship
  • Medical equipment and facility improvements

Higher Education (Lutheran and Secular)

  • Science, engineering, and technology education
  • Scholarship programs for students from ELCA congregations
  • Summer research fellowships
  • Capital projects including buildings and facilities
  • Support for Universities in California, Minnesota, and Wisconsin

Arts and Culture

  • Support for performing arts centers
  • Cultural programming and education
  • Endowment funds for arts accessibility

Marine Science Education

  • Ocean science and maritime history programs
  • Educational programs for K-12 students

Major Grant Recipients

CHOC Children's Hospital (Nearly $13 million lifetime giving)

  • $7 million (2024) for school-based mental health expansion and WellSpace initiative
  • $5.4 million for Swenson Family Foundation Family Assistance Endowment Fund
  • Support for pediatric operating pavilion and family assistance programs

Chapman University

  • $5 million for Swenson Family Hall of Engineering

California Lutheran University

  • $5 million for Swenson Center for the Social and Behavioral Sciences
  • $1 million for Spies-Bornemann Center for Education and Technology
  • Nearly $4 million in scholarships to 120 students through Swenson Scholars program (since 1998)
  • Nearly $1 million for Swenson Science Summer Research Fellowships (nearly 200 students since 2006)

University of Minnesota Duluth

  • Support for Swenson College of Science and Engineering (named in their honor in 2007)

University of Wisconsin-Superior

  • Swenson Family Trust Scholarship (full-tuition scholarships for 10 students annually, established 1994)

Mission Hospital

  • Swenson Family Interventional Radiology Center in Leonard Cancer Institute
  • Pediatric Operating Pavilion

Ocean Institute, Dana Point

  • $100,000 matching grant (2020 Match-A-Thon)
  • Founding support including purchase and conversion of the Pilgrim to floating classroom (43 years ago)

Segerstrom Center for the Arts

  • Endowment fund contributions

What They Don't Fund

The foundation does not accept unsolicited grant applications and only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations. Based on their funding history, the foundation does not appear to fund:

  • Organizations outside their established relationships
  • General operating support for organizations not in their portfolio
  • Individual requests unrelated to their scholarship programs
  • Projects outside their core focus areas of children's health, higher education, and arts/culture

Governance and Leadership

Key Personnel

Susan G. Swenson - President
Sue Swenson co-founded the Swenson Family Foundation with her late husband Jim in 1994. She continues to lead the foundation's philanthropic work, maintaining the couple's 59-year commitment to compassion and giving. The foundation's philosophy reflects their belief in providing "a hand up, not a handout," inspired by their own challenging early life experiences.

Rosie Swenson - Secretary

Cheryl L. Lentz - Treasurer
Daughter of Jim and Sue Swenson

Board Members:

  • Eoin L. Kreditor
  • Christopher Lentz
  • Timothy J. Swenson (son of Jim and Sue Swenson)

Foundation Philosophy

According to CHOC Foundation materials, the Swenson Family Foundation is motivated by the belief that "When you save a child, you don't just save a life. You save them for a lifetime." The foundation's approach emphasizes long-term relationships with beneficiary organizations, often spanning decades, and focuses on transformational gifts including endowments and capital projects that create lasting impact.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. The Swenson Family Foundation only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. This policy is documented in their IRS Form 990-PF filings.

Grants are awarded at the discretion of the foundation's trustees based on pre-existing relationships and alignment with the foundation's established funding priorities.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - the foundation operates on trustee discretion without a formal application cycle.

Success Rates

Not applicable - the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - grants are awarded by invitation only based on the foundation's pre-selected relationships with beneficiary organizations.

Key Characteristics of Funded Organizations

Based on the foundation's documented giving history, organizations that receive support from the Swenson Family Foundation typically share these characteristics:

Long-term Relationships

  • The foundation maintains multi-decade relationships with core beneficiaries (e.g., CHOC - 30+ years, Ocean Institute - 43 years)
  • They demonstrate sustained commitment through repeated grants and endowment support

Orange County Connections

  • Strong preference for Orange County-based organizations or programs serving Orange County residents
  • Also supports universities in Minnesota and Wisconsin where the Swensons had personal connections

Transformational Impact Focus

  • The foundation favors capital projects that create lasting infrastructure (e.g., named buildings, endowments)
  • Emphasis on programs that serve vulnerable populations, particularly children

Lutheran and Science/Engineering Education

  • Clear preference for Lutheran higher education institutions
  • Strong support for science, engineering, and technology programs at multiple universities
  • Scholarship programs specifically for ELCA congregation members

Children's Health and Wellness

  • Deep commitment to pediatric healthcare innovation
  • Support for mental health services and family assistance programs
  • Interest in addressing health equity and access for underserved families

Personal Connection to Mission

  • Many funded organizations connect to the Swensons' personal values and life experiences
  • Jim Swenson's background in engineering reflected in support for engineering education
  • Their belief in helping children and families facing hardship drives healthcare philanthropy

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Not an Active Funding Opportunity: This foundation does not accept unsolicited applications and should not be pursued through traditional grant-seeking channels
  • Relationship-Based Giving: All grants flow from pre-existing relationships with trustees and decades-long partnerships with beneficiary organizations
  • Focus on Enduring Impact: The foundation strongly prefers transformational gifts including endowments, capital projects, and named facilities over one-time program grants
  • Orange County Emphasis: While the foundation supports institutions in Minnesota and Wisconsin, the majority of recent major gifts have been to Orange County organizations
  • Children and Education Priority: The two clearest through-lines in their funding are children's health/wellness and science/engineering education
  • Multi-Year Commitments: The foundation demonstrates willingness to make substantial multi-year commitments to core partners (e.g., ongoing scholarship programs, repeated major gifts to CHOC)
  • Private Family Foundation: Understanding this is a private family foundation helps explain the invitation-only model and trustee discretion in grant-making

References

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