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Katie McGrath & J.J. Abrams Family Foundation

Annual Giving
$5.3M
Grant Range
$3K - $1.0M

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $5.3 million - $8 million
  • Success Rate: Not applicable (invitation only)
  • Decision Time: Not disclosed
  • Grant Range: $2,500 - $1,000,000
  • Average Grant: $25,000
  • Geographic Focus: National, with emphasis on California (particularly Los Angeles), New York, and Massachusetts
  • Total Assets: Approximately $5.5 million

Contact Details

Address: 16030 Ventura Blvd Ste 320, Encino, CA 91436-2769
Phone: 310-288-9970
EIN: 45-3682112

Note: The foundation does not operate a website and does not accept unsolicited proposals.

Overview

The Katie McGrath & J.J. Abrams Family Foundation was established in 2012 in Encino, California, as the philanthropic vehicle for acclaimed filmmaker and television creator J.J. Abrams and his wife Katie McGrath, Co-CEO and Chief Strategy Officer at Bad Robot Productions. The foundation distributed approximately $5.3 million in grants in 2024 across 76 awards, with recent years seeing total annual giving between $6 million and $8 million. The foundation maintains a deliberately low public profile and tends to provide ongoing, multi-year support to a diverse group of preselected grantees. Their grantmaking reflects the couple's progressive values and commitment to social justice, with particular emphasis on education (especially women's colleges), the arts (particularly film industry support), racial justice, women and girls, health, and Southern California communities. In 2016, the couple contributed more than $16.8 million to the foundation, demonstrating their sustained commitment to strategic philanthropy.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation does not operate formal grant programs with fixed deadlines or application cycles. All grants are made to preselected charitable organizations through trustee discretion.

Grant Size Distribution:

  • Grants range from $2,500 to $1,000,000
  • Average grant size: approximately $25,000
  • The foundation supports organizations of all sizes
  • Tendency toward multi-year support for established grantees

Priority Areas

Education
Education appears to be the foundation's largest area of giving, with support for both K-12 and higher education initiatives:

  • Women's Colleges: Significant support for historically women's colleges including Sarah Lawrence College, Barnard College, and Simmons College
  • K-12 Education: Grants to Los Angeles-area institutions including Crossroads School for Arts and Sciences (Santa Monica), Archer School for Girls (Los Angeles), L.A. Promise Fund, and YES Scholars Program (supporting underserved high school students in Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago)

Arts and Film Industry
Arts and culture giving prioritizes organizations supporting film, filmmakers, and industry professionals:

  • Motion Picture and Television Fund
  • Women in Film
  • SAG-Aftra Foundation
  • Santa Barbara International Film Festival

Racial Justice and Anti-Racist Initiatives
In 2020, the couple pledged $10 million over five years ($2 million annually) to organizations committed to anti-racist agendas:

  • Equal Justice Initiative ($200,000 in initial funding)
  • Black Lives Matter L.A. ($200,000 in initial funding)
  • Black Futures Lab ($200,000 in initial funding)
  • Know Your Rights Camp ($200,000 in initial funding)
  • Community Coalition ($200,000 in initial funding, plus approximately $1.8 million from 2015-2017)

Women and Girls
Strong focus on organizations serving women and girls, including reproductive rights and feminist causes:

  • Planned Parenthood Federation of America
  • Planned Parenthood Los Angeles
  • NARAL Pro-Choice America Foundation
  • Feminist Majority Foundation

Health and Human Services

  • Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation
  • Stand Up to Cancer
  • World Central Kitchen ($1 million grant)
  • Community Coalition for Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment
  • Women's Guild of Cedars Sinai Medical Center

Progressive Advocacy and Social Justice

  • Advancement Project
  • Demos
  • People for the American Way
  • Liberty Hill Foundation
  • The Ally Coalition
  • American Foundation for Equal Rights (marriage equality)
  • Bend the Arc

Children's Organizations

  • Children's Defense Fund
  • Children's Action Network
  • Children's Hospital of Los Angeles

Journalism and Accountability

  • ProPublica (approximately $2 million in 2023 to support investigative journalism)
  • Hopewell Fund ($1 million in 2023 for innovative social change projects)

Other Causes

  • Greater Los Angeles Zoo Foundation
  • Los Angeles Police Foundation
  • Santa Monica PAL
  • KPCC – Southern California Public Radio

What They Don't Fund

While the foundation does not publish explicit exclusions, their funding pattern indicates they do not support:

  • Organizations outside their preselected network
  • Individuals
  • For-profit entities
  • Organizations without clear alignment to their progressive values and priority areas

Governance and Leadership

Katie McGrath - President
Katie McGrath serves as President of the foundation and Co-CEO and Chief Strategy Officer at Bad Robot Productions. She began her career in Washington, D.C., as a legislative assistant to Senator Edward M. Kennedy, later serving as Director of Communications at MTV Networks and Vice President at strategic communications consulting firm Robinson Lerer Sawyer Miller. Prior to joining Bad Robot, she was a founding partner at First Tuesday Media, a political media firm based in Los Angeles. McGrath has stated regarding equity initiatives: "There is an empirical case, beyond just the ethical one, for what I think Time's Up is looking to promote and champion," emphasizing both moral and business cases for diversity and equity.

J.J. Abrams - Treasurer
Jeffrey Jacob Abrams (born June 27, 1966) is an acclaimed American filmmaker whose films have grossed over $4 billion worldwide, making him the tenth highest-grossing film director of all time. His work includes directing Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) and The Rise of Skywalker (2019), producing the Star Trek franchise reboot, and creating television series including Lost, Alias, and Felicity. He won two Emmy Awards for Lost (Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series and Outstanding Drama Series). The son of a producer of made-for-television movies, Abrams followed his father into entertainment at an early age.

Board Members
As of early 2018, the foundation's small board of directors included:

  • Michelynn Woodard - Executive Director (formerly Senior Advisor of the foundation and Head of Social Impact, Diversity, and Inclusion for Bad Robot Productions; she has since moved to other roles including Vice Chair of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation Board of Trustees)
  • Joe Philipson - Board Member
  • Katie McGrath and J.J. Abrams as sole contributors and leadership

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Katie McGrath and J.J. Abrams Family Foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals for funding. The foundation only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not provide a public avenue for organizations to submit applications. There is no application portal, formal application process, or published guidelines for seeking funding.

The foundation has indicated it only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. The foundation does not operate a website and maintains a deliberately low public profile.

Getting on Their Radar

Multi-Year Relationship Pattern: The foundation tends to support its grantees for multiple years, demonstrating a preference for sustained relationships with organizations rather than one-time grants. Organizations that receive funding typically continue receiving support over several years.

Geographic Connection: The foundation shows strong preference for organizations operating in Los Angeles and its environs, where the Abrams family lives and works. There is also demonstrated support for organizations in New York and Massachusetts.

Personal Connection and Alignment: Given that the foundation operates through Bad Robot Productions (where Katie McGrath serves as Co-CEO) and reflects the couple's personal values, organizations with connections to:

  • The film and entertainment industry
  • Progressive political and social justice movements
  • Education institutions the family may have personal connections to (such as the Archer School for Girls, which their daughter attended)

Thematic Alignment with Public Commitments: Organizations working in areas where the foundation has made public pledges (such as the 2020 anti-racist commitment) may be more likely to be considered for their preselected grantee pool.

Corporate Social Impact Through Bad Robot: Bad Robot Productions operates a division called "Good Robot" that manages corporate social impact, employee engagement, diversity and culture initiatives. Organizations that align with Bad Robot's corporate social responsibility priorities may have indirect pathways to the foundation's attention.

Decision Timeline

Not disclosed. The foundation operates on trustee discretion without published decision timelines or funding cycles.

Success Rates

Not applicable. Since the foundation only funds preselected organizations and does not accept unsolicited proposals, there is no measurable success rate for external applications.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable, as the foundation does not have an open application process.

Application Success Factors

Given that the Katie McGrath & J.J. Abrams Family Foundation only makes grants to preselected organizations, traditional "application success factors" do not apply. However, analysis of their actual grantmaking reveals these patterns:

Priority to Multi-Year Partnerships: The foundation "tends to support its grantees for multiple years," indicating they value sustained relationships over one-time grants. Organizations like Community Coalition received approximately $1.8 million from 2015-2017, demonstrating this long-term commitment approach.

Geographic Concentration: Strong preference for Southern California organizations, particularly those operating in the greater Los Angeles area where the family lives. However, they do fund nationally, especially in New York and Massachusetts.

Progressive Values Alignment: Clear pattern of supporting left-of-center and progressive organizations working on racial justice, women's rights, reproductive freedom, marriage equality, and anti-racist agendas.

Film Industry Connection: Arts and culture grants prioritize "organizations working to support film, filmmakers and other professionals in filmmaking industry," reflecting J.J. Abrams' career and professional network.

Women-Centered Focus: Significant support for women's colleges, girls' education, and organizations serving women and girls, aligning with Katie McGrath's stated commitment to equity and empowerment.

High-Impact, High-Profile Organizations: Major grants to well-established organizations like ProPublica ($2 million), World Central Kitchen ($1 million), and Equal Justice Initiative, suggesting preference for organizations with proven track records and national impact.

Responsive to Current Movements: The 2020 pledge of $10 million over five years to anti-racist organizations followed the George Floyd protests, demonstrating responsiveness to urgent social justice movements.

Education as Core Priority: "Education appears to be the McGrath Abrams Family Foundation's largest area of giving in recent years," with focus on both K-12 and higher education, particularly institutions serving underserved students and women.

Organizations Serving Children: Support for children's organizations including Children's Defense Fund, Children's Action Network, and Children's Hospital of Los Angeles reflects family values.

Size Diversity: The foundation "supports organizations of all sizes," with grants ranging from $2,500 to $1 million, though the average is around $25,000.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No Public Application Process: This foundation does not and will not accept unsolicited proposals. Traditional grant writing strategies do not apply.

  • Multi-Year Support Model: The foundation strongly prefers sustained, multi-year relationships with grantees rather than one-time grants. Organizations receiving funding typically continue to receive support over several years.

  • Geographic Sweet Spot: While they fund nationally, there is a pronounced preference for organizations in the greater Los Angeles area, followed by New York and Massachusetts. Southern California nonprofits are particularly well-represented.

  • Values-Driven Grantmaking: The foundation consistently supports progressive causes including racial justice, women and girls, reproductive rights, marriage equality, and anti-racist initiatives. Organizations must align with these progressive values.

  • Film Industry Affinity: Arts and culture funding explicitly prioritizes organizations supporting filmmakers and film industry professionals, reflecting J.J. Abrams' career and the couple's professional network through Bad Robot Productions.

  • Education as Largest Focus: Education is the foundation's primary funding area, with particular emphasis on women's colleges, girls' education, and programs serving underserved students in Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago.

  • Responsive to Social Movements: The foundation has demonstrated willingness to make major multi-year commitments in response to urgent social justice movements, as evidenced by the $10 million anti-racist pledge in 2020.

References

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