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1111 Foundation (Eleven Eleven Foundation)

Annual Giving
$46.6M
Grant Range
Up to $25.0M00
00

1111 Foundation (Eleven Eleven Foundation)

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $46,563,165 (2023)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed (does not accept unsolicited applications)
  • Decision Time: Not applicable (invitation only)
  • Grant Range: Varies significantly (small program grants to multi-million dollar institutional gifts)
  • Geographic Focus: National (US) and international, with emphasis on major urban centers and six UK locations for homelessness initiative
  • Total Assets: $541.8 million
  • Number of Grants (2023): 61 awards

Contact Details

Website: https://eleveneleven.org/ Email: info@eleveneleven.org Location: Highland Park, Illinois

Important Note: The foundation does not accept unsolicited grant requests.

Overview

The 1111 Foundation, operating as the Eleven Eleven Foundation, is a private family foundation established by Wendy and James Abrams. The foundation is dedicated to creating "a healthier, more sustainable world" and collaborates with strategic partners to address pressing global challenges. With assets totaling approximately $541.8 million and annual giving exceeding $46 million, the foundation focuses on sustainability/climate action, education, medical research, and building community. Led by Co-Founder and CEO Wendy Abrams—a renowned environmental activist who founded Cool Globes in 2006 and is a founding partner of The Earthshot Prize—the foundation has established major institutional partnerships including the $25 million Northwestern Medicine Abrams Research Center on Neurogenomics (2024) and the Abrams Climate Academy at Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management. In 2019, Wendy Abrams was honored by RFK Human Rights as a "Ripple of Hope Award" Laureate for her environmental and social activism.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation organizes its grantmaking around four main pillars, with grants ranging from program support to transformational multi-million dollar institutional gifts:

Sustainability/Climate Action

  • Fostering climate activism and empowering environmental leaders
  • Supporting international conservation efforts
  • Major educational initiatives including the Abrams Climate Academy at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management
  • Public awareness campaigns and exhibitions
  • Grantees include: Amazon Frontlines, Climate Cabinet, Climate Reality Project, Cool Globes Inc

Education

  • Collaboration with higher education institutions on sustainability and climate initiatives
  • Environmental law clinics at universities including the Abrams Environmental Law Clinic at University of Chicago Law School (established 2011)
  • Climate curriculum development and fellowship programs
  • The Amy Krouse Rosenthal Foundation (children's literacy and ovarian cancer research)

Medical Research

  • Clinical research focusing on Alzheimer's disease and cancer
  • $25 million gift established the Northwestern Medicine Abrams Research Center on Neurogenomics (2024), utilizing AI for Alzheimer's research led by Professor David Gate
  • Collaboration with organizations like Tempus AI for multi-year research partnerships

Building Community

  • Addressing homelessness through systemic change initiatives
  • Fostering kindness and strengthening community engagement
  • Supporting vulnerable populations including children
  • Major partnership: Homewards, a five-year program to end homelessness in six UK locations (Royal Foundation partnership with Prince William)
  • Grantees include: SOS Children's Villages (caring for orphaned and abandoned children), Zanmi Beni (child welfare), Achilles International (supporting people with disabilities through athletics), Top Box Foods (healthy food access)

Priority Areas

  • Climate change mitigation and environmental conservation
  • Higher education partnerships focused on sustainability
  • Neurogenomics research and Alzheimer's disease
  • Cancer research and education
  • Homelessness prevention and solutions
  • Children's literacy and welfare
  • Food security and access to healthy food
  • Disability support and inclusion
  • Environmental law and policy

What They Don't Fund

The foundation explicitly states it does not accept unsolicited grant requests. All grants are made to preselected charitable organizations identified through the foundation's strategic partnerships and trustee discretion.

Governance and Leadership

Co-Founder and CEO: Wendy Abrams

  • Northwestern University Trustee (MBA '90)
  • Founder of Cool Globes, Inc. (2006)
  • Founding partner of The Earthshot Prize (Royal Foundation partnership)
  • 2019 RFK Human Rights "Ripple of Hope Award" Laureate
  • Established the Abrams Environmental Law Clinic at University of Chicago Law School (2011)

Co-Founder and Co-President: James D. Abrams

Executive Director: Megan Scarsella

  • Compensation: $375,000 annually

Program Manager: Juliana Clejan

Director: Terry L. Robbins

The foundation is a member of the Mills family philanthropic legacy, with deep roots in Chicago-area healthcare and business sectors.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process.

The Eleven Eleven Foundation explicitly states on their website: "Eleven Eleven Foundation does not accept unsolicited grant requests." The foundation makes contributions exclusively to preselected charitable organizations identified through trustee discretion, strategic partnerships, and pre-existing relationships.

Grants are awarded through:

  • Trustee identification and selection
  • Strategic partnerships with major institutions
  • Long-term collaborative relationships
  • Initiatives aligned with the Abrams family's philanthropic vision

Getting on Their Radar

The foundation's grantmaking pattern reveals specific pathways through which organizations receive support:

Strategic Partnership Approach: The foundation primarily works through large-scale partnerships with established institutions. Major examples include Northwestern University (Abrams Climate Academy and Abrams Research Center on Neurogenomics), The Royal Foundation (Homewards program and The Earthshot Prize), and the University of Chicago Law School (Abrams Environmental Law Clinic).

Founder's Direct Involvement: Wendy Abrams' personal involvement in environmental activism provides insight into the foundation's priorities. Organizations connected to Cool Globes, The Climate Reality Project, The Earthshot Prize, and Clinton Global Initiative have received support. Her recognition as an RFK Human Rights "Ripple of Hope Award" Laureate and Northwestern University Trustee position suggests that organizations within these networks may have greater visibility.

Sector Leadership and Innovation: The foundation supports organizations demonstrating "potential for outsized impact" and working with "experts and organizations implementing solutions to pressing issues facing humanity." Organizations that are sector leaders in climate action, homelessness solutions, neurogenomics research, or children's welfare may align with their selection criteria.

Multi-Year Transformational Programs: The foundation favors sustained, transformational initiatives rather than short-term projects. Examples include the five-year Homewards program and multi-year research collaborations with Tempus AI.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable—the foundation does not operate on an application cycle. Grant decisions are made at the discretion of trustees and foundation leadership based on strategic priorities.

Success Rates

Not publicly disclosed. With 61 grants awarded in 2023 from approximately $541.8 million in assets, the foundation is highly selective and focuses on significant, strategic investments rather than broad grantmaking.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable, as the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications.

Application Success Factors

Since the Eleven Eleven Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, the following factors characterize organizations that have received support:

Alignment with Abrams Family Vision: Organizations must align closely with the foundation's four pillars—sustainability/climate action, education, medical research, and building community. The foundation's website states they are "dedicated to a healthier, more sustainable world," and grantees consistently reflect environmental and social justice priorities.

Institutional Credibility and Scale: Major grants have gone to established institutions capable of delivering transformational impact. Northwestern University, The Royal Foundation, University of Chicago, and international conservation organizations represent the caliber of partners the foundation engages.

Innovation and "Outsized Impact": The foundation explicitly seeks organizations with "potential for outsized impact." This is evidenced by their support for cutting-edge initiatives like AI-driven Alzheimer's research, The Earthshot Prize's innovative £1 million awards for environmental solutions, and Homewards' ambitious five-year plan to end homelessness in six UK locations.

Strategic Collaboration Over One-Off Grants: The foundation describes itself as collaborating "with strategic partners" rather than simply making grants. Examples include the multi-year Tempus AI collaboration, ongoing partnership with The Royal Foundation on both Homewards and The Earthshot Prize, and sustained support for Cool Globes' international exhibitions.

Creative Approaches to Systemic Change: The foundation supports organizations using innovative methods to shift narratives and create systemic change. The "Homelessness: Reframed" art exhibition at London's Saatchi Gallery and the Cool Globes public art installations demonstrate this preference for creative, public-facing interventions.

Connection to Climate and Environmental Leadership: Given Wendy Abrams' prominence as an environmental activist, organizations connected to climate solutions, The Climate Reality Project, environmental law, or conservation efforts appear particularly well-positioned. The foundation's role as a founding partner of The Earthshot Prize underscores this commitment.

Research Excellence in Priority Areas: For medical research, the foundation supports organizations at the forefront of Alzheimer's disease and cancer research. The $25 million gift to Northwestern Medicine specifically supports AI and neurogenomics approaches, indicating preference for cutting-edge scientific methodology.

Multi-Continent Reach: The foundation supports work spanning four continents, as evidenced by Cool Globes exhibitions and the international scope of grantees. Organizations with global reach or potential for international scale may align with this approach.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No public application process exists—the foundation makes grants exclusively to preselected organizations through trustee discretion and strategic partnerships
  • Major institutional partnerships are the primary grantmaking model, with multi-million dollar transformational gifts to universities and established organizations rather than traditional grant programs
  • Climate action and environmental sustainability are central priorities, reflected in Wendy Abrams' founding of Cool Globes, partnership in The Earthshot Prize, and establishment of the Abrams Climate Academy
  • The foundation seeks "outsized impact" through innovation, supporting cutting-edge approaches like AI-driven Alzheimer's research, artistic exhibitions to shift narratives on homelessness, and five-year systemic change initiatives
  • Strategic collaboration is valued over transactional grantmaking—the foundation emphasizes working "with strategic partners" on long-term, transformational programs
  • Connection to the Abrams family's networks and values is essential—organizations within Northwestern University, The Royal Foundation, Clinton Global Initiative, Climate Reality Project, and environmental law circles have received support
  • Geographic scope is national and international, with significant investments in UK initiatives (Homewards, The Earthshot Prize) alongside major US-based institutional partnerships

References

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