Winston Family Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: $5,362,516 (2023)
• Total Assets: $111,272,308
• Number of Grants: 38 grants awarded in 2023
• Average Grant Size: $141,119
• Geographic Focus: Primarily Florida (Jacksonville), North Carolina, with grants also to Georgia, New York, and Washington D.C.
• Application Method: Invitation only/preselected organizations

Contact Details

Address: 601 Riverside Ave Ste 619, Jacksonville, FL 32204-2953
Phone: 904-358-7269
Website: https://www.projectonehealth.org
Tax-Exempt Since: January 1987
EIN: 59-2678732

Overview

The Winston Family Foundation, established in 1987 and based in Jacksonville, Florida, is a private family foundation with over $111 million in assets. The foundation is dedicated to investing in human flourishing through the interconnected health of people, wildlife, and the environment. Founded to honor the values and legacy of Jim and Mary Winston, whose faith-driven generosity shaped Northeast Florida, the foundation now operates under professional leadership while maintaining family governance through the Winston family trustees. In September 2022, the foundation appointed Sylia Obagi as its founding CEO, marking a strategic evolution in its operations. The foundation's approach is guided by the globally recognized One Health framework, which recognizes that the health of humans, wildlife, and ecosystems are interconnected and interdependent. Recent strategic focus has centered on addressing what the foundation calls the "indoor childhood crisis"—the urgent public health consequences of children spending excessive time on screens and minimal time in nature.

Funding Priorities

Primary Focus Areas

The Winston Family Foundation concentrates its grantmaking on addressing issues of national importance related to health and well-being, specifically focusing on:

1. Child and Adolescent Health & Development: Particularly brain development, outdoor engagement, and reducing screen time
2. Nature Connection: Creating and activating access to natural spaces for youth
3. Environmental Health: Ecosystem health and environmental quality
4. Community and Economic Development: Supporting neighborhood-level initiatives

Signature Initiative: Project One Health

The foundation operates two major geographic initiatives under the Project One Health model:

Project One Health JAX (Jacksonville, Florida)

• $6 million investment over three years
• Four grantee partners awarded $2.75 million in implementation grants:
  • Groundwork Jacksonville - Brentwood neighborhood initiative
  • LIFT JAX - Eastside neighborhood programs
  • LISC Jacksonville - New Town community engagement
  • Partnership for Child Health - Springfield area programs
• Focus on activating existing green spaces including the Emerald Trail and underutilized city parks
• Programs include outdoor education, nature play, and community engagement activities

Project One Health NC (North Carolina)

• Focuses on fostering connections between children and nature along the Neuse River
• Promotes outdoor experiences and healthier ecosystems
• Aims to integrate immersive nature experiences into children's daily lives

What They Don't Fund

While the foundation doesn't publish explicit exclusions, available information indicates:

• They do not accept unsolicited grant requests
• Funding is directed to preselected organizations aligned with their strategic priorities
• Focus is specifically on youth nature connection, not general environmental or health programs

Governance and Leadership

Board of Trustees

The foundation is governed by a family board including:

• Robert Watson Winston III - Chair
• Mary McKimmon Winston - Secretary and Tax & Audit Committee Chair
• Charles McKimmon Winston Jr. - Treasurer and Finance & Investment Committee Chair
• Franklin Russell Beard - Trustee
• Additional trustees include James H. Winston Jr. and Robert W. Winston

Executive Leadership

Sylia Obagi, Chief Executive Officer (appointed September 2022)

Obagi serves as the foundation's founding CEO, bringing over twenty years of philanthropic leadership experience. Prior to this role, she was the founding president and CEO of the Roy and Patricia Disney Foundation in Los Angeles, where she established a progressive family foundation focused on social, economic, and environmental justice. She also served as chief operating officer at the Annenberg Foundation for eight years and founded the Generative Group, working with high-wealth families to design and scale their philanthropy. Obagi holds an MBA from The Anderson School at UCLA in Marketing and Strategy and a bachelor's degree in Business Administration and Accounting, magna cum laude, from California State University, Northridge.

Obagi has publicly described the "indoor childhood" as "an urgent public health crisis," emphasizing the foundation's commitment to addressing children's disconnection from nature and excessive screen time.

Foundation Philosophy

The Winston Family Foundation operates on seven key principles:

1. Interconnectedness - All life forms depend on each other's wellbeing
2. Holistic wellness - Human flourishing encompasses physical, mental, developmental, and social dimensions
3. Nature accessibility - "Nature" encompasses all organisms, from microorganisms to wildlife
4. Universal outdoor access - Natural experiences should be available to everyone, not just privileged groups
5. Child-centered impact - Supporting youth creates cascading positive community effects
6. Urgency of indoor childhood crisis - The health consequences demand immediate intervention
7. Screen time concerns - Excessive digital consumption drives obesity, isolation, anxiety, and depression in young people

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Winston Family 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.

Grant decisions are made at the discretion of the board of trustees, who identify organizations aligned with the foundation's strategic priorities. Funding opportunities appear to emerge through the foundation's proactive identification of potential partners rather than through competitive application processes.

Getting on Their Radar

While the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, prospective organizations working in their priority areas may consider:

Strategic Alignment

• Organizations working specifically on youth outdoor engagement, nature connection, and reducing screen time in children may be of interest
• Geographic focus on Jacksonville, Florida and North Carolina (particularly along the Neuse River) suggests regional proximity matters
• Community-based organizations with neighborhood-level programs appear to be preferred partners

Partnership Networks

• The foundation works closely with community leaders, researchers, and industry experts in developing its initiatives
• Current Jacksonville partners include established community development and youth-serving organizations (Groundwork Jacksonville, LIFT JAX, LISC Jacksonville, Partnership for Child Health)

Professional Network

• CEO Sylia Obagi has extensive connections in the philanthropic community through her work with major foundations
• The foundation may identify partners through its participation in philanthropic networks and conferences focused on children's health, environmental health, and the One Health framework

Note: Organizations should not submit unsolicited proposals, as the foundation has explicitly stated it does not accept them.

Decision Timeline

Specific decision timelines are not publicly available given the invitation-only nature of the foundation's grantmaking. However:

• Major initiatives like Project One Health JAX represent multi-year commitments (3-year, $6 million investment)
• Implementation grants to the four Jacksonville partners were announced collectively, suggesting coordinated strategic planning rather than rolling decisions

Grant Portfolio Characteristics

• 38 grants awarded in 2023
• Total giving: $5,362,516 (2023)
• Average grant: $141,119
• Grant recipients span multiple states including Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, New York, and Washington D.C.
• Partners include community-based organizations, intermediaries, and health-focused nonprofits

Application Success Factors

Since the Winston Family Foundation operates through trustee-selected partnerships rather than open applications, success in securing funding would theoretically depend on:

Strategic Alignment Factors

1. Mission Alignment with One Health Framework: Organizations must demonstrate understanding of and commitment to the interconnected health of people, wildlife, and ecosystems

2. Focus on Youth and Nature Connection: Specific emphasis on programs that:

   • Get children and adolescents outdoors and into nature
   • Reduce screen time among young people
   • Address mental health through nature-based interventions
   • Create or activate green spaces in urban communities

3. Geographic Relevance: Priority locations include:

   • Jacksonville, Florida (urban core neighborhoods)
   • North Carolina (particularly along the Neuse River)
   • Organizations in these regions demonstrating community connections appear most likely to be considered

4. Neighborhood-Level Impact: The Jacksonville initiative specifically targets neighborhood programs in Brentwood, Eastside, New Town, and Springfield, suggesting preference for:

   • Community-based organizations with deep local roots
   • Programs that can demonstrate grassroots engagement
   • Initiatives that activate existing community assets (parks, trails, green spaces)

Programmatic Characteristics

The foundation's signature Project One Health initiatives demonstrate they value:

1. Evidence-Based Approaches: References to the globally recognized One Health framework and concern with measurable health outcomes (44 hours weekly screen time, less than 10 minutes daily nature play, 1 in 5 children experiencing mental health disorders)

2. Collaborative Models: Multi-partner initiatives rather than single-organization programs

3. Multi-Year Commitments: Willingness to invest deeply ($6 million over three years in Jacksonville) rather than one-time grants

4. Capacity for Implementation: Partners selected are established organizations with proven track records in community development, youth programming, and health initiatives

Foundation Values

Based on their stated principles, organizations would benefit from demonstrating:

• Commitment to equity and universal access to nature (not just privileged groups)
• Understanding that supporting youth creates cascading positive effects
• Recognition of the urgency of the "indoor childhood crisis"
• Holistic approach to child wellness (physical, mental, developmental, social)

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Invitation-only grantmaking: This foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals. They proactively identify and select partners aligned with their strategic priorities.

• Deep commitment to specific issue: The foundation has clearly defined its niche around youth nature connection and the "indoor childhood crisis," making it highly selective but potentially very generous for perfectly aligned organizations.

• Geographic concentration: While grants extend to multiple states, strategic initiatives are concentrated in Jacksonville, FL and North Carolina, suggesting regional organizations have an advantage.

• Substantial investment capacity: With $111 million in assets and averaging $141,119 per grant (with some signature initiatives receiving much more), the foundation can make meaningful investments in aligned partners.

• Professional leadership with family governance: The appointment of CEO Sylia Obagi signals institutional maturation while maintaining family trustee governance, suggesting increasing sophistication in grantmaking approach.

• One Health framework expertise valued: Organizations that understand and can articulate how their work addresses the interconnected health of people, wildlife, and ecosystems will resonate with foundation values.

• Multi-year partnership model: Rather than annual grant cycles, the foundation appears to prefer deeper, longer-term partnerships with selected organizations (e.g., 3-year Project One Health JAX commitment).

References

1. Cause IQ - Winston Family Foundation Profile. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/winston-family-foundation,592678732/ (Accessed December 2025)

2. Instrumentl - Winston Family Foundation 990 Report. https://www.instrumentl.com/990-report/winston-family-foundation (Accessed December 2025)

3. ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer - Winston Family Foundation. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/592678732 (Accessed December 2025)

4. Grantmakers.io - Winston Family Foundation Profile. https://www.grantmakers.io/profiles/v0/592678732-winston-family-foundation/ (Accessed December 2025)

5. Candid Foundation Directory - Winston Family Foundation. https://fconline.foundationcenter.org/fdo-grantmaker-profile?key=WINS020 (Accessed December 2025)

6. Project One Health - About Winston Family Foundation. https://www.projectonehealth.org/about-wff/ (Accessed December 2025)

7. Project One Health - Homepage. https://www.projectonehealth.org/ (Accessed December 2025)

8. Groundwork Jacksonville - Project One Health. https://www.groundworkjacksonville.org/project-one-health/ (Accessed December 2025)

9. Blue Water Healthy Living - "What is an 'indoor childhood'? A Jacksonville foundation is working to get youth outdoors." https://bluewaterhealthyliving.com/news/national-news/florida/what-is-an-indoor-childhood-a-jacksonville-foundation-is-working-to-get-youth-outdoors/ (Accessed December 2025)

10. PR Newswire - "Winston Family Foundation Names Sylia Obagi as Founding Executive Director." https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/winston-family-foundation-names-sylia-obagi-as-founding-executive-director-301628274.html (Accessed September 2022)

11. LISC Jacksonville - Recent News: June 2025. https://www.lisc.org/jacksonville/regional-stories/draft-lisc-jacksonville-in-recent-news-june-2025-current/ (Accessed December 2025)

12. LinkedIn - Sylia Obagi Profile. https://www.linkedin.com/in/syliaobagi/ (Accessed December 2025)