← Back to US Funders Directory

Roy and Patricia Disney Family Foundation

Annual Giving
$4.4M
Grant Range
$1K - $0.4M

Roy and Patricia Disney Family Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $4.4-5 million
  • Success Rate: Not publicly available (invitation-only)
  • Decision Time: Not publicly specified
  • Grant Range: $500 - $360,000 (typical range: $10,000 - $75,000)
  • Geographic Focus: Primary - Los Angeles (Southeast LA); Secondary - New Orleans, Tacoma, WA; Also New York and select international/crisis response
  • Application Method: Invitation-only; does not accept unsolicited proposals

Contact Details

Website: https://rpdff.org/

Address: 3500 W Olive Ave Ste 790, Burbank, CA 91505-4628

Note: The foundation does not provide a public contact email or phone number for grant inquiries and does not accept unsolicited proposals.

Overview

The Roy and Patricia Disney Family Foundation was founded in 1969 as the Roy Disney Family Foundation and renamed in 2012 following Patricia Disney's passing and a substantial bequest. With assets exceeding $120 million, the foundation distributes $4-5 million annually in grants through an invitation-only process. Under the leadership of Executive Director Shawn Escoffery (since 2018), RPDFF has undergone significant transformation, embracing trust-based philanthropy, participatory grantmaking, and mission-aligned investing. The foundation's mission is to "invest in innovative solutions and community leaders to build a more just, equitable, and sustainable world in which all people thrive." In 2025, the foundation formally transitioned board leadership to the fourth generation, with Max Disney assuming the chair role from his cousin Olivia Hauser. RPDFF is dedicated to uplifting underrepresented voices and applying a racial and gender justice lens to all funding decisions. Recent innovations include launching a 10% impact investing carve-out of their endowment and committing to becoming 100% mission-aligned with their justice goals.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Core Grantmaking (Invitation-only)

  • Multi-year general operating support grants: Typically $75,000/year for 3 years
  • Project-level support: Varies based on initiative
  • Capacity-building initiatives: Partnership with Resilia for 25 LA County grantees
  • Crisis response grants: Ad hoc support for disasters (e.g., Flint water crisis, Syrian refugee crisis, Hurricane Maria, California wildfires, Maui fires)

Participatory Grantmaking (Community-led)

  • Community reviewers (7 per cycle) compensated approximately $2,500
  • Grant awards: Typically $10,000 - $30,000
  • Operating in Los Angeles and New Orleans in partnership with Liberty Hill Foundation and Foundation for Louisiana
  • 2025 pilot with Tacoma Community Foundation

Priority Areas

The foundation focuses on three core areas:

Criminal Justice Reform

  • Supporting systemic changes in the justice system
  • Investing in organizations led by formerly incarcerated individuals
  • Fellowship program for justice-impacted individuals
  • Example grantees: Anti-Recidivism Coalition

Environmental Justice

  • Tackling environmental inequities affecting marginalized communities
  • BIPOC-led environmental justice nonprofits receive 3-year general operating support ($75,000/year)
  • Focus on climate resilience and community-rooted solutions
  • Example partnerships: Black Women for Wellness

Affordable Housing Preservation

  • Addressing housing accessibility and stability
  • Supporting community-based housing solutions
  • Focus on at-risk communities in South and East Los Angeles

Additional Focus Areas:

  • Civic empowerment and community mobilization
  • Select international work (e.g., Democratic Republic of the Congo: gender-based violence, climate resilience, cobalt mine labor conditions)

Geographic Priorities

  • Primary: Los Angeles, with intentional focus on Southeast Los Angeles
  • Secondary: New Orleans (Patricia Disney's birthplace) and Tacoma, Washington (family connections)
  • Also funds: New York-based organizations, national organizations, and international crisis response efforts

What They Don't Fund

  • Organizations outside their geographic focus areas (except for crisis response)
  • Programs not aligned with criminal justice reform, environmental justice, or affordable housing
  • General operating support for organizations they have not pre-selected or identified

Governance and Leadership

Board Leadership

Max Disney - Board Chair (as of early 2025)

  • Fourth-generation Disney family member
  • Age 34
  • Philosophy: "Maybe it's not about being OK with it, but being worthy of it" (on family wealth)
  • Approach: Emphasizes accessibility and approachability as "just 'cousin Max' and 'brother Max'"

Susan Lord Disney - Vice Chair

  • Third generation; daughter of Roy E. and Patricia Disney
  • Former board chair (1990s-2025)
  • Continues active involvement during generational transition
  • Quote on participatory grantmaking: "It's wonderfully empowering for people who are doing the actual work to be able to have a say"

Olivia Hauser - Board Member (former chair)

  • Third generation; daughter of Abigail Disney
  • Served as board chair before Max Disney

Additional Board Members:

  • Charlotte (Olivia's sister, daughter of Abigail Disney)
  • Kim (daughter of Roy P. Disney)
  • Megan (daughter of Susan Lord Disney)
  • Several third- and fourth-generation family members

Executive Leadership

Shawn Escoffery - CEO/Executive Director (joined 2018)

  • Background: Urban planner with 20+ years in community economic development and affordable housing
  • Education: BA in Political Science and English (Rutgers), MCP (MIT)
  • Previous: Directed Inclusive Economies portfolio at Surdna Foundation
  • Oversees $5M annual grantmaking budget and $120M+ in assets
  • Key accomplishments: Strategy refinement, fellowship for formerly incarcerated individuals, 10% impact investing portfolio launch
  • Board affiliations: The Funders Network, Hispanics in Philanthropy

Key Quotes from Escoffery:

  • "Our job as funders isn't to have all the answers. It's to show up, listen deeply, and invest in the people doing the work. That means multi-year general operating support, participatory grantmaking, and building real relationships."
  • "Ultimately, I see philanthropy as a way to scale community-based solutions and impact. It's a powerful tool to shift resources back into the hands of community leaders."
  • "The vast majority of our grants are general operating support which provides greater flexibility for nonprofits responding to the shifting needs of their communities."
  • "I show up to events in LA on weekends not as 'the foundation' but as a neighbor—because being present matters."

Staff

Frida Hatami - Senior Grants Manager (joined 2015)

  • Manages Environmental Justice portfolio
  • Previous: Annenberg Foundation, California Endowment, Jewish Family Service LA
  • Education: Master's in Public Health (CSUN)

Clara Steele - Program Officer (joined 2017)

  • Raised in Altadena, CA
  • Previous: Senior Program Manager at Best Buddies International
  • Education: BA in History (Occidental), MS in Organization Development (Case Western)

Lily Gonzalez - Program Associate

  • Alumna of Homeboy Industries
  • Education: BA and MA in Chicana/o Studies (CSUN)
  • Co-founded Revolutionary Scholars; helped establish CSUN's Project Rebound

Lorenzo Vicente - National Urban Fellow

  • Background: Youth services work in the Bronx
  • Previous: Manager of Strategic Initiatives at National Urban League

Candice Wynter - National Urban Fellow (Class of 2025)

  • Previous: Director of Communications at Nathan Cummings Foundation

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. The Roy and Patricia Disney Family Foundation operates on an invitation-only basis and only makes contributions to pre-selected charitable organizations. They do not accept unsolicited requests for funds or proposals.

How Grants Are Awarded:

  • Foundation staff identify potential grantees through deep community engagement and existing relationships
  • Executive Director and staff actively participate in community events and networks within their geographic focus areas
  • Participatory grantmaking processes (in LA and New Orleans) allow community members with lived experience to select grantees
  • Recommendations come from trusted partner organizations and community leaders
  • The foundation builds long-term relationships with grassroots organizations working in low-income communities

Getting on Their Radar

Community Presence in Target Geographies The foundation emphasizes place-based grantmaking with staff actively present in Los Angeles (particularly Southeast LA), New Orleans, and Tacoma. Executive Director Shawn Escoffery has stated: "I show up to events in LA on weekends not as 'the foundation' but as a neighbor—because being present matters."

Partnership Networks The foundation works closely with intermediary organizations that can connect them to grassroots groups:

  • Liberty Hill Foundation (Los Angeles): Partnership for participatory grantmaking and Community Review Board
  • Foundation for Louisiana (New Orleans): Co-created participatory grantmaking focused on gun violence and safety
  • Return to the Heart Foundation: Co-created participatory grantmaking project focused on missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and two-spirited people
  • Tacoma Community Foundation: 2025 pilot participatory grantmaking project
  • Resilia: Capacity-building partnership for BIPOC-led LA County nonprofits

Prospective grantees are encouraged to check the foundation's "Our Partners" and "Partner Spotlights" pages on their website to understand the types of organizations they support.

Participatory Grantmaking Opportunities Community members with lived experience in the foundation's focus areas may have opportunities to participate as compensated reviewers (approximately $2,500) in participatory grantmaking cycles in LA, New Orleans, or Tacoma.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly specified. Given the emphasis on relationship-building and trust-based philanthropy, the timeline likely varies based on the depth of existing relationship and alignment with strategic priorities.

Success Rates

Not publicly available. In 2023, the foundation made 132 grants totaling $4,435,503. In 2022, they made 175 grants. The foundation has grown significantly from giving $210,000 to two groups in 2012 to nearly $2.5 million to 33 groups in 2016.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable given the invitation-only process. However, the foundation strongly emphasizes multi-year partnerships and general operating support, suggesting that once organizations are in the portfolio, relationships are sustained over multiple years.

Application Success Factors

Given the invitation-only nature, organizations cannot directly apply, but understanding what RPDFF values can inform relationship-building strategies:

Trust-Based, Community-Led Approach The foundation's "emphasis on trust-based grantmaking speaks to the strength of organizations and the leaders in whom we invest." They prioritize listening to and believing in community leaders rather than imposing external requirements.

Multi-Year General Operating Support The vast majority of grants are unrestricted general operating support over multiple years (typically 3 years at $75,000/year). This provides flexibility for nonprofits to respond to shifting community needs without rigid project restrictions.

Grassroots, BIPOC-Led Organizations RPDFF specifically seeks to support BIPOC-led and BIPOC-serving grassroots organizations that are historically underfunded by mainstream philanthropy. They invest in organizational capacity, not just programs.

Place-Based Presence The foundation takes a "place-based approach to grantmaking," immersing themselves in local issues in Southeast LA, New Orleans, and Tacoma. Organizations deeply rooted in these communities with strong local connections are prioritized.

Systems-Level Thinking RPDFF "takes a systems-level approach, listening to movement leaders and investing in community-rooted solutions that address root causes, not just symptoms." They seek organizations tackling structural inequities.

Racial and Gender Justice Lens The foundation "applies a racial and gender justice lens to everything they do, helping them understand the layered and intersecting forces that drive inequality." Explicitly centering these frameworks is important.

Lived Experience and Community Voice Through participatory grantmaking, the foundation demonstrates commitment to centering those with lived experience. Organizations led by formerly incarcerated individuals, community members from impacted neighborhoods, and those with direct experience of the issues being addressed are valued.

Capacity Building and Long-Term Partnership Rather than transactional relationships, RPDFF supports "capacity building initiatives that strengthen partners' programming and operations," including access to tools like Resilia for organizational development.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • You cannot submit an unsolicited application - This foundation exclusively works with pre-selected organizations through an invitation-only process
  • Build genuine community presence - If working in Southeast LA, New Orleans, or Tacoma in criminal justice reform, environmental justice, or affordable housing, establish deep roots and visibility in these communities
  • Connect through intermediaries - Organizations like Liberty Hill Foundation, Foundation for Louisiana, and Tacoma Community Foundation partner with RPDFF and may provide pathways to visibility
  • Center racial and gender justice - RPDFF explicitly applies these lenses to all work and seeks organizations led by and serving BIPOC communities
  • Emphasize systems change - The foundation seeks community-rooted solutions addressing root causes, not band-aid approaches
  • Demonstrate grassroots leadership - Organizations led by people with lived experience of the issues (e.g., formerly incarcerated individuals leading criminal justice work) align with RPDFF values
  • Multi-year relationships matter - Once in the portfolio, expect 3-year general operating support commitments rather than one-time project grants

References

← Back to US Funders Directory