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1011 Foundation Inc

Annual Giving
$1.5M
Grant Range
$1K - $0.3M

1011 Foundation Inc

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $1,506,372 (2023)
  • Total Assets: $71.65 million
  • Grant Range: $1,000 - $333,000
  • Median Grant: $25,000
  • Number of Grants: 25 (2023)
  • Geographic Focus: Primarily California, New York, and North Carolina
  • Application Method: Invitation only (no unsolicited applications accepted)

Contact Details

Address: 3435 Ocean Park Blvd 107 PMB K, Santa Monica, CA 90405

Website: https://1011foundation.org/

EIN: 91-2168491

Note: The foundation only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.

Overview

The 1011 Foundation Inc is a private foundation established in 2001 and based in Santa Monica, California. With assets of $71.65 million, the foundation distributed $1,506,372 through 25 grants in 2023. The foundation operates as an endowment-based entity, relying primarily on investment returns (interest and dividends) rather than donor contributions to fund its charitable activities. The foundation's stated mission focuses on "transforming lives through impact" by "spreading kindness and changing the world," with particular emphasis on inspiring and empowering young minorities to venture into the fields of technology or law. The foundation is led by President Robert Kotick, known for his role as former CEO of Activision Blizzard and co-founder of the Call of Duty Endowment.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation does not operate formal grant programs with application cycles. Instead, grants are awarded at the discretion of the trustees to preselected organizations.

Grant Size Distribution (2023):

  • Median grant: $25,000
  • Range: $1,000 - $333,000
  • Total distributed: $1,506,372 across 25 grants

Priority Areas

The foundation's grantmaking focuses on:

Education: Support for academic curriculum and programs at both secondary and higher education institutions, including Harvard-Westlake School, Duke University, and University of Michigan

Arts and Culture: Museum activities and art exhibitions, notably significant support to Los Angeles County Museum of Art

Health and Social Impact: Advancing solutions focusing on financial, physical, mental, and environmental health through organizations like the Milken Institute

International Development: Support for health, education, and welfare initiatives, including work benefiting the Haitian populace

Technology and Law: Empowering young minorities to pursue careers in technology or law fields

Geographic Focus: Primarily California, New York, and North Carolina, though grants occasionally extend to international causes

What They Don't Fund

While specific exclusions are not publicly documented, the foundation's pattern of giving suggests:

  • Organizations without established relationships with the trustees
  • Unsolicited applications from any organization
  • Typical grant range suggests they may not fund very small grassroots organizations or requests under $1,000

Governance and Leadership

Officers and Directors

Robert Kotick - President & Director (uncompensated)

  • Former CEO of Activision Blizzard
  • Co-Founder and Co-Chairman of the Call of Duty Endowment
  • Vice Chair of the Board of Directors and Co-Chairman of the Committee of Trustees for The Los Angeles County Museum of Art

Judith Hans - Vice President & Director (uncompensated)

Deborah Gruber - Secretary & Treasurer (uncompensated)

Foundation Philosophy

The foundation's website emphasizes providing "assistance at critical stages that typically disadvantage individuals without financial resources," suggesting a focus on removing barriers to opportunity in education and professional development.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process.

The 1011 Foundation explicitly states that it "only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds." Grants are awarded at the discretion of the trustees, primarily to organizations with existing relationships with the foundation's leadership.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - grants are awarded by trustee discretion rather than through application cycles.

Success Rates

Not applicable - the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications. All 25 grants distributed in 2023 were to preselected organizations.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - no public application process exists.

Application Success Factors

For organizations considering outreach to this foundation:

Since the 1011 Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, traditional application strategies do not apply. However, their grantmaking patterns reveal several insights:

Established Institutions Favored: The foundation's 2023 grants heavily favored well-established educational institutions (Duke University, University of Michigan, Harvard-Westlake School) and cultural organizations (Los Angeles County Museum of Art), suggesting they prefer organizations with proven track records and institutional stability.

Alignment with Leadership Interests: Robert Kotick's personal involvement with LACMA as Vice Chair and Co-Chairman of the Committee of Trustees, combined with LACMA receiving the second-largest grant ($301,000) in 2023, demonstrates that board member affiliations and interests strongly influence grantmaking decisions.

Education as Core Priority: With multiple education-related grants totaling over $600,000 in 2023, organizations in the education sector appear to be central to the foundation's mission, particularly those supporting academic curriculum and programs.

Strategic Partnerships: The foundation's support for the Milken Institute ($333,000, the largest 2023 grant) to "advance solutions focusing on financial, physical, mental, and environmental health" suggests interest in organizations taking comprehensive, strategic approaches to complex social issues.

Mission Alignment: The foundation's stated focus on "empowering young minorities to venture into the fields of technology or law" indicates that organizations serving this demographic with programs in these specific fields may align with their interests, though this is not reflected in all public grants data.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No Public Application Process: The 1011 Foundation does not accept unsolicited grant applications - all grants are made to preselected organizations at the discretion of trustees
  • Relationship-Driven Grantmaking: Success requires pre-existing relationships with foundation leadership, particularly President Robert Kotick
  • Institutional Scale Preferred: Recent grants favor established educational institutions, cultural organizations, and strategic research institutes rather than small grassroots organizations
  • Education Focus: Grants consistently support academic curriculum and programs at secondary and higher education levels, particularly in California, New York, and North Carolina
  • Board Connections Matter: Organizations with connections to foundation trustees (such as LACMA's relationship with Kotick) receive significant support
  • Investment-Based Model: The foundation operates primarily from endowment returns rather than active fundraising, suggesting a stable but potentially conservative approach to grantmaking
  • Limited Transparency: Beyond Form 990 filings, the foundation provides minimal public information about strategy, priorities, or future directions

References

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