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The Horn Foundation

Annual Giving
$3.2M
Grant Range
$10K - $0.1M

The Horn Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $3,000,000 - $5,000,000
  • Success Rate: Not publicly available (invitation-only)
  • Decision Time: Not publicly available
  • Grant Range: Variable (64 grants averaging $52,000)
  • Geographic Focus: National (major cities including Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco)
  • Total Assets: $51,600,000 (2023)

Contact Details

Address: 2632 Wilshire Blvd #701, Santa Monica, CA 90403

Note: No public website, email, or phone number available. This is a private family foundation.

Overview

The Horn Foundation was established in 1989 by Alan F. Horn and Cindy Harrell Horn as a private family foundation. With total assets exceeding $51 million, the foundation distributes approximately $3-5 million in grants annually to multiple organizations across the United States. The foundation has a strong focus on environmental causes, reflecting the founders' decades-long commitment to environmental advocacy. Alan F. Horn is a legendary entertainment executive who served as President and COO of Warner Bros. (1999-2011) and Chairman of Walt Disney Studios (2012-2020), overseeing franchises including Harry Potter, The Dark Knight trilogy, Marvel's Avengers, and Star Wars. Cindy Horn is a prominent environmental activist who co-founded the Environmental Media Association and served on the boards of numerous environmental organizations. The foundation made 64 grants in 2023, with an average grant size of approximately $52,000, supporting organizations primarily focused on environmental conservation, education, and social causes.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Horn Foundation operates as a private family foundation without distinct grant programs or public application cycles. Grants are awarded at the discretion of the board of trustees.

Recent Grant Activity:

  • 2024: $3,202,123 distributed
  • 2023: $3,030,263 distributed (64 grants, average $52,000)
  • 2022: $5,008,133 distributed (66 grants)
  • 2021: $5,124,167 distributed (65 grants)

Priority Areas

Based on the founders' backgrounds and known affiliations, the foundation's priority areas include:

Environmental Conservation & Climate Action

  • Natural resources protection and environmental advocacy
  • Climate change mitigation and education
  • Ocean and coastal conservation
  • Clean air initiatives
  • Environmental education

Education

  • Educational institutions supporting environmental and social causes
  • Girls' education initiatives

Arts & Culture

  • Organizations in the entertainment and film sectors

Social Causes

  • Community organizations in Los Angeles and other major U.S. cities

Known Grantees: Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)

What They Don't Fund

As a private family foundation operating without a public application process, the foundation does not typically fund unsolicited proposals or organizations outside their established network of relationships.

Governance and Leadership

Cindy Horn, President Cindy Harrell Horn is a longtime environmental activist and the driving force behind the foundation's environmental focus. She is co-founder and board member of the Environmental Media Association (EMA), which inspires entertainment industry response to environmental issues. She was a founding trustee of Heal the Bay and The Archer School for Girls in Los Angeles. Her board service includes The Coalition for Clean Air, Tree People, the UCLA School of Public Health, the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University, the NRDC Action Fund, the NRDC Global Leadership Council, and the Sundance Institute. In 1991, she was appointed by U.S. EPA Administrator William Reilly to serve on the National Education Advisory Council and was awarded State of California Legislative Woman of the Year in both 1991 and 2007.

Alan F. Horn, Vice President Alan Frederick Horn is one of the most successful executives in entertainment industry history. He co-founded Castle Rock Entertainment, served as President and COO of Warner Bros. (1999-2011) overseeing the Harry Potter series and The Dark Knight trilogy, and served as Chairman of Walt Disney Studios (2012-2020) during the releases of Frozen, The Avengers, Inside Out, and the 2015 Star Wars film. A passionate environmentalist, Horn served on the board of NRDC for thirty years and as chair from 2018 to 2020. He serves on the American Film Institute Board of Directors and previously served on the Harvard Business School Board of Dean's Advisors. Together with Cindy, he co-founded the Environmental Media Association.

Pamela Wenn, Treasurer

All officers serve voluntarily without compensation.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. The Horn Foundation is a private family foundation that makes grants through trustee discretion and invitation. They do not accept unsolicited grant proposals from organizations they do not already have relationships with.

Grants are awarded to organizations within the founders' established network, often connected to environmental causes, educational institutions, and organizations where the Horns have longstanding board relationships or personal connections.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - grants are made at the discretion of the trustees on an ongoing basis rather than through formal application cycles.

Success Rates

Not applicable for public applications. As a private foundation operating through trustee discretion, there is no public application process with measurable success rates.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications.

Application Success Factors

Since this foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, traditional application success factors do not apply. However, understanding what the foundation values can be helpful:

Strong Environmental Focus: The foundation's grantmaking reflects the Horns' deep commitment to environmental causes. Organizations working on climate action, natural resources conservation, clean air and water, and environmental education align with their documented interests.

Board Relationships Matter: Both Cindy and Alan Horn have served on numerous boards over decades. Many grants likely flow to organizations where they have personal involvement or where their fellow board members can vouch for impact.

Entertainment Industry Connections: Alan Horn's legendary career in entertainment (Warner Bros., Disney) and the couple's co-founding of Environmental Media Association suggests potential interest in organizations connecting environmental issues with media and storytelling.

California and Los Angeles Focus: While the foundation makes grants nationally, there appears to be particular interest in Los Angeles-area organizations, especially those focused on local environmental issues like Heal the Bay (Santa Monica Bay cleanup) and Coalition for Clean Air.

Long-term Commitment to Causes: The Horns' philanthropic track record shows sustained, decades-long commitment to particular causes rather than trend-following. They were environmental advocates before it was mainstream.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No Public Application Process: This foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals. Do not send applications or letters of inquiry unless specifically invited.

  • Relationship-Based Grantmaking: Grants flow through personal connections, board relationships, and trustee discretion. Building awareness through shared board members or sector connections would be the only potential pathway.

  • Strong Environmental Alignment: The foundation's grantmaking reflects the founders' passionate, decades-long commitment to environmental causes, particularly NRDC, coastal conservation, clean air, and climate action.

  • Entertainment-Environmental Nexus: The Environmental Media Association connection suggests potential interest in organizations that bridge entertainment/media and environmental advocacy.

  • Substantial Resources: With assets exceeding $51 million and annual giving of $3-5 million distributed among approximately 60-65 grants annually, this is a significant funder within their areas of interest.

  • Private Family Foundation Model: This foundation exemplifies classic private family foundation grantmaking - focused on causes the founders care deeply about, distributed through personal knowledge and relationships rather than competitive application processes.

  • Not a Viable Prospect for Most Organizations: Unless your organization has existing connections to the Horn family, their network, or operates in their core interest areas with potential for introduction through mutual contacts, this foundation should not be considered a realistic funding prospect.

References

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