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Camilla Chandler Family Foundation

Annual Giving
$4.6M
Grant Range
$25K - $2.0M

Camilla Chandler Family Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $4,600,000 (2024)
  • Total Assets: $108,955,361
  • Number of Grants: 11 (2024)
  • Grant Range: $25,000 - $2,000,000
  • Geographic Focus: Primarily California and Pacific Northwest (Washington)
  • Application Process: Does not accept unsolicited applications

Contact Details

Address: 10250 Constellation Blvd, Suite 1400, Los Angeles, CA 90067

EIN: 95-6979804

Note: The foundation does not maintain a public website or accept unsolicited grant applications. Contact information beyond the mailing address is not publicly available.

Overview

The Camilla Chandler Family Foundation was established on November 10, 1994, to continue the philanthropic legacy of Camilla "Mia" Chandler Frost (1925-2024), a pioneering figure in Los Angeles philanthropy. As a granddaughter of Harry Chandler and daughter of Norman Chandler, longtime publishers of the Los Angeles Times, Mia built on the Chandler family's remarkable influence in shaping the civic and cultural life of Los Angeles through her philanthropic commitments to education, the environment, and the arts. The foundation, with total assets exceeding $108 million, distributed $4.6 million in grants in 2024 across 11 awards.

In September 2024, the foundation made its most significant gift to date: a $12 million endowment to the J. Paul Getty Trust, establishing the Mia Chandler Endowment for School Visits. This represents the largest financial contribution the Getty has received since J. Paul Getty's original bequest and continues Mia Chandler's decades-long commitment to making arts education accessible to children from underserved communities. Her pioneering efforts included providing funds for bus service for field trips by elementary school students in underserved areas, a passion reflected in the foundation's continued support for educational access.

Funding Priorities

Priority Areas

Education and Youth Access The foundation prioritizes initiatives that provide educational opportunities to students, particularly from underserved communities. Recent major funding includes K-12 educational access programs, with emphasis on removing financial barriers to arts and cultural experiences.

Arts and Cultural Institutions Strong support for major arts institutions in Southern California, particularly those with educational missions. The foundation has historically supported LACMA, the Getty, and other cultural organizations that serve the broader community.

Environmental Conservation Support for land conservation and environmental stewardship organizations, particularly in California and the Pacific Northwest.

Independent Schools The foundation provides general support to selected independent schools in California, reflecting Mia Chandler's long service as a trustee of Sequoyah and Westridge Schools in Pasadena.

Recent Grant Recipients (2023)

  • J. Paul Getty Trust / Getty Conservation Institute (Los Angeles, CA) - $25,000
  • UCLA Foundation / Geffen Academy Fund (Pasadena, CA) - $25,000
  • Woodside Priory School (Portola Valley, CA) - $25,000
  • Trinity School (Menlo Park, CA) - $25,000
  • Northwest Maritime Center (Port Townsend, WA) - $500,000
  • Jefferson Land Trust - Grant amount not publicly disclosed
  • The Pilgrim Fund (Los Angeles, CA) - $25,000

What They Don't Fund

As a private family foundation that does not accept unsolicited applications, the foundation does not publicly specify exclusions. However, their grantmaking pattern suggests focus on established institutions rather than startups, and organizations aligned with the founder's specific interests in arts education, environmental conservation, and educational institutions.

Governance and Leadership

Board of Trustees

William Stinehart - Trustee

Alexander Spear - Trustee

Camilla Chandler Frost - Former Trustee (Founder, 1925-2024)

About the Founder

Camilla "Mia" Chandler Frost was a leading voice in the Los Angeles arts community for over six decades. She earned her B.A. in zoology from Wellesley College in 1947 and began her involvement with the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) in the late 1950s as a docent. She became a founding trustee in 1962 and served as the board's first female president, holding officer positions for over 20 years. During her tenure, she gifted more than 2,480 works of art valued at over $20 million to LACMA, with principal interests in European Sculpture, Far Eastern Art, Islamic Art, and Pre-Columbian Art.

Frost's broader civic leadership included serving as a longtime trustee of the California Institute of Technology, the Nature Conservancy (1984-2006), the James Irvine Foundation (1978-1999), Wellesley College (trustee emerita), and as co-chairman of the visual arts component of the 1984 Olympic Arts Festival. She was an active trustee of both the Sequoyah and Westridge Schools in Pasadena and served the Los Angeles Music Center through its Arts and Education Fund.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Camilla Chandler Family Foundation does not have a public application process. The foundation operates as a private family foundation with grants awarded at the discretion of its trustees. There is no online portal, application form, or formal submission process for organizations seeking funding.

According to foundation databases, the foundation has "0 live grant opportunities," confirming that it does not advertise open grants or accept unsolicited proposals. Grants appear to be made to organizations with which the foundation or its founder had established relationships.

Typical Grant Structure

While specific timelines are not applicable due to the invitation-only nature of the foundation, the grantmaking pattern shows:

  • Grants are distributed annually
  • Awards range from $25,000 to multi-million dollar commitments
  • The foundation made 11 awards in 2024 and 9 awards in 2023
  • Major institutional gifts (like the $12 million Getty endowment) are negotiated separately from the regular grant cycle

Application Success Factors

Since the Camilla Chandler Family Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, traditional success factors do not apply. However, analyzing their grantmaking pattern reveals what the foundation values:

Alignment with Founder's Legacy The foundation's recent $12 million gift to the Getty directly reflects Mia Chandler's pioneering work providing bus service funds for elementary students from underserved areas to visit museums. Organizations whose missions align with removing barriers to arts and education access for underserved youth are clearly prioritized.

Established Institutional Relationships Grant recipients are established institutions with strong reputations: the Getty, UCLA, LACMA, and well-regarded independent schools. The foundation appears to support organizations where the founder or trustees have had direct involvement or longstanding connections.

Educational Access and Equity The foundation explicitly supports programs that serve Title I schools and "similarly eligible schools," demonstrating a commitment to economic diversity and access. According to the Getty announcement, the Mia Chandler Endowment for School Visits supports "making the Museum's collection as accessible as possible to the people of Los Angeles, so that children from all economic backgrounds can enjoy great works of art together."

Pacific Coast Focus While primarily focused on Southern California (particularly Los Angeles and Pasadena), the foundation also supports selected organizations in Northern California and the Pacific Northwest, as evidenced by grants to the Northwest Maritime Center and Jefferson Land Trust.

Long-term Impact Through Endowments The foundation's willingness to make a $12 million endowment gift (rather than annual operating support) demonstrates interest in creating permanent, sustainable impact. This represents a strategic approach to ensuring long-term continuation of priority programs.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No public application process exists: This foundation awards grants through trustee discretion and does not accept unsolicited proposals. There is no formal way to apply for funding.

  • Relationship-based grantmaking: Grants appear to go to organizations with established connections to the foundation's founder, trustees, or the Chandler family's philanthropic network.

  • Focus on educational access and equity: The foundation's largest commitments support removing financial barriers for students from underserved communities to access arts and cultural experiences.

  • Institutional preference: Recipients tend to be well-established educational institutions, major museums, land trusts, and independent schools with strong reputations and track records.

  • Southern California roots with selective broader reach: While most grants support Los Angeles-area organizations, the foundation also funds selected institutions in the San Francisco Bay Area and Pacific Northwest.

  • Capacity for major gifts: While many grants are in the $25,000 range, the foundation has demonstrated willingness to make transformational multi-million dollar commitments to causes closely aligned with the founder's legacy.

  • Continuation of founder's vision: Following Mia Chandler Frost's passing in February 2024, the foundation continues to honor her commitment to arts education, environmental conservation, and educational opportunity, suggesting ongoing stability in priorities under trustee leadership.

References

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