OVERVIEW: The Crawford Family Foundation primarily funds grantmaking related to media, education, youth, and health.
IP TAKE: The foundation keeps a low public profile, which limits information available on its grantmaking priorities and activities. It does not appear to have either traditional grantmaking programs or accept unsolicited requests for funding. New grantseekers will need to network here.
PROFILE: The Crawford Family Foundation was established in 1998 by Dona and Gordon “Gordy” Crawford, a financier. Crawford joined Capital Group, a financial services company based in Los Angeles in 1971 before retiring in 2012. Gordon “Gordy” Crawford was born in New York and raised in Old Greenwich, Connecticut. He graduated from Wesleyan and received an MBA from University of Virginia. Crawford joined Capital Group in 1971 and in 1973 became one of the managers of its Growth Fund of America. He immersed himself in Hollywood, and a few years later added cable to his portfolio, working with such magnates as John Malone and Ted Turner.
The foundation lacks transparency and does not maintain a website, which makes it difficult to locate further information on its priority areas and grantmaking strategies. Tax filings suggest the Crawford Family Foundation primarily funds grantmaking related to media, education, youth, and health.
Grants for Journalism and Media
Since leaving Capital Group, Crawford has spent a portion of his time focused on improving journalism. As he once put it, “I believe that unbiased in-depth journalism is critical to a functioning democracy […] There is a huge secular decline in the number of journalists in the United States…. I do worry about that.” Earlier in the decade, Crawford gave $4 million to help fund a new $24.5-million broadcast facility for KPCC, a public radio station based in Pasadena, California that’s a member of National Public Radio. Crawford once chaired the board of KPCC and the family, via their foundation, continue to support the outfit. Crawford is also a trustee emeritus of Paley Center for the Media and helped create a comprehensive, publicly accessible video archive of Olympic television coverage called The U.S. Olympic Archive.
Grants for Community Development and Public Health
In addition to grants for journalism and media, the foundation also supports groups working in community development and public health. Past grantees in this space include KCET, Flintridge Preparatory School, Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, Union Station Homeless Services; and Advancement Project, a multi-racial civil rights organization.
Important Grant Details
Grants range from $2,500 to $100,000. In a recent fiscal year, the foundation made grants totaling $477,000. The Crawford Family Foundation keeps a low profile and does not accept unsolicited proposals.
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CONTACT:
Crawford Family Foundation
520 Georgian Road
La Canada, CA 91011
