About American Idea Foundation
The American Idea Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the policies and people who give meaning to the conviction that the circumstances of your birth should not determine the outcome of your life. The Foundation works at the intersection of grassroots, community-driven efforts to expand opportunity and national policymakers, using an evidence-based approach to identify real-world initiatives achieving results, inform policymakers, and link practitioners with elected officials to replicate success.
Focus Areas
poverty reductionchild and family welfareeducation and workforce trainingrecidivism / re-entryentrepreneurship and small businessearly childhood programsevidence/metrics for social programs
Who They Fund
formerly incarcerated / people in reentrychildren and youth in foster careveterans
About American Idea Foundation
American Idea Foundation Inc backs evidence-based organizations that aim to expand upward mobility, with annual grants often centered on poverty reduction, education, workforce training, recidivism, and child and family welfare. Its recent awards show a strong preference for direct-service groups that can document results, including a $165,367 general-assistance grant to Stand Together Foundation and a $120,000 general-assistance grant to Gatekeepers. The foundation also supports programs serving specific populations, from former prisoners and foster youth to veterans, women, and newborns affected by parental substance use. The grant list suggests a mix of operating support and program-specific awards, with several grants tied to mentoring, literacy, job training, and re-entry. Recipients include organizations working on youth development, college access, and support for families in crisis, alongside groups focused on workforce pathways in IT and other sectors. The foundation’s profile reflects a practical grantmaker that uses philanthropy to test and scale frontline approaches rather than broad thematic statements alone. Andrew Speth leads the foundation, which reported $1,135,367 in annual grants and $9,001,246 in assets in its latest filing year.
What American Idea Foundation Funds
In recidivism and re-entry work, American Idea Foundation Inc gave $90,000 to Wi Inmate Education Association for anti-recidivism degree support, showing an interest in education-linked pathways for people leaving incarceration. In foster care and family support, it awarded $50,000 to Family Promise of Grand Rapids for foster care mentoring and another $50,000 to Found Village for foster care support. Education and youth development are also visible. The foundation gave $50,000 to Bottom Line for higher education mentorship and $25,000 to SUNY Impact Foundation Inc for higher education mentoring. For younger students, it supported Future Forward LLC with $50,000 for a literacy program for children and Bernie's Book Bank with $35,000 for book bank and distribution. Workforce development appears in grants such as $50,000 to Npower Inc for job training for veterans and underserved, and $25,000 to Women's Bean Project for women's job training and employment.
How American Idea Foundation Gives
Typical grants cluster tightly around mid-sized awards: the 25th percentile is $35,000, the median is $50,000, and the 75th percentile is $60,000. That pattern matches a grantmaker that often funds programs at the $50,000 level, with occasional larger general-assistance awards. The recent list includes multiple years, showing repeat annual activity rather than a one-time burst. It is a regular funder, not a DAF, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. Unsolicited applications are not accepted through the annual program.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$350K
Total Assets
$9M
Total Revenue
$768K
Total Expenses
$1.4M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $35K and $60K, with a median of $50K.
25th Percentile
$35K
Median
$50K
75th Percentile
$60K
Geographic Reach
National11 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
ANDREW SPETH
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