About Century Foundation
The Century Foundation directs its giving toward economic opportunity and workforce development with a strong emphasis on manufacturing revitalization and community college–based training. It also supports policy research and civic/democracy programming and funds legal services that advance economic justice for low-income communities. The foundation mixes a few larger institutional grants with many smaller, geographically distributed investments in colleges and local workforce providers.
Focus Areas
Urban and advanced manufacturing workforce initiatives (e.g., Urban Manufacturing Alliance, Manufacturing Renaissance)Community college workforce training and certificate programs across multiple statesPolicy research and civic/democracy programming (think tanks and university centers convening summits)Legal services and economic-justice representation for low-income urban residentsTargeted support for nonprofits that link education to local job markets (community-based training providers and small nonprofits)
Who They Fund
K-12 students and schools
About Century Foundation
The Century Foundation Inc backs economic opportunity through workforce and education grants, with a clear pattern of supporting manufacturing-linked training and community college programs alongside policy and legal work. Two of its largest recent grants went to Arizona State University for education K-12 program support, at $159,949 in both 2023 and 2024, showing repeat support for the same institution across consecutive years. In workforce development, the foundation has funded Urban Manufacturing Alliance Inc more than once, including $110,000 in 2024 and $100,000 in 2025, reflecting continued attention to urban manufacturing and job pathways. It also supports legal services tied to economic justice, including grants to Philadelphia Legal Assistance Inc and Philadelphia Legal Assistance Center Inc. Smaller awards reach a wide set of colleges and local nonprofits, suggesting an approach that combines larger institutional grants with many targeted operating or program grants. Across the recent grants list, the foundation’s work connects education, employment, and civic infrastructure rather than focusing on a single narrow program model.
What Century Foundation Funds
A major thread is workforce development linked to manufacturing. The foundation gave $110,000 to Urban Manufacturing Alliance Inc in 2024 for economy and jobs work, and $50,000 to Manufacturing Renaissance in 2024 for the same area. Community college training is another recurring theme: grants of $8,000 went to Lorain County Community College, Ivy Tech Community College, Hawkeye Community College, Riverside Community College District, and others for economy and jobs program support. The Century Foundation Inc also funds education and research. It gave $94,641 to Lake Research Partners Inc in 2024 for higher education, and $15,000 to The New School - Center for NYC Affairs in 2023 for education. Its civic and democracy giving appears through support for Cornell University for the State of Democracy Summit and Georgetown University for Will Empower.
How Century Foundation Gives
Typical grants cluster at modest to mid-sized levels: the 25th percentile is $8,000, the median is $10,000, and the 75th percentile is $57,500. The recent list shows both repeat support and one-off awards. Arizona State University received the same $159,949 grant in 2023 and 2024, and Urban Manufacturing Alliance Inc received grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025. The foundation is a grantmaking institution, not an individual-giving funder, and it does not make program-related investments. Most awards are program support, with some targeted awards and summit support.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$75K
Total Assets
$59.1M
Total Revenue
$11.9M
Total Expenses
$13.7M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $8K and $58K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$8K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$58K
Geographic Reach
National15 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
MARK ZUCKERMAN
Unlock Deep Analysis
Sign up for a free Kindora account to access AI-generated insights into this funder's giving patterns, decision-makers, and fit signals.
Get Started FreeSee Similar Funders
Free Kindora accounts unlock side-by-side comparisons with foundations that share this funder's focus areas and giving profile.
Get Started FreeExplore related grant guides
Want a Personalized Pitch for Century Foundation?
Sign up free to see how well your nonprofit fits this funder, get an AI-generated pitch, and unlock similar foundations.
Free plan available
No contracts
Cancel anytime