The Suggs Family Foundation concentrates its philanthropy almost entirely on environmental conservation, channeling substantial, unrestricted gifts to The Nature Conservancy. Its giving is focused and high-value rather than broad or numerous, indicating a preference for supporting established conservation NGOs to carry out land- and habitat-protection work. The foundation appears to favor flexible, general support over project-restricted funding.
Suggs Family Foundation’s recent giving is anchored by large unrestricted grants to The Nature Conservancy, including $307,815 in 2024 and $229,224 in 2025. That pattern points to a funder that supports established conservation organizations with flexible capital rather than many small, project-specific awards. Environmental protection is the clearest throughline, but the foundation’s portfolio also reaches into national parks, civil liberties, Amazon fire coverage, undergraduate research, food assistance, and other community needs. The foundation has repeatedly backed conservation work through The Nature Conservancy in both Arlington and Sacramento, and it has also supported the Conservation Fund, the Sierra Club Foundation, and the Natural Resources Defense Council. Outside environmental grantmaking, its recent records include unrestricted support for Rice University and undergraduate research through The UCLA Foundation. Community-based aid also appears in grants to food banks in Thousand Oaks, Oxnard, and Los Angeles. The result is a compact grantmaking profile with a recognizable center of gravity: high-value support for environmental and public-interest organizations, paired with selective investments in education and local relief.
Environmental protection is the foundation’s core area of support. In 2024, it gave $25,223 to the Natural Resources Defense Council for environmental advocacy, and in 2025 it gave $24,749 for the same purpose. It also supported The Nature Conservancy with unrestricted funds, reinforcing a preference for conservation groups that can direct resources across land and habitat work. A second thread is conservation and public lands. The foundation awarded $26,588 in 2023 and $25,524 in 2025 to the National Park Foundation for enrich and protect national parks. In the same general conservation lane, it gave unrestricted support to the Conservation Fund in 2025 and 2024. The portfolio also extends into education and information. Rice University received unrestricted grants of $78,036 in 2023, $50,422 in 2024, and $24,748 in 2025, while The UCLA Foundation received $50,952 in 2025 and $49,961 in 2024 for undergraduate research. Mongabay received grants in 2024 and 2025 to support coverage of fires in Amazon.
Typical grants are in a mid-five-figure range, with a p25 of $5,000, a median of $10,000, and a p75 of $20,000, even though several recent awards are much larger. The record shows repeated support across years for the same recipients, especially The Nature Conservancy, Rice University, The UCLA Foundation, the National Park Foundation, and the American Civil Liberties Union. That pattern suggests ongoing relationships rather than one-off awards. The foundation is a regular funder, not a donor-advised fund, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. Unrestricted support appears frequently in the recent grants list, alongside a smaller number of grants tied to named purposes.
$2.4M
$10.7M
$2M
$931K
Most grants fall between $5K and $20K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$20K
About 60% of grants go to recipients in CA.
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 FreeFree Kindora accounts unlock side-by-side comparisons with foundations that share this funder's focus areas and giving profile.
Get Started FreeRegístrate gratis para ver qué tan bien se adapta tu organización sin fines de lucro a este financiador, obtener un pitch generado por IA y descubrir fundaciones similares.
Highly concentrated: a very small number of large, unrestricted grants (including repeat support) directed to a single conservation NGO rather than many small or diverse grantees.
Notable grantees: The Nature Conservancy (national), The Nature Conservancy (state/chapter)
Most grants go to recipients in California, which accounts for 60% of grants given to recipients in the foundation’s headquarters state. Recent California recipients include Los Angeles, Sacramento, Oakland, Santa Monica, Menlo Park, Thousand Oaks, and Oxnard. The giving is still national in scope, with recipients in Virginia, Texas, Colorado, and Washington, DC appearing repeatedly in the recent grants list. All grants in the recipient-country distribution are in the US, with 139 grants recorded.
Environmental conservation is the clearest focus, especially through The Nature Conservancy, the Conservation Fund, the Sierra Club Foundation, and the Natural Resources Defense Council. The foundation also funds national parks, Amazon fire coverage, civil liberties, undergraduate research, food assistance, and some disaster-related or humanitarian support.
Yes. Several recent grants are labeled unrestricted funds, including awards to The Nature Conservancy, Rice University, the Conservation Fund, the Sierra Club Foundation, and the American Indian College Fund. That indicates flexible support is a recurring feature of the foundation’s giving.
The typical grant-size distribution is p25 $5,000, median $10,000, and p75 $20,000. Recent awards range higher in some cases, including six-figure and high five-figure grants to conservation and education recipients.
No. California is the top state by grant count, but the foundation gives nationally. Recent recipients are located in Virginia, Texas, Colorado, New York, Washington, DC, and several California cities, and all recorded grants in the recipient-country distribution are in the US.
The Nature Conservancy, Rice University, The UCLA Foundation, the National Park Foundation, the American Civil Liberties Union, the Conservation Fund, Sierra Club Foundation, Mongabay, Natural Resources Defense Council, and the American Indian College Fund all appear in multiple recent grants, showing repeat support over several years.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| THE NATURE CONSERVANCY | ARLINGTON, VA | $229,224 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED FUNDS |
| THE UCLA FOUNDATION | LOS ANGELES, CA | $50,952 | 2025 | UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH |
| MANNA CONEJO VALLEY FOOD BANK | THOUSAND OAKS, CA | $30,600 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED FUNDS |
| FOOD SHARE INC | OXNARD, CA | $30,500 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED FUNDS |
| LOS ANGELES REGIONAL FOOD BANK | LOS ANGELES, CA | $30,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED FUNDS |
| AMERICAN INDIAN COLLEGE FUND | DENVER, CO | $26,450 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED FUNDS |
| AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION | NEW YORK, NY | $25,627 | 2025 | PROTECT CIVIL LIBERTIES |
| NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION | WASHINGTON DC, DC | $25,524 | 2025 | ENRICH AND PROTECT NATIONAL PARKS |
| MONGOBAY | MENLO PARK, CA | $25,524 | 2025 | SUPPORT COVERAGE OF FIRES IN AMAZON |
| CONSERVATION FUND | ARLINGTON, VA | $25,524 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED FUNDS |
| SIERRA CLUB FOUNDATION | OAKLAND, CA | $25,468 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL | SANTA MONICA, CA | $24,749 | 2025 | ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCACY |
| RICE UNIVERSITY | HOUSTON, TX | $24,748 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED FUNDS |
| THE CARTER CENTER | ATLANTA, GA | $22,744 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED FUNDS |
| KELLOGG COMM COLLEGE FOUND | BATTLE CREEDK, MI | $15,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED FUNDS |
| GREATER LA ZOO FOUNDATION | LOS ANGELES, CA | $15,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED FUNDS |
| DIRECT RELIEF INTERNATIONAL | GOLETA, CA | $10,240 | 2025 | HELP SURVIVORS OF DISASTER |
| OXFAM AMERICA | BOSTON, MA | $10,000 | 2025 | HAITI HURRICANE RELIEF |
| VENTURA COUNTY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | CAMARILLO, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED FUNDS |
| HABITAT FOR HUMANITY | AMERICUS, GA | $10,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING |
| DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED FUNDS |
| CALIFORNIA LUTHERAN UNIVERSITY | THOUSAND OAKS, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | FINAL STRETCH FUND |
| NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION | MERRIFIELD, VA | $10,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED FUNDS |
| CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS FOUNDATION | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED FUNDS |
| THE OBAMA FOUNDATION | CHICAGO, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED FUNDS |
| PLANNED PARENTHOOD | WASHINGTON, DC | $10,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED FUNDS |
| IMPACT PERSONAL SAFETY | LOS ANGELES, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED FUNDS |
| MOLOKA'I LAND TRUST | HOOLEHUA, HI | $10,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED FUNDS |
| THE TREVOR PROJECT | WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA | $7,210 | 2025 | YOUTH DEVELOPMENT |
| VENTURA COUNTY ANIMAL SERVICES | CAMARILLO, CA | $6,180 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED FUNDS |
| RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE OF SOCAL | LOS ANGELES, CA | $5,275 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED FUNDS |
| MEET EACH NEED WITH DIGNITY | PACOIMA, CA | $5,250 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED FUNDS |
| CITY OF HOPE | DUARTE, CA | $5,203 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED FUNDS |
| CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL - COLORADO | AURORA, CO | $5,151 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED FUNDS |
| WRONG TURN RANCH | SOMIS, CA | $5,102 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED FUNDS |
| ASPCA | CORONA, CA | $4,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED FUNDS |
| BUMBLEBEE FOUNDATION | WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA | $3,109 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED FUNDS |
| OCEAN CONSERVANCY | WASHINGTON, DC | $3,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED FUNDS |
| GALAPAGOS CONSERVANCY | FAIRFAX, VA | $2,169 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED FUNDS |
| AUDUBON SOCIETY | MOSES LAKE, WA | $2,065 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED FUNDS |
| SANTA BARBARA ZOO | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $2,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED FUNDS |
| THEODORE PAYNE FOUNDATION | SUN VALLEY, CA | $1,032 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED FUNDS |
| KCLU | THOUSAND OAKS, CA | $500 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED FUNDS |
| PBS SOCAL | COSTA MESA, CA | $500 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED FUNDS |
| THE NATURE CONSERVANCY | ARLINGTON, VA | $307,815 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED FUNDS |
| RICE UNIVERSITY | HOUSTON, TX | $50,422 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED FUNDS |
| THE UCLA FOUNDATION | LOS ANGELES, CA | $49,961 | 2024 | UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH |
| AMERICAN INDIAN COLLEGE FUND | DENVER, CO | $25,575 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED FUNDS |
| MONGOBAY | MENLO PARK, CA | $25,289 | 2024 | SUPPORT COVERAGE OF FIRES IN AMAZON |
| SIERRA CLUB FOUNDATION | OAKLAND, CA | $25,274 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
THE NATURE CONSERVANCY
$229,224UNRESTRICTED FUNDS
THE UCLA FOUNDATION
$50,952UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH
MANNA CONEJO VALLEY FOOD BANK
$30,600UNRESTRICTED FUNDS
FOOD SHARE INC
$30,500UNRESTRICTED FUNDS
LOS ANGELES REGIONAL FOOD BANK
$30,000UNRESTRICTED FUNDS
AMERICAN INDIAN COLLEGE FUND
$26,450UNRESTRICTED FUNDS
AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION
$25,627PROTECT CIVIL LIBERTIES
NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION
$25,524ENRICH AND PROTECT NATIONAL PARKS
MONGOBAY
$25,524SUPPORT COVERAGE OF FIRES IN AMAZON
CONSERVATION FUND
$25,524UNRESTRICTED FUNDS
SIERRA CLUB FOUNDATION
$25,468UNRESTRICTED
NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL
$24,749ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCACY
RICE UNIVERSITY
$24,748UNRESTRICTED FUNDS
THE CARTER CENTER
$22,744UNRESTRICTED FUNDS
KELLOGG COMM COLLEGE FOUND
$15,000UNRESTRICTED FUNDS
GREATER LA ZOO FOUNDATION
$15,000UNRESTRICTED FUNDS
DIRECT RELIEF INTERNATIONAL
$10,240HELP SURVIVORS OF DISASTER
OXFAM AMERICA
$10,000HAITI HURRICANE RELIEF
VENTURA COUNTY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
$10,000UNRESTRICTED FUNDS
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY
$10,000SUPPORT FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING
DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS
$10,000UNRESTRICTED FUNDS
CALIFORNIA LUTHERAN UNIVERSITY
$10,000FINAL STRETCH FUND
NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION
$10,000UNRESTRICTED FUNDS
CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS FOUNDATION
$10,000UNRESTRICTED FUNDS
THE OBAMA FOUNDATION
$10,000UNRESTRICTED FUNDS
PLANNED PARENTHOOD
$10,000UNRESTRICTED FUNDS
IMPACT PERSONAL SAFETY
$10,000UNRESTRICTED FUNDS
MOLOKA'I LAND TRUST
$10,000UNRESTRICTED FUNDS
THE TREVOR PROJECT
$7,210YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
VENTURA COUNTY ANIMAL SERVICES
$6,180UNRESTRICTED FUNDS
RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE OF SOCAL
$5,275UNRESTRICTED FUNDS
MEET EACH NEED WITH DIGNITY
$5,250UNRESTRICTED FUNDS
CITY OF HOPE
$5,203UNRESTRICTED FUNDS
CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL - COLORADO
$5,151UNRESTRICTED FUNDS
WRONG TURN RANCH
$5,102UNRESTRICTED FUNDS
ASPCA
$4,000UNRESTRICTED FUNDS
BUMBLEBEE FOUNDATION
$3,109UNRESTRICTED FUNDS
OCEAN CONSERVANCY
$3,000UNRESTRICTED FUNDS
GALAPAGOS CONSERVANCY
$2,169UNRESTRICTED FUNDS
AUDUBON SOCIETY
$2,065UNRESTRICTED FUNDS
SANTA BARBARA ZOO
$2,000UNRESTRICTED FUNDS
THEODORE PAYNE FOUNDATION
$1,032UNRESTRICTED FUNDS
KCLU
$500UNRESTRICTED FUNDS
PBS SOCAL
$500UNRESTRICTED FUNDS
THE NATURE CONSERVANCY
$307,815UNRESTRICTED FUNDS
RICE UNIVERSITY
$50,422UNRESTRICTED FUNDS
THE UCLA FOUNDATION
$49,961UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH
AMERICAN INDIAN COLLEGE FUND
$25,575UNRESTRICTED FUNDS
MONGOBAY
$25,289SUPPORT COVERAGE OF FIRES IN AMAZON
SIERRA CLUB FOUNDATION
$25,274UNRESTRICTED