About American Endowment Foundation
AEF's sole purpose is administering donor-advised funds (DAFs) to expand philanthropy by providing an independent, cause-neutral, people-driven platform and best-in-class service for donors, advisors, and firms.
Focus Areas
Donor-advised funds and philanthropic servicesCharitable giving facilitationEmergency response and disaster reliefFood assistance & securityYouth behavioral and mental health (Northeast Ohio)Community giving
Who They Fund
nonprofit organizations and institutions (grantee organizations)children and youth/studentscommunities affected by disasterspatients/individuals with health needsanimals (animal welfare organizations)
About American Endowment Foundation
American Endowment Foundation’s recent grantmaking is defined less by a single program area than by the scale of its donor-advised fund platform. In 2024, its largest listed grant was $109.9 million to National Philanthropic Trust, and other major transfers moved through charitable vehicles such as Impactassets Inc, Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund, Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program, and Schwab Charitable Fund. That pattern points to a foundation built to facilitate giving through intermediary organizations as well as direct support to nonprofits. The foundation also shows subject-area breadth. Recent grants reached arts and culture, education, youth development, religion, science, disease and disorder, and general operating support. A $53.1 million grant to Eames Institute and a $16.0 million grant to The Barack Obama Foundation sit alongside six- and seven-figure support for health, faith, and education-related organizations. The single largest-grant total is paired with a much smaller active council-grant program, underscoring a structure that combines large-scale philanthropic transfers with selected direct grants. Its latest 990 year on file is 2025, and the foundation reports no program-related investments or direct funding of individuals.
What American Endowment Foundation Funds
Arts and culture appears prominently in the recent record. American Endowment Foundation gave $53.1 million to Eames Institute for arts and culture, and $17.9 million to the same grantee in a prior year, showing repeated support within that area. Education-related grants also stand out. The foundation awarded $10.8 million to The UCLA Foundation for educational purposes, $10.0 million to University of California Berkeley Foundation for educational purposes, and $8.8 million to The Malala Fund for educational purposes. Health and human services show up through both disease and youth-focused work. In 2024, it gave $8.1 million to Jdrf International for disease and disorder. It also made a $13.2 million grant to Lifewise Inc for youth development. Religion is another visible category, including grants to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for religion in both 2023 and 2024.
How American Endowment Foundation Gives
American Endowment Foundation’s typical grant size is modest relative to its largest transfers: the 25th percentile is $8,500, the median is $14,600, and the 75th percentile is $32,118. That distribution suggests many smaller grants alongside a long tail of much larger DAF-related movements. The foundation is a pure donor-advised fund provider and does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. Recipients recur across years, especially in philanthropy and intermediary fund vehicles, which fits a platform designed for ongoing charitable administration rather than one-off project grants. Its active philanthropic council grants are direct awards of $100,000 each and are not open to unsolicited applications.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$2.1B
Total Assets
$8.4B
Total Revenue
$1.9B
Total Expenses
$1.4B
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $9K and $32K, with a median of $15K.
25th Percentile
$9K
Median
$15K
75th Percentile
$32K
Geographic Reach
National52 states funded
About 4% of grants go to recipients in NY.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Where American Endowment Foundation Funds
Top 4 recipient countries by grant volume for American Endowment Foundation.
| Rank | Country | Grants | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United StatesDomestic | 28,226 | $2.1B | 100.0% |
| 2 | Canada | 6 | $69K |
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