Annenberg Foundation

The Annenberg Foundation is a foundation that provides funding and support to non-profit organizations.

Annenberg Foundation

Founded	July 1, 1989 (section 509(a)(3) organization)
Founder	Walter H. Annenberg
Type	Non-operating private foundation (IRS exemption status): 501(c)(3)[1]
Focus	Arts, Education, Health and Human Services, Animal services and Civic responsibility
Location	2000 Avenue of the Stars Suite 1000 Los Angeles, California 90067 United States
Coordinates	34°03′30″N 118°24′56″W
Area served	United States
Owner	Wallis Annenberg
Key people	Wallis Annenberg Lauren Bon Gregory Annenberg Weingarten Charles Annenberg Weingarten
Website	www.annenbergfoundation.org

Overview

The Annenberg Foundation was established by Walter H. Annenberg in 1989 with $1.2 billion, one-third of the assets from the sale of Annenberg's Triangle Publications.^[2]

The Annenberg Foundation has focused on educational programming, and its efforts have also included environmental stewardship, social justice, and animal welfare. The foundation has roots as a traditional grantmaking institution and is also involved in the community.

As of 2021^[update], the foundation has $1.59 billion in assets.^[3]

Ownership and Board of Directors

Walter H. Annenberg headed the Annenberg Foundation until his death in 2002. Leonore Annenberg, his wife, ran it until her death in March 2009. Since then, the foundation's trusteeship has been led by Wallis Annenberg and three of her children: Lauren Bon, Gregory Annenberg Weingarten, and Charles Annenberg Weingarten.^[4]

• Chairman of the Board, President and CEO, Wallis Annenberg
• Vice President and Director, Lauren Bon
• Vice President and Director, Gregory Annenberg Weingarten
• Vice President and Director, Charles Annenberg Weingarten

The Ballona Wetlands Restoration Project

On January 28, 2013, the Annenberg Foundation signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and several other state agencies to explore the possibility of constructing a 46,000 square foot facility in the protected Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve which would have included adoption and veterinary services for domestic pets.^[5] However, on December 2, the Foundation announced that it was suspending its plans.^[6] The Los Angeles Times reported that some wetlands advocates had opposed the proposal.^[7] The Los Angeles Daily News noted that this was the Foundation's second failed attempt to construct this project on public land.^[8] The Los Angeles Times and Los Angeles Daily News editorial boards called the project "a bad fit" and "inappropriate," respectively.^[9][10]