Mission

The Ahmanson Foundation, incorporated as a private foundation in the State of California in 1952, was established by financier Howard F. Ahmanson, and his wife Dorothy. Its corpus was augmented in later years by his two nephews Robert H. Ahmanson and William H. Ahmanson. The Foundation’s broad purpose, as stated in the articles of incorporation, is to administer funds for charitable, scientific, educational, literary, and religious purposes, all for the public welfare.

Currently the Foundation concentrates its funding on cultural projects supporting the arts, education at the collegiate and pre-collegiate levels, medicine and delivery of health care services, specialized library collections, programs related to homelessness and low-income populations, preservation of the environment, and a wide range of human service projects. The vast majority of the Foundation’s philanthropy is directed toward organizations and institutions based in and serving the greater Los Angeles community.

Simultaneously, the Foundation is particularly committed to the support of non-profit organizations and institutions which continually demonstrate sound fiscal management, responsibility to efficient operation, and program integrity.

Through such focused interests and shared vision with the non-profit sector the Foundation endeavors to increase the quality of life in Southern California and to enhance its cultural legacy.