What We Fund
The Paul M. Angell Family Foundation makes grants in three priority areas: Conservation, Performing Arts and Social Impact.
Conservation
The ocean sustains life on earth. Marine ecosystems foster immense biodiversity that nourishes and provides livelihoods for human communities world-wide. Moreover, the ocean regulates crucial climate processes by absorbing and storing vast amounts of carbon dioxide while simultaneously producing oxygen. Tragically, however, the ocean’s ability to perform these vital functions is imperiled by a host of human-caused threats, including climate change, habitat destruction, overfishing, and pollution.
The Paul M. Angell Family Foundation (PMAFF) Conservation Program works to counteract these threats by supporting programs, projects, and organizations that conserve and protect marine biodiversity. In 2022-23, PMAFF carried out a strategic analysis to identify underfunded marine conservation fields where our investment could have the greatest impact. As a result, we focus our grantmaking on efforts to:
Implement sustainable and effective Marine Protected Areas;
Reform international fisheries governance;
Conserve coral reef ecosystems;
Conserve shark and ray species;
Increase legal capacity dedicated to marine conservation;
End plastic pollution; and
Combat climate change by decarbonizing maritime shipping and building international political will for climate action.
The PMAFF Conservation Program upholds these priorities by working closely with ocean-focused donor advised funds and funding collaboratives and by awarding grants for ocean conservation work via PMAFF’s open, bi-annual grantmaking process.
For more detailed information regarding our interests in these topics and our open, bi-annual grantmaking process, please review our PMFF Conservation Program Overview to learn more.
Performing Arts
The goal of the Performing Arts program is to support the presentation, perpetuation, and propagation of performing arts events, focusing on classical music and theater. Grantee organizations include professional performers, presenters, (including broadcasters) and educators. We are currently considering grants to the Chicago area, Cleveland, Detroit, and the Mid-Atlantic Region (from Washington, D.C. north to Philadelphia, PA). Please note that we currently do not fund dance or film. We also do not fund individual commissions.
Social Impact
The goal of the Foundation’s grantmaking in Social Impact is to promote equitable, safe, and thriving communities, particularly for low-income African, Latino/a, Asian, Arab and Native American (ALAANA). Achieving this goal requires long-term, comprehensive approaches led by those closest to the challenges and the possibilities.
The Foundation is committed to understanding and addressing the root causes of persistent inequities for ALAANA families and communities, including the profoundly harmful impacts of structural racism and white supremacy. The Foundation funds efforts that promote access to meaningful life opportunities, such as quality education, networks of support and healing, and financial assets and employment. The Foundation also supports antiracist education, organizing, and advocacy efforts that have strong potential to advance meaningful systemic change.
Public and private disinvestment has created unjust inequities in almost every realm of social, economic, and civic life of many ALAANA communities. At the same time, every neighborhood is home to creative and resilient individuals, families, businesses, and institutions. The Foundation’s grantmaking in Social Impact seeks to recognize both of these realities while it learns from and supports thoughtful and strategic changemakers. Priority areas are Education, Economic Empowerment, and Justice.
For more details, please read the foundation’s paper, “A New Grantmaking Model for Social Impact.”
*Please note, within Social Impact, we are currently only able to consider new grant requests within the Chicago metropolitan area. This does not apply to grant renewal requests.
TYPES OF SUPPORT
General Operating
This is the most flexible type of grant. Funds may be applied in any manner in which the organization sees fit, subject to its mission.
Program/Project Grants
These grants are targeted to a specific program or goal. Applicants must submit a program budget and narrative to support their applications.
Education
Education grants support programs which disseminate information crucial to the organization’s mission. They may include, but are not necessarily limited to: lectures, demonstrations, workshops, guided tours, exhibitions, and distribution of printed or online materials.
THE FOUNDATION WILL NOT PROVIDE GRANTS FOR:
Religious institutions or other nonprofit organizations affiliated with a religion.
Debt reduction
Fundraising events
Events that will have taken place before the determination of an award. The foundation does not fund in arrears. If applying for the Spring cycle, the date of events must begin after May 15th. For the Fall cycle, events must begin after December 1st.