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Non-profit

American Endowment Foundation (AEF)

Website:

www.aefonline.org/
Location:

Hudson, OH
Tax ID:

34-1747398
Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(3)

Budget (2021):

Revenue: $2,685,508,863
Expenses: $809,660,191
Assets: $7,068,290,344
Type:

Donor-Advised Fund
Formation:

1993
President:

John E. Farren
Latest Tax Filing(s):

2022 990 Form

2021 990 Form

2020 990 Form
Budget (2022):

Revenue: $1,422,851,075

Expenses: $1,038,658,473

Assets: $6,246,840,051 1

References

  1. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). American Endowment Foundation. 2022. Part I. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/341747398/202332499349300338/full

Contact InfluenceWatch with suggested edits or tips for additional profiles.

American Endowment Foundation (AEF) is a donor-advised fund (DAF) provider that manages over $4 billion in assets and consists of 10,000 individual donor-advised funds 1 serving donors in all 50 states. 2 In 2020, American Endowment Foundation distributed $512,504,775 in grants. 3 As of 2020, AEF is one of the 20 largest donor-advised fund providers in the United States. 4

Founded in 1993, AEF is not affiliated with sponsors or certain issue areas and allows its donors to contribute to all U.S. charities. 5 6 Despite AEF’s donor statement that says its grants will not be used for lobbying, political contributions, or to support campaign activities, 7 a large number of AEF’s grants go to left-of-center organizations. 8

Grants given through AEF in 2020 included: $6,796,737 for the Goldman Sachs Philanthropy Fund; $5,799,852 for Schwab Charitable Fund; $5,100,906 for the National Philanthropic Trust; $4,146,928 for New Israel Fund; $1,383,265 for Doctors Without Borders; $1,028,500 for Vote.Org; $1,007,067 for the Marin Community Foundation; $729,968 for the Equal Justice Initiative; $694,370 to local and state-level Planned Parenthood chapters; $424,029 American Civil Liberties Union Foundation; $413,318 for Planned Parenthood Federation of America; $250,000 for the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights; $250,000 for March for Our Lives Foundation; $216,658 for the Sandy Hook Promise Foundation; $149,650 for EarthJustice; $110,000 for International Planned Parenthood Federation; $107,050 for Environmental Defense Fund; $100,750 for the Urban Justice Center; and others. 9

History and Leadership

American Endowment Foundation was founded in 1993 by Philip and Tom Tobin. 10 11 12 AEF is not affiliated with sponsors or specific issue areas and allows its donors to contribute to all U.S. charities. AEF partners with Charities Aid Foundation of America (CAF) to facilitate donations to overseas charities. 13 As of 2020, AEF is one of the 20 largest donor-advised fund providers in the United States. 14

John E. Farren is the president of AEF. He has been a member of the AEP board of directors since 2011. 15

Activities and Funding

American Endowment Foundation is a provider of donor-advised funds that serves donors in all 50 states. 16 AEF gives approximately $2 million per day to charities, 17 consists of 10,000 individual donor advised funds, 18 and has a minimum grant requirement of $250.00. 19 AEF is not affiliated with local or national charities with a single mission. 20

AEF’s grants are only made to 501(c)(3) charities, Internal Revenue Service (IRS)-qualified public charities, exempt purpose charities, and certain units of government meeting Internal Revenue Code definitions. 21 AEF states that it declines grants where the grant will be used for lobbying, political contributions, or to support campaign activities. It also declines grants for “improper purposes,” grants where the donor controls the organization, and for other reasons in accordance with AEF’s policies and procedures. 22

Grantmaking

In 2020, American Endowment Foundation distributed $512,504,775 of grants. 23 AEF distributed grants worth $404,323,055 in 2019 and $344,654,502 in 2018. 24

AEF’s grants span across many issue areas, including children’s issues, education issues, university endowments, hospitals, and other organizations. Despite its statement that the organization’s grants will not be used for lobbying, political contributions, or to support campaign activities, 25 many of AEF’s grants go to left-of-center organizations. 26

AEF’s grants to other funds and left-of-center organizations in 2020 included: $6,796,737 for the Goldman Sachs Philanthropy Fund; $5,799,852 for Schwab Charitable Fund; $5,100,906 for the National Philanthropic Trust; $4,146,928 for New Israel Fund; $1,383,265 for Doctors Without Borders; $1,028,500 for Vote.Org; $900,000 for the Barnes Family Foundation; $1,007,067 for the Marin Community Foundation; $795,556 for The Nature Conservancy; $729,968 for the Equal Justice Initiative; $694,370 to local and state-level Planned Parenthood chapters; $462,760 for Feeding America; $424,029 American Civil Liberties Union Foundation; $413,318 for Planned Parenthood Federation of America; $326,430 for International Rescue Committee; $252,000 for the Groundswell Fund; $250,000 for the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights; $250,000 for March for Our Lives Foundation; $248,410 for Bank of America Charitable Gift Fund; $250,000 for the Becket Fund; $238,000 for the Council on Foreign Relations; $219,800 for Opportunity International; $216,658 for the Sandy Hook Promise Foundation; $200,00 for Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation; $155,00 for the Greenlight Fund; $149,650 for EarthJustice; $145,500 for the Voter Participation Center; $129,750 for City Year; $125,800 for the Milken Institute; $110,500 for the International Women’s Health Coalition; $110,000 for International Planned Parenthood Federation; $107,050 for Environmental Defense Fund; $100,750 for the Urban Justice Center; $100,000 for the Hopewell Fund; $100,000 for a Coalition for a Prosperous America and $100,000 for Community Funds. 27

Other 2020 grants from AEF to left-of-center groups included: $96,300 for When We All Vote; $71,275 American Muslim Fund; $78,249 for the Anti-Defamation League; $64,350 for Common Cause Education Fund; $62,353 for Greenpeace Fund; $61,100 for Coalition for Good Governance; $58,250 for Policing Equity; $53,250 for NEO Philanthropy; $50,000 for Democracy Works; $44,170 for the Anti-Defamation League Foundation; $50,000 for Social Justice Fund Northwest; $41,590 for Amnesty International of the USA; $44,500 for the Vera Institute of Justice; $41,000 for Common Counsel Foundation; $41,000 for New York Women’s Foundation; $40,000 for Proteus Fund; $38,850 for Bail Project; $33,000 for Equal Justice Works; $31,500 for Capital Area Immigrant Rights Coalition; $31,350 for National Women’s Law Center; $29,250 for ProPublica; $21,600 Media Matters for America; $21,500 for National Domestic Worker’s Alliance; $21,000 for National Network of Abortion Funds; $20,600 for National Immigration Law Center; $20,000 for the Trevor Project; $17,167 to ActBlue Charities; $17,000 Alliance for Global Justice; $17,000 for NARAL Pro-Choice America; $14,800 for National Institute for Reproductive Health; $14,000 for Resource Generation; $13,000 for Ploughshares Fund; $12,500 for Bard College; $10,500 American Association for the Advancement of Science; $10,200 for Freedom House;  $8,350 for ACLU Foundation of Northern California; $6,500 for United We Dream; $6,400 for Equal Rights Advocates;  $5,500 for the Alliance for a Just Society; $5,750 for Alliance for Education; $5,750 for Environmental Defense Center; $5,050 for New Venture Fund; $5,000 Asia Society; $5,000 for Asian Americans Advancing Justice; $5,000 for Chinese Progressive Association; $5,000 for National Lawyers Guild Foundation; $5,000 for National Immigration Forum; $5,000 for NDN Collective; and others. 28

AEF also sent grants to the ACLU Foundation chapters in Georgia, Iowa, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Southern California, Texas, National Capital, Alaska, and Montana. 29

In 2020, AEF also disbursed grants to some center-right and right-of-center organizations, including: $101,750 for the Beacon Center of Tennessee; $101,500 for the David Horowitz Freedom Center; $62,900 for the Heritage Foundation; $55,000 for the Cato Institute; $30,500 for Turning Point USA; $29,650 for the Leadership Institute; $25,000 for the Mercatus Center; $12,500 for the Commonwealth Foundation; and $5,550 for Media Research Center. 30

Funding

American Endowment Foundation is funded by individual donors who utilize AEF’s individual donor-advised funds. In 2020, American Endowment Foundation reported revenue of $1,389,746,945 and expenses of $536,804,308. 31 In 2019, AEF reported revenue of $959,495,885 and expenses of 424,614,494. 32

References

  1. “American Endowment Foundation.” LinkedIn. Accessed March 12, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/company/american-endowment-foundation.
  2. “Why Trusted Advisors Choose AEF.” American Endowment Foundation. Accessed March 12, 2022. https://www.aefonline.org/why-trusted-advisors-choose-aef-donor-advised-funds-american-endowment-foundation.
  3. “American Endowment Foundation.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2020. Part IX. https://marketing.aefonline.org/acton/attachment/9733/f-9766235f-c11f-4398-8bec-2acf6727a2a2/1/-/-/-/-/2020%20AEF%20Form%20990.pdf.
  4. “American Endowment Foundation.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2020. Part IX. https://marketing.aefonline.org/acton/attachment/9733/f-9766235f-c11f-4398-8bec-2acf6727a2a2/1/-/-/-/-/2020%20AEF%20Form%20990.pdf.
  5. “About AEF.” American Endowment Foundation. Accessed March 12, 2022. https://www.aefonline.org/about-aef.
  6. “Why Trusted Advisors Choose AEF.” American Endowment Foundation. Accessed March 12, 2022. https://www.aefonline.org/why-trusted-advisors-choose-aef-donor-advised-funds-american-endowment-foundation.
  7. “Granting Policy.” American Endowment Foundation.” August 20, 2021. Accessed March 12, 2022. https://marketing.aefonline.org/acton/attachment/9733/f-01ba/1/-/-/-/-/AEF%20Granting%20Policy%20Statement.pdf.
  8. “Granting Policy.” American Endowment Foundation.” August 20, 2021. Accessed March 12, 2022. https://marketing.aefonline.org/acton/attachment/9733/f-01ba/1/-/-/-/-/AEF%20Granting%20Policy%20Statement.pdf.
  9.  “American Endowment Foundation.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2020. Schedule I. https://marketing.aefonline.org/acton/attachment/9733/f-9766235f-c11f-4398-8bec-2acf6727a2a2/1/-/-/-/-/2020%20AEF%20Form%20990.pdf.
  10. “About AEF.” American Endowment Foundation. Accessed March 12, 2022. https://www.aefonline.org/about-aef.
  11. Garrett, Amanda. “Shaker Heights family found dead in suspected murder-suicide had deep roots in Hudson, philanthropy.” Akron Beacon Journal. September 1, 2020. Accessed March 12, 2022. https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/news/2020/09/01/shaker-heights-family-found-dead-in-suspected-murder-suicide-had-deep-roots-in-hudson-philanthropy/113641186/.
  12. “President & Co-founder Tom Tobin Retires from American Endowment Foundation.” Cision PR Web. July 2, 2019. Accessed March 12, 2022. https://www.prweb.com/releases/president_co_founder_tom_tobin_retires_from_american_endowment_foundation/prweb16412565.htm.
  13. “About AEF.” American Endowment Foundation. Accessed March 12, 2022. https://www.aefonline.org/about-aef.
  14. Garrett, Amanda. “Shaker Heights family found dead in suspected murder-suicide had deep roots in Hudson, philanthropy.” Akron Beacon Journal. September 1, 2020. Accessed March 12, 2022. https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/news/2020/09/01/shaker-heights-family-found-dead-in-suspected-murder-suicide-had-deep-roots-in-hudson-philanthropy/113641186/.
  15. “John E. Farren, J.D.” American Endowment Foundation. Accessed March 12, 2022. https://marketing.aefonline.org/acton/attachment/9733/f-00b6/1/-/-/-/-/John%20Farren%20-%20Corporate%20Biography.pdf.
  16. “Why Trusted Advisors Choose AEF.” American Endowment Foundation. Accessed March 12, 2022. https://www.aefonline.org/why-trusted-advisors-choose-aef-donor-advised-funds-american-endowment-foundation.
  17.  Albrecht, Leslie. “New bill would give donor-advised funds deadlines for distributing billions of dollars to charities.” MarketWatch. June 11, 2021. Accessed March 12, 2022. https://www.marketwatch.com/story/billions-of-dollars-earmarked-for-charity-are-sitting-stagnant-a-new-bill-could-get-the-money-flowing-11623363726.
  18. “American Endowment Foundation.” LinkedIn. Accessed March 12, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/company/american-endowment-foundation.
  19. “Why Trusted Advisors Choose AEF.” American Endowment Foundation. Accessed March 12, 2022. https://www.aefonline.org/why-trusted-advisors-choose-aef-donor-advised-funds-american-endowment-foundation.
  20. “Why Trusted Advisors Choose AEF.” American Endowment Foundation. Accessed March 12, 2022. https://www.aefonline.org/why-trusted-advisors-choose-aef-donor-advised-funds-american-endowment-foundation.
  21. “Granting Policy.” American Endowment Foundation.” August 20, 2021. Accessed March 12, 2022. https://marketing.aefonline.org/acton/attachment/9733/f-01ba/1/-/-/-/-/AEF%20Granting%20Policy%20Statement.pdf.
  22. “Granting Policy.” American Endowment Foundation.” August 20, 2021. Accessed March 12, 2022. https://marketing.aefonline.org/acton/attachment/9733/f-01ba/1/-/-/-/-/AEF%20Granting%20Policy%20Statement.pdf.
  23. “American Endowment Foundation.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2020. Part IX. https://marketing.aefonline.org/acton/attachment/9733/f-9766235f-c11f-4398-8bec-2acf6727a2a2/1/-/-/-/-/2020%20AEF%20Form%20990.pdf.
  24. “American Endowment Foundation.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2019. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/341747398/202033219349313153/full.
  25. “Granting Policy.” American Endowment Foundation.” August 20, 2021. Accessed March 12, 2022. https://marketing.aefonline.org/acton/attachment/9733/f-01ba/1/-/-/-/-/AEF%20Granting%20Policy%20Statement.pdf.
  26. “Granting Policy.” American Endowment Foundation.” August 20, 2021. Accessed March 12, 2022. https://marketing.aefonline.org/acton/attachment/9733/f-01ba/1/-/-/-/-/AEF%20Granting%20Policy%20Statement.pdf
  27. “American Endowment Foundation.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2020. Schedule I. https://marketing.aefonline.org/acton/attachment/9733/f-9766235f-c11f-4398-8bec-2acf6727a2a2/1/-/-/-/-/2020%20AEF%20Form%20990.pdf.
  28.  “American Endowment Foundation.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2020. Schedule I. https://marketing.aefonline.org/acton/attachment/9733/f-9766235f-c11f-4398-8bec-2acf6727a2a2/1/-/-/-/-/2020%20AEF%20Form%20990.pdf.
  29. “American Endowment Foundation.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2020. Schedule I. https://marketing.aefonline.org/acton/attachment/9733/f-9766235f-c11f-4398-8bec-2acf6727a2a2/1/-/-/-/-/2020%20AEF%20Form%20990.pdf.
  30. “American Endowment Foundation.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2020. Schedule I. https://marketing.aefonline.org/acton/attachment/9733/f-9766235f-c11f-4398-8bec-2acf6727a2a2/1/-/-/-/-/2020%20AEF%20Form%20990.pdf.
  31. “American Endowment Foundation.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2020. https://marketing.aefonline.org/acton/attachment/9733/f-9766235f-c11f-4398-8bec-2acf6727a2a2/1/-/-/-/-/2020%20AEF%20Form%20990.pdf.
  32. “American Endowment Foundation.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2020. https://marketing.aefonline.org/acton/attachment/9733/f-9766235f-c11f-4398-8bec-2acf6727a2a2/1/-/-/-/-/2020%20AEF%20Form%20990.pdf.
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Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: December - November
  • Tax Exemption Received: January 1, 1994

    • Available Filings

    Period Form Type Total revenue Total functional expenses Total assets (EOY) Total liabilities (EOY) Unrelated business income? Total contributions Program service revenue Investment income Comp. of current officers, directors, etc. Form 990
    2021 Dec Form 990 $2,685,508,863 $809,660,191 $7,068,290,344 $1,758,799 Y $2,573,664,847 $0 $110,706,642 $2,190,936
    2020 Dec Form 990 $1,389,746,945 $536,804,308 $4,667,674,302 $4,794,361 N $1,317,988,539 $0 $71,339,965 $2,017,120
    2019 Dec Form 990 $959,495,885 $424,614,494 $3,480,736,124 $7,173,036 Y $887,002,675 $0 $72,198,064 $1,766,134 PDF
    2018 Dec Form 990 $1,135,358,730 $360,182,285 $2,631,995,991 $6,144,544 Y $1,076,612,424 $0 $58,458,875 $1,211,184 PDF
    2017 Dec Form 990 $726,359,068 $323,184,822 $2,001,944,686 $570,546 Y $684,021,820 $0 $41,870,913 $954,842 PDF
    2016 Dec Form 990 $848,234,824 $498,658,400 $1,464,671,815 $23,935,765 Y $824,956,056 $0 $22,954,940 $1,081,789 PDF
    2015 Dec Form 990 $640,569,300 $305,460,626 $1,038,319,893 $5,155,206 Y $621,612,152 $0 $18,840,695 $844,731 PDF
    2014 Dec Form 990 $418,877,528 $150,336,154 $748,013,762 $1,475,722 Y $402,040,733 $0 $16,590,942 $798,894 PDF
    2013 Dec Form 990 $158,993,254 $64,403,975 $461,589,826 $941,257 Y $148,856,059 $0 $10,144,564 $567,383 PDF
    2012 Dec Form 990 $133,686,889 $47,218,366 $329,375,167 $182,035 Y $126,754,726 $0 $6,868,752 $798,083 PDF
    2011 Dec Form 990 $68,462,985 $26,284,271 $226,715,947 $383,784 Y $62,531,473 $0 $5,874,760 $581,746 PDF

    Additional Filings (PDFs)

    American Endowment Foundation (AEF)

    5700 DARROW RD 118
    Hudson, OH 44236