The Embrey Family Foundation is a Dallas, Texas-based private grantmaking foundation which finances many left-of-center causes and organizations. The foundation also finances gender studies college courses and other scholarships for women.

The foundation makes most of its grants to Texas-based causes and groups. It has made grants in the Roaring Fork and Grand Valley areas of Colorado and to national organizations and projects, but as of 2019, it is only currently accepting grant proposals from Texas-based groups and projects. ¹

The areas that the foundation is making grants towards are advocacy, racial and gender equity, human rights awareness, politically interested arts projects, social justice, and collaborative connections. In addition to making grants, the Embrey Foundation also invests in documentary films and companies that promote its views. ²

The foundation was founded in 2004 and plans on ceasing operations in 5-7 years as of 2018. ³

Ideology

In 2016, foundation board chair Lauren Embrey wrote about her beliefs in structural sexism. “Texan women began to join the conversation in the wider U.S. women’s movement, which was shifting from a focus on providing social services for women to addressing such problems as the feminization of poverty and the violence that women face,” Embrey wrote. “These discussions were about how to dismantle the cultural and economic structures that limit women’s prosperity.” ⁴

Embrey also decried alleged sexist double standards that women face when campaigning. Finally, in the op-ed she praised then-Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton as an example a success against sexism. ⁵

In 2018, foundation officer Diane Hosey wrote an op-ed for the left-wing National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy titled “Reckoning with Racial Terrorism and White Culture: A Family Foundation’s Journey”. The op-ed tries to explain how Hosey and Lauren Embrey work to overcome working in a “white, privileged family foundation.”⁶

“Acts of racial terrorism like these against Black people have been created and sustained by white culture,” Hosey wrote. ⁷ Hosey also recommended philanthropists take a “pilgrimage” to the Legacy Museum and National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Alabama.

Hosey also tried to portray an America where racism was thriving. “If we continue to be “blinded by our white” and don’t own what is happening now in the U.S., it will continue to fester. We have the power to do right.” Hosey wrote. ⁸

Funding Planned Parenthood

The foundation is a funder of Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas. The foundation began funding Planned Parenthood in 2009. Lauren Embrey has also lobbied for continued state support for Planned Parenthood, even quoting the Bible: “The Proverbs tell us to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves. This is why The Embrey Family Foundation began funding Planned Parenthood in 2009,” Embrey wrote. ⁹

Embrey justified the continued support of Planned Parenthood by both her foundation and the state of Texas as helping the marginalized. “Supporting Planned Parenthood is about helping thousands of low-income Texans who depend on the organization’s health care. It is about educating the marginalized and bringing healing to the hurting. It is an honorable legacy we are proud to stand behind,” Embrey wrote. ¹⁰

Women’s Studies

The foundation is a strong supporter of women’s studies programs at universities. In 2013, the foundation awarded a $680,890 grant to the University of Texas to bolster research, teaching, and outreach efforts in the university’s Center for Women’s and Gender Studies. It also created a professorship focusing on human rights. The grant was also used to fund a program that helps young women to develop performances based on left-wing themes. It also promotes left-wing outreach to students and the community. ¹¹

A $450,000 grant in 2010 established the Women’s Human Rights Initiative, which promotes left-wing viewpoints to women’s issues. A $100,200 grant in 2011 provided funds to study alleged underrepresentation of women in Texas politics. ¹²

Immigration

The foundation has come out against immigration restrictions promoted by the Trump administration. A group called Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees put out a statement opposing the Trump administration’s policies towards immigration. ¹³

Lauren Embrey signed the document on behalf of the foundation. She was joined by numerous left-wing foundations including the Open Society Foundations, ¹⁴ Ben & Jerry’s Foundation, ¹⁵ Center for Arab-American Philanthropy, ¹⁶ the Democracy Fund, ¹⁷ Ford Foundation, ¹⁸ and Fund for Democratic Communities. ¹⁹

Leadership

The foundation has a five person team serving on its board of directors. The chair is Lauren Embrey, a member of the Clinton Global Initiative. ²⁰ Lauren is one of the two daughters of J. Lindsey Embrey, an entrepreneur who established the foundation in 2004. Lauren is also the philanthropic vision of the foundation. She serves on various boards and chairs Embrey Interests, Ltd. and is associated with the Women’s Media Center and Women Moving Millions. ²¹

The vice chair is Gayle Embrey, the other daughter of J. Lindsey. Gayle is a filmmaker, artist, and former licensed counselor from Colorado. She served as the second president of the foundation serving from 2005-2008. Gayle serves as CEO of Embrey Interests, a real estate company in Dallas. Gayle is also a documentary filmmaker. ²²

Mike Magers serves as the secretary and treasurer. Jeffrey Harwell, Jr. and James Lindsay Harwell both serve as directors. ²³

The three-person staff consists of Lauren Embrey, Diane Hosey, who does philanthropic outreach, and Sallie Beck, who does philanthropic analysis. ²⁴

Funding

According to the Embrey Family Foundation’s 2015 IRS filing (Form 990), the foundation raised $6.1 million in revenue and reported $5.2 million in expenses. ²⁵

The foundation paid out $3.6 million in grants. ²⁶ Most of the grants were used to support various local projects. Left-wing judicial policy group Alliance for Justice received a $25,000 grant from the foundation and the Democratic Party-aligned think tank Center for American Progress got a $244,500 grant. ²⁷

Since 2004, the Embry Family Foundation has given roughly $42.76 million in donations and grants to various causes within the state of Texas, Colorado, and throughout the United States. The largest amount of donations, $14.5 million, went towards the Foundation’s Mission Without Borders, a campaign started in 2008 meant to “catalyze real systemic change to counter injustices with dire consequences to our society and its members.” ^{28 29}

1. “Guidelines”. 2019. Embrey Family Foundation. Accessed January 28. http://embreyfdn.org/granting-guidelines/.
2.    “Impact Themes & Where We Are Today”. 2019. Embrey Family Foundation. Accessed January 28. http://embreyfdn.org/impact-investing/themes/.
3. Hosey, Diane. 2018. “Reckoning With Racial Terrorism And White Culture: A Family Foundation’s Journey”. National Committee For Responsive Philanthropy. https://www.ncrp.org/2018/06/reckoning-with-racial-terrorism-and-white-culture-a-family-foundations-journey.html.
4. Embrey, Lauren. 2016. “‘My Passion, My Philanthropy:’ Lauren Embrey On Giving Bold And ‘Now’”. Women’s Enews. https://womensenews.org/2016/08/my-passion-my-philanthropy-lauren-embrey-on-giving-bold-and-now/.
5. Embrey, Lauren. 2016. “‘My Passion, My Philanthropy:’ Lauren Embrey On Giving Bold And ‘Now’”. Women’s Enews. https://womensenews.org/2016/08/my-passion-my-philanthropy-lauren-embrey-on-giving-bold-and-now/.
6. Hosey, Diane. 2018. “Reckoning With Racial Terrorism And White Culture: A Family Foundation’S Journey”. National Committee For Responsive Philanthropy. https://www.ncrp.org/2018/06/reckoning-with-racial-terrorism-and-white-culture-a-family-foundations-journey.html.
7. Hosey, Diane. 2018. “Reckoning With Racial Terrorism And White Culture: A Family Foundation’S Journey”. National Committee For Responsive Philanthropy. https://www.ncrp.org/2018/06/reckoning-with-racial-terrorism-and-white-culture-a-family-foundations-journey.html.
8. Hosey, Diane. 2018. “Reckoning With Racial Terrorism And White Culture: A Family Foundation’S Journey”. National Committee For Responsive Philanthropy. https://www.ncrp.org/2018/06/reckoning-with-racial-terrorism-and-white-culture-a-family-foundations-journey.html.
9. Embrey, Lauren. 2015. “Why Texas Needs Planned Parenthood”. Tribtalk. https://www.tribtalk.org/2015/10/30/why-texas-needs-planned-parenthood/.
10. Embrey, Lauren. 2015. “Why Texas Needs Planned Parenthood”. Tribtalk. https://www.tribtalk.org/2015/10/30/why-texas-needs-planned-parenthood/.
11. “Embrey Family Foundation Grant To Establish Women’s & Gender Studies Professorship”. 2013. UT News. https://news.utexas.edu/2013/09/04/embrey-family-foundation-grant-to-establish-womens-gender-studies-professorship/.
12. “Embrey Family Foundation Grant To Establish Women’s & Gender Studies Professorship”. 2013. UT News. https://news.utexas.edu/2013/09/04/embrey-family-foundation-grant-to-establish-womens-gender-studies-professorship/.
13. “Joint Foundation Statement On Immigration”. 2019. California Community Foundation. Accessed January 28. https://www.calfund.org/joint-foundation-statement-immigration/.
14. “Joint Foundation Statement On Immigration”. 2019. California Community Foundation. Accessed January 28. https://www.calfund.org/joint-foundation-statement-immigration/.
15. “Joint Foundation Statement On Immigration”. 2019. California Community Foundation. Accessed January 28. https://www.calfund.org/joint-foundation-statement-immigration/.
16. “Joint Foundation Statement On Immigration”. 2019. California Community Foundation. Accessed January 28. https://www.calfund.org/joint-foundation-statement-immigration/.
17. “Joint Foundation Statement On Immigration”. 2019. California Community Foundation. Accessed January 28. https://www.calfund.org/joint-foundation-statement-immigration/.
18. “Joint Foundation Statement On Immigration”. 2019. California Community Foundation. Accessed January 28. https://www.calfund.org/joint-foundation-statement-immigration/.
19. “Joint Foundation Statement On Immigration”. 2019. California Community Foundation. Accessed January 28. https://www.calfund.org/joint-foundation-statement-immigration/.
20.  “Organizational History”. 2019. Embrey Family Foundation. Accessed January 28, 2019. http://embreyfdn.org/history/.
21.  “Organizational History”. 2019. Embrey Family Foundation. Accessed January 28, 2019. http://embreyfdn.org/history/.
22. “Organizational History”. 2019. Embrey Family Foundation. Accessed January 28, 2019. http://embreyfdn.org/history/.
23. “Board Of Directors & Team”. 2019. Embrey Family Foundation. Accessed January 28. http://embreyfdn.org/our-team/.
24. “Board Of Directors & Team”. 2019. Embrey Family Foundation. Accessed January 28. http://embreyfdn.org/our-team/.
25. Embrey Family Foundation, Return of a Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2015.
26. Embrey Family Foundation, Return of a Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2015.
27. Embrey Family Foundation, Return of a Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2015.
28. “Grant History-Mission Without Borders.” Embrey Family Foundation, Accessed December 1, 2022. https://embreyfdn.org/granting/data/mwb/
29. “Grant History.” Embrey Family Foundation, Accessed December 1, 2022. https://embreyfdn.org/granting/data/