The Harman Family Foundation (also known as Harman Cain Family Foundation) is a grantmaking foundation that primarily funds education, arts, and youth organizations in Washington, D.C. and New York City. ¹

The Harman Family Foundation was one of 74 signatories to the Election Day to Every Day (EDED) pledge, a coalition of left-of-center grantmakers to support election security efforts after the 2024 election. EDED was launched in November 2024 by Democracy Fund, which is funded by Pierre Omidyar. ^{2 3}

Background

The Harman Family Foundation is a grantmaking foundation that primarily funds education, arts, and other youth organizations in Washington, D.C. and New York City. ¹

The Harman Family Foundation is officially registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as the Harman Cain Family Foundation, which is confirmed by the latter’s address on its tax return matching the former’s address listed on its website. ^{4 5}

The organization was founded by Sidney Harman, who died in 2011. He founded and worked as chairman of Harman International Industries, a manufacturer of audio products. Harman was a trustee of both the Aspen Institute and the Shakespeare Theatre and a trustee emeritus of the Carter Center. He purchased Newsweek in 2010 and merged it with the Daily Beast. ⁶

Activities

The Harman Family Foundation seeks to improve educational opportunities for underprivileged youths up to age 26. It directly funds education and arts initiatives as well as community-based nonprofits and other philanthropic endeavors. It runs a “capacity building” fund called Spur Local, which has raised $57 million on behalf of local nonprofits since 2003 and has trained over 20,000 nonprofit professionals through its programs. ^{1 7}

Its “Emerging Challenges Fund” is dedicated to addressing “social issues” the board deems of importance, such as “LGBTQ+ rights, reproductive freedom, immigrants’ rights, and oppression abroad and at home.” ¹

The Harman Family Foundation was one of 74 signatories to the Election Day to Every Day (EDED) pledge, a coalition of left-of-center grantmakers to support election security efforts after the 2024 election. EDED was launched in November 2024 by Democracy Fund, which is funded by Pierre Omidyar. ^{2 3}

Financials

In 2022, the Harman Family Foundation generated revenues of $70,218, total expenses of $230,684, and had net assets of $2,187,506. ⁸

Grantmaking

In order to request funding from the Harman Family Foundation, an organization must first submit a letter of intent. Organizations are invited to apply for a grant only after Harman approves of the letter of intent. All Emerging Challenges Fund grantees are invite-only by the board, meaning these grantees are specifically chosen by the organization’s leadership. ¹

In 2022, its recipients included the Accion Opportunity Fund, the Potomac Conservancy, and Building Bridges Across the River. ⁹

In 2021, its recipients included LGBT group Casa Ruby, LGBT family group Rainbow Families, feminist group HER Resilience Center, and illegal immigrant welfare group Liberty’s Promise. ¹⁰

Leadership

As of 2024, Jane Harman was serving as president of the Harman Family Founding. She was elected to serve in the U.S. Congress representing a Los Angeles area district in 1992, and she was re-elected at each election between 1994 and 2008 except 1998. During her tenure, she served as a senior member of the Homeland Security Committee and was often critical of the George W. Bush administration’s foreign and legal policies. She left the U.S. Congress in 2011 to become the president and chief executive officer of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. She had previously served as a lawyer in the Carter administration. ⁶

Laurel Dumont, a consultant for Intentional Philanthropy, is the director of the Harman Foundation’s New York grantmaking fund. ⁶

Barbara Harman serves as the executive director of the organization and created Spur Local (originally named Catalogue for Philanthropy). She sits on the boards of Spur Local, the Shakespeare Theatre Company, and the Sltar Arts Center. ⁶

1. “Harman Family Foundation.” Harman Foundation. Accessed December 8, 2024. https://harman-foundation.org/.
2. “Letters and Signers.” Election Day to Every Day. Accessed December 8, 2024. https://www.electionday-everyday.org/letter-and-signers/.
3. Chambers, Laura M. “Sustaining Democracy Beyond Election Day: The “Election Day to Every Day” Campaign.” ABFE.org, November 5, 2024. Accessed December 8, 2024. https://www.abfe.org/blog/sustaining-democracy-beyond-election-day-election-day-every-day-campaign.
4. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Harman Cain Family Foundation. 2022. Box C.
5. “Contact Us.” Harman Family Foundation. Accessed December 8, 2024. https://harman-foundation.org/contact-us/.
6. “Bios.” Harman Family Foundation. Accessed December 8, 2024. https://harman-foundation.org/bios/#jane.
7. “Spur Local.” Spur Local. Accessed December 8, 2024. https://spurlocal.org/cfpdc/index.php.
8. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Harman Cain Family Foundation. 2022. Part I – lines 12 and 26. Part II – line 29.
9. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Harman Cain Family Foundation. 2022. Part XIV, 3 – Grants and Contributions.
10. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Harman Cain Family Foundation. 2021. Part XIV, 3 – Grants and Contributions.