The Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation is a nonprofit confronting different forms of violence. It sponsors academic research on the causes and manifestations of war, terrorism, crime, domestic abuse, resource extraction, political extremism, and religious conflict. ¹

It offers research grants and fellowships in the field of natural and social sciences. The bulk of its research surrounds history, political science, international affairs, economics, anthropology, and sociology. The grant award ranges from $15,000 to $45,000. ² It holds annual conferences and seminars. The Harry Frank Guggenheim symposium on crime in America at John Jay College of Criminal Justice is its largest annual conference. ³

It was founded in 1929 by diplomat, businessman, and philanthropist Harry Frank Guggenheim. It is led by Daniel F. Wilhelm, who was appointed eighth president of the Foundation in 2017. ⁴

Finances

The Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation had total revenues of $8.82 million and total expenses of $3.69 million with $82.5 million in total assets in 2021. ⁵

Its primary source of revenue is the sale of non-inventory assets, totaling $5.59 million in 2021. ⁶

Grantmaking is the Foundation’s largest expense, at $979,986 in 2021. ⁷

Background

The Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation founded in 1929 by Harry Frank Guggenheim. It is based in New York City and was originally focused on the evolutionary roots of human aggression. ⁸

Over the last 50 years, it has changed its focus towards the study of civil and interpersonal violence. It funds academic research into the causes and amelioration of violence in the realm of war, terrorism, crime, family, ethnicity, religion, and politics. ⁹

Harry F. Guggenheim

Harry F. Guggenheim was a diplomat, businessman, philanthropist, horse racer, aviator, and publisher. He was born into a wealthy mining family in 1890. ¹⁰

Guggenheim served in both World War I and World War II as a naval aviator. He was passionate about aviation and established the first Guggenheim School of Aeronautics at New York University in 1925. He became president of the $3 million Daniel Guggenheim Fund for the Promotion of Aeronautics in 1926. For his contributions, he is enshrined in the National Aviation Hall of Fame. ¹¹

He was U.S. Ambassador to Cuba from 1929 until his resignation in 1933. He served on the National Advisory Committee of Aeronautics until 1938. ¹²

Guggenheim founded the newspaper Newsday in 1940. It was the seventh largest evening paper with a circulation of over 450,000. Newsday received the Pulitzer Prize in 1954. ¹³

His uncle, Solomon R. Guggenheim, established the Guggenheim Museum in New York City. The museum is a UNESCO World Heritage Site part of the 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright. ¹⁴

Grantmaking

The Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation has spent $979,986 for grants and fellowships in 2021. ¹⁵ Funding is concentrated in the fields of natural and social science. There is no citizenship or degree requirement for most awards. The award sum ranges from $15,000 to $45,000. ¹⁶

Partnership

The Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation works with academic institutions such as John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York. It hosts the annual Harry Frank Guggenheim Symposium on Crime in America, a two-day gathering of researchers and policymakers in the U.S. justice system. ¹⁷ It also partners with the Center for Evidence-Based Crime Policy at George Mason University, which briefs members of Congress regarding research on violence and crime. ¹⁸

The group receives support from private Grantmakers such as Arnold Ventures, the MacArthur Foundation, and the David Rockefeller Fund. It also partners with think tanks such as the RAND Corporation. ¹⁹

Leadership

Daniel F. Wilhelm became president of the Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation in 2017. ²⁰ Wilhelm is an attorney specializing in justice-reform strategies. In 2000-2001, he clerked for Frederic Block, District Court Judge for the Eastern District of New York. ²¹

He held advisory roles at nonprofits such as the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law. ²² Wilhelm was vice president at Fleishman-Hillard from 1989 through 1992. He was also vice president and chief program officer at the left-of-center advocacy group Vera Institute of Justice in New York from 2007-2015. ²³

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16. “Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation Programs.” ARMACAD. https://armacad.info/harry-frank-guggenheim-foundation-programs.
17. “The John Jay/Harry Frank Guggenheim Symposium on Crime in America Convened for the 13th Year.” John Jay College of Criminal Justice, March 5, 2018. https://www.jjay.cuny.edu/news/john-jayharry-frank-guggenheim-symposium-crime-america-convened-13th-year.
18. “Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation Programs.” HFG, September 22, 2023. https://www.hfg.org/programs/.
19. “Our Work.” HFG, September 22, 2023. https://www.hfg.org/our-work/.
20. Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation names Daniel F. Wilhelm president. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/harry-frank-guggenheim-foundation-names-daniel-f-wilhelm-president-300468277.html.
21. “Alumni Q&A: Where Are They Now? Daniel F. Wilhelm, New York Alum.” Sidley Austin LLP.https://www.sidley.com/en/us/sidley-pages/conversations/alumni-qa-daniel-wilhelm/.
22. People in the news (09/17/2023): Appointments, promotions, obituaries. https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/people-in-the-news-09-17-2023-appointments-promotions-obituaries.
23. Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation names Daniel F. Wilhelm president. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/harry-frank-guggenheim-foundation-names-daniel-f-wilhelm-president-300468277.html.