The MacMillan Family Foundation (officially known as The Macmillan Family Foundation Inc.) is a grantmaking foundation focused on “cancer and medical research, education, and the arts.” ¹ The Foundation also gives to some left-of-center organizations, such as the Robin Hood Foundation and Dorrance Dance.

Background

The MacMillan Family Foundation was founded in 2003 by Duncan and Nancy MacMillan, two signatories of the Giving Pledge in 2010 who have proclaimed their intention to give away most of their wealth. Duncan works as chairman of the foundation, and Nancy is its president. ^{2 3}

Duncan MacMillan is a founding partner of Bloomberg L.P. In 1981, MacMillan left Saloman Brothers with future New York City Mayor and 2020 Democratic presidential primary candidate Michael Bloomberg to found the company; MacMillan is credited with designing the company’s computer systems. According to Forbes, MacMillan became a billionaire in 2018 due to the rising value of Bloomberg L.P. As of January 2024, MacMillan has an estimated net-worth of $1.7 billion. ^{4 5}

Duncan and Nancy’s children, Kevin and Alissa MacMillan, are the secretary and director of the Foundation respectively. ⁶

Leadership

Arlene Shuler became the MacMillan Family Foundation’s first executive director in August 2022. ⁷ Shuler previously worked as executive director of the Howard Gilman Foundation, deputy director of the Wallace Funds, president of General Atlantic Partners Foundation, and vice president of Atlantic Philanthropic Service Company. Shuler was previously the president and chief executive officer of the New York City Center, a prestigious theater organization, and was vice president of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. Shuler is on the board of the George Balanchine Foundation. ⁸ According to MacMillan Foundation’s 2022 tax returns, in addition to making a salary of over $150,000 from the Foundation, Shuler was also paid over $53,000 as an independent contractor for “grant operations and administration.” ⁹

Sophie Andreassi has worked at the Foundation since July 2021, and has been the Foundation’s senior program associate and grants administrator since October 2023. Andreassi previously worked as a managing director at Susan Marshal and Company, a choreography company. ^{10 11}

Grantmaking

Most of the MacMillan Family Foundation’s grants are given to philanthropic organizations focused on education, scientific research, art, poverty relief, or medical care based in or around New York City. For instance, in 2022, the Foundation gave to the New York Genome Center, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Michael J. Fox Foundation of Parkinson’s Research, the Lower East Side Tenement Museum, the Classical Theater of Harlem, and the Food Bank for NYC. The largest donation, of over $5 million, was to the Rutgers University Foundation for cancer research. Duncan MacMillan is an alumnus of Rutgers. ¹²

The Foundation also gives grants to some organizations that support left-of-center political goals. In 2022, the Foundation gave $70,000 to Dorrance Dance, $50,000 to the New Venture Fund, $25,000 to the Education Law Center, and $15,000 to the Robin Hood Foundation. ¹³ Dorrance Dance and the Education Law Center also received grants in 2021. ¹⁴

In 2020, the Foundation gave $20,000 to the environmentalist Rocky Mountain Institute. ¹⁵

In January 2023, the New York Genome Center, a long-term recipient of the Foundation, launched the MacMillan Center for the Study of the Non-Coding Cancer Genome. ¹⁶

1. “Homepage.” MacMillan Family Foundation. Accessed January 30, 2024. https://www.macmillanff.org/.
2. “Homepage.” MacMillan Family Foundation. Accessed January 30, 2024. https://www.macmillanff.org/.
3. Berg, Madeline. “Meet the Newest Billionaire To Mint His Fortune At Bloomberg LP.” Forbes. March 8, 2018. Accessed January 30, 2024. https://www.forbes.com/sites/maddieberg/2018/03/08/meet-the-newest-billionaire-to-mint-his-fortune-at-bloomberg-lp/?sh=658ecee523d2.
4. “Duncan MacMillan Family Foundation.” Forbes. Accessed January 30, 2024. https://www.forbes.com/profile/duncan-macmillan/?sh=2bfca62647ec.
5. Berg, Madeline. “Meet the Newest Billionaire To Mint His Fortune At Bloomberg LP.” Forbes. March 8, 2018. Accessed January 30, 2024. https://www.forbes.com/sites/maddieberg/2018/03/08/meet-the-newest-billionaire-to-mint-his-fortune-at-bloomberg-lp/?sh=658ecee523d2.
6. “The@MacMillan Family Foundation Form 990.” ProPublica. Accessed January 30, 2024. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/481286405/202323199349106917/full.
7. “Homepage.” MacMillan Family Foundation. Accessed January 30, 2024. https://www.macmillanff.org/.
8. “Arlene Shuler.” Rockefeller Brothers Fund. Accessed January 30, 2024. https://www.rbf.org/people/arlene-shuler.
9. “The@MacMillan Family Foundation Form 990.” ProPublica. Accessed January 30, 2024. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/481286405/202323199349106917/full.
10. “Sophie Andreassi.” LinkedIn. Accessed January 30, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophie-andreassi-2a2884b5/.
11. “The@MacMillan Family Foundation Form 990.” ProPublica. Accessed January 30, 2024. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/481286405/202323199349106917/full.
12. “The@MacMillan Family Foundation Form 990.” ProPublica. Accessed January 30, 2024. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/481286405/202323199349106917/full.
13.  “The@MacMillan Family Foundation Form 990.” ProPublica. Accessed January 30, 2024. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/481286405/202323199349106917/full.
14. “The@MacMillan Family Foundation Form 990.” ProPublica. Accessed January 30, 2024.  https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/481286405/202233189349104508/full.
15. “The@MacMillan Family Foundation Form 990.” ProPublica. Accessed January 30, 2024.  https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/481286405/202143579349100504/full.
16. “The New York Genome Center Launches the MacMillan Center for the Study of the Non-Coding Cancer Genome.” PR Newswire. January 19, 2023. Accessed January 30, 2024. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-new-york-genome-center-launches-the-macmillan-center-for-the-study-of-the-non-coding-cancer-genome-301726005.html.