The Mize Family Foundation is a left-of-center grantmaking foundation based in Seattle, Washington that funds various environmentalist causes and organizations, with a focus on supporting organizations in the United States and sub-Saharan Africa. The foundation is led by Anne Mize, a writer and nonprofit consultant, and members of her family.

The group has a stated commitment to the promotion of “diversity, social justice, and gender equality” within the organizations it funds. Organizations funded by the foundation include the Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide, First Peoples Fund, and the Green Leadership Trust. ^{1 2 3}

Background

The Mize Family Foundation was founded in 2010 with the purpose of supporting organizations promoting global environmentalist policies and practices with an emphasis on “climate justice” and “building a sense of urgency around the impacts of climate change on human and wildlife communities.” ^{4 5}

The foundation’s grants include focus areas of innovative media, leadership development, and community empowerment. The foundation opposes the use of conventional fuels and endorses a full divestment from conventional fuels as a member of the Divest-Invest Philanthropy Campaign. The campaign includes over 200 foundations that have pledged to move their assets away from conventional energy companies’ stock and investments. ^{6 7}

Activities

The Mize Family Foundation controlled $719,000 in assets at the end of 2022, bringing in $286,000 in funding. Of the organization’s stated $302,000 in expenses, over $294,000 were in the form of charitable disbursements. ^{8 9}  

The foundation funds left-of-center environmental groups including advocacy and programming organizations focused on the US and abroad, with an emphasis on sub-Saharan Africa as well the United States. Grants from the foundation typically range from $10,000 to $25,000 and the foundation largely funds the same organizations year over year, adding only one new grantee in 2022. ^{10 11}

Grantmaking

Organizations funded by the Mize Family Foundation include the Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide, First Peoples Fund, Frida, Front Line USA Foundation, the Global Press Institute, Thousand Currents, Urgent Action Fund for Women’s Human Rights, African Women’s Alliance, the Global Fund for Women, the New Venture Fund, Undocublack Network, Partnership Project, and Community Initiatives. ¹²

The foundation highlights grantees on its website, explaining the work the organizations do, such as indicating that FRIDA | The Young Feminist Fund supports “global young feminist activism to advance social justice movements and agendas,” and WoMin “is an African gender and extractives alliance, which works alongside national and regional movements.” ¹³

Leadership

Anne Mize is the sole funder of the Mize Family Foundation, according to its tax returns. Mize is described as a nonprofit consultant and philanthropist who has worked extensively in sub-Saharan Africa. A psychologist, her Ph.D. dissertation was “on the relationship between children’s spirituality and their connection with the natural world.” She has served on the boards of Wildlife Media, the Earthjustice Council, Progressive Animal Welfare Society, and African Wildlife Foundation. ¹⁴

Katrin Wilde, the executive director of the Channel Foundation, is also listed as member of the Mize Family Foundation leadership. Wilde co-founded the Northwest Global Donors Exchange (NW-GDX), and has served on the Advisory Board of the Center for Human Rights at the University of Washington, and the Philanthropy Council of the Global Fund for Women. ¹⁵

1. ^[1] “2022 Grantees.” Mize Family Foundation. Accessed March 9, 2024. https://www.mizefamilyfoundation.org/2022-grantees
2. “Home.” Mize Family Foundation. Accessed March 9, 2024. https://www.mizefamilyfoundation.org/
3. “Who We Are.” Mize Family Foundation. Accessed March 9, 2024.  https://www.mizefamilyfoundation.org/who-we-are
4. “Mize Family Foundation.” Inside Philanthropy. Accessed March 9, 2024. https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/m-grants/mize-family-foundation
5. “Home.” Mize Family Foundation. Accessed March 9, 2024. https://www.mizefamilyfoundation.org/
6. “Philanthropy Need Not Sacrifice Value for Values.” Divest Invest. June 23, 2020. Accessed March 9, 2024. https://divestinvest.org/philanthropy-need-not-sacrifice-value-values/
7. “Who We Are.” Mize Family Foundation. Accessed March 9, 2024.  https://www.mizefamilyfoundation.org/who-we-are
8. “Mize Family Foundation.” Nonprofit Explorer. March 9, 2024. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/271374636
9. “2022 Grantees.” Mize Family Foundation. Accessed March 9, 2024. https://www.mizefamilyfoundation.org/2022-grantees
10. ^[1] “Mize Family Foundation.” Nonprofit Explorer. March 9, 2024. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/271374636
11. “2022 Grantees.” Mize Family Foundation. Accessed March 9, 2024. https://www.mizefamilyfoundation.org/2022-grantees
12. Return of Private Foundation (Form 990). Mize Family Foundation. 2022. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/271374636/202311359349103561/full
13. “2022 Grantees.” Mize Family Foundation. Accessed March 9, 2024. https://www.mizefamilyfoundation.org/2022-grantees
14. “Who We Are.” Mize Family Foundation. Accessed March 9, 2024.  https://www.mizefamilyfoundation.org/who-we-are
15. “Who We Are.” Mize Family Foundation. Accessed March 9, 2024.  https://www.mizefamilyfoundation.org/who-we-are