Muriel Pollia Foundation

The Muriel Pollia Foundation is a left-of-center private foundation based in Los Angeles, California. The foundation focuses on LGBT issues, gun control, and other left-liberal social policy projects. The foundation’s vice president, Michael B. Keegan, is the president of People for the American Way (PFAW), an advocacy organization founded by Hollywood writer Norman Lear, and is the co-founder of Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD). 1 The foundation has assets in excess of $10 million, and donates more than $300,000 annually. 2

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At-A-Glance

Type: Non-profit, 501(c)(3), Private Foundation
Issue Areas: Multi-Issue Advocacy
Formation:

1987

President:

Jerry D. Luedders

President’s Compensation:

Gross Salary: $27,600 3

Vice President:

Michael B. Keegan

Location: Hollywood, CA View on map
Tax ID: 95-4111302
Most Recent Filing: 2025
Budget (2025): Assets: $31,304,488 Revenue: $1,777,702 Expenses: $1,552,991

Contents

    Funding Activities

    The Muriel Pollia Foundation supports a number of left-of-center advocacy organizations. In total, the foundation made $266,500 in grants in 2016. 4

    Notable liberal advocacy groups receiving grants from the foundation include People for the American Way Foundation, Voces de la Frontera, the Dolores Huerta Foundation, and Mi Familia Vota. 5

    People

    Michael B. Keegan is the vice president of the Muriel Pollia Foundation. He is the president of People for the American Way (PFAW), a social-liberal advocacy organization that monitors right-of-center activities, and advocates for a left-of-center policy agenda. 6 PFAW’s policy positions oppose Republican political priorities and judicial appointments. 7 PFAW has given out nearly $1.7 million in political contributions to Democratic candidates and causes through its affiliated PAC. 8

    Michael B. Keegan is also the cofounder of Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD). 1 Originally founded as a media monitoring organization with the purpose of condemning anti-LGBT content and increasing LGBT inclusion in the entertainment industry, GLAAD is now working to build support for a constitutional amendment that explicitly protects LGBT people from discrimination. 9

    Jay Rodriguez is the chairman of the board of the Muriel Pollia Foundation. He is a former vice president at NBC in Los Angeles, a former chair of the Greater Los Angeles American Red Cross, and has served on the National Board of Governors for the American Red Cross. He is a past president of the Greater Los Angeles Press Club, and a board member emeritus of University of La Verne. 10

    Financial Statistics

    Total Assets

    Total Revenue

    Total Expenses

    YearTotal AssetsTotal RevenueTotal ExpensesFiling
    2025 $31,304,488 $1,777,702 $1,552,991 View
    2024 $27,390,029 $1,617,719 $1,356,624 View
    2023 $25,017,340 $1,514,209 $1,144,500 View
    2022 $17,115,538 $1,645,923 $1,067,760 View
    2021 $16,717,300 $943,072 $708,661 View

    Prior year filings: 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012

    Expenses Detail

    Employee Compensation

    Highest Earning Employees

    EmployeeTitleTotal Compensation
    Michael B KeeganCHAIRMAN-PRESIDENT$120,000
    Colleen M KeeganVICE CHAIR-VICE PRESIDENT$120,000

    Grant Activity

    All-time grants given statistics from Candid dataset:

    • Total Grant Value: $4,578,844
    • Number of Grants: 315
    • Number of Recipients: 124

    Selection of highest value grants given from the last seven years:

    AmountYearFunderSubject
    $175,0002025 People for the American WayGENERAL FUND GRANT
    $100,0002025 Vanderbilt UniversityFUNDING FOR INNOVATIVE AND CREATIVE PROJECTS
    $100,0002024 Labor Day LA FoundationGENERAL FUND GRANT
    $100,0002024 Vanderbilt UniversityFUNDING FOR INNOVATIVE AND CREATIVE PROJECTS
    $100,0002023 Vanderbilt UniversityFUNDING FOR INNOVATIVE AND CREATIVE PROJECTS
    $100,0002022 People for the American WayGENERAL FUND GRANT
    $100,0002022 Vanderbilt UniversityFUNDING FOR INNOVATIVE AND CREATIVE PROJECTS
    $85,0002024 New York Live Arts, Inc.GENERAL FUND GRANT
    $80,0002023 People for the American WayGENERAL FUND GRANT
    $75,0002023 DOLORES C HUERTA FOUNDATIONFUNDING FOR INNOVATIVE AND CREATIVE PROJECTS
    $75,0002021 People for the American WayGENERAL FUND GRANT
    $75,0002020 People for the American WayGENERAL FUND GRANT
    $60,0002025 New York Live Arts, Inc.GENERAL FUND GRANT
    $60,0002023 Labor Day LA FoundationGENERAL FUND GRANT
    $60,0002020 THE LIVING DESERT ZOO AND GARDENSGENERAL FUND GRANT
    $55,0002025 HumanitasGENERAL FUND GRANT
    $53,0002025 Houston Food BankGENERAL FUND
    $52,0002024 HumanitasGENERAL FUND GRANT
    $50,0002024 People for the American WayGENERAL FUND GRANT
    $50,0002023 HumanitasGENERAL FUND GRANT
    $50,0002022 Labor Day LA FoundationGENERAL FUND GRANT
    $50,0002021 PEN AmericaGENERAL FUND GRANT
    $50,0002021 Rothko ChapelGENERAL FUND GRAND
    $47,5002022 New York Live Arts, Inc.GENERAL FUND GRANT
    $45,0002025 CHICAGO THEATRE GROUP INCGENERAL FUND GRANT

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    Financials, employee compensation, and grant information provided by Candid.

    Mentioned in this Article

    References

    1. “Michael Keegan.” People For The American Way. 2019. Accessed August 25, 2019. http://www.pfaw.org/spokespeople/michael-keegan/
    2. The Muriel Pollia Foundation, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2017, Part VX Line 3a
    3. The Muriel Pollia Foundation, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2017, Part VIII Line 1
    4. The Muriel Pollia Foundation, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2016, Part I Line 25
    5. The Muriel Pollia Foundation, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2016, Part XV Line 3
    6. “About Us.” People For The American Way. 2019. Accessed August 25, 2019. http://www.pfaw.org/about-us/
    7. “Trump’s Dangerous Team.” People for the American Way. 2019. Accessed August 30, 2019. http://www.pfaw.org/trumps-dangerous-team/
    8. “People For The American Way.” Opensecrets.org Center for Responsive Politics. Accessed August 30, 2019. https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00331454&cycle=2018
    9. Barnes, Brooks. “Glaad’s Bold New Campaign: an L.G.B.T. Constitutional Amendment.” The New York Times. June 29, 2019. Accessed September 5, 2019. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/29/business/media/glaad-lgbt-constitutional-amendment.html
    10. “Board of Trustees.” University of La Verne. Accessed August 30, 2019. https://laverne.edu/president/trustees/