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Non-profit

Ring Foundation

Location:

Los Angeles, CA
Tax ID:

95-4500900
Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(3)

Budget (2019):

Revenue: $704,227
Expenses: $5,478,892
Assets: $7,454,154
Website:

Not Listed
Formation:

1995
Type:

Grantmaking Organization
President:

Cindy Miscikowski

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The Ring Foundation is a Los Angeles-based grantmaking nonprofit. It has provided six-figure annual grants to left-leaning organizations such as the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund. 1 The Ring Foundation is closely associated with the Ring Group, a Los Angeles real estate firm, with which it shares an office. 2

Background and People

The Ring Foundation is closely associated with the Ring Group, a Los Angeles real estate firm, with which it shares an office. 2 The Ring Group was founded by real estate developer and philanthropist Douglas R. Ring, who died in 2009. 3

Ring’s widow, former Los Angeles City Councilmember Cindy Miscikowski (D), now leads both the Ring Group and the Ring Foundation. 4 5 In addition to her tenure on the city council from 1997-2005, Miscikowski served as president of the Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners from 2009-2013. 6 She has been a six-figure donor to Democratic causes and politicians and gave more than $200,000 to Democratic federal candidates and committees during the 2020 election cycle. 7 Miscikowski is also the 2021-2022 board chair of The Music Center, a performing arts venue. 8

Fred Cowan and Eileen La Russo are listed as the other board members of the Ring Foundation. 4

Besides dividends from investments and the sale of assets, the foundation receives contributions solely from the estate of Norma Ring, mother of the late Douglas Ring. 9

Grantmaking

The Ring Foundation has provided grants to numerous left-leaning policy advocacy nonprofits, giving nearly $1.5 million to these groups in 2018. Total Ring Foundation grants to all nonprofits in 2018 were more than $5.8 million. 1

The Venice Family Clinic received $500,000 from Ring in 2018. In 2018 the CEO of the Venice Family Clinic denounced the Trump administration’s rule that blocked those who receive Title X funds from making abortion referrals. Similarly, Planned Parenthood Los Angeles received a $100,000 grant from Ring in 2018. 10 1

The Western Center on Law and Poverty received $250,000 from Ring in 2018. The Western Center is a left-leaning public interest law firm based in California that supported passage of a 2016 law to increase California’s minimum wage to $15 per hour. The ACLU Foundation of Southern California and the Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund also received $250,000 grants from the Ring Foundation in 2018. 11 1

The ACLU of Southern California is a member of the Los Angeles-focused Check the Sheriff Coalition. 12 The Coalition calls for the resignation of Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva (D) and alleges a pattern of “corruption” and “abuse of power” within the sheriff’s department. 13 The National Immigration Law Center, recipient of a $25,000 grant from the Ring Foundation in 2018, is also a member of the Check the Sheriff Coalition. 1 14

Other left-leaning advocacy nonprofits that received grants from Ring in 2018 included the  Southern Poverty Law Center ($100,000) and the Advancement Project ($20,000). 15

Examples of non-ideological Ring Foundation grantees from 2018 included the UCLA Foundation, Ronald McDonald House of Charities, Westside YMCA, the Los Angeles Police Foundation, the Los Angeles Fire Department, Heart of Los Angeles, and the St. Joseph’s Center. 1

References

  1. Ring Foundation, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2018. Accessed September 8, 2021. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/954500900/10_2019_prefixes_95-99%2F954500900_201812_990PF_2019102516783331
  2. “Business Search – Entity Detail.” Dr. Shirley N. Weber, California Secretary of State. California Secretary of State. Accessed August 28, 2021. https://businesssearch.sos.ca.gov/CBS/Detail.
  3.  Woo, Elaine. “Douglas R. Ring Dies at 65; Influential L.A. Developer, Philanthropist.” Los Angeles Times. November 14, 2009. https://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-doug-ring14-2009nov14-story.html.
  4. Ring Foundation, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2018. Accessed September 11, 2021. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/954500900/10_2019_prefixes_95-99%2F954500900_201812_990PF_2019102516783331
  5. “L.A. Music Center Receives $12 Million to Expand Access to the Arts.” Philanthropy News Digest. September 2, 2019. https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/l.a.-music-center-receives-12-million-to-expand-access-to-the-arts.
  6. Cindy Miscikowski, Chair, The Ring Foundation. Berggruen Institute. Accessed August 28, 2021. https://www.berggruen.org/people/cindy-miscikowski/
  7. “Individual Contributions.” Federal Election Commission. June 30, 2021. https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_name=miscikowski&two_year_transaction_period=2022&min_date=01%2F01%2F2021&max_date=12%2F31%2F2022.
  8. “Board of Directors.” The Music Center. Accessed September 4, 2021. https://www.musiccenter.org/visit/about/Board/.
  9.  Ring Foundation, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2014. Accessed September 11, 2021. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/954500900/2015_03_PF%2F95-4500900_990PF_201407
  10. Forer, Elizabeth Benson. “Op-Ed: Latest Abortion ‘Gag Rule’ Threatens a Retreat from Evidence-Based Medicine.” Venice Family Clinic. June 12, 2019. https://venicefamilyclinic.org/news/in-the-news/open-forum-latest-abortion-gag-rule-threatens-a-retreat-from-evidence-based-medicine/
  11. “About Western Center.” Western Center on Law and Poverty. Accessed September 8, 2021. https://wclp.org/about-wclp/
  12. [1] “About.” Check The Sheriff. Accessed September 4, 2021. https://www.checkthesheriff.com/about
  13. “Letter to Sheriff Alex Villanueva.” Unite Here! Local 11, Black Lives Matter LA, Check the Sheriff, JusticeLA, ACLU Southern California, and CLUE. July 29, 2020. Accessed September 8, 2021. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/608642aec0f6531f1411b0a8/t/608afe7e46956138f6ca45dc/1619721860680/AdiosVillanueva+Letter+final+sign-on.pdf
  14. “About.” Check The Sheriff. Accessed September 4, 2021. https://www.checkthesheriff.com/about
  15. [1] Ring Foundation, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2018. Accessed September 8, 2021. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/954500900/10_2019_prefixes_95-99%2F954500900_201812_990PF_2019102516783331
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Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: December - November
  • Tax Exemption Received: September 1, 1995

    • Available Filings

    Period Form Type Total revenue Total functional expenses Total assets (EOY) Total liabilities (EOY) Unrelated business income? Total contributions Program service revenue Investment income Comp. of current officers, directors, etc. Form 990
    2019 Dec Form PF $704,227 $5,478,892 $7,454,154 $1 $0 $0 $0 $0
    2016 Jul Form PF $674,022 $1,868,463 $20,965,671 $1 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2015 Jul Form PF $5,019,414 $1,223,723 $22,160,112 $1 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2014 Jul Form PF $6,266,379 $1,098,034 $18,364,421 $1 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2013 Jul Form PF $608,254 $749,296 $13,196,076 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2012 Jul Form PF $3,083,023 $342,159 $13,337,118 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2011 Jul Form PF $11,190,706 $623,541 $10,596,254 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF

    Additional Filings (PDFs)

    Ring Foundation

    12301 Wilshire Blvd
    Los Angeles, CA