Woodcock Foundation

Background

The Woodcock Foundation is a left-of-center grantmaking foundation. The foundation’s direction is set by the trustees, some of whom are related to Polly Guth, the founder. The foundation partners with other organizations on initiatives and makes grants with a focus on environmental issues, civil engagement, and economic and media groups. ^{1 2}

The Woodcock Foundation is a member of Election Day to Every Day, a coalition hosted by the left-of-center Democracy Fund that works to organize consistent, year-round funding for civic and advocacy organizations. ³

Activities

Besides grantmaking, the Woodcock Foundation partners with other organizations on initiatives to advance its mission and values. ⁴

In partnership with the Open Society Foundations, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, the Doris Duke Foundation, and the Kellogg Foundation, the Woodcock Foundation runs an initiative entitled “Countering Distortions in the Media: Improving Perceptions of American Muslims.” According to the Woodcock Foundation, the initiative “is not simply to win day-to-day arguments over the meaning of sharia law, blame for 9/11 or ‘radicalization’ of Muslim groups. We seek to realign how Americans perceive Muslims so that these ‘debates’ cease to exist.” ⁵

The Woodcock Foundation also partners with Hattaway Communications, the Make It Work Campaign, the Rockefeller Family Fund, UltraViolet, and Spark on an initiative called “Millennials Matter for Gender Equality.” The initiative is aimed at convincing millennials that gender equality is a pressing issue to increase funding and mobilize “political power” in service to the cause. ⁶

In 2025, the WoodCock Foundation partnered with the Trust Based Philanthropy Project through their “Meet the moment” initiative. This initiative seeks to bring its supporters together “in solidarity with nonprofits.” The group claims that the political climate could pose risks to nonprofits through reductions in funding, legal concerns, and lack of staff. ⁷

Funding

In 2023, the Woodcock Foundation’s revenue was $7,793,399. Its expenses were $7,362,170, and its total assets were $70,781,272. ⁸ Since the foundation’s inception, it has dispersed over $80 million to over 100 organizations. ¹

In 2023, the Woodcock Foundation gave $110,000 to the Black Votes Matter Fund; $110,000 to the Center for Election Innovation and Research; $110,000 to the Equis Institute; $275,000 to Free Press, an advocacy and activist group focused on “racial justice” and stopping “oppression” in the domain of media and technology; $750,000 to Maine Coast Heritage Trust; $220,000 to REDF; $425,000 to Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors; $210,000 to the Sixteen Thirty Fund, one of the nonprofits under the umbrella of Arabella Advisors; $120,000 to the Southern Coalition for Social Justice, $220,000 to Spark Microgrants; $110,000 to the Texas Organizing Project Education Fund; and $225,000 to the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative. ^{9 10}

Previously, the Woodcock Foundation funded the Asia Society, Planned Parenthood of New York City, the Population Council, and Public Allies. ¹¹

People

The founder of the Woodcock Foundation was Polly Guth, now deceased. Guth was “an heir to one of the founders of the pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co,” according to Inside Philanthropy. “When my mom started the foundation, it wasn’t like she made the money. She felt extremely obligated to give back and share in the good fortune that she had,” Jeremy Guth, a son of Polly Guth, said in an interview with Inside Philanthropy. Guth was “an active philanthropist, heavily involved in groups like Planned Parenthood of New York City and the Asia Society,” according to Inside Philanthropy. She later asked two of her sons, Jeremy Guth and Stuart Davidson, to become involved with the foundation. ²

Jeremy Guth, son of Polly Guth, is a trustee of the Woodcock Foundation. ^{2 1}

Stuart Davidson, son of Polly Guth, is a trustee of the Woodcock Foundation. Davidson is a “founder and chairman of Sonen Capital, an asset management firm,” according to his biography at REDF. He is vice chair of REDF, and a founding member of its board; he was also the founding board chair of IDEO.org. ^{2 12}

Margot Brandenburg, a senior project officer at the Ford Foundation, is a trustee of the Woodcock Foundation. Brandenburg also sits on the boards of The Workers Lab and Brooklyn Cooperative Credit Union; she is an advisor to the National Energy Improvement Fund and the National Domestic Workers Alliance. ¹³