Cobb Family Foundation

OVERVIEW: The Cobb Family Foundation primarily funds grantmaking related to education, international affairs, health, human services, and the arts.

IP TAKE: The foundation does not maintain a website, which restricts transparency about grantmaking strategies and guidelines.

PROFILE: Established in 1984, the Cobb Family Foundation was founded by Ambassadors Charles and Sue Cobb. Charles was U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Iceland and later founded Cobb Partners, an investment company. Sue, a lawyer, is the former U.S. Ambassador to Jamaica. The foundation does not maintain a website, which makes it difficult to locate further information on its priority areas and grantmaking strategies. Tax filings suggest that the Cobb Family Foundation primarily funds grantmaking related to education, international affairs, health, human services, and the arts.

The foundation does not have a website to guide grantseekers. Educational grantmaking includes schools with which the family has a personal connection, particularly University of Miami, Sue’s alma mater. UMiami is home to the Sue M. Cobb Scholarship Foundation for Jamaican Students and Ambassador Sue McCourt Cobb Law School Scholarship. The family also has an interest in education reform and Charles was the founding chair of the Doctors Charter School, which the Cobbs continue to support. The foundation’s international affairs grantmaking includes support of Jamaican institutions.

This grantmaker makes a few dozen grants over $10,000 annually. Many other grants are in the three and four-figure range. In a recent year, the foundation gave away around $1.3 million. Learn more about this funder’s local giving by examining its recent tax records. Grantmaking primarily focuses on the Dade County, Florida area. Past local grantees include Perez Art Museum, Zoological Society of South Florida, United Way of Miami-Dade, and Miami Children’s Hospital.

The Cobb Family Foundation keeps a low profile but is open to contact. According to a recent 990, requests should include a brief history of the organization, a current list of members of the board and senior executives, the current annual budget, proposed use of requested funds. Applications should also include a copy of the organization’s tax exemption letter.

PEOPLE:

Search for staff contact info and bios in PeopleFinder (paid subscribers only).

CONTACT:

Cobb Family Foundation Admin
4000 Ponce de Leon Blvd, Suite 470
Coral Gables, FL 33146
(305) 441-1700