Bergman Family Foundation

OVERVIEW:  The Bergman Family Foundation's grantmaking funds educational, religious, and global humanitarian causes. The Foundation’s global grantmaking appears to prioritize African poverty and global economic development.

IP TAKE: The foundation keeps a low public profile, which limits information available on its grantmaking priorities and activities. As a result, it’s not transparent or approachable.

A recent tax filing indicated that the foundation does accept applications, though does not detail application guidelines. Getting on this funder’s radar will be a challenge requiring either deep networking or big work that attracts their funding attention. Note this funder has a Christian component in its funding, so it is less likely to fund progressive causes.

PROFILE:  The Bergman Family Foundation was established in 1996. Its founders are Laguna Beach investor and financier James Bergman and his wife Judy. Bergman is a founder and general partner of DSV Partners III and IV and their predecessors, which provided capital and management assistance to emerging companies primarily in high technology associated with electronics, communications, biotechnology and health care. 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 the Bergman Family Foundation supports grantmaking related to educational, religious, and global humanitarian causes. The foundation’s global giving appears to support African poverty and economic development, while considering organizations with a Christian component.

Grants for Global Development

The Bergmans established two fellowships at UCLA in social work to promote the implementation of new ideas to help women and children in the inner city and the developing world. The Bergman couple are on the board of Opportunity International, which works to end global poverty by creating and sustaining jobs. Bergman has also been involved with Opportunity Bank in Malawi (OIBM), Opportunity International Saving and Loans Limited (in Ghana), Christian Enterprise Trust in Zambia, and Opportunity International WEDCO in Kenya, suggesting a particular interest in Western and Eastern Africa. He has also spoken at the African Leadership Academy, which aims to foster young leaders. 

Grantees have included Opportunity International; Edify, whose mission is "to improve and to expand sustainable Christ-centered education globally; International Justice Mission; Women of Vision; and Kingdom Investors, whose mission is to "provide a safe and accountable opportunity for businesses and individuals to invest a portion of their God-given resources into humanitarian projects in the U.S. and around the world."

Important Grant Details:

Grants range from $1,000 to $150,000. In a recent tax year the foundation made grants of around $319,000.

While the Bergman Family Foundation keeps a low profile, a recent tax filing indicates that the foundation does accept unsolicited applications. The foundation does not detail required application materials or submission deadlines. 

PEOPLE:

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CONTACT: 

James R. Bergman, Bergman Family Foundation
1217 Emerald Bay
Laguna Beach, CA 92651