William H. Hurt Foundation
/OVERVIEW: The William H. Hurt Foundation supports humanitarian efforts, education, the arts and “scientific purposes.”
IP TAKE: This foundation supports education broadly, prioritizing universities on the West Coast. This funder does not accept unsolicited proposals for funding and tends to oriented toward grantees in the Los Angels area, so if your work services areas beyond the city, you’re less likely to secure funding here. The Hurt Foundation limits information regarding its grantmaking strategies, so it’s unclear how its funding is evolving, though taxes reveal it has continued its previous interests. Not a particularly open-minded funder, it prefers to fund established organizations rather than grassroots one, which means many large Los Angeles institutions benefit.
PROFILE: Originally known as the William H. Hurt Charities, Inc., the William H. Hurt Foundation was established in 1961 by William H. Hurt, a former chair of the Capital Guardian Trust Company. Based in Los Angeles, the foundation invests in “human capital to make the world a little better” and “great people doing brilliant work.” While its giving originally centered around Los Angeles, it now encompasses several communities where the foundation’s board members, Hurt’s descendants, reside, including areas of Colorado, Oregon, and Illinois. Its areas of giving are humanitarian efforts, education, the arts and “scientific purposes.”
Grants for Higher Education
The William H. Hurt Foundation supports higher education broadly across its giving areas. Tax filings suggest that the majority of its grants tend to support larger universities and organizations operating in California. Past grantees include the University of Southern California, the California Institute of Technology and Oregon State University.
Grants for Science Research and Diseases
The Hurt Foundation's longest and biggest beneficiary is the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles. The foundation also funds a number of hospitals, medical institutions, and other disease-related nonprofits. Grantees include California Pacific Medical Center, AIDS Research Alliance, and American Tinnitus Association.
Grants for Arts and Culture
The Hurt Foundation supports a wide range of museums and cultural institutions in Los Angeles and beyond, but lacks a grantmaking strategy in the arts, permitting for broad funding.
Grants for Visual Arts
WHH’s visual arts grants invest in a variety of organizations; however, according to its tax filings, the majority of grants tend to support museums. For example, past grantees include the Natural History Museum Foundation and the Norton Simon Museum.
Grants for Music
Grantees include Pasadena Conservatory of Music and Idyllwild Arts Foundation.
Important Grant Details:
The Hurt foundation’s higher education grants typically fall in the $5,000 to $50,000 range.
The foundation does not accept unsolicited grant applications or requests for funding. An address is provided below.
PEOPLE:
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LINK:
CONTACT:
WHH Foundation
333 S. Hope St., 54th Fl.
Los Angeles, CA 90071
(213) 486-9500
