Daniel Akerson

SOURCE OF WEALTH: General Motors, Carlyle Group, other  

FUNDING AREAS: Education, youth services, environment, human services

OVERVIEW: Daniel Akerson and family conduct their philanthropy through the Blue Earth Foundation. Daniel and his late wife Karin established the foundation, which supports education, children, and the environment, particularly in the Washington, D.C., area. According to available tax filings, the foundation awarded a little over $550,000 in grants in 2017.

BACKGROUND: Born in California and raised in Minnesota, Daniel F. Akerson earned a B.S.E.E. from the U.S. Naval Academy and an M.Sc. in economics from the London School of Economics. Akerson served as chairman, CEO or president of several major companies, including The Carlyle Group, General Instrument, MCI, Nextel and XO Communications. He was also chairman and CEO of General Motors.

ISSUES:

HUMAN SERVICES: HUMAN SERVICES: The Blue Earth Foundation does not have a grant program dedicated to human services; however, its grantmaking indicates an interest in this field, particularly when it comes to hunger relief. In the past, the Akersons have supported Bread for the City with over $18,000 in cumulative grants and Capital Area Food Bank with $35,000 in funding over multiple grants.

EDUCATION: Blue Earth’s education funding typically focuses on K-12 education. The foundation is a strong supporter of the Washington School for Girls, which has amassed over $1.7 million in funding from the foundation. The Langley School is also a past grantee.

YOUTH SERVICES: Horton's Kids, a nonprofit that empowers children in under-resourced D.C. communities, has received $155,000 in funding over multiple years. Additional grantees include Sasha Bruce YouthWork, which focuses on ending youth homelessness and Phoenix Bikes, which “educates youth, promotes bicycling, and builds community.”

ENVIRONMENT: The family has helped fund Naturebridge, which supports educational programs in Prince William Forest Park and Shenandoah National Park. 

LOOKING FORWARD: Akerson retired from GM a few years ago, after Karin was diagnosed with advanced-stage cancer. Sadly, Karin passed away in 2018. While cancer research does not seem to have been a priority of the foundation’s recent grantmaking, perhaps this will change down the line. The couple’s children are heavily involved with the foundation, including Foundation Executive Director Gretchen Akerson, a lawyer.

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