Hearst Foundations

ABOUT THE HEARST FOUNDATIONS

The Hearst Foundations are national philanthropic resources for organizations and institutions working in the fields of Education, Health, Culture and Social Service. Our goal is to ensure that people of all backgrounds have the opportunity to build healthy, productive and inspiring lives. The charitable goals of the Foundations reflect the philanthropic interests of William Randolph Hearst. 

The Hearst Foundations are national philanthropic resources for organizations working in the fields of culture, education, health and social services. The Hearst Foundations identify and fund outstanding nonprofits to ensure that people of all backgrounds in the United States have the opportunity to build healthy, productive and inspiring lives.

The Hearst Foundation, Inc. was founded by William Randolph Hearst in 1946. In 1949 Hearst established the California Charities Foundations, later renamed The William Randolph Hearst Foundation. Both Foundations are guided by the same charitable mission, which reflects the philanthropic interests of their founder.

The Tax Reform Act of 1969 brought about the separation of the Foundations and the Hearst Corporation. The Foundations received approximately $137 million from the Corporation in 1975. Both Foundations are independent private philanthropies operating separately from the Hearst Corporation.

The two Foundations are managed as one entity, sharing the same funding guidelines, leadership and staff. Staff based in New York City reviews all proposals from organizations located east of the Mississippi River, and staff in the San Francisco office reviews those from organizations west of the Mississippi River.

Since inception, the Foundations have made over 21,000 grants to nearly 6,000 organizations, totaling more than $1.2 billion in funds awarded. The current asset value of the Foundations is approximately $1 billion.