The Surdna Foundation was founded in 1917 by John Emory Andrus to pursue a range of philanthropic purposes. To this day, family stewardship of the Foundation is guided by Andrus’ commitment to serving those in need.
Through our investments, we dismantle the barriers that limit opportunities to create more prosperous, enriching, and sustainable communities. Taken together, our investments build capacity, spark innovation, and connect stakeholders while encouraging lesson-sharing between grantees.
Inclusive Economies
We support and invest in the growth of robust, sustainable economies with diverse businesses owned by people of color and the advancement of equitable economic development.
We support the creation of just and sustainable communities in which low-wealth and communities of color have the power to self-determine the ownership, control and stewardship of land and its infrastructure assets.
We invest in artists, culture-bearers, designers, and media-makers of color who partner with their communities to radically imagine justice and foster the conditions for just systems and practices to be adopted.
At long last, Juneteenth is recognized as a national holiday. It marks the day Black enslaved people in Galveston, Texas learned that they were legally free on June 19, 1865--a full two years after President Lincoln signed the Emancipation…
Inclusive Economies
May 30, 2021
Tulsa's Greenwood neighborhood wasn't America's only Black Wall Street
"On this centennial of the brutal Tulsa riots, let’s remember other cities where Black wealth was decimated. In building the future of Black wealth, it’s important that we ground it in the history of its destruction." - Fay Horwitt, Lanessa…
What We're Learning
April 29, 2021
Leaning into Racial Justice with the Surdna Foundation and Andrus Family Fund
Amid a national reckoning with race and the pandemic, foundations are leaning into racial justice like never before. Yet many foundations are grappling with how to fund racial equity and the best way forward for their institution and grantees.…
From the President
April 20, 2021
A Step Toward Justice
Today, we are exhaling after a jury convicted Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd. A police officer has been held accountable for a horrific crime. But the verdict is no cause for celebration. Accountability cannot bring George Floyd back…
