Annenberg Foundation

Annenberg Foundation
	Health and Human Services, Animal services and Civic responsibility
Location	2000 Avenue of the Stars; Suite 1000; Los Angeles, California 90067; United States;
Coordinates	34°03′30″N 118°24′56″W / 34.058233°N 118.415536°W
Area served	United States
Owner	Wallis Annenberg
Key people	Wallis Annenberg; Lauren Bon; Gregory Annenberg Weingarten; Charles Annenberg Weingarten;
Website	www.annenbergfoundation.org

The Annenberg Foundation is a family foundation that provides

public television in the United States as well as The Annenberg Community Beach House, The Annenberg Space for Photography

, Metabolic Studio, explore.org, Wallis Annenberg PetSpace and the Wallis Annenberg Center for Performing Arts.

Overview

The Annenberg Foundation is a family foundation established by Walter H. Annenberg in 1989 with $1.2 billion, one-third of the assets from the sale of Triangle Publications.

The Annenberg Foundation continues its programming focus, but its efforts include

grantmaking institution and is also involved in the community. The Annenberg Foundation promotes charitable

activities through which large-scale solutions to systemic problems are pursued.

The foundation has $1.59B in assets.[3]

The following current projects are implemented by Annenberg Foundation Trustees and guided by their philanthropic vision:

Ownership and Board of Directors

trusteeship has been led by Wallis Annenberg and three of her children: Lauren Bon

, Gregory Annenberg Weingarten and Charles Annenberg Weingarten.

Chairman of the Board, President and CEO, Wallis Annenberg

Vice President and Director, Lauren Bon
Vice President and Director, Gregory Annenberg Weingarten
Vice President and Director, Charles Annenberg Weingarten

Projects

The Annenberg Foundation is involved in a number of projects, some of which are listed below.

Annenberg Alchemy

Alchemy is a free

non-profit leadership development program that offers capacity building with a focus on the strength of Executive Directors and Board Chairs. Participation is open to non-profits with operating budgets of $2 million or less based in Los Angeles County, California. However, the Executive Director and Board Chairperson are asked to participate together through the duration of the training. Among the issues addressed are effective governance, fundraising

, and public accountability.

The Annenberg Community Beach House

Spearheaded by Wallis Annenberg's commitment for building community spaces, The Annenberg Community Beach House at Santa Monica State Beach opened in 2009. Built on an historic site, The Beach House is a free public swim and gathering facility located on 5 acres (20,000 m²) of oceanfront property.

Annenberg Learner

Annenberg Learner, formerly Annenberg Media, is an entity of the Annenberg Foundation that creates educational resources (video, print, and Web-based) to improve teaching methods and subject-matter expertise. Their

non-commercial community agencies, colleges and universities. Annenberg Learner delivers its materials free-of-charge through learner.org. The website, which also houses interactive activities, downloadable guides, and resources coordinated with each video series, receives more than 10 million visits per month from teachers and learners worldwide. The website offers integrated multimedia K–12 materials to teachers for in-class use and professional development

. Programs are also available for viewer's use at home.

The Annenberg Retreat at Sunnylands

U.S. Presidents, heads of state, and international dignitaries. The visitor center

includes a 9-acre (36,000 m²) desert garden, historical exhibitions and programming highlighting its architectural significance as well as the Annenberg's collections of art.

The Annenberg Space for Photography

Century Plaza Hotel

. On June 8, 2020, it was announced that the facility will not re-open following the closing in March due to pandemic.

Photographers that have been exhibited include

Harun Mehmedinovic, Gavin Heffernan

.

Exhibits

March 23, 2013 - June 2, 2013 – War/Photography: Images of Armed Conflict and Its Aftermath

October 26, 2013 - April 27, 2014 – The Power of Photography: National Geographic 125 Years
May 31, 2014 - September 28, 2014 – Country: Portraits of an American Sound – regarding country music
October 24, 2015 - March 20, 2016 – Life: A Journey Through Time (Frans Lanting)
April 23, 2016 – August 21, 2016 – Refugee
September 24, 2016 - February 26, 2017 – Identity: Timothy Greenfield-Sanders The List Portraits
October 22, 2016 - February 26, 2017 – #girlgaze: a frame of mind
April 8, 2017 - August 13, 2017 – Generation Wealth by Lauren Greenfield
September 9, 2017 - March 4, 2018 – Cuba is & Resolviendo
April 21, 2018 – September 9, 2018 – Not an Ostrich: And Other Images from America’s Library
October 13, 2018 – January 13, 2019 – "National Geographic Photo Ark"
April 26, 2019 – August 18, 2019 – "CONTACT HIGH: A Visual History of Hip-Hop"

Explore.org

Led by Charles Annenberg Weingarten, Explore is a

non-profit organizations

around the world.

Explore.org hosts the worlds largest collection of nature livecams, streaming video of animals in their natural habitat, from around the world. Explore.org hosts the well known Bear Cams from Brooks River in Katmai National Park, home of Fat Bear Week.

The Metabolic Studio

The Metabolic Studio is

California Department of Parks and Recreation, Veterans Administration, California State Lands Commission, and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power

.

The Wallis Annenberg Heart Program

Coordinating with the

heart attacks

.

The Ballona Wetlands Restoration Project

On January 28, 2013, the Annenberg Foundation signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and several other state agencies to explore the possibility of constructing a 46,000 square foot facility in the protected Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve which would have included adoption and veterinary services for domestic pets.[4] However, on December 2, the Foundation announced that it was suspending its plans.^[5] The Los Angeles Times reported that some wetlands advocates had opposed the proposal.^[6] The Los Angeles Daily News noted that this was the Foundation's second failed attempt to construct this project on public land.^[7] The Los Angeles Times and Los Angeles Daily News editorial boards called the project "a bad fit" and "inappropriate," respectively.^[8]^[9]

Other organizations and programs of the Foundation

Annenberg Challenge: In 1993, the largest gift to

educational reform

efforts across the country.

Annenberg Institute at Brown University: The Annenberg Institute at Brown University was established in 1993 through an anonymous gift of $5 million. Several months later, a $50-million gift – part of Ambassador Walter H. Annenberg's $500-million Challenge to the Nation to improve public education in America – enabled the fledgling Institute to expand the scope of its work. In appreciation of the Ambassador's gift, the Annenberg Institute was renamed in his honor. The Institute adopted its current mission in 1998: "To develop, share, and act on knowledge that improves the conditions and outcomes of schooling in America, especially in urban communities and in schools serving disadvantaged children."

The Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania: The Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania developed FactCheck.org. FactCheck.org monitors the factual accuracy of what is said by major U.S. political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews and news releases.

The Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania: The Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania was founded in 1958.

The Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism of the University of Southern California: With more than 83 full-time faculty members and 120 adjunct professors, more than 2,200 undergraduate and graduate students are served at USC Annenberg. The school houses dozens of research and public interest programs, including the Norman Lear Center and the Knight Digital Media Center. USC Annenberg has become a center for discussion among scholars and professionals in journalism, communication, public policy, media, and education.

Other programs and projects

Ocean Alliance's Tarr and Wonson Paint Manufactory: The foundation provided funding to help purchase, preserve and restore the Tarr and Wonson Paint Manufactory in Gloucester, Massachusetts. This historic 1863 building at the entrance to the harbor will become the headquarters for Ocean Alliance, a nonprofit oceanographic research center.

Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts (Beverly Hills, California): This effort preserves the landmark, historic

children's theater and other cultural activities. The Center features a 500-seat theater, 150-seat studio theater/rehearsal hall, classrooms, café, gift shop, and sculpture garden. The center opened to the public in October 2013.^[10]

The Universally-Accessible Treehouse in Torrance, California: The first universally accessible

treehouse in a public space in California was opened April 10, 2005, at Wilson Park in Torrance, California. Nearly 30 treehouses have been built nationally.^{[citation needed}

]

References

^ "Foundation Growth and Giving Estimates" (PDF). Foundation Centre. Retrieved 31 August 2013.
^ Unger, Harlow G. (2007). Encyclopedia of American education. Vol. 1 (3, revised, illustrated ed.).
OCLC 70335076
. Retrieved 1 October 2010.

^ "Annenberg Foundation". www.influencewatch.org. Retrieved 2021-05-26.
^ "Fully Executed MOU Jan 28 2013.pdf". Google Docs. January 28, 2013. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
^ Official Announcement of Withdrawal
^ Groves, Martha (December 3, 2014). "Annenberg Foundation suspends plan for Ballona Wetlands visitors center". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
^ Mazza, Sandy (December 2, 2014). "Annenberg pulls $45 million for controversial Ballona Wetlands redevelopment". Daily News. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
^ "A bad fit for Ballona Wetlands". Los Angeles Times. September 20, 2013. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
^ "Ballona Wetlands not appropriate place for a pet adoption center: Editorial". Daily News. July 2, 2014. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
^ Wallis, The. "About Us". thewallis.org. Retrieved 2017-11-26.

[foundcen-1] "Foundation Growth and Giving Estimates" (PDF). Foundation Centre. Retrieved 31 August 2013.

[american-education-2] Unger, Harlow G. (2007). Encyclopedia of American education. Vol. 1 (3, revised, illustrated ed.).
OCLC 70335076
. Retrieved 1 October 2010.

[3] "Annenberg Foundation". www.influencewatch.org. Retrieved 2021-05-26.

[4] "Fully Executed MOU Jan 28 2013.pdf". Google Docs. January 28, 2013. Retrieved September 11, 2023.

[5] Official Announcement of Withdrawal

[6] Groves, Martha (December 3, 2014). "Annenberg Foundation suspends plan for Ballona Wetlands visitors center". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 11, 2023.

[7] Mazza, Sandy (December 2, 2014). "Annenberg pulls $45 million for controversial Ballona Wetlands redevelopment". Daily News. Retrieved September 11, 2023.

[8] "A bad fit for Ballona Wetlands". Los Angeles Times. September 20, 2013. Retrieved September 11, 2023.

[9] "Ballona Wetlands not appropriate place for a pet adoption center: Editorial". Daily News. July 2, 2014. Retrieved September 11, 2023.

[10] Wallis, The. "About Us". thewallis.org. Retrieved 2017-11-26.

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