Nathan Cummings Foundation is a U.S.-based family foundation that supports partners advancing racial, economic, and environmental justice, primarily in the United States and Israel-Palestine.
NCF backs movements, social innovators, and change-makers working toward racial, economic, and environmental justice, guided by a multigenerational family philanthropic tradition rooted in Jewish social justice values
The foundation was established in 1949 under Illinois law and was funded through the estate of Nathan Cummings, an entrepreneur who built Consolidated Foods, later known as Sara Lee Corporation. Born in Saint John, New Brunswick, in 1896, Cummings rose from modest beginnings and later turned toward philanthropy after retiring from active business leadership in 1968. The foundation continues as a multigenerational family philanthropy.
NCF uses a “totality of assets” approach, combining grants, program-related investments, endowment strategy, relationships, knowledge, and public voice to support solutions tied to racial, economic, and environmental justice. Its funding emphasizes long-term, trust-based partnerships and prioritizes organizations led by people and communities most affected by systemic inequity. The foundation accepts letters of inquiry through its portal for work aligned with its focus areas, while its Israel-Palestine place-based initiative is invite-only. In parallel, it deploys program-related investments and mission-aligned investing to complement grantmaking.
NCF has maintained a multigenerational family philanthropy since 1949 and has developed a justice-centered funding model rooted in racial, economic, and environmental justice. In 2024, it reported $463 million in endowment assets, with 94.5% described as mission-aligned, and made grants totaling $15.325 million to 153 grantee partners. The foundation has also expanded its impact model beyond grantmaking through program-related investments and organization-wide KPIs intended to measure contributions across all assets.
NCF describes its work as partnership-driven and collaborative, supporting movements, organizations, and social innovators rather than acting alone. Its impact report notes collaboration with Dalberg Advisors on KPI development and identifies BiviumWestfuller as its values-aligned outsourced chief investment officer in connection with mission-aligned investing work. The foundation also uses shareholder activism and proxy voting as part of its broader strategy for influence.
NCF frames its work around the interconnected pursuit of racial, economic, and environmental justice, often abbreviated as REEJ. It explicitly ties its identity to the Jewish tradition of social justice and presents interdependence, learning and listening, justice and equity, courageous transformation, and integrity as core values. A distinguishing feature is its “totality of assets” model, which treats capital, people, relationships, knowledge, and voice as tools for impact rather than limiting the foundation’s role to grantmaking alone. Its recent strategy includes mission-aligned investing, shareholder engagement, place-based work, and internal measurement systems designed to assess contribution rather than claim sole causation for systems change. In 2024, the foundation reported average grant size of $140,000, 153 grantee partners, and grants made across the U.S. and Israel-Palestine. The public sources reviewed did not provide a general public phone number or a broad general contact email for all inquiries.