Richard Lounsbery Foundation

The Richard Lounsbery Foundation is a philanthropic organization in Washington, D.C. It was founded in 1959, with a goal to enhance national strengths in science and technology (in the United States) and foster strong Franco-American cooperation. To this day, the Foundation has stayed true to its roots while expanding to promote science among youth and to support components of US policy issues pertaining to science.[2] The Foundation supports research projects, science education, key scientific policy issues, and others.[3]

Richard Lounsbery Foundation
AbbreviationRLF
TypePhilanthropic organization
HeadquartersWashington, D.C., United States
Chairman
Jesse H. Ausubel
Key people
Revenue (2016)
$2,959,461[1]
Expenses (2016)$3,409,876[1]
Websitewww.rlounsbery.org

History

The foundation was set up from the Lounsbery family's wealth which derived from the extensive business activities of James Ben Ali Haggin, grandson of Ibrahim Ben Ali and the grandfather of Richard Lounsbery.[4] It was founded in 1959 and has had charitable status since 1960.[5] In 1967, after Richard Lounsbery's death, Vera Lounsbery, Richard Lounsbery's wife, and the family attorney Alan F. McHenry to establish clear goals of the foundation.[6] McHenry became the first president of the foundation in 1980.[7] McHenry's son, Richard, currently serves on the foundation's board of directors.[8]

Presidents
Alan F. McHenry1980–1993
Frederick Seitz[4]1993–2002
David Abshire[6]2002–2014
William Happer[6]2014–2017
Jesse H. Ausubel2017–    

Board of Directors
Jesse H. AusubelChairman
David D. Sabatini[9]Vice-Chairman
Maxmillian Angerholzer III[10]Director
Catherine Dulac[11]Director
Claire Max[12]Director
Richard J. McHenryDirector

Mission

The Richard Lounsbery Foundation aims to enhance national strengths in science and technology through support of programs in the following areas: research that helps build bridges between outstanding groups outside the US and American science; joint international research between nations in conflict; science and technology components of US policy issues; elementary and secondary science and math education, especially in New York City and Washington, D.C.; historical studies and contemporary assessments of key trends in the natural sciences; and start-up assistance for establishing the infrastructure of research projects or new fields of research.  Among international initiatives, the Foundation has a long-standing priority in French-American cooperation.

The Foundation generally provides seed money or partial support, rarely renews grants for continuing activities, does not normally fund endowments or capital equipment, and aims to achieve high impact by funding novel projects and forward-looking leaders.

The Foundation takes a special interest in cooperative activities between French and American scholars. It may have been the first philanthropic organization to fund the Wikimedia Foundation.[13] A prospective Lounsbery grant in late 2004 accelerated Wikimedia to get US Internal Revenue Service approval as an educational foundation in April 2005.

The Foundation's largest and most frequent grantees include the American Museum of Natural History, U.S. National Academy of Sciences, American Association for the Advancement of Science, Institute of International Education, French Académie des Sciences, U.S. Foundation for the Commemoration of the World Wars, and American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

The Foundation's recent giving history is published on their website.

Awards and grants

Awards supported by the foundation include:

References
  1. "Richard Lounsbery Foundation, Inc" (PDF). Foundation Center. 12 May 2017. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
  2. "Richard Lounsbery Foundation Home Page". www.rlounsbery.org. Retrieved 2020-01-18.
  3. "Richard Lounsbery Foundation Inc - Company Profile and News". www.bloomberg.com. Retrieved 2019-10-31.
  4. "EARLY ANTECEDENTS". Richard Lounsbery Foundation. 2019. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
  5. "BIG Online: US Foundation Summary". www.bigdatabase.com. Retrieved 2019-10-31.
  6. "Foundation History". www.rlounsbery.org. Retrieved 2020-01-18.
  7. "Alan F. McHenry Obituary". www.nytimes.com. Retrieved 2020-01-18.
  8. "Richard McHenry". www.rlounsbery.org. Retrieved 2020-01-18.
  9. "D. Sabatini". www.rlounsbery.org. Retrieved 2020-01-18.
  10. "M. Angerholzer". www.rlounsbery.org. Retrieved 2020-01-18.
  11. "C. Dulac". www.rlounsbery.org. Retrieved 2020-01-18.
  12. "C. Max". www.rlounsbery.org. Retrieved 2020-01-18.
  13. Benefactors Wikimedia Foundation
  14. "Richard Lounsbery Award". www.nasonline.org. Retrieved 2021-12-08.
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