Jubitz Family Foundation

The Jubitz Family Foundation approaches grantmaking from a deeply personal, values-driven perspective rooted in the founding family's commitment to peace and environmental stewardship. Founded in 2001 by Al and Nancy Jubitz alongside their three daughters following the sale of DAT Services, the foundation reflects multigenerational convictions rather than institutional investment logic. That distinction should fundamentally shape how applicants position their work.

The foundation strongly favors general operating support over project-specific grants, explicitly stating they "believe in grantee agency" and trust organizations to set their own priorities. Proposals organized around restricted programmatic budgets will consistently underperform against those presenting organizational mission, leadership quality, and strategic trajectory.

Peace grantmaking operates as a largely invitation-only program. Organizations are rarely cold-discovered; sector visibility and existing relationships within the grantee community matter more here than at most foundations. The Mt. Hood Environmental Program operates with a somewhat more open inquiry process, making it the more accessible entry point for organizations without existing connections to Jubitz or its ecosystem of grantees.

The typical relationship arc for new applicants begins with a Letter of Inquiry submitted through the online form at jubitz.org/grantmaking/grants/. If the LOI advances, the foundation schedules a site visit before inviting a full proposal. This three-stage process — LOI, site visit, full application — reflects a deeply relational model where the foundation assesses organizational fit and leadership credibility as much as programmatic merit.

First-time applicants should note that the foundation has funded the same organizations repeatedly: Nonviolent Peaceforce (4 grants totaling $85,000), Waterwatch of Oregon (5 grants, $75,000), Columbia Riverkeeper (5 grants, $56,000), and Oregon Peace Institute (5 grants, $42,500). New entrants should expect to demonstrate track record in one of the two core areas and establish a visible presence before submitting an LOI. The foundation's February 2025 DEIJ statement emphasizes "empathy, nonviolence, planetary loyalty, and the moral imagination" — language worth reflecting authentically in outreach and proposals.

The Jubitz Family Foundation's annual charitable expenditures have ranged from $837,376 (FY2019) to $1,225,531 (FY2022), with FY2023 reported at $1,060,016. Critically, these totals encompass both external grantmaking and the foundation's own operating programs — particularly the War Prevention Initiative ($269,154 in direct program expenses) and the Environmental Program ($60,642). External grants paid specifically to nonprofits ranged from $371,311 (FY2023) to $590,000 (FY2021) across recent fiscal years.

Based on 216 confirmed grants totaling $2,590,332 across the dataset, the average external grant is $11,992. The foundation states typical awards range from $5,000 to $25,000 per cycle on one-year terms. Multi-year grantee relationships produce substantially higher cumulative totals: Columbia Slough Watershed Council received $178,000 over 3 grants (averaging $59,333 per grant), Rotarian Action Group for Peace received a single $97,063 grant, and Nonviolent Peaceforce received $85,000 over 4 grants (averaging $21,250 per grant). Anchor grantees with 4-5 grants each include Waterwatch of Oregon ($75,000 over 5 grants), Bark ($59,000 over 5 grants), and Inkstick Media ($45,000 over 5 grants), reflecting a long-term commitment model averaging $10,000-$20,000 per individual grant.

Geography is heavily Oregon-centric: 113 of 216 grants (52%) went to Oregon-based organizations, primarily focused on the Mount Hood watershed and Portland metro peace work. Washington, D.C.-based policy organizations received 25 grants (12%), reflecting investment in national peace and security advocacy. New York (15 grants, 7%), Maryland (9 grants, 4%), and Virginia (9 grants, 4%) represent the DC-adjacent national security policy cluster.

Total assets grew from $12.1M in FY2011 to a peak of $18.9M in FY2021 before declining during the 2022 market downturn to $15.3M in FY2023, and have since recovered to $17.4M currently. Net investment income peaked at $2,385,696 in FY2021. The foundation maintains a socially responsible investment policy with quarterly portfolio reviews, constraining but aligning holdings with mission values. Contributions received from donors have varied from $0 (FY2014) to $1,015,129 (FY2020), reflecting periodic family contributions that supplement investment returns.

The foundations below are matched to Jubitz by asset scale (~$17.4M) and NTEE classification (Philanthropy & Grantmaking, code T22), providing a structural reference for applicants benchmarking this funder.

What distinguishes Jubitz among same-scale peers is its operating foundation character — running direct programs like the War Prevention Initiative alongside external grantmaking — combined with an unusually specific dual mission. While peer family foundations of similar asset size often have broad or undefined giving priorities, Jubitz channels virtually all charitable spending into two named program areas with defined geographic and topical scope. The practical implication is significant: the foundation's effective grantmaking pool for external nonprofits is smaller than the $17.4M asset base implies. External grants paid in FY2023 totaled just $371,311 — a 2.1% external payout rate on assets. Applicants should calibrate request sizes and competitive expectations accordingly, recognizing that relationship quality and mission alignment are the primary differentiators in a relatively small annual external grant pool.

The most significant recent public communication from the Jubitz Family Foundation is its February 18, 2025 DEIJ commitment statement, in which the foundation reaffirmed values of empathy, nonviolence, planetary loyalty, and moral imagination in response to national challenges including climate denial, federal funding freezes affecting community organizations, and what the foundation characterized as threats to democratic institutions and the rule of law. The statement outlined three response tracks: continued and flexible financial support to grantee partners; public platform advocacy in solidarity with sector-wide calls aligned with the foundation's mission; and strengthened grantee partnerships through regular communication and facilitation of collective organizing.

Third-party grant databases indicate approximately 34 awards were made in 2024, consistent with recent annual patterns. Grant tracking data was last updated December 2025 per external sources.

No major leadership transitions have been publicly reported. Executive Director Lauren Forman leads day-to-day operations at $50,000 annual compensation, with Peace Grantmaking Portfolio Manager Patrick T. Hiller and Environmental Peacebuilding Director Kelsey Coolidge named in organizational materials. The four founding family members — M. Albin Jubitz Jr. (President), Elizabeth Jubitz Sayler (Vice President), Katherine H. Jubitz (Secretary), and Sarah C. Jubitz (Treasurer) — each receive nominal compensation ($1,000 per year), signaling active and ongoing family governance involvement.

Foundation assets have recovered from the FY2023 figure of $15,335,999 to a current reported $17,383,649. No new program launches or geographic expansions beyond the existing Environmental Peacebuilding framework (introduced in 2020 as Peacebuilding for the Earth) have been publicly announced.

The Jubitz Family Foundation rewards applicants who demonstrate authentic mission alignment and patience with a relationship-based process. The following guidance is specific to this funder:

Timing: Submit your LOI shortly after each cycle opens — January for Spring or July for Fall — to maximize staff review time before the March 31 or September 30 hard deadlines. Decisions arrive approximately 90 days post-deadline (~June 30 for Spring, ~December 15 for Fall). First-time applicants should plan a 6-9 month funding runway, accounting for the LOI-site visit-full application sequence.

The LOI is the substantive filter: Jubitz uses the LOI to assess mission fit and organizational credibility, not as a brief administrative step. Focus the LOI on: a direct statement of how your work addresses peace/nonviolence or Mt. Hood environmental protection specifically; geographic work in Oregon (environmental) or national domestic scope (peace); and an initial ask in the $5,000-$25,000 range appropriate for a first relationship.

Always frame requests as general operating support: The foundation explicitly trusts grantees with resource allocation. Applicants who lead with restricted project budgets or specific deliverables signal misalignment. Describe organizational mission, leadership, and capacity rather than discrete program outputs.

Prepare seriously for the site visit: After LOI approval, the foundation schedules a site visit before inviting a full proposal. Bring your Executive Director and a board representative. Be ready to discuss financial health, leadership stability, organizational strategy, and non-discrimination practices. This is a relationship-building conversation, not a pitch meeting — the family members may attend.

Use the foundation's language precisely: The DEIJ statement and grant purpose language use specific terms: "nonviolence," "peacebuilding" (not "conflict management"), "planetary loyalty," "dismantling militarism," "feminist foreign policy," "movement journalism," and "environmental peacebuilding." Mirror this vocabulary authentically in your LOI and proposal.

Observe hard exclusions strictly: Health, medicine, sports, religious or sectarian content, international programs, building or renovation projects, capital campaigns, and political lobbying are all disqualifying. Even incidental references to these program elements can trigger ineligibility. Review your full LOI for any such language before submission.

Signal sector embedding: Reference existing relationships with other Jubitz grantees where genuine — Oregon Environmental Council, Waterwatch of Oregon, Bark, Columbia Riverkeeper, or Oregon Wild for environmental applicants; Nonviolent Peaceforce, Inkstick Media, Waging Nonviolence, or Win Without War Education Fund for peace applicants. Authentic peer relationships demonstrate organizational standing within the foundation's grantee ecosystem.