NET WORTH: Unknown
SOURCE OF WEALTH: Applied Materials
FUNDING AREAS: Environmental conservation and education
OVERVIEW: The James and Rebecca Morgan Family Foundation supports environmental conservation and education with a strong focus on the state of California.
BACKGROUND: Based in Los Altos, California, the James and Rebecca Morgan Family Foundation is the philanthropic vehicle of former Applied Materials CEO James Morgan and his wife, Rebecca Quinn Morgan. James Morgan earned an undergraduate degree mechanical engineering and an MBA from Cornell University and worked for several years in venture capital before becoming the CEO of Applied Materials, a leading materials engineering firm. Rebecca, who also studied at Cornell, earned an MBA from the Stamford Graduate School of Business. She worked briefly as a vice president at Bank of America before launching her political career and serving in the California State Senate from 1984 until 1993. When she retired from politics, Rebecca launched the Morgan Family Foundation and became the CEO of the Joint Venture Silicon Valley, "a nonprofit organization composed of business, government, and education groups seeking to improve the Silicon Valley region's economic growth and quality of life the following the early 1990s recession." The Morgan Family Foundation does not maintain a website, but recent tax filings illustrate a commitment to supporting environmental conservation and education with a strong focus on the state of California.
ISSUES:
Grants for Environmental Conservation
The Morgan Family Foundation does not name specific goals for its conservation funding, but tax filings suggest a preference for large land and nature conservation outfits working in the State of California. Past California recipients include the Nature Conservancy of California, San Francisco’s Sustainable Conservation and the Feather River Land Trust. Elsewhere, the foundation has given to New York’s Wildlife Conservation Society, the National Park Foundation and the global organization OneReef.
Grants for K-12 Education
The Morgan Family Foundation’s education funding appears to prioritize environmental education and counseling and mentoring programs for secondary education students. Past grantees include the Positive Coaching Alliance, Walden West and Teen Success, Inc. of Milpitas, California.
Grants for Higher Education
Higher education is a smaller area of giving for the Morgan Family Foundation, and it does not name specific priorities for its giving in this area. Its past grantees include Santa Clara University, the Foundation for a College Education and San Jose State University. The Morgans have also supported their alma maters, Cornell University and Stamford University.
LOOKING FORWARD: James and Becky are in their 80s, but grantmaking has remained steady over the past several years. With a strong focus on the state of California, conservation and climate change will likely remain important priorities for their foundation.
CONTACT:
James and Rebecca Morgan Family Foundation
P.O. Box 1742
Los Altos, CA 94023-1742
650-941-1715