Financial endowment

== Charitable foundations ==
[[Image:Ford Foundation HQ jeh.JPG|thumb|[[Ford Foundation Building]] in New York. In 2014, The [[Ford Foundation]] reported assets of US$12.4 billion and approved US$507.9 million in grants.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.fordfoundation.org/grants| title=Grants| publisher=Ford Foundation| access-date=2014-05-14 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140626060458/http://www.fordfoundation.org/grants |archive-date= Jun 26, 2014 }}</ref>]]

{{ See also | Foundation (nonprofit) | List of wealthiest charitable foundations }}

A foundation (also a charitable foundation) is a category of [[nonprofit organization]] or [[charitable trust]] that will typically provide funding and support for other [[charitable organization]]s through grants, but may engage directly in charitable activities. Foundations include public charitable foundations, such as [[community foundation]]s, and [[private foundation]]s which are typically endowed by an individual or family. The term foundation though may also be used by organizations not involved in public grant-making.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://grantspace.org/tools/knowledge-base/Funding-Resources/Foundations/what-is-a-foundation |title=What is a foundation &#124; Foundations &#124; Funding Resources &#124; Knowledge Base &#124; Tools |website=GrantSpace |date=2013-06-18 |access-date=2017-03-29 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170404021940/http://grantspace.org/tools/knowledge-base/Funding-Resources/Foundations/what-is-a-foundation |archive-date= Apr 4, 2017 }}</ref>