Ade Adeniji

Journalist, Inside Philanthropy

Born and raised in Manhattan, Ade headed west to attend Pomona College in Claremont, Calif. and later the American Film Institute Conservatory where he received his MFA in screenwriting. As a philanthropy journalist for Inside Philanthropy, Ade has interviewed and profiled major donors including Craigslist Founder Craig Newmark, Wall Street billionaire Robert F. Smith, Brooklyn Nets owner Clara Wu Tsai, and the world’s only known transgender billionaire Jennifer Pritzker. Ade also has a deep interest in cultural writing, where his work has been published in such outlets as CBS News, WIRED, Newsweek, PBS, Mic, and The Rumpus. He is an approved Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer Critic through his blog.

Contributions

Effective Family Philanthropy: The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation

Posted on March 26, 2024 by Ade Adeniji

The Blank Family Foundation Reflects on the Past, Plans the Next Generation of Giving The enormous wealth created by Home Depot, the country’s largest home improvement retailer, looms large in the chain’s home base of Georgia and beyond. It’s also yielded significant family-driven philanthropy over the years, including through multiple foundations connected to the family of billionaire co-founder Arthur Blank… Read More

Effective Family Philanthropy: The Tow Foundation

Posted on November 29, 2023 by Ade Adeniji, Inside Philanthropy

After 35 Years, the Tow Foundation Reflects on the Past and Looks to the Future Founded by Leonard and Claire Tow, the Tow Foundation recently held a 35th anniversary event called “Past Informed, Future Focused,” which nicely sums up this unique moment in time for the Connecticut-based family foundation. In addition to a major milestone for the foundation, Leonard Tow… Read More

Effective Family Philanthropy: The Kendeda Fund

Posted on November 29, 2023 by Ade Adeniji

The Kendeda Fund is Writing its Last Checks — and the Last Chapter of a 30-Year Story of Giving About 30 years ago, Diana Blank began to ramp up her philanthropy through what became known as the Kendeda Fund, drawing the name from her three children, Kenny, Dena and Danielle. Tapping into wealth derived from the Home Depot empire, which… Read More

Effective Family Philanthropy: The Compton Foundation

Posted on May 26, 2023 by Ade Adeniji

Here’s How a Longtime Family Foundation Fractured, and Shifted Gears for a Meaningful Final Act In 1894, Missouri native William H. Danforth founded what would become Ralston Purina Company as a balanced food production company for animals. The company revolutionized the feed business with the introduction of pelletized animal feeds. By the early 2000s, Ralston Purina had merged with Swiss… Read More

Effective Family Philanthropy: The Tarsadia Foundation

Posted on May 26, 2023 by Ade Adeniji

Passing the Torch: A Family Foundation Empowers Dozens of Young Philanthropists Founded in 1999 and headquartered in Newport Beach, California, Tarsadia Foundation supports nonprofit organizations that provide educational opportunities for the underserved, support health and wellbeing of the community, and help people find employment. It’s also one of a growing number of charities that aims to rethink how youth and… Read More

Effective Family Philanthropy: The Roundhouse Foundation

Posted on May 23, 2023 by Ade Adeniji, Inside Philanthropy

How the Family Behind a Sportswear Behemoth Is Expanding Its Philanthropy for Rural Communities In 1937, Paul Lamfrom fled Nazi Germany and later founded Columbia Hat Company, a modest hat manufacturer in Portland, Oregon. When Paul passed away, the company’s reins were handed over to his son-in-law, Neal Boyle, who’d been working for him. After Neal died suddenly in 1970,… Read More

Effective Family Philanthropy: The Sobrato Family

Posted on May 17, 2023 by Ade Adeniji

The Personal and the Collective: How Three Generations of the Sobrato Family Give The Sobrato Organization in Silicon Valley has developed more than 21 million square feet of office space, R&D and multi-family projects since the 1960s. Today, the company’s real estate portfolio includes over 7.5 million square feet of office space in Northern California, with tenants like Netflix, Airbnb… Read More

Effective Family Philanthropy: Roy and Patricia Disney Family Foundation

Posted on May 17, 2023 by Ade Adeniji

How Multiple Generations of the Disney Family Come Together to Fund Social Justice in LA and Beyond It all began at Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio in October 1923. Here, bright young cartoonist Walt Disney and his older brother Roy O. Disney established the upstart studio in Hollywood, California. Walt arrived in Los Angeles from the Midwest after his previous effort,… Read More

Effective Family Philanthropy: The Cricket Island Foundation

Posted on April 14, 2023 by Ade Adeniji

What It Looks Like When a Multigenerational Family Foundation Makes All Voices Equal Therma-Tru Corporation was a family-owned business whose bread and butter was manufacturing exterior and entry doors. The Midwestern company traces its roots to the 1960s, when David Welles, a retired Owens Corning executive, purchased a bankrupt building supply company in Toledo, Ohio. The company eventually patented its… Read More

Effective Family Philanthropy: The Woodcock Foundation

Posted on April 5, 2023 by Ade Adeniji

The Evolution of the Woodcock Foundation: A Progressive Family Funder Branches Out Polly W. Guth was an heir to one of the founders of the pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co. She was also an active philanthropist, heavily involved in groups like Planned Parenthood of New York City and Asia Society. In 1996, Guth founded the Woodcock Foundation, which has awarded over… Read More

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