Endings and Beginnings

In 2022 the board formally decided to enter a spend down and sunset the Foundation by 2028. The decision is borne out of the values and commitment the Foundation holds to move away from a model of perpetuity based on the accumulation of wealth to the redistribution of it. The process began several years back when Swift Foundation took a bold step in deciding to double the payout of assets from 5% to 10% through grantmaking. In addition, the Foundation began to focus grantmaking on Indigenous Peoples and organizations at the grassroots community level and the organizations that directly supported these communities.

To do so responsibly, Swift Foundation developed an integrated, holistic model of grantmaking rooted in Indigenous values that are responsive to the rights and self-determination of Indigenous Peoples. While the Foundation is still in the early years of building relationships and networks through this model, we understand that the values and commitment of our work will be most appropriately and best carried out through select grantee partners, hence signaling a “sunsetting” of the Foundation. After a long and thoughtful process, the Board made an intentional decision to move significant resources to our partners and close the Foundation in 2028.