Philanthropy

From a tiger reserve in India, to an orphanage in Tibet, to a building project in New Orleans, Explore is a philanthropic multimedia project that involves travel to non-profit organizations and their courageous leaders around the world. These expeditions serve a dual purpose: to identify grantees for the Annenberg Foundation, and to create images and films that connect people with extraordinary cultures and ideas. Our mission is simple: to champion the selfless acts of others, to inspire a revolution of giving.

With the support of the Annenberg Foundation, Explore made funding possible to the following organizations:

AFRICA, JULY 2005

Ethiopia

Abebech Gobena Orphanage and School
$250,000
To provide housing and education opportunities for children in Ethiopia, Africa.

Tesfa Foundation
$25,000
To support early childhood education to disadvantaged children in Ethiopia, where no public pre-school or kindergarten is available.

Ghana

Children's Christian Storehouse, Inc.
$25,000
To support a training and performance pavilion for children in Africa by providing the resources and opportunity to "Reach Beyond Their Boundaries.”

Rita Marley Foundation
$200,000
To provide support for the alleviation of poverty for people of the developing and less developed countries of Africa.

Tanzania
 
African Wildlife Foundation
$2,000,000
To build the Manyara Ranch School and provide education to Maasai children.

ARCTIC, SEPTEMBER 2007

The Iqaluit Community Greenhouse Society
$50,000
To support the Iqaluit Community Greenhouse Expansion Project.

CHINA, APRIL 2006

The 12K Foundation
$25,000
To support the Dickey Orphanage, which is located in Tibet, and houses approximately 80 children who have endured severe hardship due to a harsh climate, lack of harvest, and a poor educational system.

AnWu Elementary School
$25,000
For general operating support to further the organization's mission to provide an education to the underprivileged children living in the rural Chinese countryside in the village of Jiang Lu Township.

Asia Society Southern California
$55,000
To support the piloting of an after-school Mandarin language program of the Youth Council of the Asia Society Southern California to better prepare students in South Central Los Angeles to succeed on a global stage.

Beijing Cultural Development Center for Rural Women
$100,000
To provide general operating support to further the organization's mission to promote the social development of China's rural women by providing information, training, and services in order to raise their ability for self-development.

China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda
$450,000
Lifetime adoption of twin pandas, a 'Panda Cam' at the Wolong Nature Reserve, medical research and programs, and a sculpture to increase public awareness of panda conservation.

Museum of the Terracotta Warriors and Horses of Qin Shihuang
$100,000
To provide general operating support to further the conservation and administration of site excavation and for the exhibition and interpretation of the findings, research on the sites' histories, and development of new technologies for conservation.

Pacific Environment and Resources Center
$200,000
To support the China Program, which encourages the growth of China's emerging environmental movement by helping community leaders, journalists, and students raise awareness about their country's environmental problems.

World Wildlife Fund International
$50,000
To support the Qinling Panda Focal Project of the WWF China Programme Office, which will build capacity and management for projected areas to decrease poaching, develop plans for tourism and micro-enterprise, increase revenue, and restore key panda habitats.
 

COSTA RICA, NOVEMBER 2005

E.A.R.T.H. University
$600,000
To support education for the agricultural sciences and natural resources in order to contribute to sustainable development for agricultural production and environmental preservation.

INDIA, NOVEMBER 2006

Blue Cross of India
$50,000
To offer animal assisted therapy to individuals who are educationally, socially, or physically challenged.

Bodh Shiksha School
$100,000
To support a community program in school activities such as student learning, school administration, and curriculum development.

Centre for Science and Environment
$100,000
For general operating support to increase public awareness of science, technology, and the environment, and to develop new methods for environmental conservation and preservation.

Indian Heritage Research Foundation
$100,000
To support schools and orphanages that provide young children with the opportunity to learn, grow, achieve, and become productive members of society.

Jaipur Virasat Foundation
$50,000
To preserve all aspects of local culture, including art, music, and language in Rajasthan.

Kiran Centre
$150,000
To support special education in small groups with methods adapted to individual student needs.

M.C. Mehta Environmental Foundation
$50,000
To provide a forum for concerned citizens, NGO’s, and activists working for the survival of living beings, sustainable development, and social change.

People for Animals
$50,000
To support campaigns for animal rights by spearheading a popular movement for respecting all life on this earth.

Friends of Ramana's Garden
$35,000
To provide housing and education to children who are homeless, neglected, refugees, or otherwise disadvantaged.

Rescue Foundation
$250,000
To support the tracking and rescuing of girls who are trafficked.

Tiger Watch
$50,000
To support the task force and interventions that aid in the preservation of the Bengal tiger.

World Monuments Fund
$25,000
To support the preservation and conservation of the Taj Mahal.

Y. R. Gaitonde Centre for AIDS Research and Education (YRG Care)
$100,000
To provide HIV/AIDS education, care and support, research and training, and treatment.

LOS ANGELES

Aquarium of the Pacific
$400,000
To support the Aquarium’s educational programs and research projects.

Homeboy Industries
$1,035,000
To provide assistance for at-risk and former gang-involved youth to become contributing members of our community.

Islamic Center of Southern California
$100,000
To provide religious, educational, and recreational facilities for members of the public at large.

New Directions
$25,000
To support services for homeless veterans, including job training and placement, parenting and money management classes, legal and financial assistance, counseling, remedial education, and resources for alumni.

St. Brendan Catholic Church
$100,000
To provide education in the Catholic tradition through worship, education, service, and outreach. 

Sinai Temple
$100,000
To provide for the study of ancient and modern Jewish learning, beautiful music and spiritual richness of prayer.

Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Los Angeles (SPCA-LA)
$25,000
To provide general operating support for programs and services including Cruelty Investigation, Disaster Animal Response Team, Humane Education, and a variety of shelter services.

MIDDLE EAST / EUROPE, JUNE 2007

Israel

American Committee for Tel Aviv Foundation
$25,000
To support the Davis-Lewis Soccer and Education Center and provide children living in the Jaffa community a place to study and participate in sports.

American Friends of Neve Shalom-Wahat al-Salam
$100,000
To support cooperative living and cultural understanding.

American Near East Refugee Aid
$35,000
To support the Peace Center for the Blind and Holy Land Institute for the Deaf.

American Society for Yad Vashem - Holocaust Museum
$100,000
To document and preserve Holocaust history in archives, museums, libraries, and schools.

Beit Hagalgalim
$25,000 (through the New Israel Fund)
To provide disabled children with a place to socialize and learn and provide their parents with a weekend respite.

B'Tselem - The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories
$100,000
To support the media project “Shooting Back: Civilians As Video Advocates."

Grassroots International, Inc.
$200,000
To support the Jenin Freedom Theater, the only professional theater venue in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and give a voice to Palestinian youth through theater.

Machsom Watch
$50,000 (through the New Israel Fund))
To monitor the behavior of Israeli officials at checkpoints and protect the human rights of Palestinians.

Mosaica's Center for Inter-Religious Cooperation
$50,000 (through the New Israel Fund)
To support the work of Jewish and Arab religious and social leaders to end religious killings.

New Israel Fund
$100,000
To provide general operating support to support democratic change within Israel.

Peace Centre for the Blind
$25,000
To provide academic and vocational training to blind Palestinian women.

American Committee for Shaare Zedek
$50,000
To support the B'Ruach spiritual care training program at Shaare Zedek Medical Center.

Social TV
$25,000 (through the New Israel Fund)
To allow organizations of social change to advertise their events.

Western Wall Heritage Foundation
$100,000
To support the preservation and development of the Western Wall.

Italy

Community of St. Egidio
$50,000
To operate soup kitchens, shelters and resources for the poor.

Jordan

Jordan River Foundation
$25,000
To support sustainable social, economic and cultural programs.

King Hussein Foundation-US
$25,000
To support the Performing Arts Center in Amman, Jordan.

Petra National Trust
$200,000
To preserve the antiques, environment and cultural heritage of Petra.

NEW ORLEANS, AUGUST 2006

Habitat for Humanity
$100,000
For general operating support for building simple, decent, affordable housing in partnership with people in need.

Red Cross of America
$1,000,000
To support relief efforts after Hurricane Katrina and Rita.

United Way New Orleans
$12,500
To support the efforts after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita by helping to provide a healthy quality of life, a strong workforce and a brighter economic future for the six-parish area.


NORTH SHORE & JACKSON HOLE, FEBRUARY 2008

AccesSurf Hawaii
$100,000
Share adaptive surfing with everyone who has the desire to enter the ocean and ride waves.

Avalanche Forecasting Lab
$100,000
To provide accurate avalanche forecasting to the Teton county area.

Kumu Kahua Theatre
$50,000
To preserve the local Hawaiian culture through theatre.

North Shore Community Land Trust
$100,000
To protect the special natural areas of the North Shore of O‘ahu through voluntary land conservation.

North Shore Lifeguard Association
$100,000
To fulfill the need for ocean safety and lifesaving education within the North Shore community.

Teton County Search and Rescue
$100,000
To provide vital emergency search and rescue services for Teton County and surrounding areas for those in need.

Wyoming K-9 Search and Rescue
$100,000
To train competent search dog teams and assist local, state, and federal authorities in emergency search and rescue situations.

PACIFIC NORTHWEST, SEPTEMBER 2006

Center for Whale Research
$100,000
To provide support for identifying each individual orca of the Southern Resident Community in the study area of Greater Puget Sound to better understand orca migration.

InnerChange Charitable Society
$175,000
To provide general operating support for the Chronic Addiction Substance Abuse program.

Pacific Orca Society
$25,000
To support the educational research and documentation of orca whales in the Pacific Northwest.

Sam Sullivan Disability Foundation
$75,000
To provide general operating support to help people with significant disabilities achieve full citizenship in the community.

UBC Museum of Anthropology
$15,000
To provide access to cultural objects from around the world, with emphasis on the achievements and concerns of the First Peoples and British Columbia's cultural communities.

Vancouver Aquarium
$15,000
To provide support for educational programs at the Aquarium.