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2040 Foundation
Jay Faison launched the 2040 Foundation in 2014 — a Charlotte-based 501(c)(3) incubated within the National Christian Charitable Foundation. Faison himself...
2040 Foundation
Jay Faison launched the 2040 Foundation in 2014 — a Charlotte-based 501(c)(3) incubated within the National Christian Charitable Foundation. Faison himself made his fortune founding and selling SnapAV, the AV distributor acquired by Schneider Electric. Unlike most grantmaking foundations, 2040 runs a dedicated investment function, the 2040 Fund, overseen by CIO Mark Bruinooge. The foundation's programmatic spend directs capital toward research, policy advocacy, and direct financial assistance for organizations that advance what it calls conservative clean energy solutions. Asset-class coverage spans direct program grants, real assets held for mission use — including a commercial condominium at 300 New Jersey Avenue NW, Suite 907 in Washington, DC, and a residential property at 611 Maryland Ave NE — and likely pooled endowment assets deployed through the 2040 Fund. Geographically, the foundation operates from both Charlotte and Washington, DC. With an estimated $87 million in assets (Altss estimate), 2040 operates as a subordinate organization of the National Christian Foundation. The professional network driving its advocacy is narrow and senior: founder Jay Faison sits as a principal in the American Energy Innovation Council, and board member Rich Powell — who also serves as CEO of ClearPath — is on the board of the Conservative Climate Foundation. There are no club memberships like Tiger 21 or YPO disclosed, and the team appears to number fewer than a dozen professionals. What distinguishes 2040 structurally is its dual identity: it is at once a 501(c)(3) public charity operating inside the administrative and tax umbrella of the National Christian Charitable Foundation and a program-focused investment office with a named CIO. This architecture lets it pursue policy-change goals through advocacy, operate a physical real-estate footprint for mission use, and run an investment portfolio — all while maintaining the compliance posture of a subordinate foundation rather than an independent private foundation.
General information
Firm type
Endowment / Foundation
Year founded
2014
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Charlotte
Corporate office
Charlotte, NC, United States
Additional offices
300 New Jersey Avenue NW, Suite 907, Washington, DC 20001
Principals
Jay Faison
Founder and Executive Chairman
Mark Bruinooge
Chief Investment Officer of the 2040 Fund
Rich Powell
Board Member, 2040 Foundation
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who makes investment decisions at the 2040 Foundation?
The foundation has a named Chief Investment Officer, Mark Bruinooge, who oversees the 2040 Fund. Bruinooge reports to founder and Executive Chairman Jay Faison, who built his wealth founding SnapAV. The investment function sits alongside the programmatic and advocacy arms, all operating as a subordinate organization of the National Christian Charitable Foundation.
Where does the 2040 Foundation's capital come from?
The capital traces to Jay Faison's exit from SnapAV, a custom audio-visual and smart-home equipment distributor he founded. SnapAV was acquired by Schneider Electric. Faison seeded the 2040 Foundation in 2014 as the primary philanthropic and programmatic vehicle for his wealth.
How is 2040 Foundation related to ClearPath and the Conservative Climate Foundation?
Board member Rich Powell is simultaneously the CEO of ClearPath and serves on the board of the Conservative Climate Foundation. Founder Jay Faison is a principal in the American Energy Innovation Council (AEIC). These interlocking relationships create a narrow, high-level network for conservative clean-energy advocacy that the foundation's grantmaking reinforces operationally.
Is 2040 Foundation a private foundation or a public charity?
It is structured as a 501(c)(3) public charity operating as a subordinate organization of the National Christian Charitable Foundation. This status subjects it to different IRS rules than a private foundation — for example, around grantmaking and lobbying — while allowing it to use the National Christian Foundation's administrative and compliance infrastructure.
Does 2040 Foundation make for-profit investments alongside its grants?
The foundation runs a dedicated investment vehicle called the 2040 Fund, led by CIO Mark Bruinooge. While the precise mix of for-profit program investments versus traditional grants is not publicly disclosed, the existence of a named CIO and a fund structure suggests the foundation deploys capital beyond simple grant checks — likely including mission-related or program-related investments in clean-energy enterprises.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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