# United Nations Foundation

United Nations Foundation is an Endowment / Foundation based in Washington, DC, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Endowment / Foundation
- **Headquarters:** Washington, DC, United States
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** 1750 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite 300, Washington, D.C. 20006
- **Founded:** 1998
- **Assets under management:** $100M - $500M (Altss estimate)
- **Website:** unfoundation.org
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/united-nations-foundation

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

Ted Turner founded the United Nations Foundation in 1998 with a landmark $1 billion pledge, channeling the media fortune he built through CNN into a permanent charitable endowment. The foundation operates from Washington, D.C., with an additional office in New York, and it serves as a central partner to the UN system. Turner remains Chairman; Elizabeth M. Cousens has led the organization as President and CEO. The foundation deploys its capital through grants, advocacy, and campaign-building rather than traditional investments. It focuses on climate change, global health, and sustainable development, working alongside UN agencies and other philanthropic entities. Its advocacy arm, the Better World Campaign, advances US-UN relations. While the foundation does not disclose its portfolio, its reported endowment size places it firmly among mid-sized US philanthropies (Altss estimate). Governance sits with a board chaired by Turner, while day-to-day operations fall to Cousens. The foundation runs several adjacent vehicles, including the Better World Fund, Inc., and the United Nations Fund for International Partnerships (UNFIP). During the pandemic, it launched the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund. The New York office, located in the Ford Foundation Building, anchors its presence in the multilateral hub. The foundation's structure is distinct: a private, grantmaking charity created to support a public multilateral institution. Unlike family offices that manage direct investments, the United Nations Foundation channels nearly all its resources into programmatic work and advocacy, with a small endowment managed conservatively. Succession planning centers on the board's ability to appoint leaders who maintain Turner's original vision of a privately funded UN partner.

## Sectors

- ClimateTech
- Energy Transition & Renewables
- Healthcare Services
- Education

## Offices

- New York, NY, United States

## People

- Ted Turner — Founder & Chairman
- Elizabeth M. Cousens — President & CEO

## Questions

### Who runs investment decisions at the United Nations Foundation?

The foundation does not operate like a traditional investment office. Its endowment is managed conservatively to support grantmaking, and the organization does not disclose a CIO or investment team publicly. Strategic and programmatic decisions are led by President and CEO Elizabeth M. Cousens.

### How is the United Nations Foundation related to the UN itself?

It is a separate, US-based charitable nonprofit created by Ted Turner's gift, not a UN body. The foundation builds partnerships, raises funds, and runs advocacy campaigns—including the Better World Campaign—to support UN causes. It channels money through the United Nations Fund for International Partnerships (UNFIP) and other vehicles.

### Does the United Nations Foundation make direct investments or fund commitments?

No. The foundation is structured as a grantmaking entity, not an asset manager. It does not participate in fund commitments, direct deals, or venture investing. Its capital is deployed through programmatic grants and advocacy campaigns aligned with UN priorities.

### Where does the United Nations Foundation's money come from?

The original $1 billion endowment came from Ted Turner, who made his fortune in media and broadcasting as the founder of CNN and Turner Broadcasting System. The foundation also raises additional funds from other donors and partners for specific campaigns and initiatives.

### What is the Better World Campaign?

The Better World Campaign is the UN Foundation's advocacy arm, focused specifically on strengthening the relationship between the United States and the United Nations. It lobbies for US funding of the UN and promotes American engagement with multilateral institutions.

## Related profiles

- [Moravian University](https://altss.com/profile/moravian-university)
- [Knox College Endowment](https://altss.com/profile/knox-college-endowment)

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Last updated: 2026-06-03T20:00:00.000Z

Canonical page: https://altss.com/profile/united-nations-foundation

Maintained by Altss — https://altss.com — methodology: https://altss.com/methodology