MoFo Foundation

For 40 years, The Morrison & Foerster Foundation has supported underserved communities and equal access to justice of all kinds. Funded primarily by Morrison Foerster’s lawyers and staff members, the Foundation promotes our collective social engagement while respecting and celebrating the differences that make our communities thrive.

One of the oldest law firm affiliated charitable foundations in the United States, The Foundation has contributed over $84 million since 1986 to a wide variety of nonprofit organizations that address social welfare and discrimination through programs focused on legal aid, civil rights, and equity in education, healthcare, housing, and the arts.

The Foundation is honored to share highlights of our 2024 giving below. We especially thank Morrison Foerster’s partners for their original charitable vision, their longstanding commitment to justice in all of its forms, and their continuing support.

2024 Annual Report

Learn more about the Foundation, including our charitable donations and giving programs, in our 2024 Annual Report.

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Programs

The Morrison & Foerster Foundation enables the people of Morrison Foerster and the Foundation’s board of directors to focus their charitable giving on nonprofit organizations serving the communities where they live and work. Funds are distributed at the discretion of the Foundation’s board, which includes partners from each of the firm’s geographic regions.

Engaging in our Communities

The MoFo Foundation is driven by our core values of a commitment to service, inclusivity, collaboration, excellence, and nurturing a just, equitable, and sustainable future for all.

In 2024, charitable contributions to legal aid and organizations serving disadvantaged children, youth, and families and protecting their rights continued to be at the core of our local giving. In 2024, the MoFo Foundation donated $1.5 million to local and national nonprofit organizations dedicated to protecting civil rights, upholding voting rights, and promoting equal access to justice for all. We donated approximately $1.3 million to a wide variety of organizations providing social, developmental, and educational services to underserved youth. Additionally, giving to a diverse array of nonprofit organizations focused on food and shelter, health, and the arts totaled over $1 million.

Special Project Grants

In addition to our annual giving, we set aside a portion of the Foundation’s budget most years in order to fund a series of occasional special grants in amounts much larger than we could otherwise contribute. Over the years, we have funded five sets of these large grants, all nominated by Morrison Foerster personnel, and all addressing some of the critical unmet needs of disadvantaged children and youth in our communities.

Our total giving through our Special Project Grants Program now stands at $7.1 million. The 2024 Special Project Grants Program represents the MoFo Foundation’s fifth set of special grants, totaling $2.1 million, following similar $1 million programs in 2003 and 2006, a $1.5 million program to celebrate its 25th anniversary, and a $1.3 million program for its 30th anniversary in 2016.

Our Special Project Grants Program has supported nonprofit organizations broadly serving disadvantaged youth and families that address social welfare and discrimination through programs focused on legal aid, civil rights, and equity in education, healthcare, arts and housing.

Criteria + Management

Funding Criteria

The Foundation considers funding requests only if sponsored by Morrison Foerster lawyers or staff. We are not accepting other unsolicited grant proposals at this time.

The Morrison & Foerster Foundation gives only to nonprofit organizations with IRC § 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status with programs that, in the view of the Foundation's board of directors, are aligned with the Foundation’s focus and can, in the board’s opinion, best serve the community’s charitable needs. Contributions are not made to individuals; to fraternal, religious, or political organizations; to groups that discriminate on the basis of race, religion, political affiliation, sexual orientation, or gender identity; or to organizations that serve only a particular religious or political group. The Foundation does not purchase tickets to charitable fundraising events.

Board of Directors

The Foundation’s board of directors includes partners from the firm’s offices around the world.

Legal Notice

The Morrison & Foerster Foundation is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt public charity, federal tax ID no. 94-3006979. Financial and program information about the Foundation can be obtained by writing to The Morrison & Foerster Foundation at 425 Market Street, 32nd Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105 2482. In addition, several states where the Foundation is required to file financial information each year require the following disclosures: Colorado: Colorado residents may obtain copies of registration and financial documents from the office of the Secretary of State, (303) 894-2200 #2 or https://www.coloradosos.gov/. New York: Financial reports can also be obtained from the charity's registry on the Attorney General's website or by writing the Charities Bureau at 28 Liberty Street, New York, NY 10005. For more information about charities, visit the Charities Bureau online at http://www.charitiesnys.com/ or call 212-416-8401. REGISTRATION IN THE ABOVE STATES DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION OF THE MORRISON & FOERSTER FOUNDATION BY THE STATES.

* Our numbers are shown on a cash basis and are unaudited because of the timing of the Foundation’s annual independent audit.