Albert A. List created the Foundation that bears his name in 1952. Born to poor parents, List stopped attending school in the sixth grade so he could help support his family. He later established the List Foundation as a way to share his ultimate good fortune with disadvantaged populations.

List deeply believed that his success was an American phenomenon. He loved this country’s spirit of democracy and opportunity. Accordingly, he encouraged his four daughters, the Directors of the Foundation, to help make our democratic institutions even stronger and more inclusive. The List Foundation developed funding priorities to support the practice of citizen participation within our pluralistic society.

Starting in the late 1980’s, the List Foundation focused on three program areas:

• Reproductive Health and Rights
• Energy and the Environment
• First Amendment Rights and Censorship

However, the increasingly restrictive political climate of the early1990’s affected both the nation’s and the Foundation’s priorities—though in strikingly different ways. The Foundation’s Directors came to believe that they could no longer meet their objectives by continuing prior funding patterns. In the face of rampant anti-democratic extremism, the Foundation looked for new methods of sustaining its commitment to liberty and justice for all.

With Sidney Shapiro advising, the Directors redefined the Foundation’s priorities and developed the following program areas:

• Democracy and Citizen Participation
• Economic Justice
• Freedom of Expression and the Arts
• New Problems/New Solutions
• Telecommunications Policy and Advocacy
• Special Initiatives

The Foundation has also focused on the American Jewish Community and Israel. In 2001, the Foundation developed special initiatives in Capacity Building and Independent Media.

The continuing political, economic and social challenges of the 1990’s led the Foundation to further assess its grant-making strategy. After a comprehensive planning process, the Directors decided to spend out the Foundation’s assets in order to increase the impact of grantee organizations on critical public issues. The Albert A. List Foundation closed its doors in December 2004.

The Directors state: “It has been an honor to support these organizations in their efforts to build a progressive, multi-issue movement for social change. We have fostered innovation, helped build dynamic and lasting coalitions, and worked to ensure a diverse, vital democratic future for our country. It saddens us to close the Foundation, but we are proud of the grantees’ many accomplishments. We know that our values will live on through this extraordinary group of organizations. We thank them and our partners in progressive philanthropy for the opportunity to engage in this rewarding work together.”

The Directors of the Foundation were Jo List Levinson, Carol List Schwartz, Olga List Mack and Viki Laura List. Jo List Levinson passed away in November 2001. Carol List Schwartz passed away in April 2003. Allison Barlow was elected to the Board of Directors in May of 2003. The Program Consultants were Allison Barlow, Helen Brunner and Sidney Shapiro. The Administrative Consultant was Mary Frey Bennett.