OVERVIEW: The Carol and James Collins Foundation aims to enrich the lives of children, youth and families, particularly the underserved, in the Southern California area.
IP TAKE: The foundation does not maintain a website, which restricts transparency about grantmaking strategies and guidelines.
PROFILE: Established in 1985, the Carol and James Collins Foundation was established by restaurant mogul James Collins and his wife Carol. Born in 1926, James A. Collins served in the U.S. Navy. He graduated from UCLA with a degree in civil engineering in 1950. He began his restaurant career in 1952 when he opened Hamburger Handout, a self-service hamburger stand in Culver City. He became a franchisee of Kentucky Fried Chicken in 1960, and in 1967 purchased the Sizzler Family Steak House chain. Collins formed Collins Foods International (CFI), which was restructured as Sizzler International and currently includes 300 Sizzler restaurants worldwide and 119 KFC restaurants in Australia. In 1999, Collins became Sizzler's chairman emeritus. Carol Collins also attended UCLA and has served as a board member for Women & Philanthropy at UCLA and for what is now known as the UCLA Lab School, which she attended as a child.
The foundation does not maintain a website, but James Collins’ personal website details some of the foundation’s interests and philanthropic partners. The Carol and James Collins Foundation aims to enrich the lives of children, youth and families, particularly the underserved, in the Southern California area. The foundation supports groups and institutions that “give people the tools to become educated, healthy, self-reliant, contributing members of society.” Most grantmaking focuses on educational, youth, health, or human services organizations.
Grants for K-12 and Higher Education
The couple steadily support their mutual alma mater UCLA, including UCLA Anderson. Not only did the couple meet there as undergraduates but three of their four children are Bruins. They’ve also given strong support to Cal Poly Pomona, home to the Collins College of Hospitality Management. The Collinses made a $10 million gift to establish the Carol and James A. Collins Excellence Endowment at the institution. The couple are involved with Alliance for College Ready Public Schools, creating the Alliance Collins Family College Ready High School. Collins got involved with the Boys & Girls Club of Venice in the late 1960s, and the couple later created the James A. Collins Unit.
Other grantees have included Boys & Girls Club of West San Gabriel Valley, College Track, Marlborough School, Loyola Marymount University, 826LA, and Discovery Science Center of Los Angeles.
Grants for Health and Human Services
The family have given their biggest gifts to UCLA in the realm of health. They made a $5 million gift to David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, creating the Carol and James Collins Endowed Fund in Geriatric Medicine. Other philanthropy has included a $1.25 million for the Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care Program in 2012, and $1 million for the Alzheimer’s Risk Reduction Initiative in 2015. They also created the Carol and James Collins Endowed Chair in Geriatric Medicine.
Collins has been active with YMCA for decades, and is one Westside YMCA's longest serving board members. The family helped create the Collins & Katz Family YMCA.
Other grantees have included St. Anne's Maternity Home, Alexandria House, and Mar Vista Family Center.
Important Grant Details:
Grants range from $250 to $25,000. In a recent year, the foundation gave away around $770,000.
Learn more about this funder’s local giving by examining its recent tax records.
Grantmaking focuses on Los Angeles, including the San Gabriel Valley.
The foundation keeps a low profile and does not accept unsolicited proposals.
PEOPLE:
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CONTACT:
The Carol and James Collins Foundation
11911 San Vincente Blvd., Ste. 320
Los Angeles, CA 90049