Ray C. Anderson Foundation to Sunset by the End of 2030

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Valerie Bennett, 770.317.5858

March 11, 2025 /3BL/ - The Ray C. Anderson Foundation today announced that it will sunset by the end of 2030.

John Lanier, executive director of the Foundation and grandson of Ray C. Anderson (1934-2011), noted that much care and thought went into the family-led decision.

“After an in-depth and rewarding strategic planning process, united in love for each other and for this planet we call home, the trustees have decided that this is the way to make the biggest difference in the shortest amount of time,” Lanier said.

Nearly 14 years ago, Ray Anderson bestowed approximately $50 million of his estate to the Foundation. Since 2012, the Foundation has awarded more than $36 million in grants, primarily focused on:

• Sustainable business through the Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business at Georgia Tech;
• Seeding and scaling the growth of nature-inspired startups through the Ray of Hope Accelerator, an initiative of the Biomimicry Institute;
• Funding the research and providing staff support for Drawdown Georgia, a statewide movement to accelerate progress toward net zero greenhouse gas emissions in Georgia; and
• Funding for The Ray, a living laboratory and resource to more than 30 state departments of transportation and 55 strategic partnerships across the country for research and innovation related to sustainable highways.

“The consequences of our decisions affect generations into the indefinite future.” Ray C. Anderson

Foundation Will Continue Funding Key Projects Through 2030

“Although Daddy didn’t give us any instructions for creating the Foundation, many of his speeches provided hints of what he thought the future should look like,” said Harriet Langford, Foundation Trustee and Ray’s younger daughter. “He talked about the importance of educational institutions, NGOs, faith-based organizations, and business and government at all levels. For the past 13 years, we’ve been successful using those hints as our roadmap. Most importantly, we know he valued the importance of engaging the next generation. That’s what we are doing now, as we turn the page for the next chapter in the story of Ray’s legacy.”

“I could be off by a decade, but along about 2030 or 2040 a new generation of managers is going to take the reins… a generation that already ‘gets it’ and is chomping at the bit to get into the game.”
Ray C. Anderson

Next Generation of Ray Anderson Family Leadership Joins Foundation

“Ray’s legacy continues with our funding up through 2030, with added input and guidance from the next generation,” said Mary Anne Lanier, President of the Foundation and Ray’s oldest daughter. “My sister Harriet and I decided early on that we wanted our children to have the chance to practice philanthropy with us, so we created the NextGen Committee in 2012.” From 2012 to 2023, the NextGen Committee (Ray's grandchildren and their spouses) awarded approximately $1 million in grants focused on environmental and equity initiatives around the world. That next generation has joined the Board of Trustees, elevating their involvement over the next five years.

Chantel Lanier, McCall Filipovich Langford, Samantha Filipovich Langford, Jay Lanier and Whitney Lanier became Foundation Trustees last month and will play a role in shaping the next five years for the Foundation and the family.

“The next generation of Ray’s family has undoubtedly been inspired by his monumental efforts,“ said Foundation Trustee, McCall Filipovich Langford. “We are extremely proud of our grandfather’s work, and we are just as proud of the work our parents have done to carry on his legacy. While we are sunsetting the foundation, we are planning to do so in a way that ensures our family’s positive impact is felt for generations to come.”

“The challenges we are working on are only growing more acute,” John Lanier noted. “In the years between now and our planned sunset by the end of 2030, our generation is committed to helping the sun ‘rise’ on new initiatives that are unfolding to match the urgency of climate change and climate justice.”