Welcome to the Clif Family Foundation, an organization we started in 2006 to support grassroots groups led by people with vision and commitment. We believe that much of our nation's needed innovation will spring from grassroots organizations' daily efforts in local communities. The foundation has been proud to support hundreds of nonprofits that are working tirelessly to transform our food system, revitalize the environment, and enhance community health. Now that we’re grandparents, the urgency to build a healthy, just, and ecologically thriving world is even more personal. We look forward to expanding the reach and impact of the foundation in the years to come. This means working with nonprofits that prioritize people-centered solutions and address urgent gaps and historically underfunded priorities. We believe we can all do more good in the world. Together.
Gary Erickson & Kit Crawford
Founder and Co-creators of Clif Bar & Company
Welcome to Clif Family Foundation
Mission, Vision, and Values
Mission
We aspire to transform food systems, revitalize the environment, and enhance community health.
Vision
We envision a healthy, just, ecologically thriving world for all people.
Values
We aspire to transform food systems, revitalize the environment, and enhance community health.
Vision
We envision a healthy, just, ecologically thriving world for all people.
Values
- People Power: People most impacted by health, climate, and food systems challenges are foremost to design, develop, and implement solutions.
- Transformation: Systemic change is needed to address the root causes of societal problems and enable people to reach their full human potential.
- JEDI: Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion are essential to the effectiveness, long-term health, and well-being of all people. JEDI compels us to continuously progress toward a deeper understanding of the fundamental roles played by oppression.
- Collaboration: Partnerships are essential to achieve the mission, foster learning, and enable trusting relationships.
- Creativity: Ingenuity and imagination, coupled with listening and learning, generate effective new ideas and help solve long-standing problems.
- Joy: Joyful approaches in our philanthropic work enliven positive human potential that furthers efforts for change.
- Nature: Diverse connections with the natural world inspire us to learn from, respect, and support regenerative solutions.
Timeline
2021
Clif Family Foundation celebrates 15 years of transformative giving.
2018
The foundation awarded its first grants beyond the U.S. in Canada to nonprofits that promote ecological agriculture as a dynamic response to climate change.
2016
In celebration of the foundation’s 10-year anniversary, we reflected on our original mission and found grassroots groups, innovative leaders, and general unrestricted grants more essential than ever.
2012
The foundation administered its first Program-Related Investment, becoming a founding investor in the Bard MBA in Sustainability, which treats environmental and social challenges as problems that can be solved, profitably, with business tools.
2009
Our first special initiative, Seed Matters, improves and protects seed (the critical first link in our food chain) through grants, and the first-ever U.S. grad student fellowships for organic plant breeding at land grant universities.
2006
We expanded our vision and capacity for positive change by founding Clif Family Foundation, funded entirely by Clif Bar & Company, and we stay 100% engaged by serving as the foundation’s directors.
2000
A $120 MILLION buy-out offer tested our resolve, but we chose to stay private and build a different kind of business accountable to 5 bottom lines (our people, planet, community, business and brand) and committed to growing the good.
1992
CLIF BAR & COMPANY was born out of Gary’s passion for good food, cycling, and the unconventional idea that you could have both at the same time. It took years of inspiration and summiting obstacles to grow the company.