Who We Are
A family foundation built from a single small business — and
a long bet on the city we call home.
Wurwand Foundation focuses on the city our family has called home for decades. This is the story of how that happened, what we believe, and how we work.
01 — Our Origin
It started with $14,000 and a skill set.
After immigrating to Los Angeles in 1983, Jane and Raymond self-funded their small business on $14,000 and bootstrapped it into the number one skin care product in the professional salon industry. Dermalogica is now a global brand, and every product is still made in Los Angeles.
Through this work, Jane and Raymond learned the blueprint for small business. They saw that talent and drive were everywhere — but opportunity wasn't. They came to understand that the right resource at the right moment could change what was possible. That perspective shaped Wurwand Foundation, which focuses on supporting entrepreneurs, investing in young people, and helping build the neighborhoods that make LA feel like home.
02 — What We Believe
A few things we hold to be true.
Belief 01
Local is the point.
We invest in our own backyard in Los Angeles. We know this city, we love this city, and we think the biggest impact is the one closest to home.
Belief 02
Small businesses are the backbone of our city.
Entrepreneurs — especially those from underserved communities — don't often have access to the support they need. We're here to change that.
Belief 03
Young people flourish with opportunity.
A skill. A mentor. A steady hand through the hard parts. We back the organizations giving young people real paths to economic mobility — in whatever form they need.
Belief 04
Our partners know what's best.
No one knows what the community needs better than the nonprofits on the ground every day — so our grants are less prescriptive than most. We select our partners carefully, and then step back.
03 — How We Work
Slow. Personal. By invitation.
We are a small family foundation by design. We do not accept unsolicited proposals. Our grants are made by invitation, through trusted referrals and long relationships with partners already doing the work.
We move slowly because the kind of change we care about — a young person learning a trade, a business owner making payroll for the first time, a neighborhood regaining its shape — takes years, not fiscal quarters.
If our work resonates and there's a natural connection to what you're building, please let us know.
"
We came to Los Angeles in 1983 with $14,000 and a skill set. That experience taught us how far a little opportunity can take a person — and how rarely it's given to the people who need it most.
— Jane Wurwand, Co-Founder
Where to Next