Philanthropist Expanded Foundation’s Reach From Arts to Conservation
Wallis Annenberg, a prominent philanthropist and longtime leader of the Annenberg Foundation, died Monday at her Los Angeles home from complications related to lung cancer, her family confirmed. She was 86.
Annenberg, the daughter of publishing magnate Walter Annenberg, spent much of her life advancing philanthropic work across Los Angeles and beyond, focusing on education, the arts, social justice, environmental protection, health, and animal welfare.
Born in Philadelphia in 1939, Annenberg grew up in Washington, D.C., and became a central figure in the family foundation after the death of her father in 2002, when she stepped into the role of vice president. She became board chair, president, and CEO following the death of her stepmother, Leonore Annenberg, in 2009.
During her tenure, Annenberg oversaw the distribution of more than $611 million in grants to over 2,280 nonprofit organizations. Prior to assuming chairmanship, she had already directed nearly half a billion dollars in funding through the foundation’s Los Angeles office to over 1,000 institutions.
Under her leadership, the foundation broadened its mission to include both human and environmental causes, most notably contributing to wildfire recovery efforts in the Palisades and Eaton fires earlier this year. She also deepened the foundation’s commitment to wildlife and ecological conservation. The National Wildlife Federation credited the foundation with a $26 million gift supporting its #SaveLACougars campaign, which includes the construction of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing over the 101 Freeway in Agoura Hills.
The Annenberg Community Beach House in Santa Monica was endowed by Wallis Annenberg through the Annenberg Foundation with $27.5 million grant to fully realize the city’s wish to make it into a year-round public beach facility for residents to enjoy. Annenberg had “fond memories” of the Sand and Sea Club that had formerly occupied the property and enthusiastically agreed to the city’s plan.
Annenberg’s name is affixed to several major civic and cultural spaces across Los Angeles, including the Wallis Annenberg Building at the California Science Center in Exposition Park, the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills, the Wallis Annenberg GenSpace in Koreatown, and the Wallis Annenberg PetSpace in Playa Vista. The under-construction wildlife crossing, set to be the largest of its kind, also bears her name.
Known for her deep engagement with both the city and its future, Annenberg’s legacy includes an enduring focus on equity, creativity, and innovation in public life.
She is survived by her four children and five grandchildren.
