BRONNER'S FAMILY FOUNDATION - Key Persons
Emanuel Bronner ran Dr. Bronner's as an activist-oriented company, dating back to the 1940s when he would give passionate speeches, first on street corners, and then in crowd-filled auditoriums, calling on the human race to unite, all the while selling his Peppermint Pure-Castile Soap on the side. Carrying forward that same spirit of social engagement into the next generation, his sons Ralph and Jim began focusing their attention on meeting the needs of the communities where they lived, actualizing the ideal of human unity in their own lives by sharing company profits generously with the workers, and dedicating their time, talent, and financial resources to serving others. Their spirit of service and generosity is epitomized by their donation of a 1,200-acre parcel of wilderness worth $1.4 million to San Diego County Boys & Girls Club in 1998.
The Family Foundation was established in 2003 as a new avenue by which current and future generations of the Bronner family could carry on this legacy of activism and community service.
Dr. Bronner's Family Foundation is an independent 501(c)3 grantmaking organization which administers the philanthropic giving directed by members of the broader Bronner family. In addition to being a vehicle for private philanthropic activities through which members of the Bronner family serve their communities, the Foundation houses the Migration Justice Initiative, a public-facing funding program established in 2019 to address the suffering, injustice, and human rights violations endured by refugees and migrants around the world. The Foundation also serves to facilitate select Dr. Bronner's cause partnerships in collaboration with the company's Constructive Capital corporate giving program.
The Foundation is run by a Board of Directors composed of Dr. Bronner's executives and The Family Foundation's Executive Director, Kris Lin-Bronner.
Job Titles:
- Family Foundation Staff Member
- Executive Director / Chief Grants Officer
- Executive Director of the Dr. Bronner 's Family Foundation
As Chief Grants Officer of the Migration Justice Initiative, Kris is responsible for developing and implementing the initiative's grant program to address the plight faced by refugees and forced migrants both in the U.S. and internationally, overseeing details of grant administration, strategic planning, communications, and policy work.
Job Titles:
- Family Foundation Staff Member
Job Titles:
- Board Chair / Chief Financial Officer, Dr. Bronner's
- Board Chair and Founder of Dr. Bronner 's Family Foundation
Trudy Bronner is the Board Chair and Founder of Dr. Bronner's Family Foundation, and has served as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at Dr. Bronner's since 1993. When her father-in-law and company founder Emanuel Bronner passed away in 1997, Trudy and her late husband Jim Bronner weathered $2.5 million in inheritance taxes to guide the company onto firm financial footing. Since then, she has steered the company through significant financial growth, from generating $4 million in annual revenue in 1998 to nearly $130 million in 2019.