Aviv Foundation
OVERVIEW: The Aviv Foundation supports children, education, Jewish causes and civic engagement in the U.S.
IP TAKE: The Aviv Foundation oversees the Springboard Prize for Child Welfare, which accepts applications from programs with strong potential to improve the lives of underserved children in the U.S. For all other grantmaking opportunities, networking with this family funder will be key, as proposals are accepted by invitation only. It prefers a proactive approach due to the amount of funding requests it receives.
This is a supportive and otherwise approachable funder, should you have questions or receive funding.
PROFILE: Established in 2016, the Aviv Foundation is a family philanthropy based in Bethesda, Maryland. The foundation is led by Chani Katzen Laufer, an attorney who served as a law guardian in abuse and neglect cases in New York City. The foundation invests in “emergent and established solutions with the potential to create systemic change” in the areas of education, democracy and Jewish causes and oversees the Springboard Prize for Child Welfare, which recognizes innovative projects and initiatives that aim to prevent child abuse and neglect and improve the well being of children living in poverty.
Grants for Jewish Causes
Jewish causes appear to be the Aviv Foundation’s largest area of giving, with grantmaking prioritizing the greater New York City area and Israel. In New York, the foundation supports a broad range of yeshivas and other Jewish education organizations. Recent grants have gone to the Yeshivas Chovevei Torah and Maharat, both of which are located in the Bronx, and the Padres Institute of Jewish Studies. Other Jewish education grantees include the Milton Gottesman Jewish Primary Day School in Washington, D.C. and Hillel International. The foundation’s support for Israel consist mainly of U.S.-based organizations that work in Israel, with recent grants supporting the Jerusalem Foundation, the PEF Israel Endowment Funds, the American Friends of Itim and Encounter, a New York City-based organization that promotes solutions to Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Grants for Economic Opportunity and Racial Justice
The Aviv Foundation has demonstrated a strong commitment to improving the lives of people living in poverty and underserved families of color. The foundation’s largest recipient in recent years has been Blue Meridian Partners, a philanthropic organization focused on “transforming the life trajectories of young people and families trapped in poverty.” Other grantees working in the intersections of opportunity and racial equity include Austin’s Oficina Legal del Pueblo Unido, the NAACP’s Legal Defense and Education Fund and New York City’s Lawyers for Children.
Grants for K-12 Education and Homelessness
A smaller portion of the Aviv Foundation’s grantmaking supports organizations that aim to improve educational opportunities for underserved children, with a strong focus on children in foster or transitional living situations. In recent years the foundation has given to Washington D.C.’s Citybridge Education, an incubator for charter schools and other educational endeavors, and the Homeless Children’s Playtime Project, which is also based in Washington, D.C. Grantees working specifically with foster and orphaned children and youth include Foster America, the Blinknow Foundation and the National Foster Youth Action Network. In addition to its foundation grants, the Aviv Foundation launched it Springboard Prize for Child Welfare in 2021. The award provides grants of $200,000 to support projects with the potential for strong impact on the lives of children, with a strong preference for those supporting “low-income Black, Brown and Indigenous communities.” Early recipients of the award include the Nebraska Indian Child Welfare Coalition and Family Reunification, Equity and Empowerment, which helps formerly-incarcerated parents to navigate the child welfare system and achieve family stability.
Grants for Civic & Democracy
The Aviv Foundation names the civic engagement of all citizens as a grantmaking priority, but does not offer an expanded view into it’s grantmaking strategy here. Recent grantees in this area include Voto Latino, Vote.org and the New Politics Leadership Academy, which runs events that aim to develop leaders who will embrace the responsibility of running for and holding public office.
Grants for Public Health and Access
Public health is a smaller area of grantmaking for the Aviv Foundation, but recent grants have supported initiatives public health and reproductive care. Grantees include the Planned Parenthood Foundation of New York City, Virginia’s People to People Health Foundation, the Brem Foundation to Defeat Breast Cancer and Upstream USA, which works to improve contraceptive equity nationally.
Important Grant Details:
The Aviv Foundation made about $8.3 million in grants in a recent year. Grants were generally awarded in amounts of up to $650,000, with grants of over $1 million awarded only rarely. The foundation’s average grant size is about $30,000. Jewish causes are the foundation’s largest area of giving, followed by grants for organizations working with foster, orphaned or underprivileged youth and their families. The Aviv Foundation works nationally and in Israel, showing a slight preference for organizations operating in the New York City area. For additional information about past grantees, see the foundation’s recent tax filings.
The Aviv Foundation does not run an open application program, but interested grantseekers may reach out with inquiries via email, the organization’s Linkedin page or telephone at (240) 449-3900. Grantseekers interested in applying for the Springboard Prize should check the program’s application page for information about upcoming opportunities and due dates.
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