Barbara Stiefel Foundation
OVERVIEW: The Barbara Stiefel Foundation funds democracy and civic engagement initiatives, as well as criminal justice reform and other social justice concerns, in the United States. It also supports major conservation organizations and disaster relief efforts as it sees fit in the United States and internationally.
IP TAKE: This is not an accessible funder. It also does not maintain a website, which further restricts information about its grantmaking guidelines and strategies. However, this funder does a good bit of progressive funding, especially in Miami and across Florida. Your best bet here is to network through the charity gala scene in Miami. This is a tough nut to crack.
PROFILE: The Barbara Stiefel Foundation was established in 2010 by Barbara Stiefel, heiress of Stiefel Medicinal Soap Company. Stiefel is a major Democratic donor currently living in Florida. While her foundation does not have a website, tax filings indicate that the foundation generally supports work related to conservation, arts and culture, social justice, disaster relief and health.
Grants for Civic and Democracy
The Stiefel Foundation does not have a website, but tax filings indicate that its social justice grantmaking includes broad efforts to expand voting rights and increase civic engagement among women, minorities, and those affected by the justice system. Past grantees include the Proteus Fund, Florida Alliance for Civic Engagement and Fair Districts Now.
Grants for Environmental Conservation
The Stiefel Foundation’s tax filings indicate that its grantmaking for environmental conservation varies from year to year, but the foundation has shown support for both small, local conservation efforts, such as Catskill Mountain Keeper, and major international organizations like the World Wildlife Fund. Other past grantees include the Nature Conservancy, Ocean Conservancy, and Natural Resources Defense Council.
Grants for Humanitarian Relief
The Stiefel Foundation’s tax filings also indicate that its disaster relief grantmaking includes recent support for relief efforts in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria. Unfortunately, tax filings and web data do not shed further light on specific disaster relief giving with the exception of listing some grantees. Other past disaster relief grantees include Doctors Without Borders.
Grants for Criminal Justice Reform
The Stiefel Foundation does not publicly share its grantmaking strategies for criminal justice reform, but tax filings indicate that its past grants for criminal justice include the Equal Justice Initiative, which “litigates on behalf of death row prisoners, juveniles, people wrongly convicted or charged with violent crimes, poor people denied effective legal representation, and others whose trials are marked by racial bias or prosecutorial misconduct,” the Sentencing Project, which works to “change the way of thinking about crime and punishment,” Marijuana Policy Project Foundation, and the ACLU.
Important Grant Details:
Grants generally range from $1,000 to $25,000, but may go as high as $100,000.
This foundation maintains an exceptionally low profile, limiting information about its grantmaking and strategies.
The Stiefel Foundation mainly supports medium- and large-sized organizations.
This funder does not accept unsolicited proposals or requests for funding.
Contact information is provided below.
PEOPLE:
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CONTACT:
Barbara A. Stiefel Foundation, Inc.
C/O Berkowitz Pollack Brant
200 S. Biscayne Blvd. 7th Floor
Miami, FL 33131
(305) 379-9164