Herta & Paul Amir Foundation
OVERVIEW: The Herta & Paul Amir Foundation focuses on the Jewish community, including Jewish temples and schools, arts and culture.
IP TAKE: The Herta & Paul Amir Foundation has been increasing the size of its grants, but radically decreasing how many grants it gives in a giving year. In recent years, grants number less than five. This is not a transparent or accessible funder, so getting on it’s radar will prove difficult; however, a phone number has been provided below. This funder prefers organizations that are large, established and can bear the family’s name — preferably on a building — rather than grassroots giving or clear grantmaking strategies. As well, it has awarded multi-year grants, but not as of late as giving has decreased in the number of organizations this funder chooses to support.
The couple’s daughters and spouses should be watched as philanthropy shifts to the next generation. The family recently closed the Amir Art Foundation, moving its assets, so it is unclear how the family may be looking to transform grantmaking through their main giving vehicle.
PROFILE: Established in 1973, the Herta & Paul Amir Foundation is located in Beverly Hills, California. This funder chooses to remain low profile and does not maintain a web presence to guide grant seekers.
Born in Czechoslovakia in 1931, Paul Amir later immigrated to what was then Palestine, today Israel. In the U.S., Amir became a real estate developer, developing single-family tract homes in the San Fernando Valley, and apartment and office buildings in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills. Herta Amir graduated with a B.A. in economics from Queens College, attended Harvard Graduate School and later pursued an M.A. in Economics from UCLA. She began her professional career working for the National Bureau of Economic Research and then worked in the Economics Department at Rand Corporation In 1972, she joined her husband at Amir Development. Paul and Herta founded and own Amir Development Co.
Grants for Jewish Causes
The Amirs invest in several museums and arts and culture organizations that are either located in Israel or benefit Jewish arts and culture. The Amirs are longtime supporters of the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, contributing to a range of projects. The Amirs’ daughter Orna and her husband, Keenan Wolens, are donors to the Israel Museum Endowment Fund. The couple are on the international board of governors of Tel Aviv Museum of Art, another important grantee.
The couple directed a 7-figure gift to American Society of the University of Haifa in 2022. Other grantees have included Sinai Temple, Camp Ramah, The Jewish Foundation, and American Friends of Rambam Medical Center, which also received a 7-figure gift recently, as well as the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).
Grants for Los Angeles and the Arts
Grants for Given Herta’s work in policy and economics, it’s no surprise that their philanthropy also touches these issues — the Amirs have supported places like Washington Institute.
Amir has a passion for art and active in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) as well as the UCLA Arts board of visitors and the Hammer Museum.
CONTACT:
Herta & Paul Amir Foundation
8730 Wilshire Blvd Beverly Hills, CA 90211
(310) 657-8987