SOURCE OF WEALTH: EJF Capital
FUNDING AREAS: Environment, Health & Human Services, Jewish causes, Education, Washington, D.C.
OVERVIEW: Manny Friedman and Kindy French established Emanuel J. Friedman Philanthropies (EJF Philanthropies) to serve as the umbrella for charitable giving in their core areas of interest. Available tax filings indicate that the organization awarded $220,000 in grants in 2018. Washington, D.C., is a region of particular interest.
BACKGROUND: Emanuel “Manny” Friedman has a BA in Education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a JD from Georgetown University. Friedman began his career in 1973 at Legg Mason Wood Walker. He is also a founder of Friedman, Billings, Ramsey Group, Inc., now known as Arlington Asset Investment Corp, and FBR Capital Markets. Friedman went on to cofound EJF Capital, an investment management firm based in Arlington, Virginia.
ISSUES:
ENVIRONMENT: EJF Philanthropies prioritizes wildlife conservation, wildlife trafficking, farmed animals, companion animals, and veterinary science. Grantees have including Washington Humane Society, Working Dogs for Conservation, Panthera, and Environmental Investigation Agency. One of their signature initiatives is the Jewish Initiative for Animals, which aims to develop “supply chains for higher-welfare kosher meats.”
HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES: EJF Philanthropies has supported the IMPACT DC program, which “provides care and education to children in Washington, D.C. who are suffering from asthma and receiving inadequate ongoing care.” Other grantees have included STRIVE2TRI, which deals with childhood obesity, and DC Parks Rx, a “project in which doctors prescribe nature to patients and families to encourage outside time in one of 350 green spaces/parks rated in Washington, DC.”
JEWISH CAUSES: EJF Philanthropies is “committed to creating and sustaining vibrant Jewish life now and for generations to come.” Involvements include Jscreen, a Jewish genetic screening project that tests for more than 80 genetic diseases in partnership with the Marcus Foundation. It also works with The Morningstar Foundation and the United Jewish Endowment Fund of The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington to support GatherDC, which supports young adult Jewish life in the Washington, D.C., region. Other grantmaking focuses on poverty, Jewish day schools, and organizations promoting LGBTQ inclusion in Jewish life.
EDUCATION: EJF Philanthropies supports programs that help “create successful futures for District of Columbia public school students.” EJF Philanthropies backs the Milken Scholars program in Washington, D.C. It also supports Sela Public Charter School, the first Hebrew language immersion public charter school in Washington, D.C., and Urban Alliance, whose “mission is to empower under-resourced youth to aspire, work, and succeed through paid internships, formal training, and mentorship.”
LOOKING FORWARD: Expect Friedman and French to continue supporting their select interest areas.
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