Samuel Rubin Foundation
OVERVIEW: The Samuel Rubin Foundation invests in human rights, civic engagement, and gender equality nonprofit organizations working in the United States and abroad. Its global security efforts focus on the fields of social, economic, political, civil and cultural rights.
IP TAKE: The Samuel Rubin Foundation tends to give to well-established nonprofits and no longer accepts applications for funding. A decidedly progressive funder, its work appears to be split between U.S. and global causes. Networking will be important to getting on this foundation’s radar.
The Rubin Foundation does not limit grants on the basis of geography; however, international organizations must be sponsored by a U.S.-based organization with tax-exempt status. The foundation typically does not award more than one grant per fiscal year per organization. The foundation also features limited discretionary funds for smaller ‘emergency’ grants between board meetings.
PROFILE: Samuel Rubin, the founder of Fabergé Perfumes, established the Samuel Rubin Foundation in 1949. Its mission “is to carry on the vision of its founder, Samuel Rubin, whose life was dedicated to the pursuit of peace and justice and the search for an equitable reallocation of the world’s resources.”
Born in 1901, Rubin emigrated to the U.S. from Bialystok, Russia (present-day Poland) as a boy, and later established the Spanish Trading Company. The company went dark after dictator Francisco Franco rose to power in Spain, but Rubin would go on to found his perfume company, which he sold for $25 million in 1963, dedicating a portion of the sale proceeds to establish his philanthropic foundation. The foundation does not have specific grantmaking programs; however, its social justice objectives and past grantmaking demonstrate strong support for human rights, gender equity, and democracy and civic engagement causes.
Grants for Security and Human Rights
Although the foundation supports work on a variety of global security and human rights issues, peace and nuclear security projects dominate. Remaining grants are awarded to a number of human rights groups including those that work toward securing women’s rights in vulnerable locations.
Past grantees in these areas include the Lawyers Committee on Nuclear Policy, the Global Network of Women Peacebuilders, Americans for Peace Now and the New Israel Fund.
Grants for Women and Girls
While the foundation does not have a dedicated focus area dedicated to women and girls, it is “especially interested in organizations with a focus on the prevention and resolution of violent conflict, disarmament, reproductive justice, media justice, racial justice, and empowering the traditionally disenfranchised, including people of color, women, and youth.”
Grantees in this area include the Nurses for Sexual and Reproductive Health, the Women’s Justice Initiative, Women in Film and Video and the Women’s International Network for Guatemalan Solutions.
Grants for Civic and Democracy
A significant portion of this funder’s grantmaking supports U.S.-based initiatives for democracy, justice and civic engagement.
Democracy grants have supported the Center for Constitutional Rights, Democracy Now Productions, the Center for Justice and Accountability and the Black Voters Matter Fund.
Important Grant Details:
The Rubin Foundation’s grants range from $1,000 to $60,000.
The foundation does not impose geographic restrictions on its grantmaking, though nonprofits based outside of the United States must have a U.S. based sponsor with tax-exempt status to qualify.
This funder tends to support large- and mid-sized organizations with strong reputations in the foundation’s fields of interest.
The Rubin Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications for funding.
To learn more about the types of nonprofit organizations the Rubin Foundation supports, explore its grantees lists.
Inquiries may be submitted to the foundation via email at kaitlin@samuelrubinfoundation.org or telephone at (617) 547-0444.
PEOPLE:
Search for staff contact info and bios in PeopleFinder (paid subscribers only).
LINKS: