Falcon Foundation

OVERVIEW: The Falcon Foundation primarily funds grantmaking related to human rights and justice, education, and the arts.

IP TAKE: The foundation does not maintain a website, which restricts transparency about grantmaking strategies and guidelines.

PROFILE: Established in 2010, the Falcon Foundation was established by financier James Leitner, president of Falcon Management Corporation, a New Jersey-based investment firm. The foundation does not maintain a website, which makes it difficult to locate further information on its priority areas and grantmaking strategies. Tax filings suggest that the Falcon Foundation primarily funds grantmaking related to human rights and justice, education, and the arts.

The Falcon Foundation’s tax filings suggest that it funds human rights and justice. James sits on the board of directors of grantee Marshall Project, the nonprofit news organization covering the U.S. criminal justice system. At his school Fordham University, he funded the Leitner Center for International Law and Justice, an “an innovative Think-and-Do Tank that aims to make international human rights protections an everyday reality for marginalized communities around the world.” James also graduated from Yale University, and established the Leitner Program in International and Comparative Political Economy, which promotes research and teaching about the interactions between politics and economics around the world.

Important Grant Details:

Grants range between $1,000 to $500,000. In a recent year, the foundation gave away around $1.3 million. Learn more about this funder’s local giving by examining its recent tax records. Grantmaking focuses primarily on New York and New Jersey. Past local grantees have included American Civil Liberties Union Foundation, Montclair Kimberley Academy, Human Rights First, Princeton University, and Soho Repertory Theatre.

The foundation keeps a low profile and does not accept unsolicited proposals.

PEOPLE:

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CONTACT:

Falcon Foundation
400 W. Main St.
Wyckoff, NJ 07481
(201) 847-9014