Wexner Foundation
/OVERVIEW: The Wexner Foundation is a strong supporter of Jewish causes in the U.S. and Israel. Higher education and Jewish leadership development are top priorities.
IP TAKE: The Wexner Foundation runs signature fellowship programs for Jewish leadership development with target participants ranging from teenagers to Senior Israeli officials. Each program runs its own application program, with varying eligibility requirements, guidelines and due dates, so it’s crucial that you read each closely. Most fellowships consist of mentoring, education, service learning and networking opportunities in the U.S. and Israel.
Additional grantmaking stemming from the foundation is by invitation only, with grants mainly serving organizations involved in the foundation’s fellowship programs.
Another way to get on this funder’s radar is not only to reach out by phone and introduce your work, but also network with it’s previous grantees who might be able to connect you.
PROFILE: Based in New Albany, Ohio, the Wexner Foundation is the philanthropic vehicle of the billionaire Leslie “Les” Wexner. Wexner, who got his start in business at this parents’ retail clothing shop, is the founder of the retail conglomerate formerly known as L Brands, which was comprised of retail chains including the Limited, Victoria’s Secret and Bath & Body Works. The Wexner Foundation was established in 1983 and maintains a long tradition of developing and inspiring leaders “in the North American Jewish Community and the State of Israel.”
Grants for Jewish Causes
Both the Wexner Foundation supports Jewish causes in the U.S. and Israel. Jewish education is a leading area of grantmaking for both organizations. The Wexner Foundation’s philanthropic work consists of grantmaking and a series of signature leadership development programs. Its grantmaking supports “institutions and programs which serve crucial functions in enriching Jewish life and employing and training leaders for the North American Jewish Community and Israel.” The foundation’s largest grants in recent years have gone to Jewish institutions of higher education in the U.S. and Israel, as well as Hillel and Jewish studies programs at leading U.S. universities and theology schools. Grantees include the Hebrew Union College of Cincinnati, New York City’s Yeshiva University, the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies and Israel’s University of Guleph.
In addition to its Jewish grantmaking, the Wexner Foundation runs seven leadership development programs that aim to develop and inspire Jewish leaders, ranging from teenagers in Ohio to senior-level public officials in Israel. Its programs include the following:
The Wexner Service Corps offers Jewish teens in the Columbus, Ohio area an opportunity to combine the study of traditional Jewish texts with service learning experiences in the Columbus area and other parts of the U.S.
Wexner’s Graduate Fellowship/Davidson Scholars Program, which has paused for the 2022-2023 academic year, aims to build a community of future Jewish leaders in North America by engaging outstanding graduate students through “institutes and gatherings” that focus on collaboration and networking across disciplines and denominations.
Wexner’s Field Fellowship program is aimed at “Jewish professionals who plan to continue to pursue careers as professional leaders in the North American Jewish community.” These three-year fellowships provide extensive opportunities for early-career professionals to develop Jewish leadership skills and establish a broad network of colleagues throughout the North American Jewish community.
The Wexner Heritage Program is a two-year fellowship in which volunteers involved in Jewish learning and culture participate in a series of structured seminars on culture, history and contemporary issues in Jewish thought. Volunteers who complete the program become part of a network of leaders who lead Jewish religious, educational and cultural organizations throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Wexner’s Israel Fellowship sponsors as many as “10 outstanding public sector directors and leaders from Israel” as they pursue masters’ degrees in public administration at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. Fellows typically “commit to returning to Israel and remaining in the public sector for at least three years after completing the program.”
The Wexner Senior Leaders fellowships support Israelis who hold “senior level positions within Israel’s public service sector, including the civil service, local government, government agencies, and security forces” with opportunities to hone their collaboration, innovation and decision-making skills with a series of seminars and a four-week residency at Harvard’s Kennedy School.
Finally, the Wexner Foundation runs periodic Alumni Summits that bring past program participants together to “foster substantive actions” on areas of specific interest to Jewish communities. Recent summit topics have included social justice, gender safety and equity, civil discourse and (re)imagining the Israel-North American Jewish community relationship.
Grants for Higher Education
While Jewish education is a strong focus for the Wexner Foundation. At Ohio State, the fund has bankrolled the Wexner Medical Center, which received a donation of $100 million in 2011 for support of the center’s James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute. The fund has also provided ongoing support to the Ohio State’s Wexner Center for the Arts, a “multidisciplinary, international laboratory for the exploration and advancement of contemporary art.” Additional grantmaking for higher education has supported public and private colleges and universities including Cornell University, the University of Michigan, Barnard College and the Relay Graduate School of Education.
Important Grant Details:
The Wexner Foundation makes about $4 million grants a year, mainly to organizations and schools involved in its seven signature fellowship programs.
The fund prioritizes the Columbus, Ohio region, higher education and Jewish organizations with which the foundation has forged strong relationships. For additional information about Wexner Family Charitable Fund’s giving, see the fund’s recent tax filings.
The Wexner Foundation accepts applications for each of its seven fellowship programs, but eligibility, guidelines and due dates vary significantly by program; for specific application information, consult individual program pages. Additional foundation grantmaking is by invitation only. The foundation can be reached via its contact page, and its staff members’ email addresses are available on the organization’s team page.
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