Joseph H. Flom Foundation

OVERVIEW:  The Joseph H. Flom Foundation primarily funds grantmaking related to educational and youth causes, including child advocacy and legal aid. It also earmarks significant sums for Jewish organizations.

IP TAKE: The foundation lacks transparency, which limits information available on its grantmaking priorities and activities. Additionally, this is not an accessible funder; grantseekers will have to network here in lieu of clear means of contact.

PROFILE: The Joseph H. Flom Foundation was established in 1988 by the late Joseph H. Flom, a lawyer who worked at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP. Robert C. Sheehan, who worked for the law firm beginning in 1969, currently serves as the foundation’s president. The foundation does not maintain a website, which makes it difficult to locate further information on its priority areas and grantmaking strategies. According to tax filings, the Joseph H. Flom Foundation primarily funds grantmaking related to educational and youth causes, including child advocacy and legal aid. It also earmarks significant sums for Jewish organizations.

Grants for Higher Education and K-12 Education

Joseph Flom was a dedicated humanitarian, supporting education and equal opportunity in the legal profession. He was a founding trustee of the Skadden Fellowship Foundation, which awards more than 25 fellowships annually to graduating law students and outgoing judicial clerks to support their public interest endeavors. He led his firm's development of the Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom Honors Program in Legal Studies at City College of New York, an initiative designed to increase diversity in the legal profession. In 1998, Harvard Law School established the Joseph Flom Professor of Law and Business.

Past grantees have included Bank Street College of Education, Citizen Schools, Fordham University Law School, Legal Aid Society, NAACP Legal Defense & Education Fund, and New York Public Library.

Grants for Public Health and Access

Joseph, along with his first wife Claire, supported the Gateway School in New York – founded by Claire – for children with learning disabilities. They also supported cancer research at the Mount Sinai-NYU Medical Center Health System, among other institutions and causes.

Grants for Jewish Causes

Previous grantees in this area include American Jewish Committee and Jewish Communal Fund, which received some $16.7 million in a recent year.

Important Grant Details

Grants range from $2,500 to around $16.7 million. In a recent fiscal year, the foundation gave away around $20 million. The Joseph H. Flom Foundation keeps a low-profile and does not accept unsolicited proposals. 

PEOPLE:

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CONTACT:

Joseph H. Flom Foundation
4 Times Square
New York, NY 10036