Peter & Susan Solomon Family Foundation

OVERVIEW: The Peter & Susan Solomon Family Foundation primarily funds grantmaking related to arts and cultural organizations. It also earmarks funds for education, human services, Jewish organizations and other select causes.

IP TAKE: The foundation lacks transparency, which limits information available on its grantmaking priorities and activities. This funder is not very approachable and does not provide a clear way to get in touch, leaving new grantseekers with the need to network here.

PROFILE: The Peter & Susan Solomon Family Foundation was founded in 1986 by finance veteran Peter J. Solomon. Peter founded PJ SOLOMON, an investment banking advisory firm, in 1989. Peter, his wife Susan and Solomon’s kids oversee the foundation’s activities. The foundation does not maintain a website, which restricts further information on its priority areas and grantmaking strategies.

Grants for Arts and Culture, Higher Education, and Jewish Causes

Tax filings suggest that the Peter and Susan Solomon Family Foundation primarily funds grantmaking related to arts and cultural organizations. It also earmarks funds for education, human services, Jewish organizations, and other select causes.

Solomon supports his alma mater Harvard, where some of his kids graduated, as well. Back in the 1980s, Solomon, then a member of the Harvard board of overseers, announced the establishment of the Friends of the Center for Jewish Studies, which seeks to provide an ongoing base of support for the center and to expand its present areas of activity. The couple also supports Susan’s school, Tufts University. It’s worth noting that one of Solomon’s daughters is an actress who’s worked in New York theater at venues like the Manhattan Theatre Club.

Past grantees include American Museum of Natural History (Peter is on the board), American Friends Musée d’Orsay (the Solomons serve on the board), Manhattan Theatre Club (Solomon was once chair), Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Collegiate School, and the Center for Jewish Studies.

Important Grant Details

Grants range from $100 to $208,000. In a recent fiscal year, the foundation gave away a little under $790,000. The foundation keeps a low profile and does not accept unsolicited proposals.

PEOPLE:

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CONTACT:

Peter and Susan Solomon Family Foundation
B. Strauss Assoc 307 5th Avenue, Fl 8
New York, NY 10016