Damial Foundation

OVERVIEW: The Damial Foundation funds grantmaking related to health, education, Jewish causes, and the arts.

IP TAKE: The foundation keeps a low public profile, 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 grantseekers with the need to network here.

PROFILE: The Damial Foundation was established in 1992. It was founded by financier Daniel Tisch and his wife Bonnie. Daniel Tisch worked for major Wall Street firms and went on to become general partner and President of Towerview LLC, an investment fund of the Tisch Family. He is a son of the late billionaire Larry Tisch, chairman of the Loews Corporation. The foundation does not maintain a website, which makes it difficult to locate further information on its priority areas and grantmaking strategies.

Grants for Public Health and Access, Education, Jewish Causes, and Arts and Culture

Tax filings suggest that the Damial Foundation funds grantmaking related to health, education, Jewish causes, and the arts.

The Tisches have given millions to Tisch MS Research Center of New York (formerly Multiple Sclerosis Research Center of New York), where Bonnie sits on the board. The couple are interested in unraveling the mysteries of the disease at both the cellular and molecular level and ultimately finding a cure. The couple strongly support Tisch's school Suffield Academy in Connecticut, where he is a trustee emeritus. The couple also recently gave a 7-figure gift to Hebrew Union College, home to the Bonnie and Daniel Tisch Fellows Program

Past grantees include amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research; Montefiore Medical Center; Columbia Prep and Grammar School; Central Synagogue; Congregation Emanu-El of the City of New York; Lincoln Center; and New York University, where Bonnie received her MBA. The Tisch family has strong ties to NYU, home to the Tisch School of the Arts. 

Important Grant Details

Grants range from $1,000 to $2.5 million. In a recent fiscal year, the foundation gave away around $8.2 million. The Damial Foundation keeps a low profile and does not accept unsolicited proposals.

PEOPLE:

Search for staff contact info and bios in PeopleFinder (paid subscribers only.)

CONTACT:

The Damial Foundation, Inc.
655 Madison Avenue, 11th Floor
New York, NY 10065