Robert I. Goldman Foundation

OVERVIEW:  The Robert I. Goldman Foundation funds grantmaking related to medical research, education, arts, anti-poverty, and Jewish causes.

IP TAKE: The foundation lacks transparency, which limits information available on its grantmaking priorities and activities. Prioritizing quantity over size, this funder gives mid-sized grants to many organizations rather than giving large grants to just a few, although it does tend to largely support the same grantees year after year. New grantseekers will need to network for access here.

PROFILE: The Robert I. Goldman Foundation was established in 2005. It bears the name of the late financier Robert I. Goldman, who was chairman and CEO of Congress Financial Corporation and Congress Talcott Corporation. The foundation is chaired by Robert’s daughter Olexa, who is based in Florida. 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 Robert I. Goldman Foundation funds grantmaking related to medical research, education, arts, anti-poverty, and Jewish causes.

Grants for Jewish Causes

The late Robert Goldman was active in New York City life, including being involved with UJA Federation, American Jewish Committee, Whitney Museum of Art, Jewish Foundation for the Righteous, and Central Synagogue.

Grants for Arts and Culture, K-12 and Higher Education, and Public Health and Access

While most of the Foundation’s grantmaking benefits Jewish religious and cultural causes, support also goes to arts and culture institutions in New York, as well as health and education groups. Past grantees have included American Repertory Theatre, Citymeals-on-Wheels, Israel Scholarship Education Foundation, New York City Ballet, and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Goldman has also supported Columbia University’s School of Nursing and its Insititute of Comparative Literature and Society. It has also given to diverse local branches of Planned Parenthood, including in New York and the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri.

Important Grant Details

Grants range from $5,000 to $100,000, but $10,000 is the most common amount. In a recent fiscal year, the foundation gave away around $325,000. The Foundation is headquartered in New York, and it remains an important site of giving, but grants have also found their way to California, Florida, Illinois, and Massachusetts, as well as to groups in Israel.

The Robert I. Goldman Foundation keeps a low-profile and does not accept unsolicited proposals. 

PEOPLE:

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CONTACT:

Robert I. Goldman Foundation
SLA LLP 535 Madison Ave 27 Fl
New York City, NY 10022