Michael J. and Patricia Levitt Family Charitable Foundation

OVERVIEW: This funder gives to education and animal welfare causes often in the New York City metropolitan area. It also has a scholarship program that provides college tuition to low- and mid-income students.

FUNDING AREAS: Education, animal welfare

IP TAKE: Animal shelters and pet rescue groups are of particular interest to this funder, as is support for higher education, particularly for student scholarships. Get in touch with a local program to ask for a grant from $1,000 to $10,000.

PROFILE: The Michael J. and Patricia Levitt Family Charitable Foundation is based in Marlton, New Jersey, about an hour and a half southwest of New York City. However, a significant portion of this funder’s grantmaking is focused on NYC. The Levitts run The Michaels Organization, which aims to create high-quality and well-managed housing. Levitt typically gives to education and animal welfare causes.

Grants for Wildlife and Animal Welfare

It has given to local groups dedicated to saving shelter animals in recent years. Past grantees include many dog and cat rescue groups, such as Animal Haven and Puppies Behind Bars, in New York City. Groups in Pennsylvania and New Jersey also see Levitt’s support. These grants are typically between $1,000 and $10,000 each. The largest grant in this area was in 2019, when the foundation gave $1 million to Best Friends Animal Society.

Grants for K-12 and Higher Education

Elementary, secondary, higher, and university education are all of interest to this funder. The Levitt couple also established The Michaels Organization Educational Foundation in 1991 to administer educational scholarship programs. On occasion, this funder has also given to human services causes. The Levitts have been known to give to medical causes too, such as the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation, and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City.

The Levitt Family Charitable Foundation also gives college tuition scholarships to low-and mid-income students. Eligible students are typically required to have at least a 2.0 GPA; grants are paid directly to the college, applied toward payment of tuition for one year. There are no submission deadlines.

Important Grant Details

At the end of a recent year, the funder claimed $208,172 in assets and slightly over $1 million in total giving. Its most common grant amounts average $1,000.

The foundation does not have a website to spell out its grantmaking guidelines for local nonprofits. It does not appear to accept unsolicited proposals or requests for funding. Grantseekers can get in touch with the foundation by phone at 856-596-0500.

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CONTACT:

PO Box 90708
Camden, NJ 08101-0700