L4 Foundation

OVERVIEW:  The L4 Foundation primarily funds grantmaking related to human services, youth, health, and community organizations.

IP TAKE: The foundation lacks transparency, which limits information available on its grantmaking priorities and activities.

PROFILE: The L4 Foundation was established in 2015. It was established by gynecologist Leslie Gruss, a founding partner of Downtown Women OB/GYN. She is a daughter of the late Emanuel Gruss, a partner at Oscar Gruss & Son Inc., a member firm of the New York Stock Exchange. The Emanuel Gruss Foundation endowed the L4 Foundation with nearly $5 million a few years ago. 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 L4 Foundation primarily funds grantmaking related to human services, youth, health, and community organizations.

Grants for Jewish Causes, K-12 Education, Public Health and Access, Women and Girls, and Community Development

The Gruss family have a long history of philanthropy. Leslie’s grandparents were major donors to the Jewish Museum, while her parents were major benefactors of the Heschel School, a progressive Jewish day school on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Leslie, meanwhile, has an interest in youth, spurred in part from her experience adopting her two sons and helping raise five other inner-city youth.

Past grantees have included Trinity Church, City Harvest, Citymeals-on-Wheels, Sanctuary for Families, Planned Parenthood, Jewish Museum, Andrew Glover Youth Program, Henry Street Settlement, and Education Alliance.

Important Grant Details

Grants range from $2,000 to $20,000. The L4 Foundation keeps a low-profile and does not accept unsolicited proposals. 

PEOPLE:

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CONTACT:

L4 Foundation
1500 Broadway
New York, NY 10036