Baron Capital Foundation

OVERVIEW: The Baron Capital Foundation’s recent funding includes support of health, education, and Jewish Causes. It prioritizes grantseekers based in New York City.

IP TAKE: Baron Capital is not a transparent or accessible funder. It restricts information about itself while maintaining a proactive grantmaking approach. Nor is it approachable, taking a while to respond to queries, if at all. This funder maintains a low profile and does not appear to accept unsolicited proposals.

Its largest grants tend to go to medical schools in New York.

PROFILE: The Baron Capital Foundation was established in New York in 2007 by securities analyst Ron Baron and family. Baron attended Bucknell University and George Washington University Law School before landing a job in the U.S. Patent Office. He became a securities analyst in 1970, working for several brokerage firms before starting his own firm in 1982. The Baron Capital Foundation does not maintain a website, and little is known about its grantmaking practices. It does not appear to have clear grantmaking programs or funding priorities; however, tax filings reveal that the foundation does have an interest in supporting groups working in education, health, arts and culture, and Jewish causes, both in the U.S. and in Israel.

Grants for Public Health and Disease Research

In recent years, the foundation has demonstrated strong interest in medical education and hospitals, giving over $3 million to the Weill Medical College of Cornell University and many smaller grants to medical schools, hospitals and disease research organizations in New York and California. Other past grantees include the Lymphoma Research Foundation, the Genetic Disease Research Foundation, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and the Jupiter Medical Center.

Grants for K-12 and Higher Education

To a lesser extent, the foundation has given in the areas of K-12 education, higher education and other education-related causes. While Baron's alma mater Bucknell typically receives grants annually and the University of Pennsylvania has received significant support, Duke University has also received six-figure grants, while other places like Columbia Business School, Emory Business School, and private schools like Horace Mann receive smaller gifts. Other education grantees include Stetson University, Regents of the University of Michigan, Educational Alliance, and Let's Get Ready, “a non-profit organization that provides low-income high school students with free SAT preparation, admissions counseling and other support services needed to gain admission to and graduate from college.”

Grants for Jewish Causes

The foundation’s philanthropy touches on many major issues, but most consistently gives to Jewish organizations, particularly community and cultural organizations that work to promote Jewish identity. Grantees in this space include Birthright Israel Foundation, an organization that sponsors 10-day trips to Israel for young people, American Friends of the Israel Museum, and the UJA Federation of New York, for which Baron’s wife, Judy has served on the Board of Directors. The foundation typically awards the UJA Federation of New York over $100,000 in grants annually. It seems that organizations that promote American Jewish identity and ties to Israel receive the largest or most consistent gifts, including the National Museum of American Jewish History, the American Jewish Committee, and the Jewish Center of the Hamptons. Some, like the American Friends of the Hebrew University, have received multiple gifts in a single year.

Grants for Arts and Culture

The Baron Capital Foundation does not appear to have a grantmaking program dedicated to supporting arts groups or cultural institutions; however, it has a history of supporting organizations in this space. It supports the Metropolitan Opera, which has received over $1 million since 2008. Other grants have included $50,000 to the Big Apple Circus, $5,000 to the Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation, $2,500 to the Lincoln Center Theater, and, of course, numerous donations to Jewish culture organizations and museums.

Important Grant Details

Grants range from $1,000 to $1 million, but most grants remain below $10,000, and many are directed toward lesser-known organizations. Recent yearly giving has totaled between $1 and $2 million and prioritizes New York City.

This funder does not maintain a website and does not appear to accept unsolicited grant proposals or requests for funding.

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CONTACT:

Baron Capital Foundation
767 5th Avenue, 49th Floor
New York, NY 10153
212-583-2010