Jacob and Hilda Blaustein Foundation
/OVERVIEW: The Jacob and Hilda Blaustein Foundation funds organizations that work to protect the rights of Jewish people and other minorities as well as those advocating for human rights of people living in the Global South. It also supports education, the arts, and public health for residents of Baltimore, Maryland.
IP TAKE: This is one of the more approachable funders out there, so grant seekers working in human rights fields should not hesitate to reach out to the foundation. If you’re not sure to which Blaustein organization you should apply, don’t hesitate to apply to all of them, since they will consider your work. This is a hands-on funder that likes to work closely with its grantees.
PROFILE: The Jacob and Hilda Blaustein Foundation is part of the Blaustein Philanthropic Group, an umbrella organization that encompasses four family foundations belonging to the heirs of Louis Blaustein, a Lithuanian Jew who immigrated to the United States as a boy in 1883 and in 1910 founded American Oil Company (Amoco), later expanded to American Trading Company (Atapco). Jacob Blaustein (1892-1970) was the son of Louis Blaustein and the father of Morton K. Blaustein. Motivated by the “Jewish value of tzedakah” (charity), the Jacob and Hilda Blaustein Foundation, promotes “social justice and human rights” through its six program areas: Strengthening Public Education, Arts and Culture, Health and Mental Health, Strengthening Israeli Democracy, Jewish Life and International Human Rights.
Grants for Global Security, Human Rights and Refugees
The Blaustein Foundation’s International Human Rights program area seeks to protect “the rights of refugees and asylum seekers in the US and other countries,” as well as international women’s rights, especially reproductive rights and justice. It also supports “cross-cutting programs that advance leadership development, capacity-building and training across issues.” The foundation generally funds U.S.-based organizations that work international, rather than foreign-based organizations. Grantees include American Jewish World Service, Asylum Access, Center for Health and Gender Equity, and Center for Reproductive Rights.
The foundation also gives grants for international security through its Strengthening Jewish Democracy program area, which seeks to “strengthen Israel as a democratic, equitable, sustainable, and pluralistic society.” Blaustein was a personal friend of David Ben-Gurion, Israel’s first prime minister. This program area revolves around four key issues: “promoting equality and shared society for Jewish and Arab citizens of Israel,” “building the pipeline to higher education and workforce integration for Israel’s ethnic minorities,” “protecting and sustaining Israel’s environment,” and “ensuring civil and human rights, including freedom of religious expression.” The majority of grants in this area center around the Negev Desert region. Grantees include Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Tel Aviv University and Bimkom.
Grants for K-12 Education
The Blaustein Foundation’s Strengthening Public Education program area seeks to “improve the lifetime outcomes and opportunities for Baltimore youth and the region” by investing in the Baltimore public school system. Grantmaking primarily centers around “efforts that improve the quality of leadership and teaching within the school system” such as “alternative pathway programs” for teachers and principals, as well as training and professional development programs in the fields of art, literacy, and “progressive education practices.” It also promotes efforts to improve school learning environments such as “restorative practices and social emotional learning.” Grantees include Baltimore Urban Debate League, Baltimore Teacher Supply Swap and Code in the Schools.
Grants for Arts and Culture
The Blaustein Foundation’s grantmaking for Arts and Culture centers around the Baltimore area. Its three-pronged strategy revolves around art education, audience diversity, and “key institutions.” It supports efforts to “strengthen and expand the arts offerings of Baltimore City schools,” reach “new and different audiences, particularly people of color and younger people,” and invest in “cultural institutions that serve as tourism draws and enhance the vitality of the region.” The foundation will consider requests for capital grants, program specific support, or general operating support. Grantees include American Visionary Art Museum, Arts Every Day and Baltimore Clayworks.
Grants for Public Health and Mental Health
The Blaustein Foundation’s health grantmaking has three main areas. Grants for Mental Health support efforts in the Baltimore region to introduce “innovative service models utilizing evidence-based practices.” It prioritizes programs that serve children or the elderly and integrate direct service approaches with policy advocacy. It generally does not fund “clinical services for people with serious mental illness,” but focuses on programs that promote the general mental well being of the public. The foundation’s grants for Access to Health Care support local and national policy activism aimed at “expanding health care coverage to additional citizens, improving the quality and accessibility of health care services and defending access to existing health care entitlements.” Finally, the foundation’s Environmental Health grantmaking seeks to “minimize the impact of toxins on people’s health” by funding “science-informed research” and “policy and market-based campaigns.” Grantees include Active Minds, Advocates for Children and Youth, Behavioral Health System Baltimore and Breast Cancer Prevention Partners.
Important Grant Details:
This foundation made about $9 million in grants in a recent year. Grants generally range from $10,000 to $100,000. While the Blaustein Foundation supports organizations throughout the United States and internationally, many of its programs exclusively target Baltimore and Maryland communities. To gain a better understanding of the types of projects Blaustein funds, you can look over the Balustein Philanthropic Group’s grantee database.
The Blaustein Philanthropic Group accepts letters of inquiry across its foundations on a rolling basis and invites full proposals The group encourages grant seekers to address their proposals to the president of the foundation to which they are applying. For grantees that are uncertain which of the foundations best suits the work they propose, it is acceptable to apply to several foundations. Complete guidelines are available at the foundation’s website.
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