Morton K. and Jane Blaustein Foundation
/OVERVIEW: The Morton K. and Jane Blaustein Foundation’s climate change grantmaking focuses on building bipartisan alliances for equitable energy and climate policymaking in the United States and grassroots organizations led by communities impacted by climate change.
IP TAKE: Although this funder awards grants to organizations working across the United States, it prioritizes Baltimore, New York and the D.C. Capital Region. Barring its geographic preferences, this is a very accessible funder that likes to engage with grantseekers and has the capacity to do so.
PROFILE: The Morton K. and Jane 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). Morton K. Blaustein (1926-1990) was the grandson of Louis Blaustein and chairman of Atapco from 1970 to 1990. The Morton K. and Jane Blaustein Foundation describes itself as a “family foundation guided by the principle that people develop and flourish best when they enjoy fundamental civil and political rights and live in a safe and healthy environment.” Blaustein currently has three main program areas: Climate Justice, Racial Justice and Immigrant Justice.
Grants for Climate Change
The Blaustein Foundation’s Climate Justice program area focuses on the effects of climate change on low-income communities and supports efforts to promote “sustainable and fair solutions to mitigate climate change. Funding is provided for.” It invests in “building broad based, bi-partisan alliances” to advocate for policy change at the city, state, and federal levels, as well as in “grassroots organizing and advocacy led by communities most affected by climate change.” Past climate change grantees include Our Climate Education Fund, which received funding for its work engaging college students and millennials for equitable climate policy; and the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, which received a grant for its work educating federal policymakers on equitable carbon pricing.
Grants for Racial and Criminal Justice
The Blaustein Foundation’s Racial Justice program area works to “expose and challenge institutionalized racism and to ensure equal and fair treatment for all.” It supports “strategic advocacy and policy reform efforts” to address racial inequalities in the American criminal justice system, as well as programs that address “the culture of punishment and criminalization of youth in schools,” as it disproportionately affects minorities. Past grantees include the National Economic and Social Rights Initiative, which received funding for its work combating racism in schools and promoting positive alternatives to punishment and criminalization; and Disability Rights Maryland, which received a grant for its work addressing the disproportionate number of students with disabilities involved in the criminal justice system.
Grants for Immigrants
The Blaustein Foundation’s grants for Immigrant Justice work to protect the rights of immigrants as well as refugees and asylum seekers in the United States. It supports “immigrant-led organizing and advocacy,” “immigrant legal services and impact litigation to ensure critical legal and social protections,” and “holistic support networks for refugees and asylum seekers fleeing violence.” Grantees include ACLU, American Immigration Council, International Refugee Assistance Project and the Refugee and Immigrant Fund.
Important Grant Details:
This funder made about $3.6 million in grants in a recent year. Grant amounts typically range from $10,000 to $150,000. Grantseekers may learn more about the types of organizations Blaustein supports by reviewing the Blaustein Philanthropic Group’s Grants Database.
Morton K. and Jane Blaustein Foundation accepts unsolicited grant proposals on a rolling basis and invites full proposals. Each of the foundations meet independently two to three times per year to discuss proposals and make funding decisions. Complete application guidelines are available at the group’s website.
PEOPLE:
Search for staff contact info and bios in PeopleFinder (paid subscribers only).
LINKS:
