one8 Foundation
/OVERVIEW: Formerly known as the Jacobson Family Foundation, the one8 Foundation is the charitable vehicle of Jonathon Jacobson and his wife, Joanna. The foundation's philanthropy focuses on education, Jewish causes, and community development in the Boston and the surrounding area.
IP TAKE: Despite having an active website and distinct priority areas, this is not a very transparent foundation. Its funding areas could be better explained and information about where its grants go is limited.
Foundation grantmaking prioritizes support for Massachusetts groups and organizations serving Israel. Grantseekers outside these geographic areas will most likely need to look elsewhere. Additionally, since the foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals, even Boston-based grantseekers will need to network to get on one8’s radar. This is not an accessible funder though it periodically invites small grant proposals for specific, one-off initiatives.
PROFILE: Established in 1997, the one8 Foundation, formerly known as the Jacobson Family Foundation, was created by Jonathon Jacobson and his wife Joanna. Jonathon Jacobson graduated with a B.S. in Economics from the Wharton School and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. He served as a senior equity portfolio manager of Harvard Management Co, and vice president of Equity Arbitrage Group at Shearson Lehman Brothers in New York. He cofounded Highfields Capital Management, L.P. in 1998. Jacobson’s one8 Foundation seeks to use “venture philanthropy to propel outstanding leaders with compelling ideas that deliver scaled, sustainable impact.” The foundation's grantmaking focuses on Education, Jewish Causes and Israel, and Community Giving in the greater Boston-area. The majority of grantmaking stays in Massachusetts.
Grants for K-12, STEM, Higher Education, and College Readiness
The foundation’s Education program works “to transform classrooms in Massachusetts, alongside [its] educator partners to give students the 21st Century learning they need and deserve with applied learning at the core.” one8’s education funding prioritizes support for organizations and projects that focus on three specific aspects of learning: The K-12 Education program supports education groups that offer applied learning and STEM programs to Massachusetts K-12 schools. The Postsecondary program works “to seed and support a new generation of postsecondary alternatives in Massachusetts that integrate rigorous curriculum with work-based experiences, allowing learners to apply their coursework to real job contexts and accelerate into productive and sustainable careers.”
The Mass STEM Hub program is a massive effort that works to provide students with the foundational knowledge necessary to succeed in a world grounded in modern technology. The program seeks to maintain a network of educators to better share ideas and connect STEM professionals with educators and students to enable students to see the applications of what they are learning in the classroom. More information about Mass STEM Hub is available here. Current and previous grantees include Project Lead The Way, ST Math, PBLWorks, and OpenSciEd. See other education grantees here.
Grants for Jewish Causes
The Jewish Community and Israel program seeks to “help more Jews in the US experience the joy of Jewish community by supporting efforts to make Judaism accessible and relevant” and promote “a thriving and democratic Jewish state of Israel by increasing understanding among Americans and by strengthening a diverse Israeli society.” Like its education program, one8’s Jewish Community and Israel program is subdivided into three categories.
The first focuses on the Jewish Community and works to make Judaism relevant for American Jews, strengthen Jewish identity, and build community. The support for Israel funding supports “outstanding non-profit leaders from all backgrounds pursuing initiatives that strengthen a cohesive, equitable, democratic, and just society for all Israel’s citizens.” Grants in this space prioritize, among other concerns, efforts to “help Israel’s marginalized populations find gainful employment.” It also strives to bring Americans to Israel to increase understanding of the country and its citizens. Finally, one8 works to dismantle Antisemitism, which it considers the “oldest hatred.” It supports organizations that use research as a core tenet of their methodology.
Previous grants have gone to American Israel Education Foundation, the Birthright Israel Foundation, and Combined Jewish Philanthropies. See other relevant grantees here.
Within all three focus areas of Jewish Life and Israel, the foundation’s commitments often intersect with its commitment to educational opportunities. Jewish education-related institutions the couple has supported include American Friends of Tel Aviv University, the American Israel Education Foundation (which provides "grants to support select educational programs including Middle East research, educational materials and conferences, and leadership programs for university students) and Israel-America Academic Exchange (whose mission is to "deepen understanding of Israel within the international academic community"). one8 has also supported Hillel groups on a variety of college campuses, the Israel on Campus Coalition, and the Chabad House at Harvard.
Grants for Boston and New England
The Community Giving program supports the local Boston community, where the foundation is based, by providing “direct service grants [to] support equitable access to essential living needs.” It also “supports strategic community grantees that address critical system change in underserved communities.” Funding through this program is typically multi-year support.
Community Giving is the focus area that receives the smallest amount of foundation funding, with grants for education and the Jewish community receiving the lion’s share of support. However, a significant amount of support in this area intersects with the foundation’s Jewish community program. Grants have gone to the Jewish Big Brother & Big Sister Association of Greater Boston, Jewish Family and Children's Services, Jewish Kids Groups Foundation and Jewish Community Center of Greater Boston, among many others.
Grants for Public Health and Access
While healthcare support is not a stated funding priority, the foundation has made grants in this area. Previous grants have gone to Brigham and Women's Hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and NYU Langone Medical Center, and the Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts, among others.
Other Grantmaking Opportunities
A steady stream of money has flowed from the One8 Foundation to Strategic Grant Partners (SGP), which Joanna Jacobson founded. SGP is both a foundation and a pro bono consulting firm. The outfit partners with grantees to "provide the capital they need to realize their potential and the support to strategize, implement and troubleshoot." The foundation says it takes a strategic approach to its philanthropy. Billionaire Seth Klarman is one prominent Boston philanthropist who has worked with SGP.
Important Grant Details
Recent grants have ranged from just a few thousand up to $3 million. The most common amount is $25,000. Boston and its surrounding communities, where the foundation is headquartered, are the primary geographic interests, as is Israel.
The foundation’s website states that it does not accept unsolicited proposals or consider requests for funding; support is invitation only. It only provides grants to 501(c)(3) organizations.
PEOPLE:
Search for staff contact info and bios in PeopleFinder (paid subscribers only).
LINKS:
