Audrey Irmas Foundation for Social Justice
/OVERVIEW: The Audrey Irmas Foundation for Social Justice primarily funds grantmaking related to education, youth development, Jewish causes and human services.
IP TAKE: This funder lacks transparency and keeps a low public profile, which limits information available on its grantmaking priorities and activities. This is a hard nut to crack.
It’s recommended that you reach out to both the foundation and previous grantees in order to network and get on their radar. The prefer a proactive approach. The main contact here is the family’s son, Matt Irmas.
With the exception of it’s work in global health, the foundation’s work tends to prioritize funding organizations and initiatives in Southern California. Of particular note is the foundation’s more expanded support of Jewish causes.
PROFILE: Established in 2007, the Audrey Irmas Foundation for Social Justice was launched by Audrey Irmas, an art collector and philanthropist. Irmas was president and chair of the board of LACMA, home to the Audrey and Sydney Irmas Collection. Her late husband, Sydney, was a lawyer in Los Angeles. The foundation lacks transparency and does not maintain a website, which makes it difficult to locate further information on its priority areas and grantmaking strategies. Tax filings suggest the Audrey Irmas Foundation for Social Justice primarily funds grantmaking related to Jewish Causes, although it also makes grants to human rights, education, youth development and human services.
The Irmas Foundation for Social Justice should not be confused with the Irmas Charitable Foundation, which prioritizes community development and arts & culture in its grantmaking. While there is overlap in the two foundations, Irmas seems to use them with different funding goals in mind.
Grants for Jewish Causes
Audrey is a major backer of Wilshire Boulevard Temple in Los Angeles. In 2015, she sold a Cy Twombly painting for $60 million in and made a $32.5 million gift to the temple to create Audrey Irmas Pavilion. Other grantees in this space include Jewish World Watch and Builders of Jewish Education.
Grants for Higher Education
Irmas is also a steady backer of USC Law School, home to the Sydney M. Irmas Chair in Public Interest Law and Legal Ethics; Sydney graduated from the school.
Grants for Human Rights and Community Development
Irmas’ human rights grantmaking primarily supports general human rights groups and antidiscrimination initiatives. Small amounts have gone to LGBTQ+ and immigrant rights groups. Previous human rights and antidiscrimination grants have supported ACLU of Southern California, Los Angeles LGBT Center, Bet Tzedek Legal Services, Jewish World Watch, T'ruah, and Students Run LA. The foundation has also given around $2 million to Heart of Los Angeles, an organization focused on youth wellness and academic achievement.
Irmas created the Audrey and Sydney Irmas Youth Activity Center for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. It also opened a similar youth center in conjunction with the Los Angeles Police Department.
Grants for Global Health
The Audrey Irmas Foundation for Social Justice’s grantmaking has provided program support for Amref Health Africa’s Surgical Outreach activities in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and South Sudan.
Grants for Housing and Homelessness
While Irmas does not have a program dedicated to housing and homelessness, tax records indicate that the foundation has given substantial sums in this space, including $1 million to LA Family Housing, an organization dedicated to helping people transition out of homelessness.
Important Grant Details
Grants typically range from $10,000 to nearly $800,000. In a recent fiscal year, the foundation made grants totaling around $4.4 million.
The foundation keeps a low profile but appears to be open to contact through son Matt Irmas, who helps steer the family foundation. It does not detail its application process, however.
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CONTACT:
Matthew Irmas
11911 San Vicente Blvd., Ste. 351
Los Angeles, CA 90049
(310) 476-0261
