Milton and Tamar Maltz Family Foundation
/OVERVIEW: The Milton and Tamar Maltz Family Foundation supports arts, health, human services, medical research, education and the environment in Ohio and other places of interest to the family.
IP TAKE: This is not a transparent or accessible funder. It maintains a webpage in the literal sense, but in a practical sense, the site contains less information than would fit on a 3x5 index card. It does not accept unsolicited proposals or request for funding; however, it does provide a contact email for general questions.
PROFILE: Established in 1989, the Milton and Tamar Maltz Family Foundation is a private family foundation based in Beachwood, Ohio. The Maltz family is based just outside of Cleveland, Ohio, which is where the founding couple established the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage in the early 2000s. Milton Maltz founded Malrite Communications Group and served as the chairman and CEO of the company until its sale in 1998. Grantmaking interests of the Maltz Family Foundation are the arts, health, human services, medical research, education and the environment. The foundation also often supports Jewish organizations that are close to the family’s home and in Israel.
Grants for Jewish Causes
Milton Maltz, along with his wife, Tamar, and their children give a significant portion of their grantmaking to Jewish causes in the U.S. In Cleveland, the foundation provides ongoing support to Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage and the Jewish Federation of Cleveland. Elsewhere in the U.S., the foundation supports the Everett Jewish Life Center in Chautauqua, New York; Temple Beth Am in Jupiter, Florida; and the Hebrew University of Chicago. A portion of the foundation’s Jewish grantmaking has gone to Israeli causes; the foundation has recently given to the American Israel Education Foundation, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and the Negev Foundation.
Grants for Arts and Culture
Arts and Culture is also a major focus of Maltz Family philanthropy. At the intersection of arts and Jewish life, the family's largest gift led to the establishment of the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage in Beachwood, Ohio, which opened its doors in 2005. The mission of the museum is to "introduce visitors to the beauty and diversity of that heritage in the context of the American experience." Maltz and his wife Tamar continue to substantially support the museum.
The foundation has also given $40 million to the International Spy Museum in Washington D.C.
Grants for Higher Education
While the foundation has not given as heavily for education in the U.S. as it has for its arts and culture and Jewish-related grantmaking, tax records indicate that it has given substantially in this area. Previous grantees include over $500,000 to the University of Arizona and $158,500 the University of Michigan. It has also given to Columbia University, Roosevelt University in Illinois, and Cleveland State University.
Grants for Public Health and Access and Mental Health
The foundation’s grantmaking for health and healthcare tends to focus on in-patient hospital care, mental health, and brain research. Its mental health funding includes grants for Lieber Institute and the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation. Grants for hospital care include the Jupiter Medical Center Foundation and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Maltz has also given $230,000 to PAI-Champions of Global Reproductive Rights for reproductive health.
Grants for Environment
The foundation’s support for environmental causes prioritizes funding for biodiversity, endangered species protection, and zoos. Past grantees include almost $1 million to Rainforest Trust for forest preservation, $885,000 to The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, and $1,025,000 to the Cleveland Zoological Society.
Important Grant Details:
The family foundation’s giving has steadily grown over the last several years, with recent giving totaling about $5 million annually.
According to the website, the foundation “provides pre-selected grants to charitable organizations which are tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.” The foundation makes grants by invitation only; it does not accept unsolicited proposals or requests for funding.
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