Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation
/OVERVIEW: The Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation supports leadership development, humanities, Jewish life, urban engagement and the management of nonprofits in Ohio and beyond.
IP TAKE: This funder runs several signature programs that support Jewish education and the Jewish communities in and around Cleveland. Urban development has also been a significant area of funding lately.
PROFILE: Established in 1953, the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation is a private foundation based in Cleveland, Ohio. The Mandel brothers started Premier Automotive Supply Company, later known as Premier Industrial Corporation, and were leaders in the industrial and electronic component supply industries. The Mandel Foundation aims to “contribute to the flourishing of the United States and Israel as just, inclusive, compassionate and democratic societies, and to improve the quality of life in both countries.” The funder supports local efforts for leadership development, humanities, Jewish life, urban engagement, and the management of nonprofits.
Mandel’s leadership development funding consists mainly of signature programs, including the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Continuing Scholars Program and the Mandel Institute for Nonprofit Leadership, which works with leaders of Jewish organizations. Overlapping with this program is Mandel’s nonprofit management funding, which seeded the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at Case Western Reserve University and the Mandel Center for Leadership Excellence at Jewish Federations of North America. Together, Mandel’s leadership and nonprofit management programs make up more than half of the foundation’s grantmaking.
The foundation’s humanities initiative also consists of several signature and named projects. These include the Mandel Honors College at Cleveland State University; the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Armor Court at the Cleveland Museum of Art and the Mandel Humanities Center at Cuyahoga Community College.
The goal of Mandel’s Jewish funding program is to help young people “discover the meaning and significance of Judaism and Jewish culture, and contributing to the vibrancy of Jewish communities.” To these ends, the foundation has bankrolled the Cleveland-based Mandel Teacher Educator Institute, which trains Jewish educators from across North America. The foundation also regularly supports the Joseph and Florence Mandel Jewish Day School in Beechwood, Ohio.
Mandel’s urban engagement program has prioritized the revitalization of the city of Cleveland. The foundation has supported Cleveland Neighborhood Progress, which aims to restore the “health and prosperity” of neighborhoods through economic and investment opportunities. Another funded project, Midtown Cleveland, successfully developed the area between downtown Cleveland and the city’s University Circle into a business district and serves as a national model for urban reinvestment programs.
Grants generally range from a few thousand to $500,000, with many grants in $5,000 to $10,000 range. Grantmaking focuses on the Cleveland area of Ohio, but national organizations and organizations in Israel have also received funding. Learn more about this funder’s local giving by examining its recent tax records.
This foundation typically accepts unsolicited grant applications from nonprofits, although it does not post guidelines on its website. According to recent tax records, it does not use a formal application form but rather requests a standard set of information that includes a description of the need, financial information, and IRS exemption status. Direct general questions to the staff at 216-875-6523.
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