Jerry and Anita Zucker Family Foundation

OVERVIEW: The Jerry and Anita Zucker Family Foundation primarily funds grantmaking related to education, Jewish causes, and community organizations.

IP TAKE: The foundation keeps a low public profile, which restricts transparency about its grantmaking priorities and activities. Networking is likely the best way to get on this funder’s radar.

PROFILE: Established in 1996, the Jerry and Anita Zucker Family Foundation was founded by Anita Zucker and her husband Jerry. Before his death in 2008, Jerry launched InterTech Group, a private, family-owned chemicals manufacturer, and Anita serves as CEO. She is currently the richest individual in South Carolina and one of the wealthiest people in the world. She is also the daughter of Holocaust survivors. Both Anita and Jerry graduated from the University of Florida. The foundation does not maintain a website, which makes it difficult to locate further information on its priority areas and grantmaking strategies. Tax filings suggest that the Jerry and Anita Zucker Family Foundation primarily funds grantmaking related to education, Jewish causes and community development organizations.

Grants for Education, Jewish Causes, and Community Development

A longtime elementary school teacher, Anita Zucker strongly targets educational causes in her philanthropy, particularly higher education. She gave $6 million to Trident Technical College’s aerospace training center in 2016, and $5 million to the University of South Carolina to create the Zucker Institute for Aerospace Innovation at the McNair Center. Zucker also made a $5 million pledge to Clemson University, home to the Zucker Family Graduate Education Center. She’s a trustee of her alma mater University of Florida, home to the Anita Zucker Center for Excellence in Early Childhood Studies. Zucker also donated $4 million to The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, her son Jonathan’s alma mater. Anita is the daughter of a holocaust survivor, and she’s served on the board of the Addlestone Hebrew Academy. She made a $1 million donation to the Center for Advancing Holocaust Survivor Care, a Jewish Federations of North America initiative to support aging survivors across the U.S.

Past grantees include Jewish Community Center of Charleston, Columbia Jewish Federation, College of Charleston Foundation, City of North Charleston Recreation Department, and Charleston Rotary Fund.

Important Grant Details

Grants range from $1,000 to $250,000. In a recent year, the foundation gave away around $636,000. The foundation keeps a low profile but accept applications. It does not detail its application process. There are no deadlines listed.

PEOPLE:

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CONTACT:

Board of Directors
4838 Jenkins Ave.
North Charleston, SC 29405
(843) 744-5174