Charles & Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies has a $1.2B endowment. Annual grantmaking of $60–80M supports Jewish identity and Israeli universities.
Charles & Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies ranks among the largest private foundations in the United States with sustained Jewish-communal and Israel-directed programming.
The foundation's asset base, drawn primarily from Charles Schusterman's career in the oil industry, has underwritten decades of Jewish identity work, Israeli academic partnerships, and diaspora-community infrastructure. The Schustermans sold the family's oil business for $7.2 billion in 2011, allowing the philanthropy to grow substantially, according to Wikipedia's entry on the organization. Program areas span Jewish education, Israeli university partnerships, Jewish nonprofit capacity-building, criminal justice, democracy and voting rights, and gender and reproductive equity.
How Much Does the Schusterman Foundation Have in Assets?
Schusterman's foundation reports assets of approximately $2.2 billion, per Instrumentl's compilation of the foundation's IRS Form 990 filings, placing it well within the largest tier of Jewish-communal foundations in the United States. The foundation distributes roughly $400 million annually across its portfolio, and gave out $363 million in grants in 2023 specifically, per Wikipedia's entry, which also notes a $150 million COVID-19 relief commitment in 2020. The foundation operates through distinct program verticals, each with named leadership and discrete grantee rosters. For scale comparison against other major Jewish philanthropic institutions, see Olam's UJA-Federation of New York financial profile ($1.7 billion in net assets, $276 million in annual grants) and Olam's FIDF financial profile.
Primary program areas:
- Jewish Identity & Education — Jewish day schools, gap-year programs (including Masa Israel), Jewish camps, Jewish studies programs at diaspora universities
- Israel Academic Partnerships — University partnerships, research collaboration, student exchange programs
- American Jewish Nonprofit Infrastructure — Grants to Jewish Federations, Jewish nonprofit management training, strategic planning support
- Criminal Justice & Democracy — In 2021, Schusterman co-established the $250 million Justice and Mobility Fund with the Ford Foundation and Blue Meridian Partners, supporting previously incarcerated people and advocacy organizations, per Wikipedia
- Social Justice & Domestic Giving — Gender and reproductive equity, including a partnership with the National Network of Abortion Funds
Which Israeli Universities Does Schusterman Fund?
Schusterman has maintained sustained funding relationships with Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv University, and Technion. Grants support endowed professorships, research initiatives, and student scholarships. The foundation's Israel team operates from Jerusalem, enabling direct grantee relationship management and on-the-ground program oversight.
Who Are Schusterman's Top Grantees?
Schusterman's Form 990-PF filings (EIN 73-1312965, via ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer), most recently filed November 2025, disclose the foundation's grantmaking activity. Top grantees include:
- Hebrew University of Jerusalem (endowed faculty positions, research partnerships)
- Masa Israel (gap-year programming)
- Jewish Federation system (capacity-building, strategic planning grants)
- Jewish Federations of North America (collaborative funding)
- Ramah Movement (Jewish camp network)
- Schusterman Center for Entrepreneurship at University of Oklahoma (domestic, education-focused)
Who Leads the Schusterman Foundation Today?
The foundation has transitioned to Gen-2 leadership in recent years, with Stacy Schusterman now leading the organization, per Inside Philanthropy's profile of the foundation. Under her leadership, the foundation has built significant new portfolios in criminal justice reform, gender equity, and democracy and voting rights, alongside its longstanding Jewish identity and Israel programming.
Which Foundations Compare to Schusterman in Scale and Focus?
- Wexner Foundation (parallel Jewish identity focus)
- Marcus Foundation (Jewish education, Israel)
- Crown Family Philanthropies (Jewish nonprofit infrastructure)
- Mandel Foundation (nonprofit leadership development)
For Olam's broader institutional-accountability coverage of major Jewish organizations, see Olam's audit of the ADL's workforce and leadership pipeline and Olam's review of UJA-Federation's grants to advocacy organizations.
Disclosure: Foundation data sourced from publicly available Form 990-PF filings (EIN 73-1312965) via ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, Wikipedia's sourced entry on the foundation, and Inside Philanthropy's funder profile. Olam does not evaluate foundation effectiveness or grantee selection.
Frequently Asked Questions
How big is the Schusterman Foundation's endowment?
Schusterman's foundation reports assets of approximately $2.2 billion, per Instrumentl's compilation of its IRS filings, with roughly $400 million distributed annually and $363 million given out in grants in 2023 specifically, per Wikipedia's sourced entry.
What does the Schusterman Foundation fund?
Primary program areas are Jewish identity and education (day schools, gap-year programs including Masa Israel, Jewish camps), Israeli university partnerships (Hebrew University, Tel Aviv University, Technion), American Jewish nonprofit infrastructure, criminal justice and democracy work (including the $250 million Justice and Mobility Fund co-established with the Ford Foundation), and gender and reproductive equity.
What is Schusterman's relationship to Masa Israel?
Masa Israel, the gap-year programming initiative, is one of the foundation's grantees within its Jewish identity and education portfolio.
Who leads the Schusterman Foundation?
Founders Charles and Lynn Schusterman established the foundation; Stacy Schusterman now leads the organization as part of its transition to Gen-2 leadership, per Inside Philanthropy.
How does Schusterman compare to other major Jewish foundations?
Schusterman is grouped with the Wexner Foundation (parallel Jewish identity focus), the Marcus Foundation (Jewish education and Israel), Crown Family Philanthropies (nonprofit infrastructure), and the Mandel Foundation (nonprofit leadership development). By assets (~$2.2 billion), it is larger than UJA-Federation of New York's $1.7 billion in net assets.
