Back in 1992, Laura Lauder launched a firm called Lauder Partners with her husband Gary that has specialized in tech investments, backing companies and funds seeking to make “radical innovations” rather than “incremental” ones. In recent years, the Lauders have also focused on nonprofit giving through their Laura and Gary Lauder Family Venture Philanthropy Fund. This family foundation has existed since 1995, but has recently expanded its philosophy of giving and become more transparent to the public. Gary Lauder’s grandmother founded the eponymous cosmetics multinational Estée Lauder, but he and Laura aren’t involved with the company.
Here are some details about Laura Lauder’s approach to philanthropy to guide grantseekers in California’s Bay Area.
Giving within the Jewish tradition
The Lauders identify with the Jewish faith and are guided in their giving by Jewish traditions — for example, the tradition of tikkun olam, or “repairing the world.” The Lauders also adhere to the Jewish values of gemilut hasadim and tzedakah, which represent the “giving of loving kindness” and the “moral obligation to seek justice and righteousness for others.”
A venture philanthropy approach
The Lauders are venture philanthropists whose foundation tagline, “cultivating leaders – launching innovation,” conveys their commitment to investing in visionary leaders who can create long-lasting change by launching and sustaining innovation. This approach to philanthropy ties into the Lauders’ professional work through Lauder Partners, which typically makes investments close to home in Silicon Valley in the $500,000 to $5 million range.
Programs and projects
Laura Lauder has created various vehicles to carry out her philanthropic aims, often in partnership with other philanthropists. An example is the Classroom Exchanges Project, which brings middle and high school students together to engage in debates about the U.S. Constitution. There’s also the Lauder Family Giving Circle, which involves other Lauder family members in giving; the Jewish Teen Foundation Board Incubator, which gives Jewish teens the opportunity to learn about philanthropy; and the Black Teacher Pipeline, designed to inspire the next generation of Black educators.
Other nonprofit involvement
In addition to the programs she has created, Lauder is also very involved with other charitable organizations as a full-time venture philanthropist. She serves on over a dozen nonprofit boards, including numerous Jewish organizations such as the Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund of San Francisco, where she is a member of the endowment executive committee, and the Center for Media and Democracy in Israel, which she co-founded. Other organizations she works with include the Service Year Alliance and the Bernard Osher Foundation, where she’s on both boards.
However, Lauder’s foundation does not appear to accept unsolicited grant requests and does not publicize its grantmaking guidelines or application forms. Read more about the Laura and Gary Lauder Family Venture Fund in IP’s Bay Area Funding Guide.