OVERVIEW: The Louis and Anne Abrons Foundation primarily funds grantmaking related to human services, education, youth, health, the arts, the environment, policy and Jewish causes.
IP TAKE: The foundation lacks transparency, which limits information available on its grantmaking priorities and activities. It does not accept unsolicited proposals.
PROFILE: Established in 1951, the Louis and Anne Abrons Foundation was founded by Louis Abrons, a builder prominent during the 1920s and 1930s. The foundation is now steered by some one dozen family members including his son Richard Abrons, who helped found First Manhattan Co. The foundation lacks transparency, which limits information available on its grantmaking priorities and activities. According to tax filings, the Louis and Anne Abrons Foundation primarily funds grantmaking related to human services, education, youth, health, the arts, the environment, policy, and Jewish causes.
The Abrons family are major patrons of Henry Street Settlement in Manhattan, home to the Abrons Arts Center. Richard is vice chairman of the board of Henry Street Settlement. He is also a major supporter of Children’s Aid. Richard was a director of GrowNYC, whose mission is to “improve New York City's quality of life through environmental programs that transform communities block by block and empower all New Yorkers to secure a clean and healthy environment for future generations.” The family also has ties to California where Richard’s late brother Herbert’s stepchildren take up residence.
Grants range from $250 to $250,000. In a recent fiscal year, the foundation gave away around $5 million. Past grantees have included UC Berkeley School of Public Health’s Center for Public Health Practice & Leadership; California OneCare Education Fund, which aims to “create a healthcare system in California where every child and every adult receives the health care they need when they need it and at a cost they can afford”; Bay Area Lyme Foundation; California State Parks Foundation; Earthjustice; and Alameda County Food Bank.
The foundation keeps a low profile and does not accept unsolicited proposals.
PEOPLE:
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CONTACT:
Louis and Anne Abrons Foundation Inc.
Foundation Source 501 Silverside Rd.
Wilmington, DE 19809