Ruderman Family Foundation

Quick Stats

Annual Giving: ~$5.3 million (2023)
Total Assets: $171+ million
Grant Range: $1,000 - $200,000 (typical); up to millions for major partners
Number of Grants: 45 awards (2023)
Geographic Focus: Boston/Massachusetts, Israel, select national U.S. programs
Application Method: Invitation only

Contact Details

Website: rudermanfoundation.org
Email: support@rudermanfoundation.org
Phone: (617) 559-9919
Address: 2150 Washington St Ste 225, Newton, Massachusetts, 02462, United States

Overview

The Ruderman Family Foundation is a private family foundation established in 2002 in Boston, Massachusetts, led by President Jay Ruderman and Executive Director Shira Ruderman. With over $171 million in total assets and approximately $5-8 million in annual grantmaking, the foundation is guided by Jewish values to create a fair and flourishing community.

Originally renowned as the Jewish world's largest funder of disability inclusion—having distributed approximately $75 million over 18 years—the foundation announced a strategic shift in 2020, declaring that its original mission of igniting social change around disability inclusion had been accomplished. Current priorities now center on: (1) ending stigma surrounding mental health and promoting emotional well-being, particularly among young adults and college students; (2) fostering understanding of the American Jewish community among Israeli leaders; and (3) modeling strategic philanthropy worldwide.

The foundation has received significant recognition, with Jay and Shira Ruderman named among the 50 most influential Jews globally by the Jerusalem Post in 2016.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Mental Health Initiatives

Campus Mental Health Programs: $250,000+ grants for college faculty training and student mental health support
IMPACT Awards (with Red Sox Foundation): $10,000 (first place), $3,000 (second place), $2,000 (third place) to New England nonprofits addressing mental health
Mobile Mental Health Programs: First-of-its-kind initiative reaching college students

Israel-American Jewish Relations

Academic programs at Israeli universities
Delegation programs bringing Israeli opinion leaders to the U.S.
Research, white papers, and advocacy work
Recent emergency grants: $1.5+ million to Israeli organizations (2023-2024)

Strategic Philanthropy

Morton E. Ruderman Award in Inclusion: Annual recognition award
Sector research and white papers on representation and inclusion

Priority Areas

Mental Health: Youth social-emotional learning, college student mental health services, reducing stigma, supporting mental health professionals
Israel-American Jewish Relations: Educating Israeli leaders about American Jewish community history and contributions
Jewish Community Organizations: Particularly in the Boston area and Israel
Higher Education Institutions: Universities with innovative mental health or research programs

What They Don't Fund

Unsolicited applications: They do not accept grant proposals from organizations they haven't already identified
Individual requests: No funding or services for individuals
Direct services: The foundation does not provide direct services to beneficiaries
Disability inclusion: While historically their flagship area, they have transitioned away from this focus as of 2020
Referrals: They do not provide referral services

Governance and Leadership

Trustees

Jay Ruderman – President and Trustee
Sharon Shapiro – Community Liaison and Trustee
Marcia Ruderman – Trustee
Todd Ruderman – Trustee
Zoya Raynes – Trustee

Key Staff

Jay Ruderman – President: Former Assistant District Attorney, served in IDF as liaison between IDF and Diaspora Jewry, former AIPAC Leadership Director in Israel. Graduate of Brandeis University and Boston University School of Law.
Shira Ruderman – Executive Director: M.A. in Public Policy and B.A. in Education from Hebrew University. Former commander in the Israeli Army Intelligence Unit. Honorary doctorates from Haifa University and Brandeis University. Chairwoman of the Fulbright Foundation.
Hanna Shaul Bar Nissim, PhD – Deputy Director (US)
Galia Granot – Deputy Director (Israel)
Michelle Zeitler – Program Officer

Leadership Quotes

Jay Ruderman on the foundation's approach:

"As a family, we're actively involved in our philanthropy; we're not just in the check-writing business."

Jay Ruderman on fairness:

"Everyone deserves a fair shot in life — that was a bedrock value of my father's. It seemed to us fundamentally unfair that because they were born with a disability, some children were unable to get a Jewish education."

Jay Ruderman on collaboration:

"The world of Jewish philanthropy would be well to listen to Buffett's advice. In a world where there are far too many redundancies in services – which add up to waste across the board – we need to tell fundees we will support them if and when they can work in partnership – and not in competition — with other organizations."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process.

The Ruderman Family Foundation explicitly states: "The foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals for funding." Instead, "the foundation issues an invitation to apply only after a thorough analysis indicates shared vision, innovation, organizational strength and a willingness to collaborate on the part of the future applicant."

The foundation proactively identifies and approaches organizations that align with their strategic priorities. Staff members are deeply involved in program development and maintain ongoing oversight of funded initiatives.

Getting on Their Radar

While the foundation does not accept unsolicited grant proposals, they have indicated specific ways to engage:

Direct Contact: The foundation "is open to hearing from anyone interested in the issue of disability inclusion with ideas and questions" at support@rudermanfoundation.org or (617) 559-9919
The foundation explicitly welcomes inquiries from "activists, philanthropists, members of the media and all those interested in the issue of disability inclusion, Israel-American Jewish relations and philanthropic strategies"
Research and Advocacy: The foundation values organizations producing innovative research or advocacy in their priority areas
Collaborative Networks: The foundation has been a long-time member of Jewish Funders Network (JFN), and Shira Ruderman serves on the JFN Board of Directors
Boston-Area Presence: Organizations active in the Greater Boston Jewish community may have more visibility to the foundation

Decision Timeline

Not publicly disclosed. The foundation funds both single-year pilot programs and multi-year initiatives. All programs are thoroughly monitored with deep staff involvement.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable due to invitation-only grantmaking process.

Application Success Factors

Based on the foundation's stated criteria and approach, organizations most likely to receive invitations demonstrate:

Shared Vision

Clear alignment with current priorities: mental health (especially youth/college students), Israel-American Jewish relations, or strategic philanthropy
Values alignment with the foundation's Jewish-values-guided approach to creating fair and flourishing communities

Innovation

Novel approaches to mental health stigma reduction
Creative programming that hasn't been tried before
Willingness to pilot new models

Organizational Strength

Strong track record and organizational capacity
Ability to implement and sustain programs
Leadership with relevant expertise

Willingness to Collaborate

Jay Ruderman has emphasized that funders should support organizations that "can work in partnership – and not in competition — with other organizations"
Openness to deep foundation involvement in program development and oversight
Interest in partnering with other major funders

Geographic Alignment

Boston/Massachusetts organizations have particular advantage
Israeli organizations and those strengthening Israel-Diaspora relations
Higher education institutions, especially in Massachusetts

Recent Successful Partners Include:

William James College ($250,000 for campus mental health)
Brandeis University Chaplaincy Innovation Lab (mental health training)
The Princeton Review (college mental health resource promotion)
Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston (multi-million dollar partnerships)
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences ($1 million for inclusion)

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

Invitation-only process: Do not submit unsolicited proposals. Instead, build visibility through sector engagement, networking at Jewish philanthropy events, and producing innovative work in the foundation's priority areas.
Strategic shift underway: The foundation has moved away from disability inclusion (their historic focus) toward mental health and Israel-American Jewish relations. Ensure any approach aligns with current priorities.
Deep engagement model: The foundation is "not just in the check-writing business." They seek partners willing to accept significant foundation involvement in program development and oversight.
Collaboration is key: Jay Ruderman explicitly values organizations that work in partnership rather than competition with others in their field.
Boston and Jewish community focus: While they support national and international causes, the foundation is "mostly a funder of Jewish causes" with deep roots in Boston.
Reach out strategically: While proposals aren't accepted, the foundation welcomes contact from those with ideas about their priority areas. A well-crafted inquiry demonstrating innovation and alignment may generate interest.
Multi-year potential: The foundation funds both pilot programs and multi-year initiatives, so organizations should be prepared to articulate long-term vision and sustainability.

References

Accessed December 2025