Adelson Family Foundation

Quick Stats

Annual Giving: $43.8 million (2023)
Success Rate: Not applicable (invitation-only)
Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
Grant Range: $1,000 - $10,900,000
Geographic Focus: United States and Israel

Contact Details

Website: https://www.adelsonfoundation.org/AFF/
Email: questions@adelsonfoundation.org
Phone: (781) 972-5950
Address: 300 1st Ave, Needham, MA 02494-2736

Overview

The Adelson Family Foundation was established in 2007 by Dr. Miriam Adelson and the late Sheldon G. Adelson (who passed away in January 2021). The foundation's primary mission is to strengthen the State of Israel and the Jewish people. In 2023, the foundation distributed approximately $43.8 million through 51 grants ranging from $1,000 to $10.9 million. The foundation has been tax-exempt since February 2010 and operates as a private foundation. Under the leadership of President Michael Bohnen, who has served since the foundation's inception, AFF supports a strategic portfolio of organizations across the United States and Israel focused on Holocaust awareness, Israel advocacy, Jewish education, healthcare, and social services. The foundation's giving aligns with conservative approaches to Israel and U.S.-Israel relations, with the largest grants typically supporting Israeli causes and U.S.-based organizations working on behalf of Israel.

Funding Priorities

Priority Areas

The Adelson Family Foundation focuses on organizations in the following programmatic categories:

Holocaust and Anti-Semitism Awareness: Supporting education, memorialization, and advocacy against antisemitism
Israel Advocacy and Defense: Organizations promoting Israel's security and international standing
Israel Programs: Direct support for Israeli institutions and initiatives
Israel Studies on Campus: Academic programs focused on Israel studies at universities
Jewish and Zionist Identity & Education: Programs strengthening Jewish identity and Zionist education
Healthcare: Medical institutions and research, particularly those serving Jewish communities
Media and Culture: Organizations promoting Jewish culture and pro-Israel media
Welfare and Social Services: Organizations providing social services to Jewish communities in the U.S. and Israel

Recent Major Recipients

Notable grantees include:

Maccabee Task Force Foundation ($10.9 million in 2022)
Birthright Israel Foundation ($9 million in 2022)
Jewish Agency for Israel – North American Council ($5.15 million in 2022)
Friends of the Israel Defense Forces ($4.92 million in 2021)
Adelson Educational Institute ($4.37 million in 2022)
Israeli-American Council
Yad Vashem
Zionist Organization of America
Chelsea Jewish Nursing Home (Massachusetts)
Hebrew Senior Life of Boston
Jewish Federation of Las Vegas's Sigesmund Center
Friends of United Hatzalah
Friends of Israel Scouts
Girls Town Or Chadash of Brooklyn
B'nai B'rith Youth

What They Don't Fund

The foundation explicitly states it does not typically support:

Capital projects
Endowment funding
Unsolicited applications from organizations not already known to the foundation

Governance and Leadership

Dr. Miriam Adelson - Founder and Trustee Dr. Adelson earned her BSc in microbiology and genetics from Hebrew University of Jerusalem and an MD magna cum laude from Tel Aviv University's Sackler Faculty of Medicine. She is a research-physician specializing in internal and emergency medicine and formerly served as head physician at Rokach (Hadassah) Hospital in Tel Aviv. Since 1986, she has devoted her career to researching and treating drug abuse and the biology of addiction, establishing drug clinics in both Las Vegas and Tel Aviv.

Sheldon G. Adelson (1933-2021) - Founder Founding Trustee and former Chairman of Board and CEO of Las Vegas Sands Corp., Sheldon Adelson had a seven-decade entrepreneurial career spanning the United States and Asia. He founded over 50 companies, including Comdex, described as "the world's largest trade show for the computer industry." His business ownership began at age 12.

Michael Bohnen - President (since 2007) Michael Bohnen has served as president of the Adelson Family Foundation since its inception in 2007. Prior to joining the foundation, he was a corporate attorney with Boston firm Nutter, McClennen & Fish for 34 years. Bohnen is a former national chair of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs and a former chair of both Combined Jewish Philanthropies and the Jewish Community Relations Council. He also sits on the advisory board of Jchoice.org.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Adelson Family Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation explicitly states that it "only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds."

Grants are awarded through trustee discretion to organizations already known to the foundation. Organizations interested in the foundation's work may contact them at questions@adelsonfoundation.org or (781) 972-5950 for additional information, though this does not constitute an application pathway.

Eligibility

Grants are made to:

Public charities or certain other qualified non-profit organizations
Organizations located primarily in Israel and the United States
Organizations whose work aligns with the foundation's programmatic categories

Application Success Factors

Since the Adelson Family Foundation operates on an invitation-only basis with preselected organizations, there is no traditional application process. However, organizations that have received support share common characteristics:

Alignment with Core Mission: All funded organizations demonstrably work to "strengthen the State of Israel and the Jewish people," the foundation's central purpose.

Focus Areas: Successful grantees operate in one or more of the foundation's priority categories: Holocaust awareness, Israel advocacy, Jewish education, healthcare for Jewish communities, or social services.

Geographic Location: The vast majority of grants support organizations based in Israel or the United States, with a particular emphasis on Israeli institutions and U.S. organizations that support Israel.

Scale and Impact: The foundation makes grants ranging from small awards ($1,000) to major multi-million dollar commitments ($10.9 million), suggesting they support both grassroots efforts and large-scale institutional programs.

Conservative Approach to Israel: The foundation's grantmaking "tends to align with conservative causes and approaches to Israel and U.S.-Israel relations," indicating a preference for organizations with similar philosophical orientations.

Track Record: Recent major recipients like Birthright Israel, Friends of the IDF, and Yad Vashem are well-established organizations with proven track records in their respective fields.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

No Public Application Process: This foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals; grants are made to preselected organizations through trustee discretion
Clear Mission Focus: All funding strengthens the State of Israel and the Jewish people—organizations outside this mission will not be considered
Wide Grant Range: Awards range from $1,000 to over $10 million, with a median of approximately $100,000, indicating support for organizations of various sizes
Geographic Concentration: Prioritizes organizations in Israel and the United States; international organizations outside these regions are unlikely to receive support
Multiple Program Areas: While focused on Israel and Jewish causes, the foundation supports diverse programmatic approaches including education, healthcare, advocacy, and social services
Established Relationships: The invitation-only model suggests organizations are typically identified through the foundation's networks, trustees' connections, or the broader Jewish philanthropic community
Annual Giving Scale: With approximately $44 million distributed annually through 44-51 grants, this is a significant funder in the Jewish philanthropic space

References

All sources accessed December 2025.