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Gerald B Cramer Family Foundation Inc

Annual Giving
$7.6M
Grant Range
Up to $1.4M00
00

Gerald B Cramer Family Foundation Inc

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $7,600,000 (2024)
  • Total Assets: $44,400,000
  • Grant Range: Varies - $1,400,000 (maximum observed)
  • Median Grant: $150,000
  • Geographic Focus: Primarily New York, with grants in other states
  • Number of Grants: 26 (2024)

Contact Details

Location: Woodbury, NY
EIN: 133749869

The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests and has no public contact information for grant applications.

Overview

Established in 1993 by Gerald B. Cramer and his wife Daphna, the Gerald B Cramer Family Foundation is a private family foundation based in Woodbury, New York. With total assets of $44.4 million, the foundation distributed $7.6 million in grants in 2024 across 26 awards. The foundation focuses primarily on higher education, arts and culture, hospitals and medical research, and Jewish organizations. Gerald B. Cramer (1930-2018) was a 1952 graduate of Syracuse University's Whitman School of Management and co-founder and chair emeritus of the investment advisory firm Cramer, Rosenthal & McGlynn, LLC. He was a Life Trustee of Syracuse University and recipient of an honorary degree in 2010. Daphna Cramer, a fourth-generation Israeli born and raised in Tel Aviv, serves as President of the foundation. The foundation consistently distributes over $7 million annually in charitable grants.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation operates as a traditional private family foundation making grants through trustee discretion. All grants are designated for "CHARITABLE" purposes.

Priority Areas

Based on their publicly available 990-PF filings, the foundation has demonstrated consistent support for:

  • Higher Education: Major support to Syracuse University's Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Reichman University (formerly IDC Herzliya) in Israel, Rutgers University, and other educational institutions. The Cramers have funded more than three dozen student scholarships at Syracuse's Maxwell School, four endowed professorships, the Maxwell-Herzliya student exchange program, and a $2 million gift to Syracuse University's Institute for National Security and Counterterrorism.

  • Jewish Organizations and Israel: Significant grants to Hands on Tzedakah Inc ($1,368,000 in 2024), American Friends of Sheba Medical Center ($1,200,000 in 2024), Jewish Communal Fund ($700,000 in 2024), American Friends of Magen David Adom ($700,000 in 2024), and other organizations supporting Israel and the Jewish community.

  • Healthcare: Support for hospitals and medical research, including Mount Sinai Medical Center and other healthcare institutions.

  • Arts and Culture: Grants to cultural institutions and arts organizations.

Geographic Focus

Primary geographic focus is New York (17 of 26 grants in 2024), with additional grants made to organizations in Florida, New Jersey, and other states. The foundation also supports programs in Israel through American Friends organizations.

What They Don't Fund

The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications and only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations.

Governance and Leadership

Daphna Cramer serves as President of the foundation. According to their 990-PF filings, no compensation is reported for foundation officers.

Gerald B. Cramer (1930-2018), the foundation's late co-founder, had a distinguished career in investment management and was deeply committed to global scholarship and civic engagement. He served on Syracuse University's Maxwell School Advisory Board for more than 15 years and was the first recipient of the Maxwell School Horizon Award in 2004, which recognizes exceptional volunteer leadership and philanthropic commitment.

Daphna Cramer continues the family's philanthropic legacy with a particular focus on Israeli institutions and the Jewish community. The Cramer Scholarship at Reichman University, initiated around 2002, is awarded annually to students who have demonstrated outstanding social commitment.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. The foundation has explicitly indicated it only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Grants are awarded through trustee discretion to organizations with which the foundation's leadership has pre-existing relationships or knowledge.

Getting on Their Radar

The foundation's grantmaking pattern suggests grants are awarded to organizations where:

  • Strong institutional relationships exist: The foundation has longstanding ties to Syracuse University's Maxwell School and Reichman University in Israel, with named professorships, scholarship programs, and student exchange programs bearing the Cramer family name.

  • Board member connections: Gerald B. Cramer served on Syracuse University's Board of Trustees and the Maxwell School Advisory Board for over 15 years. The foundation supports institutions where the family has governance or advisory roles.

  • Jewish community networks: The foundation's largest grants go to Jewish charitable organizations and Israeli institutions, suggesting grants flow through established networks within the Jewish philanthropic community.

  • Geographic proximity: The majority of grants go to New York-based organizations, where the family is located in Woodbury, NY.

Application Success Factors

Given that this foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, traditional application success factors do not apply. However, the foundation's giving patterns reveal:

  • Long-term institutional relationships: The Cramers' support for Syracuse University began decades ago and has grown over time to include scholarships, professorships, and major program support. They prefer deep, sustained relationships with a select group of organizations rather than broad, one-time grants.

  • Global affairs and civic engagement: Gerald Cramer's passion for fostering global scholarship is evident in the Maxwell-Herzliya exchange program he helped establish. Organizations working in international relations, global affairs, and citizenship education align with the family's interests.

  • Israeli and Jewish causes: The foundation's 2024 grants show major support for Israeli healthcare (American Friends of Sheba Medical Center), emergency services (Magen David Adom), and charitable giving vehicles serving the Jewish community (Hands on Tzedakah, which provides 100% of donations to beneficiaries with all overhead covered by a single donor).

  • Education at all levels: Beyond higher education, the foundation supports educational institutions and scholarship programs that help students in need.

  • Healthcare and medical research: Hospitals and medical research institutions receive consistent support, particularly those serving the Jewish community or located in Israel.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No public application process: This foundation is closed to unsolicited applications and grants are made exclusively to preselected organizations through trustee discretion.

  • Relationship-driven grantmaking: All evidence suggests grants flow to organizations where the Cramer family has personal connections, board involvement, or long-standing relationships.

  • Focus on Syracuse University and Israeli institutions: The foundation's largest and most sustained commitments are to Syracuse University's Maxwell School and to Israeli educational, healthcare, and charitable organizations.

  • Substantial grant sizes: The foundation makes relatively few grants (26 in 2024) but at significant amounts, with a median grant of $150,000 and top grants exceeding $1 million.

  • Consistent annual giving: The foundation distributes over $7 million annually, demonstrating sustained commitment to its funding priorities.

  • Jewish philanthropic networks: Organizations within Jewish communal giving networks and those supporting Israel represent a major portion of the foundation's grantmaking.

  • No overhead or administrative contact: The foundation operates without paid staff and does not provide contact information for grant inquiries, reinforcing its closed application status.

References

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