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AJA Foundation

Annual Giving
$1.1M
Grant Range
$3K - $0.5M
Decision Time
8mo

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AJA Foundation Funder Overview

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $1,125,000 (2023)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
  • Decision Time: 6 weeks for LOI response; up to 6 months for full proposal
  • Grant Range: $2,500 - $500,000
  • Average Grant Size: $45,000
  • Geographic Focus: Global (15 countries), with emphasis on developing nations
  • Total Giving to Date: $15.1 million (457 grants to 163 organisations)

Contact Details

Website: www.ajafoundation.org
Address: 3605 S. Town Centre Dr. Suite A, Las Vegas, NV 89135
Phone: (702) 592-9672
Application Portal: ajafoundation.org/how-to-apply

Overview

Founded in 2004 by Andy Astrachan, the AJA Foundation (formerly AJA Charitable Fund) is a Las Vegas-based private foundation with assets totalling $18.8 million. The Foundation invests globally in organisations addressing fundamental human rights through three philanthropic pillars: clean water access, quality education, and essential healthcare. Since inception, AJA has distributed over $15.1 million across 457 grants to 163 organisations in 15 countries. The Foundation's mission centres on "helping those who have done everything society asks of them, yet for whom access to fundamental resources and advancement remains elusive at best and structurally impossible at worst." Notably, 76% of AJA's donations go to organisations receiving over $250,000, indicating a preference for substantial, multi-year partnerships rather than numerous small grants. The Foundation announced "Water 2035," committing to provide clean water access to an additional 700,000 people by 2035, bringing their total water impact to 1 million people.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programmes

AJA Foundation operates on a rolling application basis with no fixed deadlines. Grant sizes vary from $2,500 to $500,000 depending on programme scope and alignment.

Three Philanthropic Pillars:

1. Clean Water (over $3 million distributed to date)

  • Focus: Sustainable water initiatives, particularly in rural Africa
  • Recent examples:
    • Multi-year UNICEF partnership providing clean water to 275,000 people in Guinea
    • Partnership with Makolekole providing water access to 25,000 people in rural Zambia
    • "Water 2035" commitment to fund clean water for additional 700,000 people

2. Quality Education (over $5 million distributed to date)

  • Focus: Educational pathways to degrees or technical certifications for economically disadvantaged students with academic promise
  • Partners include: Dean's Future Scholars (University of Nevada, Reno), Fulfillment Fund (Los Angeles and Las Vegas), The Pathfinder Programme at Hopkins School, Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation, Steppingstone Foundation, Leaders In Training, Three Angels Haiti, Partnership for the Future

3. Essential Healthcare (over $2.2 million distributed to date)

  • Focus: Delivering fundamental healthcare to underserved populations, particularly in developing countries
  • Services include: Maternal, newborn, and paediatric medicine; treatment of common diseases; disease prevention
  • Recent grant recipient: Engera USA (rural Ethiopia)

Additional Funding Areas:

  • Medical Research: $2,441,361
  • Human Rights: $918,300 (including support for criminal justice reform organisations like the Innocence Project)
  • Other: $1,506,140

Priority Areas

  • Sustainable Impact: Multi-year commitments to organisations creating lasting change
  • Structural Barriers: Programmes addressing systemic inequities preventing advancement
  • Underserved Populations: Focus on those who "have done everything society asks" but lack access to fundamental resources
  • Geographic Emphasis: Developing countries and rural communities, particularly in Africa
  • Education Focus: First-generation and low-income students with academic promise
  • Healthcare Access: Remote locations where basic services are otherwise unavailable
  • Volunteer-Driven Organisations: Preference for substantially volunteer-operated initiatives

What They Don't Fund

While not explicitly stated, the Foundation:

  • Accepts only one request per organisation annually
  • Requires applicants be 501(c)(3) organisations
  • Expects clear alignment with one of their three pillars (water, education, or healthcare)

Governance and Leadership

Key Personnel:

  • Andy Astrachan - Founder, Chairman, President, and CFO
    Initiated the Foundation's work in 2009 with a well restoration project in Mfuwe, Zambia. Astrachan's philosophy centres on reciprocity: "Recognising that nobody achieves success on their own and believing that all of us have a moral obligation to help lift up those less fortunate."

    Key Quotes:

    • On healthcare: "It is hard to wrap your head around the fact that people can be successfully treated for a wide variety of conditions for $1."
    • On clean water: "The sheer joy on the faces of the children when the first clean water came out of the spout is a moment and a feeling that is seared into my memory. I am unaware of any investment in people at any cost with the power to change people's lives as greatly."
    • On criminal justice: "There is no more important measure of a society than a criminal justice system that is truly fair at every level."

  • Colleen McKenna - Executive Director ($165,000 compensation)
    Charged by founder Andy Astrachan to "think out of the box" with regard to support for grantees. Brings experience from both for-profit and nonprofit sectors, having worked as both grant-seeker and grant-maker across tech, communications, and marketing.

Board Members:

The Foundation's board includes Andy Astrachan, Cathy Daniels, Bob Ezrin, Sandra Kanengiser, and Amy Wood as returning members, with Ana de Diego, Blanca de Diego, Hannes Streeck, and Valentina Vinante as newer additions.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

AJA Foundation uses a two-stage application process:

Stage 1: Letter of Intent (LOI)

  • Submit a short message (up to 650 characters) demonstrating how your programme aligns with one of AJA's three philanthropic pillars
  • Include basic details: organisation name, website, EIN number (if applicable), and whether you are a 501(c)(3)
  • Accepted on a rolling basis (no deadlines)
  • Response time: Approximately 6 weeks
  • Foundation will invite full proposal if they see mission synergy and budget availability

Stage 2: Full Proposal (by invitation only)

  • Timeline: 60 days to complete online application after receiving invitation
  • Review period: Up to 6 months before funding decision
  • Processing: Applications generally considered in order received

Eligibility Requirements:

  • Must be a 501(c)(3) organisation
  • Programme must align with water, education, or healthcare pillar
  • Global organisations welcome
  • Limitation: Only one request per organisation annually

Decision Timeline

  • LOI response: ~6 weeks
  • Full proposal review: Up to 6 months
  • Total potential timeline: 7-8 months from initial LOI to funding decision
  • Applications processed in order received

Success Rates

While specific acceptance rates are not publicly disclosed, available data shows:

  • 2023: 25 grants awarded ($1,125,000 total)
  • 2022: 11 grants awarded
  • 2021: 19 grants awarded

The Foundation's concentration of funding (76% going to organisations receiving over $250,000) suggests they favour fewer, larger partnerships over numerous small grants.

Reapplication Policy

  • Declined applicants: Must wait 12 months from date of declination notice before reapplying
  • Annual limitation: Only one request per organisation per year

Application Success Factors

Mission Alignment is Critical

The Foundation explicitly states they will only invite full proposals if they "believe there is synergy with their mission." Successful applicants must demonstrate clear alignment with one of the three pillars, not just tangential connection.

Strategic Priorities Within Each Pillar

For Water Grants:

  • Emphasis on sustainable, renewable clean water solutions
  • Geographic preference: Rural African villages
  • Multi-year impact potential
  • Community-level transformation

For Education Grants:

  • Target population: "Students with academic promise, regardless of where they live or their financial situation"
  • Programmes providing multi-year support (not one-off interventions)
  • Services include: Hands-on educational support, tutoring, mentoring, scholarships
  • Focus on pathways beyond high school completion (degrees or technical certifications)
  • Addressing structural barriers preventing economically disadvantaged students from advancement

For Healthcare Grants:

  • Geographic preference: Developing countries, particularly remote locations
  • Services where healthcare would otherwise be unavailable
  • Focus areas: Maternal, newborn, and paediatric medicine; treatment of common diseases
  • Preference for substantially volunteer operations
  • Both prevention and treatment programmes

Multi-Year Commitment Potential

With 76% of funding going to organisations receiving over $250,000, the Foundation clearly prefers deep partnerships. Successful applicants should articulate potential for ongoing collaboration rather than positioning as one-time grants.

Demonstrating Cost-Effectiveness

Founder Andy Astrachan's quote about treating "a wide variety of conditions for $1" suggests the Foundation values organisations demonstrating significant impact per dollar invested, particularly in healthcare and water initiatives.

Founder's Philosophy

Understanding Astrachan's core belief—that success is communal and creates moral obligation to "help lift up those less fortunate"—can inform proposal framing. The Foundation seeks to "level the playing field" for those facing structural barriers despite personal effort.

Recent Funding Patterns

  • Repeat grantees common (e.g., Fulfillment Fund, Dean's Future Scholars receiving multiple grants)
  • Matching grant opportunities for strong partners
  • Unrestricted funding provided to trusted organisations

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Rolling deadlines mean timing flexibility - but applications processed in order received, so don't delay unnecessarily

  • Focus on one pillar only - attempting to span multiple areas may dilute your message; demonstrate deep alignment with water, education, OR healthcare

  • Multi-year potential matters - with 76% of funds going to organisations receiving $250,000+, position your organisation for long-term partnership rather than one-off grants

  • Sustainable impact is paramount - the Foundation consistently emphasises creating lasting change and addressing structural barriers, not temporary relief

  • Be patient with the process - total timeline can reach 7-8 months; this is a thoughtful funder making strategic commitments, not rapid response grants

  • Geographic focus matters - while global funding is available, there's clear preference for developing nations (water/healthcare) and programmes serving economically disadvantaged populations (education)

  • Only apply once annually - make your one shot count with a thoroughly developed proposal; declined applicants must wait 12 months

  • Think cost-effectiveness - particularly for water and healthcare, demonstrate how funding creates maximum impact per dollar invested

References

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