L A W Foundation Inc

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: $11,857,784 (2023)
• Number of Grants: 79 grants (2023)
• Decision Time: Not applicable (invitation only)
• Grant Range: Varies
• Geographic Focus: Primarily national, with focus on law schools and Jewish organisations
• Application Process: No public application process - preselected organisations only

Contact Details

Address: 820 Morris Turnpike, Short Hills, NJ 07078

EIN: 22-3074635

Type: Private Family Foundation

Note: The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds or inquiries about grant opportunities.

Overview

Established in 1990 in New Jersey, the L A W Foundation Inc is a private family foundation supported by the Estate of Judith Wilf. With total assets of approximately $249.3 million (2024), the foundation distributed $11,857,784 in grants during 2023 across 79 awards. The foundation's mission focuses primarily on supporting law schools and Jewish organisations, with additional support for arts, education, and human services. This foundation operates on an invitation-only basis, making grants exclusively to preselected charitable organisations with which the trustees have established relationships.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programmes

The foundation does not operate formal grant programmes with published guidelines or application processes. All grants are awarded at the discretion of the trustees to preselected organisations.

Priority Areas

Based on their documented giving patterns:

• Law schools support (primary focus)
• Jewish organisations (primary focus)
• Arts organisations
• Education institutions
• Human services organisations

Notable Recipients: Grantees have included Yeshiva University among others.

What They Don't Fund

The foundation has explicitly stated:

• Organisations not already known to and selected by the trustees
• Unsolicited grant requests
• Organisations outside their established areas of interest

Governance and Leadership

The foundation is structured as a private family foundation supported by the Estate of Judith Wilf. Specific information about current trustees and governance is maintained privately. As a private foundation, the L A W Foundation operates under the discretion of its board of trustees, who identify and select grant recipients based on their strategic priorities and relationships.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process.

The L A W Foundation Inc has explicitly stated that it "only makes contributions to preselected charitable organisations" and "does not accept unsolicited requests for funds."

Grants are awarded exclusively through trustee discretion to organisations with which the foundation has pre-existing relationships. The foundation does not accept letters of inquiry, grant applications, or any unsolicited communications regarding funding opportunities.

Getting on Their Radar

The foundation maintains a closed grant-making model focused on organisations already known to the trustees. Based on available information, there are no documented pathways for new organisations to be considered for funding. The foundation's connection to the Estate of Judith Wilf and its focus on specific institutional relationships (such as law schools and established Jewish organisations) suggests that grant relationships are typically long-standing and mission-aligned with the founder's values.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - grants are made at trustee discretion throughout the year to preselected organisations.

Success Rates

Not applicable for external applicants, as the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - the foundation does not have an application process for organisations outside their preselected group.

Application Success Factors

For organisations NOT already in relationship with the foundation:

There is effectively no pathway to receive funding from this foundation if you are not already among their preselected charitable organisations. The foundation has made it explicitly clear that they do not accept unsolicited requests.

For organisations already receiving support:

Continued alignment with the foundation's core priorities - particularly support for law education and Jewish organisations - appears to be key to maintaining funding relationships. Given the foundation's substantial assets and consistent grant-making ($11.9 million in 2023), they appear to provide sustained support to their chosen beneficiaries.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• No public access: This foundation is not accessible to organisations seeking new funding relationships; they only fund preselected organisations
• Strong focus areas: Law schools support and Jewish organisations are the primary focus, with secondary support for arts, education, and human services
• Substantial giving: With nearly $12 million distributed in 2023 across 79 grants, this is a significant funder for its chosen beneficiaries
• Private foundation model: As a family foundation supported by an estate, grant decisions are made privately by trustees based on personal relationships and established institutional connections
• Do not contact: The foundation has explicitly requested no unsolicited communications about funding opportunities
• Alternative strategy: Grant seekers in similar focus areas should identify other law school-supporting or Jewish philanthropic foundations with open application processes
• Research value: While not accessible for applications, the foundation's 990-PF filings can provide insights into which organisations in the law and Jewish sectors receive substantial philanthropic support

References

• Instrumentl. (2024). "L A W Foundation Inc | Short Hills, NJ | 990 Report." Retrieved from https://www.instrumentl.com/990-report/law-foundation-inc
• Cause IQ. (2024). "L A W Foundation | Short Hills, NJ." Retrieved from https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/l-a-w-foundation,223074635/
• ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer. (2024). "L A W Foundation Inc - Nonprofit Explorer." Retrieved from https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/223074635
• Grantmakers.io. (2024). "Profile - L A W Foundation Inc." Retrieved from https://www.grantmakers.io/profiles/v0/223074635-l-a-w-foundation-inc/
• GuideStar. (2024). "L A W Foundation Inc - GuideStar Profile." Retrieved from https://www.guidestar.org/profile/22-3074635
• Charity Navigator. (2024). "L A W Foundation Inc. | Charity Navigator Profile." Retrieved from https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/223074635

Information compiled December 25, 2025