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Deborah Joy Simon Foundation

Annual Giving
$12.1M
Grant Range
Up to $100.0M00
00

Deborah Joy Simon Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $12,100,000 (2023)
  • Total Assets: $86.4 million (2024)
  • Grant Range: Varies significantly - from smaller grants to major gifts exceeding $100 million
  • Geographic Focus: National, with emphasis on Indiana
  • Foundation Type: Private Independent Foundation
  • Established: November 2002

Contact Details

Address: 950 Laurelwood, Carmel, IN 46032-8738
EIN: 30-0125798
Website: No public website identified
Email: Not publicly available
Phone: Not publicly available

Overview

The Deborah Joy Simon Foundation (also known as Deborah Joy Simon Charitable Foundation) is a private independent foundation established in November 2002 and based in Carmel, Indiana. Founded by Deborah J. Simon, daughter of billionaire shopping mall magnate Melvin Simon (co-founder of Simon Property Group), the foundation represents one of Indiana's most significant philanthropic vehicles. With total assets of $86.4 million as of 2024 and annual giving of $12.1 million in 2023, the foundation makes grants for religious, charitable, scientific, literary, and educational purposes. The foundation's grantmaking demonstrates a strong commitment to education (particularly secondary education), Jewish causes, arts and culture, children and youth services, and social services. The foundation gained national attention in 2013 when it partnered with Deborah Simon to make a $100 million gift to Mercersburg Academy, the second-largest single gift ever made to an independent school in the United States at that time.

Funding Priorities

Priority Areas

The foundation gives primarily in the following areas:

  • Education: Strong emphasis on secondary and higher education, with particular attention to institutions serving at-risk youth and independent schools
  • Arts and Culture: Support for performing arts facilities and cultural institutions
  • Children and Youth Services: Programs supporting young people, particularly those at risk
  • Jewish Organizations: Significant support for Jewish causes and institutions
  • Social Services: General charitable support for community-serving organizations
  • Religious Causes: Support for religious institutions and programs

Notable Grantmaking Examples

  • Mercersburg Academy: $100 million gift in 2013 (largest in school's history), plus additional gifts totaling over $111 million cumulatively, supporting financial aid endowment, a 600-seat proscenium theater, student center, faculty development, and facilities
  • United States Holocaust Memorial Museum: Gifts of $500,000 or more; Deborah Simon is a Founders Society member (Pillar of Memory)
  • Planned Parenthood: $7 million campaign support to local chapter
  • Anti-Defamation League: Major contributions documented

Grantmaking Pattern

Recent annual grant activity shows:

  • 2023: 6 awards totaling $12,100,000
  • 2022: 3 awards
  • 2021: 7 awards totaling $8,550,000

The foundation's grantmaking demonstrates significant year-to-year variation in both number of grants and total amounts, with a pattern of making both major transformational gifts and smaller grants.

What They Don't Fund

As a private foundation without published guidelines, specific exclusions are not publicly documented. However, the foundation's focus areas suggest limited interest outside education, arts, Jewish causes, and social services.

Governance and Leadership

Deborah J. Simon serves as the principal figure behind the foundation. As a philanthropist and heir to the Simon Property Group fortune, she has demonstrated deep commitment to education and Jewish causes. Simon graduated from Mercersburg Academy in 1974 and served on the school's Board of Regents. She also serves as Chairperson of the Simon Youth Foundation, a separate organization supporting at-risk youth education.

The foundation operates as a private independent foundation with trustee discretion over grantmaking decisions.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. The Deborah Joy Simon Foundation operates as a private foundation with grantmaking decisions made at trustee discretion. There is no publicly available application portal, published guidelines, or formal submission process for prospective grantees.

Grants appear to be made through:

  • Pre-existing relationships with organizations
  • Trustee-identified opportunities aligned with the foundation's mission
  • Personal connections to causes and institutions (particularly those with which Deborah Simon has direct involvement)

Getting on Their Radar

The foundation's grantmaking pattern suggests grants flow to organizations with which Deborah Simon has personal connections or board involvement. Specific documented pathways include:

  • Board service: Simon has served on the Board of Regents at Mercersburg Academy, which received the foundation's largest gift
  • Simon Youth Foundation connection: As Chair of the Simon Youth Foundation, organizations aligned with youth education and dropout prevention may align with her interests
  • Jewish institutional networks: Given substantial support to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and Anti-Defamation League, involvement in Jewish organizational networks may provide connection points
  • Indianapolis/Indiana presence: The foundation's Carmel, Indiana location and Simon's local philanthropic activity (including Planned Parenthood support) suggest regional awareness of Indiana organizations

Decision Timeline

Not publicly disclosed. As a private foundation with trustee discretion, decision timelines likely vary significantly depending on the grant size and nature of the relationship.

Success Rates

Not publicly available. Given the small number of annual grants (3-7 awards per year) and lack of public application process, traditional success rate metrics do not apply.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable given the absence of a public application process.

Application Success Factors

Given the foundation's operating model, the following factors appear most relevant:

Personal Connection and Institutional Relationships: The foundation's largest grants have gone to institutions where Deborah Simon has personal involvement. Her $100+ million in total giving to Mercersburg Academy, where she was a student and served as a Regent, exemplifies this pattern.

Alignment with Simon's Documented Interests: Organizations working in documented priority areas have the strongest alignment:

  • Education, particularly secondary education and programs serving at-risk youth
  • Jewish causes and Holocaust remembrance
  • Arts and culture, especially performing arts
  • Reproductive rights and women's health
  • Youth development and dropout prevention

Transformational Impact Potential: The foundation has demonstrated willingness to make very large, transformational gifts (the Mercersburg gift was the second-largest to any independent school in U.S. history at the time). Proposals that can articulate significant, lasting impact may align with this approach.

Indiana Connections: While the foundation makes national grants, Indiana-based organizations may benefit from geographic proximity to the foundation's Carmel headquarters and Simon's local philanthropic engagement.

Jewish Institutional Credibility: Organizations within Jewish communal networks, particularly those focused on Holocaust education, civil rights (ADL alignment), or Jewish education, represent documented funding interests.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No public application process exists - this is a trustee-discretion foundation requiring relationship-based approaches rather than formal proposals
  • Personal connection is paramount - the foundation's largest grants have gone to institutions where Deborah Simon has direct involvement through board service or personal experience
  • Think transformational, not transactional - the foundation has demonstrated capacity and willingness to make extremely large, legacy-defining gifts ($100+ million) rather than many small grants
  • Education is the strongest demonstrated priority - particularly secondary education and institutions serving at-risk youth, aligned with Simon's leadership of the Simon Youth Foundation
  • Jewish causes receive significant support - major gifts to Holocaust Memorial Museum and ADL demonstrate this as a core funding area
  • Geographic focus includes both national prestige institutions and Indiana organizations - Mercersburg Academy (Pennsylvania) and Holocaust Memorial Museum (national) alongside Indiana Planned Parenthood demonstrates range
  • Arts and culture matter - $3 million theater gift to Mercersburg shows appreciation for performing arts infrastructure

References

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