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Ressler Gertz Foundation

Annual Giving
$24.3M

Ressler Gertz Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $24.3 million (2024)
  • Success Rate: Not applicable (invitation-only)
  • Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
  • Grant Range: Varies widely; average grant ~$357,000
  • Geographic Focus: Primarily Los Angeles, California
  • Foundation Assets: $38.5 million (2024)

Contact Details

Ressler Gertz Foundation
16130 Ventura Blvd., Suite 320
Encino, CA 91436

Note: The foundation does not have a website, phone number, or email contact publicly available.

Overview

The Ressler Gertz Foundation was established in 1997 by Antony Ressler, billionaire co-founder of Apollo Global Management and founder of Ares Management, and his wife, actress Jami Gertz. With assets of $38.5 million and annual giving that has grown to $24.3 million in 2024, the foundation focuses its philanthropy primarily in the greater Los Angeles area. The foundation prioritizes education (particularly college-ready charter schools), healthcare, arts and culture, Jewish causes, and social services. The couple was named the most generous celebrity by Forbes Magazine in 2012 when they donated $10 million through their foundation. The foundation has made over 192 grants totaling more than $22 million to 104 organizations in recent years.

Funding Priorities

Priority Areas

Education: Education is a cornerstone of the foundation's giving, with particular emphasis on college-ready public schools serving underserved communities. Antony Ressler is a founding board member and co-chair of the Alliance for College-Ready Public Schools, a network of charter middle and high schools in Los Angeles. The couple founded Alliance Gertz-Ressler High School, which has been recognized as a California Distinguished School. Other education recipients include:

  • Homeboy Industries
  • City Year Los Angeles
  • Educators for Excellence
  • Junior Achievement of Southern California
  • Campbell Hall School
  • UCLA Anderson School of Management
  • City Match

Healthcare: The foundation supports major medical institutions and programs serving children with serious medical conditions. Cedars-Sinai Medical Center has received substantial support (nearly $400,000 in a single year), and Ressler serves on its board of directors. Other healthcare recipients include:

  • The Center for Discovery
  • Painted Turtle Camp (which the couple helped found), a multi-disease camp and family care center

Arts & Culture: Given Jami Gertz's career in Hollywood and the couple's civic engagement, arts and culture receive steady support. The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) is a consistent recipient, with Ressler serving as co-chair of the board of trustees.

Jewish Causes: The foundation supports Jewish organizations and temples, including:

  • Wilshire Boulevard Temple
  • Simon Wiesenthal Center (a human rights organization researching the Holocaust and hate)
  • Friends of the Israeli Defense Forces

Sports & Youth Development: Recent grants support youth sports programs such as John Sepler Sports at Mar Vista and Sports Spectacular.

Economic Development: In 2020, the foundation awarded a notable $5 million gift to support the Herman J. Russell Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship to provide financial, marketing, and educational resources to Black-owned businesses in Atlanta.

What They Don't Fund

The foundation's 990 filings indicate they focus on preselected organizations within their priority areas. They do not fund:

  • Organizations outside their established relationships
  • Unsolicited requests from unknown organizations
  • Organizations outside their geographic focus (primarily Los Angeles, with select national causes)

Governance and Leadership

The foundation has two trustees who receive no compensation:

Antony Ressler (Trustee): Billionaire financier who became wealthy following Ares Management's 2014 IPO. He previously co-founded Apollo Global Management with Leon Black. Ressler is deeply involved in Los Angeles civic life, serving as co-chair of the board of trustees of LACMA, member of the board of directors of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, and founding board member and co-chair of the Alliance for College-Ready Public Schools. He is also co-owner of the NBA's Atlanta Hawks.

Jami Gertz (Trustee): Actress known for roles in 1980s films including "The Lost Boys" and television series. She brings entertainment industry connections and a passion for arts and culture to the foundation's work.

The couple operates the foundation with a hands-on approach, personally selecting grant recipients based on their direct involvement with organizations through board service and community engagement.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. The foundation explicitly states that it "only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds."

Grants are made through trustee discretion, typically to organizations where the Resslers have direct involvement through board membership, personal relationships, or long-standing connections in the Los Angeles community.

Getting on Their Radar

The foundation's grant-making is driven by the trustees' personal involvement in Los Angeles civic and philanthropic circles. Based on publicly available information, organizations that have received support typically share these characteristics:

Board Connections: Organizations where either Antony Ressler or Jami Gertz serve on the board have received substantial support (LACMA, Cedars-Sinai, Alliance for College-Ready Public Schools).

Los Angeles Focus: The vast majority of grants go to Los Angeles-based organizations where the Resslers can see direct community impact.

Aligned with Founding Activities: Organizations the couple helped establish or played a founding role in (Alliance Gertz-Ressler High School, Painted Turtle Camp) receive ongoing support.

Personal Connections: The foundation's giving reflects the couple's personal interests—Jami's entertainment background (arts support), Antony's finance background (economic development, entrepreneurship), and their Jewish heritage (support for Jewish causes).

Decision Timeline

Decision timelines are not publicly disclosed. As grants are made through trustee discretion rather than competitive application cycles, there are no formal deadlines or notification schedules.

Success Rates

Not applicable. The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, making traditional success rate metrics irrelevant.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable, as the foundation does not accept applications.

Application Success Factors

Since the foundation operates on an invitation-only basis with preselected organizations, there is no traditional application process. However, analyzing their grant-making patterns reveals what attracts their support:

Direct Trustee Involvement: Organizations where the Resslers serve on boards or in leadership positions receive consistent, substantial support. If seeking funding, building relationships that might lead to board engagement is key.

Los Angeles Community Impact: The foundation strongly prioritizes organizations serving Los Angeles, particularly those addressing educational equity and healthcare access in underserved communities.

Long-Term Relationships: The foundation appears to support organizations over many years rather than making one-time grants to new organizations. This suggests they value sustained partnerships where they can see long-term impact.

Alignment with Multiple Priorities: Organizations that intersect with several of the foundation's interest areas may be more attractive. For example, an organization serving youth education and Jewish community in Los Angeles would align with multiple priorities.

Measurable Impact on Underserved Communities: The couple's flagship education initiative (Alliance for College-Ready Public Schools) serves "historically underachieving, low income, overcrowded communities." This suggests a priority for organizations demonstrating measurable outcomes for disadvantaged populations.

Scale and Professionalism: Average grants of approximately $357,000 and individual grants approaching $400,000 suggest the foundation prefers established organizations with the capacity to use significant funding effectively.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No Public Applications: This foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funding. Traditional grant applications will not be successful.

  • Relationship-Driven Giving: Funding flows through personal relationships, board connections, and direct trustee involvement. Organizations should focus on building authentic relationships with the Resslers through shared community involvement rather than seeking grants.

  • Los Angeles Focus: Geographic proximity matters tremendously. The foundation concentrates its giving in the greater Los Angeles area, with only select national causes receiving support.

  • Education is the Flagship: College-ready education for underserved communities appears to be the foundation's primary passion, particularly through the Alliance for College-Ready Public Schools network.

  • Multi-Year Engagement: The foundation supports organizations over extended periods rather than making one-time grants, suggesting they value deep partnerships.

  • Substantial Grant Sizes: With an average grant of ~$357,000 and some grants approaching $400,000, this foundation makes meaningful investments in organizations they support.

  • Board Service as Indicator: Organizations where the Resslers serve on boards receive the most consistent and substantial support, indicating that board recruitment could be a pathway to funding (though this should never be the primary motivation for board recruitment).

References

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