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Lauren And Lee Fixel Family Foundation Inc

Annual Giving
$7.4M
Grant Range
$25K - $25.0M

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $7,415,073 (2023)
  • Success Rate: Not applicable (invitation-only)
  • Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
  • Grant Range: $25,000 - $1,000,000+
  • Geographic Focus: National (preference for New York)

Contact Details

The Lauren and Lee Fixel Family Foundation does not maintain a public website or email address for grant inquiries. The foundation is based in New York, NY (previously) and Nashville, TN (current filing address).

Important Note: This foundation does not accept unsolicited grant applications.

Overview

Established around 2010 by Lee and Lauren Fixel, the Lauren and Lee Fixel Family Foundation is a private family foundation that has distributed over $7.4 million in grants annually in recent years. With total assets of $4.21 million (2024) and fluctuating revenue streams, the foundation maintains an active giving program that exceeds its asset base, demonstrating the founders' commitment to strategic philanthropy. The foundation focuses on two primary areas: neurological disease research (particularly Parkinson's disease) and Jewish education and community organizations. Lee Fixel's personal connection to Parkinson's disease through his father, Norman Fixel, who was diagnosed over two decades ago, has shaped the foundation's significant commitment to neuroscience research. Lee Fixel, a prominent venture capitalist who served as a partner at Tiger Global Management before founding Addition in 2020, brings strategic acumen to the foundation's grantmaking. The foundation operates without paid staff, with both Lauren and Lee Fixel serving as unpaid directors.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation does not maintain formal grant programs with application cycles. Instead, it makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations through trustee discretion.

Major Grant Categories:

  • Neurological Disease Research: Multi-million dollar commitments (including the $20 million gift to establish the Norman Fixel Institute, and an additional $25 million in 2021)
  • Jewish Organizations: Support for educational institutions and community federations
  • Education: Higher education institutions and schools

Priority Areas

Health and Medical Research:

  • Parkinson's disease research and treatment
  • Neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer's, Lewy body dementia, ALS, dystonia)
  • Concussion and brain injury research
  • The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (the Fixels are among the most significant contributors)

Jewish Causes:

  • UJA Federation of New York
  • Yeshiva Ohr Yitzchok
  • Young Men's and Young Women's Hebrew Association
  • Jewish educational institutions

Education:

  • Higher education institutions
  • University research programs
  • Educational nonprofits

What They Don't Fund

The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funding. While specific exclusions are not publicly documented, the foundation's giving pattern shows a focused approach on neurological research and Jewish causes rather than broad-based community funding.

Governance and Leadership

Directors:

  • Lee Fixel: Co-founder and unpaid director. Lee is a prominent venture capitalist who served as a partner at Tiger Global Management from 2006-2019, where he led investments in companies like Spotify, Coinbase, Stripe, and Flipkart. In 2020, he founded Addition, a venture capital firm managing over $7 billion in assets. He graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a degree in business administration (finance and accounting). Lee served on the board of The Michael J. Fox Foundation from 2013-2022.

  • Lauren Fixel: Co-founder and unpaid director.

About Norman Fixel: The foundation's flagship initiative, the Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases at UF Health, is named after Lee's father, Norman Fixel, who graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree in business in 1975 and was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease more than two decades ago.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

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

Grants are awarded through trustee discretion, with Lauren and Lee Fixel making all funding decisions. The foundation typically awards unrestricted grants to support general operating costs rather than project-specific funding.

Getting on Their Radar

Based on the foundation's giving patterns, organizations supported by the Fixel Family Foundation typically have one or more of the following characteristics:

  • Institutional relationships: Major gifts have gone to the University of Florida, where Lee's father Norman graduated and which has a strong neurological disease research program
  • Board connections: Lee Fixel served on the board of The Michael J. Fox Foundation (2013-2022), which has received significant support from the foundation
  • Geographic proximity: The foundation shows preference for New York-based organizations, though it funds nationally
  • Jewish community connections: Support for established Jewish federations and educational institutions suggests relationships within these networks
  • Excellence in neurological research: Organizations conducting cutting-edge research in Parkinson's disease and related neurodegenerative conditions

The foundation's approach is relationship-driven rather than application-driven. Organizations are selected based on the trustees' knowledge of and connection to the causes and institutions they support.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly disclosed. Given the discretionary nature of the foundation's grantmaking, decision timelines are likely variable and based on trustee meetings and strategic considerations.

Success Rates

Not applicable. The foundation made 19 grants in 2023 and 18 in 2022, all to preselected organizations.

Reapplication Policy

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

Application Success Factors

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

Demonstrated Excellence in Priority Areas: The foundation's largest commitments have gone to institutions with established track records in neurological disease research. The University of Florida received $20 million initially and $25 million subsequently, demonstrating the foundation's willingness to make sustained, multi-year investments in proven partners.

Personal Connection and Mission Alignment: The foundation's focus on Parkinson's disease research stems directly from Norman Fixel's diagnosis. This personal connection drives significant funding decisions. Organizations that can demonstrate impact in areas personally meaningful to the founders may resonate more strongly.

Unrestricted Operating Support Philosophy: The foundation "typically awards unrestricted grants to support general operating costs rather than grants restricted to specific projects," according to Inside Philanthropy. This suggests the Fixels value organizational sustainability and trust grantees to allocate resources effectively.

Grant Size Flexibility: While the foundation has made transformational gifts exceeding $1 million (particularly to the University of Florida), "the majority of grants fall in the $25,000 to $100,000 range." This indicates capacity to support both major institutional partners and smaller organizations.

National Reach with New York Preference: Though based in New York (and recently filing from Nashville), the foundation "awards grants to organizations working in a number of states across the country," while showing "a preference for organizations based or operating in New York."

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • This foundation does not accept unsolicited applications - do not submit proposals or letters of inquiry
  • All funding decisions are made at trustee discretion - grants go to preselected organizations with existing relationships to the founders
  • Major funding focus on Parkinson's disease research - driven by Lee Fixel's father's diagnosis, this is the foundation's signature cause with multi-million dollar commitments
  • Significant support for Jewish causes - the foundation funds major Jewish federations and educational institutions, suggesting deep community ties
  • Unrestricted operating grants are preferred - the foundation trusts its grantees and provides flexible funding
  • Grant amounts vary widely - from $25,000-$100,000 for most grants to $1 million+ for transformational institutional partnerships
  • Relationship-driven philanthropy - board service (Lee Fixel served on The Michael J. Fox Foundation board 2013-2022) and institutional connections appear to drive funding decisions

References

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