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Meg And Bennett Goodman Family Foundation

Annual Giving
$4.7M
Grant Range
Up to $25.0M

Meg And Bennett Goodman Family Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $4.7 million (2024)
  • Total Assets: $69.8 million (2024)
  • Decision Time: Not disclosed (invitation/relationship-based)
  • Grant Range: Varies widely (from smaller grants to $25 million major gifts)
  • Geographic Focus: Primarily Saratoga Springs, NY and New York City, with national reach for economic mobility initiatives
  • Application Method: No public application process (invitation only)

Contact Details

Foundation Address: 19 Railroad Place, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866-2196
Phone: 518-290-9460
Website: goodmanphilanthropies.org
Email: Not publicly available

The foundation operates under the name "Goodman Philanthropies" for its programmatic work, with Pam Harder serving as Executive Director.

Overview

The Meg and Bennett Goodman Family Foundation was established in March 2015 as a private independent foundation and operates as a supporting organization to National Philanthropic Trust (NPT). The foundation has grown substantially from $9.3 million in assets in 2014 to nearly $70 million by 2024. Founded by Bennett Goodman, co-founder of GSO Capital Partners (now Blackstone Credit), and his wife Meg (Margaret Louise Ehrich Goodman), the foundation represents a family-led philanthropic effort that includes their children Jared, Alex, and Julia.

The foundation's primary mission has evolved to focus on enhancing economic mobility in the United States, with Bennett Goodman noting that "improving social mobility is the foundation's primary mission." This focus stems from Goodman's personal experience with economic mobility, coming from humble beginnings to co-founding a $125 billion investment platform. Beyond economic mobility, the Goodmans maintain long-standing commitments to arts and culture, healthcare, and Jewish causes in the New York metropolitan area.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation has committed more than $70 million in grant funding through its Goodman Philanthropies initiative, concentrating on two primary program areas:

Wage-Building Initiatives: Fund the design, pilot, scale, and efficacy research for career education and training programs and policies that lead to family-sustaining wages and cultivate career pathways and wage growth over time.

Wealth-Building Initiatives: Fund new and innovative tools, policies, and ideas that enable more low and middle-income Americans to participate in asset-building as a mechanism for sustained, intergenerational economic mobility.

Priority Areas

Economic Mobility & Workforce Development (Primary Focus)

  • Career education and training programs
  • Youth workforce development
  • Pathways to family-sustaining wages
  • Asset-building programs for low and middle-income Americans

Recent grantees include:

  • Year Up United ($25 million major gift in 2022, including $15 million for pilot programs and $10 million endowment)
  • CareerWise DC (apprenticeship programs)
  • FutureReadyNYC (career readiness)
  • The Marcy Lab School (tech training)

Asset-Building & Financial Inclusion

  • Colorado's Baby Bonds Pilot (intergenerational wealth-building)
  • SaverLife (savings programs)
  • Commonwealth (financial security initiatives)

Arts & Culture

  • Whitney Museum of American Art (Bennett Goodman serves on the board; the couple has directed at least $5 million)
  • Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (sustained, long-term support)

Healthcare

  • New York Presbyterian Hospital & Health System

Jewish Causes

  • Jewish Museum (Meg serves on the board)
  • American Jewish Committee
  • UJA-Federation of New York

Education

  • Lafayette College (alma mater)
  • Harvard Business School (alma mater)

What They Don't Fund

Based on their demonstrated priorities, the foundation does not typically fund:

  • Organizations outside their strategic focus areas
  • Projects unrelated to economic mobility, arts/culture, healthcare, or Jewish causes
  • Capital campaigns outside their established relationships
  • International programs (focus is on U.S.-based economic mobility)

Governance and Leadership

Trustees

  • Bennett J. Goodman, Co-Founder and Trustee (volunteer, no compensation)
  • Margaret Louise Ehrich Goodman (Meg), Co-Founder and Trustee (volunteer, no compensation)

Executive Leadership

  • Pamela Harder, Executive Director (compensated position)

Family Involvement

The Goodmans' three children—Jared, Alex, and Julia—are actively involved in the family's philanthropic work.

Key Leadership Insights

Bennett Goodman is a prominent financier who co-founded GSO Capital Partners, the credit investment arm of Blackstone (managing a $125 billion platform), and later co-founded Hunter Point Capital. He serves on the board of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and the Whitney Museum of American Art.

Bennett has stated: "Our foundation's primary mission is to improve social mobility. Matching diverse talent to opportunity is the quickest path to sharing economic prosperity." He describes himself as "living proof of the American promise of economic mobility, coming from very humble beginnings."

Pam Harder joined as the inaugural Executive Director of Goodman Philanthropies, bringing extensive experience in economic mobility work. A Harvard and Stanford alumna, Harder previously led go-to-market sales strategy at Guild Education (an upskilling platform for adult learners), spent four years in Virginia state government designing workforce and higher education alignment systems, and worked as a management consultant at FSG advising major national philanthropies on workforce development, early childhood education, and financial literacy. Her research and writing have been published in The Atlantic, National Journal, Stanford Alumni Magazine, and the Journal of Education and Work.

Expert Advisors

The foundation works with three listed advisors: Rachel Lipson, Sean Brazier, and Heidi Johnson.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. The Meg and Bennett Goodman Family Foundation operates on an invitation-only basis through trustee discretion and pre-existing relationships. Grants are awarded based on strategic priorities identified by the trustees and executive team, rather than through open solicitation.

The foundation's approach involves:

  • Proactive identification of organizations aligned with their mission
  • Strategic partnerships with organizations demonstrating evidence-based approaches
  • Focus on opportunities with potential for systemic change and scale
  • Support for piloting and testing novel concepts, scaling proven programs, and de-risking innovative solutions

Decision Timeline

Not publicly disclosed, as the foundation operates on a relationship-based model rather than application cycles.

Success Rates

Not applicable for public applications. The foundation makes strategic grants to selected organizations rather than evaluating unsolicited applications.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable, as there is no public application process.

Application Success Factors

While the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, understanding their funding approach can be valuable:

What the Foundation Values

Evidence-Based Approaches: Goodman Philanthropies emphasizes "evidence-based approaches with high potential for enhancing economic mobility at scale in the United States."

Systemic Change Potential: The foundation targets opportunities with potential for systemic change, focusing on:

  • Piloting and testing novel concepts
  • Scaling evidence-based education and training programs
  • De-risking innovative solutions
  • Enabling next-level growth

Measurable Impact on Economic Mobility: The foundation's north star goal is improving economic mobility, specifically through programs that lead to:

  • Family-sustaining wages
  • Career pathways with wage growth over time
  • Asset-building for sustained, intergenerational economic mobility

Recent Funding Examples

Year Up ($25 million, 2022): Bennett Goodman stated the gift was made because "Matching diverse talent to opportunity is the quickest path to sharing economic prosperity." Year Up's model of combining technical training, professional skills development, and corporate internships aligned with the foundation's wage-building focus.

Economic Mobility Portfolio: The foundation's seven identified portfolio organizations represent a strategic mix of:

  • Direct service providers (Year Up, Marcy Lab School, CareerWise DC)
  • Systems-level initiatives (FutureReadyNYC)
  • Wealth-building innovations (Colorado's Baby Bonds Pilot, SaverLife, Commonwealth)

Cultural Institutions: Long-term, sustained support rather than one-time grants characterizes their approach to Whitney Museum and Lincoln Center, with board-level engagement from the Goodmans.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No Public Application Process: This foundation identifies and invites grantees rather than accepting applications. Organizations should focus on building visibility in the economic mobility, workforce development, and financial inclusion sectors rather than submitting proposals.

  • Economic Mobility is the North Star: While the Goodmans support arts, culture, healthcare, and Jewish causes, their strategic philanthropy centers on wage-building and wealth-building initiatives that create pathways to economic mobility for low and middle-income Americans.

  • Evidence and Scale Matter: The foundation seeks "evidence-based approaches with high potential for enhancing economic mobility at scale." Organizations should demonstrate proven models or rigorous testing of innovative approaches.

  • Strategic, Not Reactive: With $70+ million committed, the foundation takes a strategic approach to grantmaking, focusing on systemic change through piloting novel concepts, scaling proven programs, and de-risking innovations.

  • Relationship-Based Giving: Beyond their economic mobility portfolio, the Goodmans' support for cultural and Jewish organizations reflects long-term relationships and board-level engagement, suggesting personal connection and involvement are key factors.

  • Family Engagement: The involvement of the Goodmans' three children in the philanthropy suggests a multi-generational approach and may indicate opportunities for engagement with next-generation family members interested in economic mobility issues.

  • Professional Management: The hiring of Pam Harder as Executive Director signals a professionalization of the foundation's grantmaking, with expertise in workforce development, education policy, and evidence-based philanthropy guiding strategic decisions.

References

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