Aviv Foundation Inc — Funder Overview

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: $20.6M (2024)
• Success Rate: ~1% (Springboard Prize only public program)
• Decision Time: 6-7 months (Springboard Prize)
• Grant Range: $36 - $750,000
• Geographic Focus: National (US) and Israel

Contact Details

• Website: avivfoundation.org
• Phone: (240) 449-3900
• Email: info@avivfoundation.org
• Springboard Prize: springboardprize.org

Overview

Established in 2016, the Aviv Foundation is a private family foundation based in Washington, DC, led by Chani Katzen Laufer and Steven Laufer. With annual giving between $14.5M-$20.6M and assets of approximately $10.5M-$12.3M, the foundation seeks to "empower people with opportunities to better their lives" through investments in emergent and established solutions with systemic change potential. The foundation operates the Springboard Prize for Child Welfare as its only competitive grant program, with all other funding distributed by invitation only. Chani Laufer's background as a Law Guardian representing children in abuse and neglect cases directly informs the foundation's strong focus on child welfare.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

• Springboard Prize for Child Welfare: $400,000 per awardee over 2 years (plus $20,000 capacity building) - 4 awards per biennial cycle. Open application via springboardprize.org
• General Grantmaking: $36-$750,000 - Invitation only, no public application process

Priority Areas

• Child welfare system innovation and prevention
• Jewish education and identity (largest area of giving)
• Educational opportunities for at-risk children
• Civic engagement and voting rights
• Israeli-Palestinian peace and coexistence
• Systemic poverty reduction

What They Don't Fund

• Direct lobbying activities
• Sub-granting arrangements
• Unsolicited proposals (except Springboard Prize)
• Pre-child welfare system prevention efforts (for Springboard Prize)

Governance and Leadership

Chani Katzen Laufer - President (unpaid). Former Law Guardian in Bronx and NYC Family Courts representing children in abuse, neglect, and custody cases. Board member of Yeshivat Maharat.

Steven Laufer - Treasurer (unpaid). Economist focusing on housing and mortgage markets.

Adam Simon - CEO. Previously at Schusterman Family Foundation. Regular presenter for National Center for Family Philanthropy and Jewish Funders Network.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Springboard Prize (only public application):

• Applications open: Early January (next cycle expected 2027)
• First-round deadline: Mid-February
• Second-round invitations: Mid-March
• Awards announced: Summer

All Other Grants: This funder does not have a public application process. Grants are made by invitation only through existing relationships and trustee discretion.

Getting on Their Radar

The foundation operates within tight-knit philanthropic networks, particularly Jewish philanthropy circles and child welfare advocacy communities. CEO Adam Simon is active in the National Center for Family Philanthropy, Jewish Funders Network, and Grantmakers for Effective Organizations. Organizations already known to these networks or working with Blue Meridian Partners (their largest recipient) have the best chance of being invited to apply.

Decision Timeline

• Springboard Prize: 6-7 months from application to award
• General grants: No public timeline; rolling basis at board discretion

Success Rates

• Springboard Prize: ~1% (4 awards from 389 applicants in inaugural cycle)
• General grants: 0% for unsolicited applications (invitation only)

Reapplication Policy

No documented restrictions on reapplying to subsequent Springboard Prize cycles (held biennially).

Application Success Factors

For Springboard Prize applicants:

• Demonstrate genuine innovation, not incremental improvements
• Show clear path to scale and systemic impact
• Center racial equity and lived experience (strong preference for projects serving low-income Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities)
• Include realistic implementation planning with achievable benchmarks
• Stay within scope - must operate within child welfare system
• Prepare for Round 2 video requirement (1-minute)

Recent awardees include: Arizona Department of Child Safety (AI tools for caseworkers), Foster Success (credit building for youth aging out), Tasselturn's Homeplace College Network (educational coaching for foster youth).

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Springboard Prize is the ONLY entry point for organizations without existing relationships
• Prize runs every TWO years (2021, 2023, 2025, next expected 2027) - missing a cycle means 2-year wait
• Extremely competitive (~1% success rate) with hundreds of applicants nationwide
• Government agencies ARE eligible (Arizona DCS won in 2025)
• For Jewish causes or civic engagement work, relationship-building through philanthropic networks is essential
• Foundation favors multi-year, trust-based partnerships over transactional grants
• Racial equity is a scored criterion, not just a preference

References

1. Aviv Foundation official website - avivfoundation.org - accessed February 2026
2. Springboard Prize official website - springboardprize.org - accessed February 2026
3. ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer: Aviv Foundation Inc - projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/474498674 - accessed February 2026
4. Inside Philanthropy: Aviv Foundation - insidephilanthropy.com/find-a-grant/grants-a/aviv-foundation - accessed February 2026
5. Instrumentl 990 Report: Aviv Foundation Inc - instrumentl.com/990-report/aviv-foundation-inc - accessed February 2026
6. PR Newswire: "Inaugural Springboard Prize for Child Welfare Grants $800,000 to Awardees" - August 2021