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Leah And Richard Waitzer Foundation

Annual Giving
$14.8M
Grant Range
$100K - $4.0M

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $14.8 million (2024); $5.7 million (2022)
  • Success Rate: Not applicable (invitation only)
  • Decision Time: Not applicable (does not accept applications)
  • Grant Range: $100,000 - $4,000,000
  • Geographic Focus: Hampton Roads, Virginia (primary); some funding in Georgia and Michigan
  • Total Assets: $67.4 million (2024)

Contact Details

Address: Virginia Beach, VA

Note: The foundation does not have a public website or published contact information. They do not accept unsolicited grant proposals.

Overview

The Leah And Richard Waitzer Foundation was established in March 2017 as a private grantmaking foundation based in Virginia Beach, Virginia. With assets of $67.4 million as of 2024, the foundation has demonstrated significant growth from $936,200 in assets at inception. The foundation is led by Bradley J. Waitzer (President) and Edwin S. Waitzer (Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer), the sons of founders Richard and Leah Waitzer. Since 2018, the foundation has awarded 13 individual grants totaling over $8 million, with charitable disbursements reaching $14.8 million in 2024. The foundation reflects the lifelong philanthropic commitment of Richard and Leah Waitzer, who were honored as 2018 Outstanding Philanthropists by the Association of Fundraising Professionals' Hampton Roads Chapter. Leah Waitzer passed away in March 2021 at age 84. The foundation focuses its giving on education, health and medical research, arts and culture, and human services in the Hampton Roads region.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation does not operate formal grant programs with published guidelines. All grants are made at the discretion of the foundation's leadership to preselected organizations.

Priority Areas

Based on documented giving patterns, the foundation's priority areas include:

Education and Medical Training

  • Medical school capital campaigns and infrastructure
  • Medical student scholarships
  • Educational institution support

Health and Medical Research

  • Diabetes research (personal family connection)
  • Geriatrics and gerontology programs
  • Medical school facilities and programs

Arts and Culture

  • Contemporary glass sculpture and studio glass art
  • Art museum support and development
  • Cultural institution infrastructure

Human Services and Community Development

  • Youth services and child welfare
  • Homelessness prevention and services
  • Community foundation support
  • College access programs

What They Don't Fund

The foundation has not published exclusions, but their giving pattern suggests a strong focus on the Hampton Roads region with limited geographic scope. The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.

Governance and Leadership

Current Leadership:

  • Bradley J. Waitzer - President; Member of EVMS Foundation Board of Trustees
  • Edwin S. Waitzer - Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer

Neither officer receives compensation for their foundation roles.

Founders:

  • Richard Waitzer - Co-founder; real estate developer and founder of Signature Management Corporation, a Virginia Beach-based property management and development company
  • Leah Waitzer (1936-2021) - Co-founder; volunteer with the Juvenile Court of Virginia Beach for 22 years; founding member of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) in Virginia Beach; former chair of the Virginia Committee for Juvenile Justice; former trustee of the Chrysler Museum, Virginia Arts Festival, and Norfolk Academy

Philanthropic Philosophy: The Waitzer family has demonstrated a commitment to "making Hampton Roads a better place" through leadership, time, talent, and treasure. Their giving reflects personal connections to causes, particularly diabetes research (in memory of Richard's father Murray Waitzer who lived with Type 1 diabetes) and youth welfare (reflecting Leah's decades of volunteer work with abused and neglected children).

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Leah And Richard Waitzer Foundation does not have a public application process. According to their IRS filings, the foundation "only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds."

Grants are awarded at the discretion of the foundation's board, consisting of Bradley J. Waitzer and Edwin S. Waitzer, to organizations with which the family has established relationships.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - the foundation does not accept applications.

Success Rates

Not applicable - the foundation does not accept applications.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - the foundation does not accept applications.

Application Success Factors

Since the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, traditional application strategies do not apply. However, the foundation's giving patterns reveal several factors that have characterized their funded projects:

Documented Funded Organizations:

  • Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS) - $4 million for capital campaign (largest family gift in EVMS history), plus $1 million for Murray Waitzer Endowed Chair for Diabetes Research, plus scholarship challenge matching funds
  • Barry Art Museum at Old Dominion University - 165 works of 20th-century and contemporary glass sculpture (prompted museum expansion)
  • EVMS Glennan Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology - $250,000 (Bradley Waitzer)
  • Elizabeth River Project
  • United Way South Hampton Roads
  • ACCESS College Foundation
  • WHRO Public Media
  • Hope House Foundation
  • ForKids
  • Virginia Wesleyan University
  • Hampton Roads Community Foundation

Characteristics of Funded Projects:

  • Strong connection to Hampton Roads region
  • Alignment with family's personal values and experiences
  • Involvement of family members on boards or as volunteers
  • Capital campaigns and infrastructure projects
  • Programs serving vulnerable populations (particularly children)
  • Medical education and research
  • Arts and cultural institutions

Family Connection: The foundation's giving reflects personal experiences and relationships. The diabetes research chair honors Murray Waitzer's experience with Type 1 diabetes. The arts giving reflects the family's decades-long collection of contemporary glass sculpture. The youth services giving reflects Leah Waitzer's 22 years as a CASA volunteer.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No public application process: This foundation cannot be approached through traditional grant proposals. They exclusively fund preselected organizations.
  • Relationship-driven: All documented grants have gone to organizations where the Waitzer family had established relationships through board service, volunteering, or long-term engagement in Hampton Roads.
  • Significant capacity for major gifts: The foundation has made gifts ranging from $100,000 to $4 million, with recent charitable disbursements of $14.8 million in 2024.
  • Geographic focus: Primary focus on Hampton Roads, Virginia, with documented funding in Detroit, Kennesaw, and Norfolk across Michigan, Georgia, and Virginia.
  • Personal connections matter: Funded projects reflect family members' personal experiences, including health challenges (diabetes), volunteer work (child welfare), and collecting interests (glass art).
  • Multi-generational giving: Both the founding generation (Richard and Leah) and the next generation (Bradley and Edwin) make individual gifts and serve on nonprofit boards in the region.
  • Focus on transformative gifts: The foundation's giving pattern shows preference for major gifts that create lasting change, such as endowed chairs, named buildings, and museum expansions, rather than annual operating support.

References

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