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Diane And Guilford Glazer Foundation

Annual Giving
$29.4M
Grant Range
$100K - $1.4M

The Diane and Guilford Glazer Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $29.4 million (2023)
  • Total Assets: $607.1 million (2023)
  • Number of Grants: 208 grants awarded (2023)
  • Grant Range: Median grant $100,000, maximum grant $1.4 million
  • Geographic Focus: Primarily New York (69%) and California (29%)
  • Application Method: Invitation only

Contact Details

  • Address: 9440 Santa Monica Blvd, Suite 610, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
  • Phone: (310) 786-2100
  • Website: theglazerfoundation.org
  • Key Staff: Max Baumgarten (Director), Kevin Krasne (Chief Financial Officer)

Overview

The Diane and Guilford Glazer Foundation was established by Guilford Glazer (1921-2014), a prominent real estate developer, and his wife Diane Glazer (1925-2019), a lawyer and television host. The foundation received IRS 501(c)(3) designation in February 2020 with assets of approximately $607 million. As a private grantmaking foundation, the Glazers' philanthropic legacy reflects their lifelong commitment to Israel and the Jewish people. Guilford Glazer built relationships with Israeli leaders from the 1950s onward, including David Ben Gurion and Golda Meir, and played a key role in Soviet Jewish refugee resettlement during the 1980s. Following Guilford's death in 2014, Diane dedicated her final years to ensuring the foundation would continue prioritizing support for Israel and Jewish communities worldwide. The foundation distributed $29.4 million in grants during 2023, representing 94.8% of total expenses, demonstrating its active commitment to strategic philanthropy.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation operates through an invitation-only process across three primary focus areas:

Jewish Community and Los Angeles

  • Strengthening civic engagement and Jewish community involvement
  • Supporting Holocaust survivors
  • Young adult programming and leadership development
  • Notable example: $4 million commitment over three years to Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles (2023)

Israel

  • Educational and economic development initiatives
  • Support for Israeli institutions and innovation
  • Medical and scientific research
  • Notable legacy: Major donation to Ben-Gurion University (Guilford Glazer Faculty of Business and Management named in 2007)

Israel and the World

  • Global Jewish relations
  • Confronting antisemitism and delegitimization of Israel
  • Interfaith and multi-ethnic relations
  • Jewish identity development

Priority Areas

  • Jewish education and identity building
  • Combating antisemitism
  • Israel advocacy and public policy
  • Community engagement and civic participation
  • Holocaust remembrance and survivor support
  • Interfaith dialogue and coalition building
  • Scientific and medical innovation research in Israel
  • Young adult leadership development

What They Don't Fund

While specific exclusions are not publicly documented, the foundation's mission is clearly focused on Jewish causes, Israel-related initiatives, and Jewish community strengthening. Organizations outside these areas are unlikely to be considered.

Governance and Leadership

Founders:

  • Guilford Glazer (1921-2014): Engineering graduate from George Washington University, WWII Naval Forces veteran, expanded family steel business into major fabricator of bridges and dams. Developed over 10 million square feet of real estate across fifteen states, including Del Amo Fashion Center in Torrance, California (largest shopping mall in the U.S. from 1971-1992). Passionate advocate for Israel who maintained friendships with Israeli prime ministers and U.S. Presidents including Ronald Reagan.

  • Diane Glazer (1925-2019): UCLA honors graduate in Political Science and International Relations, USC law degree, California Bar member. Worked as lawyer for Columbia Pictures and later hosted The Diane Glazer Show, interviewing over 500 world leaders including Henry Kissinger and ten Israeli Prime Ministers. Following Guilford's death, ensured the foundation's focus on helping Israel and the Jewish people globally.

Current Leadership:

  • Max Baumgarten: Director (previously Associate Director of North American Operations and Senior Program Officer)
  • Kevin Krasne: Chief Financial Officer

The foundation employs 8 staff members and maintains operational offices in Beverly Hills.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Grant applications by invitation only.

This foundation does not accept unsolicited grant applications. Prospective grantees must receive a direct invitation from the foundation to submit a proposal. According to foundation sources, invited applicants should submit proposals via email, with no stated deadlines.

As a private family foundation, the Glazers established this structure to maintain strategic control over their philanthropic investments and ensure alignment with their core mission of supporting Israel and Jewish communities.

Getting on Their Radar

The foundation identifies potential grantees through several specific channels:

Strategic Partnerships: The foundation serves as an anchor partner with Jewish Federations of North America in the Jewish Community Response and Impact Fund, indicating they work closely with established Jewish communal organizations.

Community Leadership Connections: Given the foundation's collaboration with Rabbi Noah Farkas and the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles leadership on strategic initiatives, engagement with recognized Jewish communal leaders may provide pathways to foundation awareness.

Program Officer Outreach: The foundation employs program officers who report to the Associate Director of North American Operations, suggesting they actively monitor the field for organizations aligned with their priorities. Organizations making significant impact in combating antisemitism, strengthening Jewish identity, or supporting Israel may attract program officer attention.

Major Institution Relationships: The foundation's history of supporting major institutions like Ben-Gurion University, Pepperdine University's Glazer Institute for Jewish Studies, and Jewish Federations indicates preference for established, high-impact organizations with institutional credibility.

Decision Timeline

Specific decision timelines are not publicly available due to the invitation-only nature of the foundation's grantmaking process. However, the foundation's commitment to multi-year grants (such as the three-year, $4 million commitment to LA Federation) suggests they engage in strategic, long-term planning rather than rapid grant cycles.

Success Rates

With 208 grants awarded from a pool of invited proposals in 2023, success rates for invited applicants are not publicly documented. The invitation-only model suggests a pre-screening process that likely results in higher approval rates compared to open application foundations.

Reapplication Policy

As an invitation-only funder, formal reapplication policies are not publicly documented. Organizations that have received funding or invitations previously would need to maintain relationships with foundation staff and demonstrate continued alignment with funding priorities.

Application Success Factors

For organizations fortunate enough to receive an invitation to apply, the following factors appear critical based on the foundation's documented grantmaking patterns:

Alignment with Core Mission: The foundation's commitment to Israel and Jewish communities is absolute. As the foundation's website states, after Guilford's death, "Diane focused on charitable endeavors and ensuring that helping Israel and the Jewish people would remain the priority of the foundation after her passing."

Long-term Strategic Thinking: Rabbi Noah Farkas of the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, a major grantee, emphasized the foundation's preference for strategic investment: "collaboration is the future, not competition...the old model doesn't just cost too much money, it's too inefficient." The foundation appears to value partnerships and systemic approaches over isolated programs.

Broad Community Impact: Joanna Mendelson, senior VP of community engagement at LA Federation, noted their Glazer-funded work aims to "inspire others to create and to centralize the Jewish voice...to help mobilize is really a way to inspire other organizations." The foundation values grants that catalyze broader movement and inspire other organizations.

Sustained Investment Over Quick Fixes: The foundation's $4 million commitment over three years to LA Federation, rather than a single-year grant, demonstrates preference for sustained engagement. The funding supports ongoing initiatives like expanding community service days from 6 to 18 annually, reaching 4,000 people.

Serving Marginalized Populations: The LA Federation grant specifically included support for Holocaust survivors, suggesting the foundation values work with vulnerable Jewish populations "without transactional expectations."

Combating Antisemitism: With significant focus on "confronting antisemitism and delegitimization of Israel," organizations with demonstrated expertise in this area align with foundation priorities.

Educational Excellence: The Glazers' legacy gifts to Ben-Gurion University and Pepperdine University demonstrate high regard for educational institutions that advance Jewish scholarship and Israel understanding.

Innovation and Research: Support for "scientific and medical innovation research" suggests openness to cutting-edge approaches, particularly those benefiting Israel.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Invitation-Only Structure: Do not submit unsolicited proposals. Focus on building visibility and credibility within Jewish communal networks where foundation program officers are active.

  • Israel and Jewish Community Focus is Non-Negotiable: Every grant aligns with supporting Israel, combating antisemitism, or strengthening Jewish identity and community. Organizations outside these areas will not be considered.

  • Think Multi-Year and Systems-Level: The foundation favors sustained investments that create systemic change over single-year projects. Demonstrate how your work catalyzes broader movement.

  • Geographic Concentration: 69% of 2023 grants went to New York organizations, 29% to California. Organizations in these regions, particularly those connected to major Jewish federations, may have stronger access.

  • Grant Size Varies Significantly: With median grants of $100,000 and maximum grants reaching $1.4 million, the foundation supports organizations at multiple scales. Major institutions can pursue transformational gifts.

  • Relationships with Jewish Federations Matter: The foundation's partnership with Jewish Federations of North America and substantial support for LA Federation suggest that federation-connected organizations may have enhanced access.

  • Demonstrate Collaboration: Foundation leadership values partnership over competition, efficiency over traditional siloed approaches, and mobilization of broader Jewish communal resources.

References

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