Aleinu Foundation
Quick Stats
- Annual Giving: $4.2 million (FY 2024)
- Total Assets: $90.6 million (FY 2024)
- Success Rate: Not publicly available
- Decision Time: Not publicly available
- Grant Range: Not publicly disclosed
- Geographic Focus: Based in San Francisco, CA
- Application Method: No public application process
Contact Details
Address: 235 Montgomery Street, FL 18, San Francisco, CA 94104-3105
Website: Not available
Email: Not publicly available
Phone: Not publicly available
Overview
The Aleinu Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation established in 2021 and based in San Francisco, California. With total assets of $90.6 million and annual charitable disbursements of approximately $4.2 million as of fiscal year 2024, the foundation operates primarily as an investment-driven philanthropic entity. The foundation is led by Directors Daniel Scheinman and Zoe Scheinman, who serve without compensation. Dan Scheinman is a prominent Silicon Valley angel investor, known as the first investor in Zoom and having had an 18-year career at Cisco Systems. The foundation's name "Aleinu" comes from a Hebrew prayer meaning "it is our responsibility," though the foundation's specific mission statement and programmatic focus areas are not publicly disclosed in available documentation.
Funding Priorities
Grant Programs
Specific grant programs and funding amounts are not publicly disclosed. The foundation distributed approximately $4.2 million in charitable grants during fiscal year 2024, representing 90.4% of total expenses.
Priority Areas
Priority funding areas are not publicly disclosed. Based on available tax filings, the foundation operates as a private grantmaking foundation, but specific thematic focus areas, geographic priorities, or beneficiary types have not been made public.
What They Don't Fund
Information about exclusions is not publicly available.
Governance and Leadership
Directors:
- Daniel Scheinman (Director) - Silicon Valley angel investor and former Cisco Systems executive with an 18-year career at the company. He is known as the first investor in Zoom and has invested in other technology unicorns including Arista Networks, SentinelOne, and CyCognito. He has served on Zoom's board of directors since January 2013.
- Zoe Scheinman (Director) - Based in San Francisco, involved in nonprofit work in the field of education in Northern California. Also serves as President of the North American Foundation for the University of Durham.
Both directors serve without compensation.
Application Process & Timeline
How to Apply
The Aleinu Foundation does not have a public application process. As a private family foundation, grants appear to be made at the discretion of the board of directors rather than through an open application process. The foundation does not maintain a public website or published application guidelines.
Prospective applicants should note that this foundation operates on an invitation-only or trustee-discretion basis, and unsolicited applications are not accepted through any public portal or process.
Decision Timeline
Not applicable - no public application process exists.
Success Rates
Not applicable - no public application process exists.
Reapplication Policy
Not applicable - no public application process exists.
Application Success Factors
Given the lack of a public application process, traditional application success factors do not apply to the Aleinu Foundation. The foundation makes grants through board discretion rather than competitive application review.
For organizations interested in this foundation's support, building relationships within relevant networks and being known to the foundation's leadership would be the primary pathway, though no specific information is publicly available about how the foundation identifies potential grant recipients.
Key Takeaways for Grant Writers
- No public application process: The Aleinu Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications or maintain public application procedures
- Private family foundation: Led by Dan and Zoe Scheinman, the foundation operates with trustee discretion in grant-making
- Significant assets: With $90.6 million in assets and $4.2 million in annual giving, the foundation has substantial grantmaking capacity
- Limited public information: Specific funding priorities, grant recipients, and programmatic focus areas are not publicly disclosed
- Established 2021: As a relatively new foundation, public information about grant-making patterns is still emerging
- Investment-driven: The foundation's revenue comes primarily from investment income (dividends and interest), indicating long-term sustainability
- Technology connections: Through Dan Scheinman's background, there may be connections to technology sector philanthropy, though this is not confirmed
References
- Aleinu Foundation - ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer (Accessed December 24, 2025)
- Aleinu Foundation - Charity Navigator Profile (Accessed December 24, 2025)
- Meet Dan Scheinman '87, the first investor in Zoom - Duke Law School (Accessed December 24, 2025)
- Dan Scheinman - Crunchbase Person Profile (Accessed December 24, 2025)
- Zoe Scheinman - LinkedIn (Accessed December 24, 2025)
- Dan Scheinman | Board Member - Zoom Communications, Inc. (Accessed December 24, 2025)