Aleinu Foundation

Annual Giving
$4.2M

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