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Wasserman Foundation

Annual Giving
$12.2M
Grant Range
$1K - $3.0M
00

Wasserman Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $12,200,000
  • Success Rate: Not applicable (invitation only)
  • Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
  • Grant Range: $500 - $3,000,000
  • Median Grant: $10,000
  • Geographic Focus: Primarily Los Angeles, CA
  • Total Assets: $131,100,000 (2023)
  • Number of Grants: 141 grants annually

Contact Details

Website: www.wassermanfoundation.org

Note: The foundation does not provide public contact information for grant inquiries as they do not accept unsolicited applications.

Overview

Founded in 1952 by legendary Hollywood mogul Lew Wasserman and his wife Edie Wasserman, the Wasserman Foundation was established from funds generated through Lew Wasserman's decades of leadership at MCA/Universal. Lew Wasserman was one of Hollywood's most influential figures, serving as president of MCA Inc. and leading its takeover of Universal Pictures. In 1995, President Bill Clinton awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Today, the foundation is led by Lew's grandson, Casey Wasserman, who serves as President and CEO. The foundation operates as a private family foundation with assets totaling approximately $131 million and distributes over $12 million annually through approximately 141 grants. The Wassermans have established a lasting legacy as benefactors for cultural, educational, and health institutions in Los Angeles, with the foundation continuing to fund initiatives in education, arts & culture, health, service, and global initiatives. Education remains the foundation's largest funding area, with a particular focus on transforming Los Angeles public schools.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation makes grants across multiple focus areas, with grants ranging from $500 to $3,000,000 and a median grant size of $10,000:

  • Education Grants: Largest funding area, ranging from small scholarships to multi-million dollar institutional support
  • Arts & Culture Grants: Primarily to museums and performing arts institutions in Los Angeles
  • Health Grants: Supporting high-quality healthcare providers and medical research
  • Service Grants: Supporting military, police, fire, and community service organizations
  • Global Initiatives: Select international development projects

The foundation makes close to 150 grants each year with Los Angeles as an area of concentration.

Priority Areas

Education (Primary Focus)

  • Improving conditions under which students learn
  • Transforming Los Angeles public schools, particularly in underserved communities
  • Strong focus on schools in Watts, Boyle Heights, and South Los Angeles
  • Major support for Partnership for Los Angeles Schools (19 LAUSD schools)
  • UCLA programs and scholarships (over 180 Wasserman Scholarships awarded annually)
  • Organizations advancing education reform and teacher quality
  • Programs supporting resilient, emotionally healthy children

Health

  • High-quality healthcare provision
  • Medical research and teaching institutions
  • Jules Stein Eye Institute at UCLA
  • Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
  • Mental health and psychiatric social work in schools

Arts & Culture

  • Museums in the Los Angeles area
  • Performing arts institutions
  • Los Angeles County Museum of Art
  • Grammy Museum Foundation
  • Los Angeles Music Center
  • CalArts

Service

  • Military, police, and fire service personnel
  • Community beautification and volunteerism
  • Emergency response (e.g., wildfire relief)
  • Motion Picture and Television Fund

Global Initiatives

  • Select international development projects
  • Organizations addressing global challenges

What They Don't Fund

While not explicitly stated, the foundation appears to focus exclusively on preselected organizations and does not fund:

  • Unsolicited proposals from organizations outside their established network
  • Organizations without a clear connection to Los Angeles or their priority areas

Governance and Leadership

Casey Wasserman - President and CEO Casey Wasserman, grandson of founders Lew and Edie Wasserman, leads the foundation as a private family foundation driven by the interests and passions of the Wasserman Family. He previously worked as an entertainment executive, sports agent executive, and owner of the Los Angeles Avengers arena football team. He currently serves as Chair of LA 2028 Olympic & Paralympic Games. Casey emphasizes public-private partnerships as a key philanthropic strategy, noting that "even if a donor has near unlimited funds, the resources to execute usually exist in the public sector, not the private sector, and instead of looking at them as a roadblock, they should be an opportunity to execute and produce better results for whatever the issue."

Rica - Executive Director For 13 years, Rica has guided the foundation's commitments in the areas of education, arts & culture, health, service, and global initiatives.

Additional Staff The foundation maintains a small professional staff to manage grant operations and foundation initiatives, including team members like Marcus who work on various foundation initiatives.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. The Wasserman Foundation is a private family foundation that only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.

Grants are awarded based on the interests and priorities of the Wasserman family, with Casey Wasserman and the foundation's leadership identifying organizations aligned with their mission areas. The foundation appears to build long-term relationships with grantee organizations rather than considering one-time applications from new organizations.

Getting on Their Radar

While the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, there are specific ways organizations have been known to connect with the Wasserman Foundation:

Annual Wasserman Serve Day As part of the foundation's investment in the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools, Casey Wasserman and the foundation, along with 150-plus volunteers, help renovate and beautify one school per year. Organizations in the education sector, particularly those serving underserved Los Angeles communities, may gain visibility through connections to this initiative.

Partnership for Los Angeles Schools Network Organizations working with or supporting the 19 LAUSD schools in Watts, Boyle Heights, and South Los Angeles that are part of the Partnership network may have opportunities to connect with foundation priorities. For example, when Florence Griffith Joyner Elementary needed a psychiatric social worker, the Partnership worked with the Wasserman Foundation to add that position.

Institutional Relationships The foundation maintains long-term relationships with major institutions including UCLA, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the Grammy Museum Foundation. Organizations with connections to these established grantees or working in complementary areas may have better positioning.

LA 2028 Olympics Connections Given Casey Wasserman's role as Chair of LA 2028 Olympic & Paralympic Games, organizations involved in youth sports, community development tied to the Olympics, or civic initiatives aligned with the Games may align with foundation interests.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly disclosed. As an invitation-only funder, the foundation does not operate on publicized application cycles or decision timelines.

Success Rates

Not applicable - the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, so there is no public success rate data available.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - organizations cannot submit initial applications or reapplications. The foundation proactively identifies and invites organizations to receive funding.

Application Success Factors

While the foundation does not accept applications, understanding what has historically received support provides insight into their priorities:

Long-Term Community Investment Casey Wasserman's approach emphasizes sustained, multi-year commitments rather than one-off grants. His "significant, long-term investment in the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools" demonstrates a preference for deep engagement with organizations over time.

Public-Private Partnership Model The foundation values organizations that can leverage public sector resources effectively. Casey Wasserman has stated that he sees public sector resources as "an opportunity to execute and produce better results for whatever the issue" rather than as a roadblock.

Focus on Transformational Impact The foundation supports programs that transform systems, not just provide services. Education grants focus on "transforming Los Angeles public schools" and "improving the conditions under which students learn," indicating interest in systemic change.

Geographic Concentration Los Angeles is a clear priority, with Casey spending "time, effort, and money investing in public education, doing it almost entirely in Los Angeles, and almost entirely within the Watts community." Organizations serving underserved Los Angeles communities, particularly Watts, Boyle Heights, and South Los Angeles, align with foundation priorities.

Connection to Founder Legacy Organizations that were historically supported by Lew and Edie Wasserman continue to receive support, including UCLA, the Motion Picture and Television Fund, Jules Stein Eye Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, and Los Angeles Music Center.

Comprehensive Student Support Recent grants demonstrate interest in holistic approaches to student wellbeing, such as the $10 million gift to UCLA CARES Center "dedicated to encouraging the development of resilient, emotionally healthy children" and funding for psychiatric social workers in schools.

Hands-On Engagement The foundation values opportunities for direct volunteer engagement, as evidenced by the annual Wasserman Serve Day where 150+ volunteers participate in school renovation projects.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Not Appropriate for Cold Outreach: This foundation does not accept unsolicited applications. Traditional grant writing and submission strategies will not work.
  • Relationship-Based Funding: All grants appear to flow from pre-existing relationships, institutional connections, or trustee-identified priorities. Focus on building authentic relationships within the Los Angeles philanthropic community rather than crafting proposals.
  • Los Angeles Focus with Equity Lens: The foundation concentrates giving in Los Angeles, with particular attention to underserved communities in Watts, Boyle Heights, and South Los Angeles. Organizations serving these areas align with established priorities.
  • Education is Primary: Education represents the largest funding category, especially initiatives that transform public schools and support comprehensive student wellbeing (mental health, emotional resilience, quality teaching).
  • Think Partnership, Not Grant: Casey Wasserman's philosophy emphasizes public-private partnerships and leveraging public sector resources. Organizations that can demonstrate how private investment can activate larger public resources may align with this approach.
  • Long-Term Commitment: The foundation favors sustained, multi-year investments in organizations rather than one-time grants. They seek transformational impact through deep engagement.
  • Legacy Matters: Organizations with historical connections to Lew and Edie Wasserman or to entertainment, sports, and media industries may have stronger positioning given the foundation's origins and Casey's professional background.

References

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