About Goldhirsh Foundation
The Goldhirsh Foundation concentrates its philanthropy in a few large, strategic investments rather than many small grants. Recent giving shows strong support for independent K–12 education through multi‑year commitments, backing investigative journalism, and willingness to use program‑related investments to support social enterprises or mission‑driven businesses. Grants are sizable and targeted, suggesting a preference for deep impact with a small portfolio of partners.
Focus Areas
Multi‑year support for independent/private K–12 schools (e.g., Packer Collegiate Institute)Funding for investigative journalism and public interest reporting (e.g., ProPublica)Program‑related investments in social enterprises / mission-driven startups (e.g., Mighty / My Lemonade Stand)
Who They Fund
Los Angeles local communitiesimmigrant communities / immigrant-rights organizationscommunities in Nosara, Costa Rica (local civic associations)people affected by humanitarian crisis in Israelstudents / scholarship recipients
About Goldhirsh Foundation
Goldhirsh Foundation’s recent giving is marked by a large program-related investment in Mighty, which received $1,977,000 in 2025 for My Lemonade Stand. That stands alongside a long-running, multi-year commitment to The Packer Collegiate Institute, with payments recorded in 2023, 2024, and 2025. The foundation also backs public-interest journalism at scale, including grants to ProPublica and Columbia Graduate School of Journalism, and it supports civic and democracy-related work through partners such as Unite America Institute and Summit Impact. Its portfolio is not broad in the sense of many small awards; instead, the pattern suggests a concentrated set of relationships that are renewed over time. The recent record also shows support for emergency response and community projects, including humanitarian relief in Israel and a civic infrastructure project in Nosara, Costa Rica. Across these awards, Goldhirsh Foundation uses grants and investments to support education, journalism, civic engagement, and social-impact ventures.
What Goldhirsh Foundation Funds
In education, Goldhirsh Foundation has made repeated installment payments to The Packer Collegiate Institute, indicating a structured, multi-year commitment rather than a one-time award. In journalism, it supported ProPublica with general operating support and also funded Columbia Graduate School of Journalism for a second payment in a five-part commitment. Civic engagement appears through the Democracy Impact Lab grants to Summit Impact and Unite America Institute, both of which received multiple awards across different years. The foundation also funds place-based civic work outside the United States: Amigos of Costa Rica received grants tied to the Nosara Civic Assocation Calle Modelo Project, and Nosara Civic Assocation itself received a pledge payment in 2025.
How Goldhirsh Foundation Gives
Typical awards cluster around larger grants: the p25 is $10,000, the median is $50,000, and the p75 is $67,500. Recent records show both one-off support and multi-year commitments, including installment-based payments over three, four, and five years. Goldhirsh Foundation is classified as a regular funder, and the data also show use of a program-related investment alongside grantmaking. Unsolicited applications are accepted for the LA2050 Grants Challenge, while the foundation’s other active grant programs are invitation-only.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$4.7M
Total Assets
$45.6M
Total Revenue
$980K
Total Expenses
$6.8M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $10K and $68K, with a median of $50K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$50K
75th Percentile
$68K
Geographic Reach
National11 states funded
About 4% of grants go to recipients in CA.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Where Goldhirsh Foundation Funds
Top 2 recipient countries by grant volume for Goldhirsh Foundation.
| Rank | Country | Grants | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United StatesDomestic | 261 | $15.3M | 99.6% |
| 2 | Costa Rica | 1 |
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