The Ressler Family Foundation concentrates its giving on high-impact education and biomedical research at elite institutions, directing very large gifts to a small number of beneficiaries. Its grants favor universities and top independent secondary schools, with a notable commitment to medical research (melanoma) alongside support for law and higher-education programs. The foundation typically makes sizable, repeat gifts rather than many small awards.
The Ressler Family Foundation makes unusually large, repeated gifts to a small set of institutions, with Brown University standing out as the clearest example: grants of $6,276,374 in 2023, $3,350,000 in 2024, and $3,250,000 in 2025. That pattern is paired with major support for elite education and research, including Columbia Law School, Harvard Westlake School, and UCLA. The foundation’s giving also reaches biomedical work, especially melanoma research, through gifts to the Melanoma Research Alliance Foundation and UCLA. Its portfolio includes general support, but the named recipients and purposes show a preference for established organizations rather than broad, open-ended grantmaking. Alongside universities and research institutions, it funds select nonprofits working in public health, food access, reproductive health, climate, arts, and community support. The result is a grantmaking profile that is concentrated, institution-focused, and often multi-year rather than one-off.
Education is a major part of the foundation’s work. In 2023, it gave $1,028,878 to Columbia Law School for general support, and it supported Harvard Westlake School with $700,000 in 2023, followed by $350,000 in both 2024 and 2025. Research support is another clear theme. UCLA received $600,000 in 2023 for general support and $217,500 in 2025 to support melanoma cancer research, while the Melanoma Research Alliance Foundation received $674,579 in 2023. The foundation also funds health access and service delivery. In 2024, it gave $33,334 to the North Carolina Association of Free & Charitable Clinics to support healthcare for the uninsured and underserved of North Carolina. Arts and civic organizations also appear, including $50,000 to the Center for Art Research and Alliances in 2024.
Typical grants cluster around mid-five figures: the p25 is $10,000, the median is $25,000, and the p75 is $50,000. The distribution is wider than that, because the foundation also makes very large institutional grants in the six- and seven-figure range. The recent record shows repeat funding to the same recipients across multiple years, including Brown University, Harvard Westlake School, UCLA, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Baby2baby, Liberty Hill Foundation, This Is About Humanity, and World Central Kitchen. The foundation is a family foundation and does not make program-related investments. No application process is listed in the provided data.
$4.3M
$43.4M
$7.8M
$5.6M
Most grants fall between $10K and $50K, with a median of $25K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$25K
75th Percentile
$50K
Top 2 recipient countries by grant volume for Ressler Family Foundation.
| Rank | Country | Grants | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United StatesDomestic | 84 | $18.8M | 98.8% |
| 2 | United Kingdom |
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Highly concentrated giving: few, very large grants with repeat funding to select institutional grantees; focused on capital, program support, or endowed-type gifts rather than broad small-dollar philanthropy.
Notable grantees: Brown University, Harvard-Westlake School, Columbia Law School, Melanoma Research Alliance Foundation, UCLA
Grant recipients are overwhelmingly in the United States, with one grant to the UK in the recent data. Washington, DC is the top state by grant count, even though the foundation is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. California recipients include Los Angeles, Studio City, National City, and Charlotte is represented through a North Carolina clinic grant. New York also appears often, with recipients in New York City, Brooklyn, and other major institutions. The foundation gives nationally rather than only in California.
The typical grant size is $10,000 at the 25th percentile, $25,000 at the median, and $50,000 at the 75th percentile. The recent record also includes much larger awards, such as multi-million-dollar gifts to Brown University.
Its recent grants center on education, biomedical research, and select social issues. Named recipients show support for universities and schools, melanoma research, healthcare for uninsured and underserved residents of North Carolina, arts organizations, and groups working on food access, reproductive health, climate, and gun violence prevention.
Yes. Brown University, Harvard Westlake School, UCLA, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Baby2baby, Liberty Hill Foundation, This Is About Humanity, and World Central Kitchen each appear in multiple grant years, showing a repeated-giving pattern rather than one-time awards.
Washington, DC is the top state by grant count. California still receives a substantial share of grants, with 35% going to recipients in the foundation’s headquarters state.
Recent grantees include Brown University, Columbia Law School, Harvard Westlake School, the Melanoma Research Alliance Foundation, UCLA, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, the North Carolina Association of Free & Charitable Clinics, and World Central Kitchen.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
| 1 |
| $1K |
1.2% |
Recipient country reflects the grantee's headquarters per IRS 990-PF and Schedule F filings, not the program's implementation country.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BROWN UNIVERSITY | PROVIDENCE, RI | $3,250,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| HARVARD WESTLAKE SCHOOL | STUDIO CITY, CA | $350,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| UCLA | LOS ANGELES, CA | $217,500 | 2025 | SUPPORT MELANOMA CANCER RESEARCH |
| BABY2BABY | LOS ANGELES, CA | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| LIBERTY HILL FOUNDATION | LOS ANGELES, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PLANNED PARENTHOOD FEDERATION OF AMERICA | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN | WASHINGTON, DC | $40,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CASA CORNELIA LAW CENTER | SAN DIEGO, CA | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| STAND UP TO CANCER | LOS ANGELES, CA | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| WILSHIRE BLVD TEMPLE | LOS ANGELES, CA | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE | GLENDALE, CA | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CITY HARVEST INC | BROOKLYN, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| OXFAM | BOSTON, MA | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF WESTERN NC | ASHEVILLE, NC | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FEEDING AMERICA | CHICAGO, IL | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR RARE DISORDERS | QUINCY, MA | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| HILARITY FOR CHARITY | LOS ANGELES, CA | $14,727 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| AMERICAN FRIENDS OF LUBAVITCH | WASHINGTON, DC | $12,500 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CATHOLIC CHARITIES SECOND CENTURY FUND | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| LOS ANGELES COUNTY MUSEUM OF ART | LOS ANGELES, CA | $5,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT OF THE ARTS |
| 2ND STAGE THEATER | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE WASHINGTON MARKET SCHOOL | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| JQ INTERNATIONAL | WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA | $2,500 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| HISTORIC MADISON INC | MADISON, IN | $1,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| RETT SYNDROME RESEARCH TRUST | TRUMBULL, CT | $1,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE NEW (NEW) MASSES FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $1,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CHILDREN'S LAW CENTER OF CALIFORNIA | MONTEREY PARK, CA | $1,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BROWN UNIVERSITY | PROVIDENCE, RI | $3,350,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| HARVARD WESTLAKE SCHOOL | STUDIO CITY, CA | $350,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PLANNED PARENTHOOD FEDERATION OF AMERICA | NEW YORK, NY | $83,333 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BABY2BABY | LOS ANGELES, CA | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THIS IS ABOUT HUMANITY | NATIONAL CITY, CA | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CENTER FOR ART RESEARCH AND ALLIANCES | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| LIBERTY HILL FOUNDATION | LOS ANGELES, CA | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NORTH CAROLINA ASSOCIATION OF FREE & CHARITABLE CLINICS | CHARLOTTE, NC | $33,334 | 2024 | SUPPORT OF HEALTHCARE FOR THE UNINSURED AND UNDERSERVED OF NORTH CAROLINA |
| WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN | WASHINGTON, DC | $33,333 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE | GLENDALE, CA | $25,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CITY HARVEST INC | BROOKLYN, NY | $25,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| WILSHIRE BLVD TEMPLE | LOS ANGELES, CA | $25,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NEW HEIGHTS YOUTH INC | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CASA CORNELIA LAW CENTER | SAN DIEGO, CA | $25,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS | NEW YORK, NY | $15,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| WOMEN'S PEACE AND HUMANITARIAN FUND | WASHINGTON, DC | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CHILDREN'S DEFENSE FUND | WASHINGTON, DC | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| TOURETTE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA INC | BAYSIDE, NY | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| JEWISH THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| GIFFORDS & GIFFORDS LAW CENTER TO PREVENT GUN VIOLENCE | WASHINGTON, DC | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT TO PREVENT GUN VIOLENCE |
| LOS ANGELES COUNTY MUSEUM OF ART | LOS ANGELES, CA | $5,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT OF THE ARTS |
| YOUTH RENEWAL FUND | NEW YORK, NY | $3,600 | 2024 | EDUCATION SUPPORT |
| CROHN'S & COLITIS FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $1,000 | 2024 | RESEARCH SUPPORT |
BROWN UNIVERSITY
$3,250,000GENERAL SUPPORT
UCLA
$217,500SUPPORT MELANOMA CANCER RESEARCH
GENERAL SUPPORT
WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN
$40,000GENERAL SUPPORT
WILSHIRE BLVD TEMPLE
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
CITY HARVEST INC
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF WESTERN NC
$20,000GENERAL SUPPORT
NATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR RARE DISORDERS
$20,000GENERAL SUPPORT
CATHOLIC CHARITIES SECOND CENTURY FUND
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
LOS ANGELES COUNTY MUSEUM OF ART
$5,000SUPPORT OF THE ARTS
JQ INTERNATIONAL
$2,500GENERAL SUPPORT
HISTORIC MADISON INC
$1,000GENERAL SUPPORT
THE NEW (NEW) MASSES FOUNDATION
$1,000GENERAL SUPPORT
THIS IS ABOUT HUMANITY
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
NORTH CAROLINA ASSOCIATION OF FREE & CHARITABLE CLINICS
$33,334SUPPORT OF HEALTHCARE FOR THE UNINSURED AND UNDERSERVED OF NORTH CAROLINA
WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN
$33,333GENERAL SUPPORT
INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
WILSHIRE BLVD TEMPLE
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS
$15,000GENERAL SUPPORT
WOMEN'S PEACE AND HUMANITARIAN FUND
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
TOURETTE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA INC
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
JEWISH THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
GIFFORDS & GIFFORDS LAW CENTER TO PREVENT GUN VIOLENCE
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT TO PREVENT GUN VIOLENCE