Alan B Slifka Foundation Inc

What Alan B Slifka Foundation Inc does

The Alan B. Slifka Foundation Inc is a private family foundation established in 1965 by Alan B. Slifka and headquartered in New York City. It operates as a philanthropic grant-making entity supporting four program areas: Shared Society initiatives promoting coexistence in the U.S., Israel, and globally; Jewish Life programs fostering Jewish identity, Israel engagement, and efforts to combat antisemitism; Biomedical Grants targeting sarcoma, cancer, and autism research; and international disaster relief response. The foundation serves 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations through an invitation-only grant process requiring Letters of Intent (LOI) submitted via dedicated email channels ([email protected] for Shared Society and Jewish Life; [email protected] for biomedical grants).

Grantmaking is organized around a small professional staff including a Director of Biomedical Programs, an Israel-based Program Officer, a Chief Financial Officer with 22 years of family-office tenure, and an Executive Director. President and Chairwoman Dr. Riva Ariella Ritvo-Slifka has set strategic direction since becoming President in 2007 and Chairwoman in 2011. The foundation collaborates with a network of strategic partners including the Yale Child Study Center (where it has endowed the Riva Ariella Ritvo Professorship of Pediatric Oncology Psychosocial Services and the Max Ritvo and Alan B. Slifka Program for the Medical Humanities), the Heller School at Brandeis University (Alan B. Slifka Professorship in Conflict Resolution and Coexistence), Shalom Hartman Institute, Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation, Israel Cancer Research Fund, Liddy Shriver Sarcoma Initiative, and the World Leadership Alliance's Club de Madrid Shared Societies Project. It maintains a Medical Advisory Council for Sarcoma Research composed of investigators affiliated with global cancer centers.

The foundation does not generate commercial revenue; it operates through an endowment and awards grants to selected nonprofits, with sarcoma research grants typically not exceeding $50,000 per year and rarely extending beyond two years. Geographic scope spans the United States, Israel, France, the Netherlands, Norway, the United Kingdom, and Australia. With 11–50 employees, the foundation is led by a small professional staff and a board of directors that includes figures from elite finance (former COO of Soros Fund Management, current Chairman of Mueller Industries), law (Cooley LLP), and academia.

Name

Alan B Slifka Foundation Inc

Legal name

Alan B. Slifka Foundation

Website

https://slifkafoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Alan B. Slifka Foundation is a private family foundation funding shared society initiatives, Jewish life programs, and biomedical research in sarcoma, cancer, and autism, serving 501(c)(3) nonprofits in the U.S., Israel, and globally via invitation-only grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Philanthropic Foundation / Grant-Making

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN), International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH), Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors) (BPADAOAB)

Keywords

• Philanthropic grantmaking
• Biomedical research funding
• Sarcoma research grants
• Jewish community programs
• Shared society philanthropy

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

The Alan B. Slifka Foundation is a private family foundation that awards grants to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations across three program areas: Shared Society (coexistence and inclusion programs in the U.S., Israel, and globally), Jewish Life (Jewish identity, Israel engagement, and antisemitism-response programs), and Biomedical Grants (with dedicated Sarcoma Research, Cancer Research, and Autism Research grant initiatives). All grants are distributed through an invitation-only, Letter of Intent (LOI)-driven process with typical sarcoma-research awards not exceeding $50,000 for one year and not extending beyond two years.

Product overview

The Alan B. Slifka Foundation is a private family foundation (not a technology product company) that operates several grant programs: Shared Society Programs supporting coexistence and peacebuilding efforts; Jewish Life Programs fostering Jewish identity and community; and Biomedical Grants including the Sarcoma Research Grants Initiative, Cancer Research Grants Initiative, and Autism Research Grants Initiative. All programs focus on strategic philanthropy rather than commercial product offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Shared Society Programs Grant programs funding organizations and leaders that promote shared-society principles, policies, practices, and leadership in the United States, Israel, and globally — including coexistence, civil dialogue, antisemitism mitigation, and inclusive public-policy work.
• Jewish Life Programs Grant programs encouraging American and Israeli Jews to explore Jewish identity, embrace diversity of Jewish expression, connect to Israel, and combat antisemitism.
• Sarcoma Research Grants Initiative Funding for sarcoma research, including molecular biology studies, translational research, vaccine studies, monoclonal antibodies, small-molecule inhibitors, and nanotechnology applications for sarcoma diagnosis and treatment; typically limited to $50,000 per year and not extending beyond two years, with LOI submissions to [email protected].
• Cancer Research Grants Initiative Funding for cancer research, previously supporting breast cancer, bladder cancer, sarcoma, and melanoma research and treatments.
• Autism Research Grants Initiative Funding for innovative autism research and treatments, reflecting the Foundation President's professional expertise in autism.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Abraham Fund InitiativescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on shared society and coexistence initiatives, particularly in Israel. The foundation supports efforts to promote shared society principles, policies, and practices.
• Columbia/Barnard HillelminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Jewish student engagement and programming at Columbia and Barnard universities.
• Heller School at Brandeis University (MA Program in Coexistence and Conflict)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner for the Alan B. Slifka Professorship in Conflict Resolution and Coexistence. Foundation endowed this professorship to support coexistence studies.
• Israel Cancer Research FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on cancer research funding, particularly for sarcoma and melanoma research initiatives.
• Jewish Theological SeminaryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Jewish community outreach and educational programming.
• Liddy Shriver Sarcoma InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on sarcoma research grants and awareness initiatives for this rare cancer affecting connective tissues.
• Milkweed EditionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports the Max Ritvo Poetry Prize through this literary publisher, honoring the foundation's commitment to the medical humanities.
• OLAMIminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Young Ambassadors Program supporting interfaith and coexistence youth programming.
• Samuel Waxman Cancer Research FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on cancer research initiatives. Dr. Ritvo-Slifka serves on the board of this foundation.
• Shalom Hartman InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Jewish identity, leadership, and pluralistic Jewish programming in Israel and North America.
• Wendy WalkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on sarcoma research and patient advocacy for liposarcoma and other sarcomas.
• World Leadership Alliance's Club de Madrid Shared Societies ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational collaboration pursuing Shared Society vision. Dr. Ritvo-Slifka serves on the President's Circle of Club de Madrid.
• Yale Child Study CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner with endowed programs including The Riva Ariella Ritvo Professorship of Pediatric Oncology Psychosocial Services and The Max Ritvo And Alan B.Slifka Program For The Medical Humanities. Dr. Ritvo-Slifka is an assistant clinical professor here.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• UJA-Federation of New York: Large Jewish communal grantmaking and services organization in New York with overlapping scope to Slifka's Jewish Life programming; broader portfolio but comparable funder-type.
• Doris Duke Charitable Foundation: Major family foundation funding medical research and the arts, with substantial biomedical grantmaking programs comparable in structure to Slifka's endowed-research approach.
• Susan G. Komen Foundation: Large disease-specific grantmaking foundation funding cancer research and community programs, broadly comparable in grantmaking structure even though Slifka focuses on rarer cancers.
• V Foundation for Cancer Research: Larger-scale cancer research grantmaking foundation with broad research portfolio; offers overlapping capabilities in cancer research funding, serving as a broader incumbent in the same space as Slifka's biomedical grants.

Direct peers

• Autism Speaks: Largest autism-focused grantmaking and advocacy organization in the US, directly comparable to Slifka's Autism Research Grants Initiative in terms of mission, target researchers, and funder role.
• Israel Cancer Research Fund: Direct peer and named partner of the Slifka Foundation; funds cancer research grants internationally with a focus on Israeli institutions and sarcoma-related work, closely matching Slifka's biomedical grantmaking profile.
• Shalom Hartman Institute: Direct peer and named partner advancing Jewish identity, pluralism, and leadership in Israel and North America, paralleling Slifka's Jewish Life programs.
• Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation: Direct peer and named partner; funds collaborative cancer research including sarcoma and melanoma, aligning with Slifka's biomedical research priorities.
• Wendy Walk: Direct peer and named partner funding liposarcoma and other sarcoma research, mirroring Slifka's biomedical mission in rare cancer research and patient advocacy.
• Liddy Shriver Sarcoma Initiative: Direct peer and named partner; specifically funds sarcoma research grants and awareness, the most niche-overlapping peer to Slifka's Sarcoma Research Grants Initiative.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/alan-b-slifka-foundation-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Alan B Slifka Foundation Inc