Wasserman Foundation

What Wasserman Foundation does

The Wasserman Foundation is a private family foundation established in 1952 by Lew and Edie Wasserman, funded through his decades of leadership at MCA/Universal, and headquartered in Los Angeles, California. The foundation operates as a discretionary grant-making philanthropic organization with approximately $320 million in assets, deploying capital across five thematic giving portfolios: Education, Health, Arts & Culture, Service, and Global Initiatives. It does not accept unsolicited funding requests — all giving is invitation-driven and aligned with foundation priorities.

The foundation's core programs include the Wasserman Scholars Program, which has awarded over 2,400 scholarships across six universities (Brandeis, CalArts, Caltech, Georgetown, NYU Tisch, and UCLA) since 1968, and the annual Wasserman Serve Day, a global volunteer initiative that in its 15th year (2025) mobilized over 1,000 volunteers across 8 countries. It maintains long-standing partnerships with the Clinton Foundation, Alliance for a Healthier Generation, LACMA, Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, the LA Fire Department Foundation, and the LA Police Foundation, among others. The foundation also operates the Athletes for Healthy Schools initiative in partnership with President Clinton's Alliance for a Healthier Generation, deploying professional athletes to promote childhood wellness.

The foundation is currently led by Casey Wasserman (grandson of the founders) as President and CEO, with Executive Director Rica Rodman managing program strategy and Coordinator Marcus Ruiz (joined February 2025) handling special projects and Serve Day logistics. Casey Wasserman simultaneously serves as Chairperson of LA 2028, the organizing committee for the 2028 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games, and is the founder of Wasserman, a global sports, music, entertainment, and brand management agency. The foundation's revenue model is endowment-based: it is funded by investment returns on its asset base and employs a discretionary grant-making model with no commercial products, pricing tiers, or revenue-generating operations.

Name

Wasserman Foundation

Legal name

The Wasserman Foundation

Website

https://wassermanfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1952

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Wasserman Foundation is a private family foundation established in 1952, headquartered in Los Angeles with approximately $320 million in assets, making discretionary grants in education, health, arts and culture, service, and global initiatives across six universities and 20+ nonprofit partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Foundation Philanthropy

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK), International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH), Foundation/NGO & Philanthropic Scholarships (EDAIAOAH), Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors) (BPADAOAB)

Keywords

• Family foundation grantmaking
• Philanthropic scholarship programs
• Community volunteer initiatives
• Arts and culture funding
• Education charity giving

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Wasserman Foundation is a private family foundation that provides grants, scholarships, and volunteer support to nonprofit organizations and educational institutions. It funds programs in five thematic areas: education, arts and culture, health, service, and global initiatives, including endowed scholarships at six universities and an annual global service day mobilizing over 1,000 volunteers across multiple countries.

Product overview

The Wasserman Foundation is a private family foundation established in 1952 by Lew and Edie Wasserman. Rather than a unified technology product, it operates as a grant-making philanthropic organization offering multiple programs including: the Wasserman Serve Day global volunteer initiative, the Wasserman Scholars scholarship program at six universities, and five thematic giving portfolios (Education, Health, Arts & Culture, Service, and Global Initiatives). The foundation also partners with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation for the Athletes for Healthy Schools initiative. These are charitable programs, not commercial technology products or software platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wasserman Serve Day Annual global day of service mobilizing employees and community members to complete volunteer community projects across multiple countries.
• Wasserman Scholars Program Endowed scholarship program providing financial support to undergraduate and graduate students at six universities: Brandeis University, CalArts, Caltech, Georgetown University, NYU Tisch School of the Arts, and UCLA.
• Education Giving Philanthropic grant program supporting organizations that improve conditions for student learning in Los Angeles public schools, including partnerships with Partnership for Los Angeles Schools, College Track, Project Scientist, and DonorsChoose.org.
• Health Giving Grant program funding partnerships with healthcare organizations including MPTF Foundation, Jules Stein Eye Institute at UCLA, and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
• Arts & Culture Giving Grant program providing support for art and cultural institutions including LACMA, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.
• Service Giving Grant program supporting service leaders including Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation and Los Angeles Police Foundation.
• Global Initiatives Giving Grant program with partnerships addressing global challenges, including Clinton Foundation and Tony Blair Faith Foundation.
• Athletes for Healthy Schools Health initiative partnership with President Clinton's Alliance for a Healthier Generation to combat childhood obesity, deploying professional athletes for school visits, social media campaigns, and wellness programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 177 community projects completed over 15 years of Wasserman Serve Day
• +4 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

24 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• IDEO.orgminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2012Launched Innovation Fund commitment in September 2012 to support social innovation initiatives.
• DonorsChoose.orgcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2011In November 2011, Wasserman Foundation teamed up with DonorsChoose.org for a $4 million pledge to support LAUSD classroom projects. The pledge was fulfilled in 12 weeks due to unprecedented Angeleno participation. Additionally distributed 285,000 DonorsChooseLA.org gift cards through Starbucks stores.
• Georgetown UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1988Wasserman Foundation has supported undergraduate scholarships at Georgetown since 1988 when Lew and Edie Wasserman's granddaughter attended. Approximately 5 Georgetown middle-income undergraduates awarded annually.
• NYU Tisch School of the ArtscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1985Lew and Edie Wasserman Scholarship Fund at Tisch School of the Arts established 1985. The largest scholarship fund at the school, averaging 33 scholarships per year to both undergraduate and graduate students. Over 860 scholars benefited since inception.
• CalArtscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1980Lew and Edie Wasserman Scholarship Fund established in 1980 with the largest single endowed scholarship gift in CalArts history at that time. Over 700 scholarships awarded to approximately 15 middle-income students per year.
• CaltechcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1968Wasserman Foundation has awarded 710 scholarships to 490 Caltech students since 1968, directed toward students with financial need, particularly women and students from underrepresented backgrounds, and meritorious sophomores, juniors and seniors.
• Clinton FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership with the Clinton Foundation on global initiatives and health programs. Casey Wasserman serves on Clinton Foundation initiatives and has worked with President Bill Clinton on various philanthropic efforts including the Alliance for a Healthier Generation's anti-childhood obesity campaign.
• Alliance for a Healthier GenerationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with President Clinton's Alliance for a Healthier Generation to reverse childhood obesity and empower kids to develop lifelong healthy habits. Wasserman Foundation provides professional athletes to promote healthy habits through school visits and wellness programs.
• Los Angeles Fire Department FoundationcoreOthersOngoing support for Los Angeles fire department through the foundation. Partnered with Annenberg Foundation to donate $1 million to LA Fire Department Foundation during January 2025 wildfires.
• Los Angeles Police FoundationcoreOthersSupport for police services in Los Angeles through the foundation's service initiative area.
• Partnership for Los Angeles SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor educational nonprofit partner working to transform 18 high-need LA public schools serving approximately 13,500 students in Boyle Heights, South Los Angeles, and Watts. Wasserman Foundation supports their school transformation efforts.
• College TrackcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducation nonprofit partner supporting students from underserved communities in their college completion journey.
• Project Scientist at CalTechcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerScience, technology, engineering, and mathematics education program partner supporting girls in STEM education at CalTech facilities.
• Los Angeles Unified School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor educational partner for Los Angeles public schools. Supported DonorsChoose.org LA campaigns and various school improvement initiatives.
• MPTF Foundation (Motion Picture and Television Fund)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare support for entertainment industry professionals. Wasserman Foundation supports MPTF Foundation in the health giving area.
• Jules Stein Eye Institute at UCLAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedical research institute for eye care and research. Established the Wasserman Professorship in Ophthalmology. Casey Wasserman serves on the UCLA Stein Eye Institute board.
• Cedars-Sinai Medical CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare institution partner in the foundation's health giving area.
• LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor arts and culture partner. Casey Wasserman serves on LACMA's board. Wasserman Foundation provided significant funding to the $300 million Academy Museum of Motion Pictures co-developed with LACMA.
• Academy Museum of Motion PicturescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCasey Wasserman united LACMA and the Oscars organization to create this $300 million movie museum. Wasserman Foundation provided significant funding to the project.
• The Metropolitan Museum of ArtcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArts and culture partner in the foundation's giving portfolio.
• Tony Blair Faith FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal initiative partner working on interfaith understanding and global challenges.
• Annenberg FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with Annenberg Foundation on $1 million joint donation to LA Fire Department Foundation during January 2025 wildfires. Long history of co-funding emergency response efforts.
• Brandeis UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWasserman Family endowed scholarships at Brandeis since 1977 through The Lew and Edith Wasserman Endowed Scholarship Fund. Fund has grown to over $1.5 million value, awarding 5-10 middle-income undergraduate students per year.
• UCLAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWassermans have been friends and benefactors since the 1960s. Established Edie and Lew Wasserman Film Production Fellowships (1992), Wasserman Scholars Endowment (1994), and made a $10 million gift to the Edith and Lew Wasserman Fund for Undergraduate Student Support (1998). Also established Wasserman Professorship in Ophthalmology. Over 180 students per year awarded scholarships.

Scale indicators18 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Annenberg Foundation: Large LA-based private family foundation with parallel giving areas (education, arts, emergency response). Direct co-funder with Wasserman Foundation on the $1M LA Fire Department Foundation donation in January 2025.
• David Geffen Foundation: Hollywood heritage private foundation supporting arts/culture, education, health, and LGBTQ+ causes. Comparable as a family foundation with deep LA entertainment roots and elite-institution giving.
• Doris Duke Charitable Foundation: Major US private foundation funding arts/culture, health, environment, and child wellbeing. Comparable as an established multi-portfolio family foundation with long-standing endowment-driven grantmaking.
• Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation: Large private family foundation with education, health, and community portfolios. Comparable scale and pattern of high-profile, multi-cause giving driven by a single principal donor family.
• Clinton Foundation: Existing Wasserman Foundation partner on global initiatives and the Alliance for a Healthier Generation. Comparable as a high-profile foundation with global health, education, and economic empowerment programming.
• Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation: LA-based family foundation focused on education, science, and arts. Comparable scale, family-controlled structure, and emphasis on K-12 and higher education reform.

Broad incumbents

• The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation: Large private foundation funding science, environmental conservation, and patient care improvement. Comparable scale and diversified multi-cause portfolio from a single-family endowment.
• Susan and Michael Dell Foundation: One of the largest US family foundations, focused heavily on education and childhood health. Comparable scale and education-centric strategy, though more programmatic than purely grantmaking.

Regional players

• The California Endowment: California-focused health foundation. Comparable in geographic focus on California and LA communities, and overlap on health and education causes relevant to underserved populations.

Emerging players

• Skoll Foundation: Foundation supporting social entrepreneurs globally. Comparable in global initiatives focus and willingness to fund innovative nonprofit models rather than established institutions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/WassermanFDN
• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/Wasserman-Foundation/182428898469669?sk=info
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/world-wide-recycling

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Wasserman Foundation