The Adelson Family Foundation (AFF) is a private grantmaking organization that primarily supports programs that benefit the state of Israel and the Jewish people. The organization was established in 2007 by the late billionaire businessman and philanthropist Sheldon G. Adelson and his wife Miriam Adelson. 1
Sheldon Adelson was a major Republican political donor and with his wife contributed a total of $90 million to the Preserve America PAC in support of then-President Donald Trump’s 2020 election campaign. In May 2024, Politico reported that Miriam Adelson planned to play a major role in funding the Preserve America PAC in support of former President Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign against President Joe Biden. 2
Miriam Adelson is the publisher of Israel Hayom, a Hebrew-language Israeli free daily national newspaper. The newspaper was financed by Sheldon Adelson, who was a friend of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and has been criticized due to claims that he serves as Netanyahu’s mouthpiece. 3
Grantmaking
The Adelson Family Foundation supports charitable organizations that contribute to the strengthening of the State of Israel and the Jewish people. Most of AFF’s support goes to organizations located in Israel and the U.S. whose work focuses on Israel programs and advocacy, Holocaust and antisemitism awareness, Jewish and Zionist education and identity, welfare, social services, and health. The Adelson Family Foundation primarily makes grants to qualified nonprofit organizations and public charities and generally does not provide endowment funding or contribute to capital projects. 4
The Adelson Family Foundation recently made large contributions to organizations like the Maccabee Task Force Foundation ($10.9 Million In 2022), the Birthright Israel Foundation ($9 million in 2022), the Jewish Agency for Israel – North American Council ($5.15 Million In 2022), the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces ($4.92 million in 2021), and the Adelson Educational Institute ($4.37 million in 2022). 5
Funding
The Adelson Family Foundation is primarily funded by the Dr. Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson Charitable Trust ($27.18 million in 2022), Miriam Adelson ($12.77 million in 2022), 6 and the late Sheldon Adelson. Other contributors include Patrick Dumont ($120,000 in 2021). 7
Board of Trustees
Miriam Adelson is a research-physician, the publisher of the Israel Hayom newspaper, and the widow of Sheldon Adelson, the late CEO and chair of the Las Vegas Sands Corp. Forbes reports that Miriam Adelson and her family’s net worth is nearly $30 million. 8 Adelson is a major donor to the Republican Party and Republican campaigns. In 2022, Adelson donated $12.5 million each to the Senate Leadership Fund and the Congressional Leadership Fund PACs along with $1 million contributions each to the campaigns of Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) and Georgia Governor Brian Kemp (R). In 2020, Adelson donated $45 million to the Preserve America PAC in support of President Donald Trump’s 2020 reelection campaign. 9 In 2018, then-President Donald Trump awarded Adelson the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her work in drug addiction rehabilitation. 2
Sheldon Adelson, who passed away on January 11, 2021, was the CEO, chair, and principal owner of the Las Vegas Sands Corp. and a founding trustee of the Adelson Family Foundation. 10 Adelson was a megadonor to the GOP and Republican campaigns. In 2020, Adelson donated $45 million to the Preserve America PAC in support of Donald Trump’s 2020 reelection campaign, along with $22.5 million to the Senate Leadership Fund PAC and $25 million to the Congressional Leadership Fund PAC. Adelson also contributed $1.25 million to the Republican Jewish Coalition Victory Fund PAC. 11
Michael Bohnen is the president of AFF and sits on the advisory board of Jchoice.org. Bohnen is a former national chair of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs and a former chair of both Combined Jewish Philanthropies and the Jewish Community Relations Council. 12 Bohnen’s political donations have been exclusively made to the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and Democratic campaigns. In 2022, Bohnen largest contribution ($1,000) was to the Congressional campaign of Kathy Manning (D-NC). 13
References
- “Home.” Adelson Family Foundation. Accessed June 1, 2024. https://adelsonfoundation.org/AFF/.
- Isenstadt, Alex. “GOP megadonor Miriam Adelson to fund colossal super PAC for Trump.” Politico, May 30, 2024. Accessed June 3, 2024. https://www.politico.com/news/2024/05/30/miriam-adelson-republican-trump-super-pac-preserve-america-00160660
- Heller, Aron. “A look at the corruption scandals facing Israel’s Netanyahu.” The Associated Press, November 21, 2019. Accessed June 3, 2024. https://apnews.com/general-news-af91f7095bb44745aff139001a9ef725.
- Guidelines.” Adelson Family Foundation. Accessed June 1, 2024. https://adelsonfoundation.org/AFF/guidelines.html.
- Adelson Family Foundation, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2021-2022, Part XV, Line 3.
- Adelson Family Foundation, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2022, Schedule B, Part 1.
- Adelson Family Foundation, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2021, Schedule B, Part 1.
- “Miriam Adelson & family.” Forbes. Accessed June 1, 2024. https://www.forbes.com/profile/miriam-adelson/?sh=20b58b759c40.
- “Donors: Miriam Adelson.” OpenSecrets. Accessed June 1, 2024. https://www.opensecrets.org/search?order=desc&q=miriam+adelson&sort=D&type=donors.
- “Leadership.” Adelson Family Foundation. Accessed June 1, 2024. https://adelsonfoundation.org/AFF/leadership.html.
- “Donors: Sheldon Adelson.” OpenSecrets. Accessed June 1, 2024. https://www.opensecrets.org/search?order=desc&page=1&q=sheldon+adelson&sort=D&type=donors.
- “Our Team.” JChoice.org. Accessed June 1, 2024. http://www.jchoice.org/TeamMembers.aspx?TMID=56.
- “Michael Bohnen.” OpenSecrets. Accessed June 1, 2024. https://www.opensecrets.org/search?order=desc&page=1&q=Michael+Bohnen+&sort=D&type=donors.