Atran Foundation

Background

The Atran Foundation is a private foundation that principally makes contributions to New York-New Jersey-area Jewish causes and labor movement interests. The organization was established in 1945 and gained its 501(c)(3) status in 1948. ¹

The organization supports research in support of labor unions and union-side labor relations, art, sciences, literature, economics and sociology, endowment for chairs, and support for publications. ¹

The organization was named for textile businessman Frank Z. Atran. Born in Russia, Atran left the country after the Russian Revolution. He went into business in France and Belgium, but fled Europe for the United States in 1940 after Nazi Germany invaded those countries. ²

Grantees

The foundation gave out 20 grants in fiscal year 2016. The median value of grants is $20,000. ³

The organization gave more than $100,000 to four groups: The Yivo Institute for Jewish Research, Workmen’s Circle, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and the Forward Association (publisher of the left-wing Jewish publication the Forward). ³

The Atran Foundation was among the funders for an exhibit in May 2019 at the Museum of the City of New York honoring labor unions. The exhibit traced how New York became the most unionized large city in the United States. The city has 24 percent of the workforce unionized, compared to the national average of 11 percent. ⁴

The Atran Foundation was at one point the largest funder of the Congress for Jewish Culture, a Yiddish organization based in New York. ⁵

The Central Yiddish Cultural Organization had to move its bookstore from its Manhattan location of 75 years in 2012 because the foundation cut its funding to the group. However, the Atran Foundation still payed $50,000 to cover the costs of moving the bookstore to a new spot in Queens. ⁶

The Atran Foundation also gives an annual grant to TEACH, which stands for Together Educating All Children in Hospitals. TEACH says it has 750 volunteer undergraduate and graduate students majoring mostly in biology, chemistry and medicine to bring science activities for 550 children in 14 hospitals. ⁷

Leadership

Judah Fischer is the executive director and earns a salary from the organization of $82,892.

Dianne Fischer is the president of the Atran Foundation board of directors, and is unpaid. Most other board members are paid $600 annually for their duties. Robert Kaplan is the vice president of the board. Sam Norich is the treasurer. Alison Fischer is the secretary of the board. Harris K. Atran, David Muller and Barnett Zumoff are also board member. One board member, Edward R. Burns, takes annual pay of $100. ³