The Dobkin Family Foundation is the private grantmaking foundation of Goldman Sachs investment banker Eric Dobkin, considered the father of the modern-day initial public offering, and his wife, Barbara. ¹ The Dobkins fund center-left causes through direct donations and grants from their foundation, focusing in particular on left-leanng Jewish and Israel-oriented organizations as well as feminist media outlets.

Jewish and Israel Organizations

The Dobkin Family Foundation has donated to the J Street Education Fund. ² The fund and its affiliated advocacy arm, J Street, support left-wing U.S. policies toward Israel and the Middle East; the groups endorsed the Obama administration’s Iran nuclear deal³ and opposing the Trump administration’s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. ^{4 5}

The American Jewish World Service (AJWS) has reported the Dobkin Family Foundation as one of its biggest supporters. ⁶ Eric Dobkin himself has said that “supporting AJWS is the most important financial, philanthropic—and even human—effort the foundation has had.” ⁷ His wife, Barbara Dobkin, has served on the AJWS board of trustees. AJWS has taken left-wing stances on political issues, including opposing the Trump administration’s proposed cuts to federal foreign aid. ⁸

The New Israel Fund (NIF) is a left-wing Israeli group that the Dobkin Family Foundation supports.⁹ The NIF funds a number of left-wing Israeli organizations, some of which have expressed support for BDS and made other anti-Israel statements.¹⁰

The Dobkin Family Foundation supports Keshet, a left-leaning “national organization that works for full LGBTQ equality and inclusion in Jewish life.”¹¹ Keshet offers programs such as workshops, the Keshet Leadership Project, and educational resources to support LGBT Jews.¹²

Support of Feminist Media

The Dobkin Family Foundation was a major donor to the film She’s Beautiful When She’s Angry. ¹³ The film documents the women’s liberation movement from the founding of the left-wing feminist group National Organization for Women (NOW) to even more radical parts of the movement.¹⁴ The film features two women from JANE, an organization that provided illegal abortion services before the 1973 Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade. ¹⁵

The left-wing Ms. Foundation’s 2015 Gloria Awards listed the Dobkin Family Foundation as one of the event’s largest donors. ¹⁶ The awards are named for Ms. Foundation founder Gloria Steinem and are meant to recognize people “who have made an indelible impact on the gender justice movement.” ¹⁷ Honorees of the event induced Janet Mock, a transgender rights advocate, and Suzanne Lerner, board member of the ACLU Foundation of Southern California and member of the Women Donors Network. ¹⁸

The Feminist Press credits the Dobkin Family Foundation as a major donor. ¹⁹ The organization gives praise to prominent Democrats including 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D).²⁰

Other Left-Wing Causes

The Dobkin Family Foundation, along with the Ford Foundation, provided the financial support the Fledgling Fund needed to found the Fledgling Engagement Lab. The lab is used to train liberal filmmakers how to increase the impact of their films. ²¹ The Fledgling Fund supported film advocate for a wide range of liberal issues inducing environmentalist projects, LGBT advocacy, illegal immigration, and abortion.

The Dobkin Family Foundation contributed to the McNulty Prize Catalyst Fund.²² The fund is a joint venture between the McNulty Foundation and the left-wing Aspen Institute. The fund gives grants and non-financial support to liberal social and environmental projects.²³

The left-of-center Roosevelt Institute’s Women Rising Program counts the Dobkin Family Foundation as a supporter. The Roosevelt Institute advocates for liberal economic policies and against free-market capitalism.

Dobkins’ Political Contributions

Eric and Barbara Dobkin are donors to left-wing and Democratic Party candidates and political committees across the United States. In 2000, Eric Dobkin donated $5,000 to the New York State Committee of the Working Families Party. ²⁴ The Working Families Party attempts to push the Democratic Party to the left on economic issues in favor of labor unions. The party has endorsed candidates such as independent socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and leftist New York Mayor Bill De Blasio (D). ²⁵ In 2006, Eric Dobkin contributed $10,500 to Benjamin Cardin (D-Maryland) and $20,000 to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. ^{26 27}  In 2008, he donated $30,000 to the Obama Victory Fund and $27,700 to the Democratic National Committee. ^{28 29}

During the 2016 election, Barbara Dobkin donated heavily to help Democrats elect Hillary Clinton. She donated $35,000 to the Hillary Victory Fund, a joint fundraising committee between the Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee.³⁰ Additionally, Barbara Dobkin gave $33,400 to the Democratic National Committee. ³¹

Barbara Dobkin has supported a number of Democratic Senators, including Elizabeth Warren (D–MA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Claire McCaskill (D-MS), Jeanne Shaheen (D–NH), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Benjamin Cardin (D-MD), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Christopher Murphy (D-CO), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Margaret Hassan (D-NH), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Al Franken (D-MN), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), and Russell Feingold (D-WI). Barbara Dobkin’s donations to these senators totaled $42,350. In addition, Dobkin gave funds to the failed senatorial campaigns of Jason Kander (D-MS), Kathleen McGinty (D-PA), Deborah Ross (D-NC), and Shelley Berkley (D-NV). Dobkin supported Senator Kirsten Gillibrand’s Off the Sideline PAC with a $5,000 donation.³²

Barbara Dobkin has also donated to House Democrats. She donated to Representatives Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) and Louise Slaughter (D-NY). She also donated to the unsuccessful campaigns of Johnathan Ossoff (D-GA), Anna Throne-Holst (D-NY), Donna McAleer (D-UT), Valerie Arkoosh (D-PA), Colleen Deacon (D-NY), Alison Friedman (D-VA), Kim Myers (D-NY).

1. Picker, Leslie. “Goldman Sachs’s Eric Dobkin, Father of Modern I.P.O., to Retire.” The New York Times. March 2, 2016. Accessed February 04, 2019. https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/03/business/dealbook/goldman-sachss-eric-dobkin-father-of-modern-ipo-to-retire.html.
2. “Making History Annual Report 2011.” J Street. Accessed January 22, 2019. https://s3.amazonaws.com/jstreet-media-website/JSt2011AnnualReport.pdf.
3. “Iran.” J Street. Accessed January 17, 2019. https://jstreet.org/policy/iran/#.XEDKNM9Kiu5.
4. “Iran.” J Street. Accessed January 17, 2019. https://jstreet.org/policy/iran/#.XEDKNM9Kiu5.
5. “Trump’s Change of US Policy on Jerusalem Undermines Peace Efforts, Could Lead to Violence.” J Street. December 6, 2017. Accessed January 17, 2019. https://jstreet.org/press-releases/trumps-change-us-policy-jerusalem-undermines-peace-efforts-lead-violence/#.XEDKf89Kiu6.
6. “Barbara and Eric Dobkin.” American Jewish World Service – AJWS. Accessed January 22, 2019. https://ajws.org/stories/barbara-and-eric-dobkin/.
7. “Barbara and Eric Dobkin.” American Jewish World Service – AJWS. Accessed January 22, 2019. https://ajws.org/stories/barbara-and-eric-dobkin/.
8. Kampeas, Ron. “Jewish Groups, Pols Say Trump Budget Is Bad for Israel and Other US Interests.” Jewish Telegraphic Agency. March 17, 2017. Accessed February 04, 2019. https://www.jta.org/2017/03/17/united-states/jewish-groups-pols-say-trump-budget-is-bad-for-israel-and-other-us-interests.
9. “New Israel Fund 2016 Annual Report.” Issuu. Accessed January 23, 2019. https://issuu.com/newisraelfund/docs/nif_2016_ar_final_spreads/12.
10. Gordon, Evelyn. “The Embassy, the NIF, and the U.S.-Israeli Jewish Divide.”; Commentary Magazine. October 24, Accessed January 21, 2019. https://www.commentarymagazine.com/foreign-policy/middle-east/israel/the-embassy-nif-american-jews/.
11. “Our Supporters.” Keshet. Accessed February 01, 2019. https://www.keshetonline.org/about/our-supporters/.
12. “Training and Consultations.” Keshet. Accessed February 01, 2019. https://www.keshetonline.org/training-and-consultation/.
13. “Donors.” She’s Beautiful When She’s Angry. Accessed January 22, 2019. http://www.shesbeautifulwhenshesangry.com/donate-1/.
14. “The Film.” She’s Beautiful When She’s Angry. Accessed January 22, 2019. http://www.shesbeautifulwhenshesangry.com/the-film/.
15. “The Women.” She’s Beautiful When She’s Angry. Accessed January 22, 2019. http://www.shesbeautifulwhenshesangry.com/women/.
16. “2015 Gloria Awards: Sponsors.” Ms. Foundation for Women. Accessed January 23, 2019. https://forwomen.org/media-events/events/2015-annual-gloria-awards/2015-gloria-awards-sponsors/.
17. “2018 Gloria Awards Gala and After Party.” Ms. Foundation for Women. Accessed January 23, 2019. https://forwomen.org/gloria-awards/.
18. “2015 Gloria Awards: Honorees.” Ms. Foundation for Women. Accessed February 04, 2019. https://forwomen.org/media-events/events/2015-annual-gloria-awards/2015-gloria-awards-honorees/.
19. “Our Supporters.” Feminist Press. Accessed January 23, 2019. https://www.feministpress.org/our-supporters/.
20. “Photo: FP Board President Helene Goldfarb and Former Secretary Hillary Clinton.” Feminist Press. Accessed February 04, 2019. https://www.feministpress.org/news/feminist-press-board-president-helene-goldfarb-hillary-clinton.
21. “Engagement Lab.” The Fledgling Fund. Accessed January 23, 2019. http://www.thefledglingfund.org/engagement-lab/.
22. “McNulty Prize Catalyst Fund.” McNulty Foundation. Accessed January 30, 2019. http://mcnultyfound.org/catalyst-fund.
23. “Application & Eligibility.” McNulty Foundation. Accessed January 30, 2019. http://mcnultyfound.org/application-eligibility.
24. “New York State Committee of the Working Families Party, Schedule A Itemized Receipts.” Accessed January 31, 2019. http://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/fecimg/?21037141120
25. Levy, Pema. “Bernie Sanders’ secret weapon in New York.” Mother Jones. April 18, 2016. Accessed January 31, 2019. http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/04/bernie-sanders-has-secret-weapon-new-york
26. “Ben Cardin for Senate, Schedule A (FEC Form 3) Itemized Receipts.” Accessed January 31, 2018. http://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/fecimg/?27020011955
27. “Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, Schedule A (FEC Form 3X) Itemized Receipts.” Accessed January 31, 2018. http://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/fecimg/?26020291977
28. “Obama Victory Fund, Schedule A (FEC Form 3X) Itemized Receipts.” Accessed January 31, 2018. http://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/fecimg/?28994333121
29. “DNC Services Corp./Dem. Nat’l Committee, Schedule A (FEC Form 3X) Itemized Receipts.” Accessed January 31, 2018. http://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/fecimg/?29990042778
30. “Hillary Victory Fund, Schedule A (FEC Form 3X) Itemized Receipts.” Accessed January 31, 2018. http://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/fecimg/?201708319071229475
31. “DNC Services Corp./Dem. Nat’l Committee, Schedule A (FEC Form 3X) Itemized Receipts.” Accessed January 31, 2018. http://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/fecimg/?201706019055172288
32. “Off the Sideline PAC, Schedule A (FEC Form 3X) Itemized Receipts.” Accessed January 31, 2018. http://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/fecimg/?13941298007