The Elias Foundation is a left-of-center grantmaking organization founded in 1999 which supports social and political activists and causes through the disbursement of funds. Along with donations made to established groups, the Elias Foundation sets itself apart from other grantmaking organizations by funding activists directly through its Activist Fellowship program. While originally focused on nationwide activism, the organization has increasingly narrowed its scope since its foundation to focus almost entirely on New York’s Hudson Valley region. ^{1 2}

Goals

The Elias Foundation was founded in 1999, as an organization dedicated to funding left-wing causes nationally. ³ Starting in 2004, its focus pivoted exclusively to organizations and activists based in New York’s Hudson Valley. While some of their donations are philanthropic in nature, most are to organizations explicitly involved in some form of political organization or activism. This includes large board member donations to organizations like the National Network of Abortion Funds. ⁴

Despite their long existence, the Elias Foundation has had tax issues in the past. In 2017 the foundation requested tax forgiveness due to its direct disbursement of funds to individuals without prior authorization, against the tax rules governing their non-profit status. ⁵

Programs

The Elias Foundation is a grantmaking organization. Its centerpiece program is the direct funding of left-wing activists, through its Activist Fellowship program. ⁶ The program is a direct disbursement to activists working in New York’s Hudson Valley region, over the course of five years. For the first three years, the amount disbursed is $25,000 each year for the first three years, $10,000 for the fourth year, and $5,000 for the last year, for a total program disbursement of $90,000 per fellow. ⁷ This program is currently funding ten different left-wing activists, and plans to expand their pool of activists over the next few years. ⁸

Besides this program, the Elias Foundation also provides grants to larger, more established activist groups like the New Economy Coalition, an anti-capitalist group. ⁹

1. “About.” The Elias Foundation. Accessed April 30, 2020. https://www.eliasfoundation.org/about.
2. “Funding History.” The Elias Foundation, 2018. https://www.eliasfoundation.org/funding-history#2018.
3. “About.” The Elias Foundation. Accessed April 30, 2020. https://www.eliasfoundation.org/about.
4. “Funding History.” The Elias Foundation, 2018. https://www.eliasfoundation.org/funding-history#2018.
5. The Elias Foundation, IRS 990, 2017.
6. “Programs.” The Elias Foundation. Accessed April 30, 2020. https://www.eliasfoundation.org/programs-1#fellowship-recipients
7. “Programs.” The Elias Foundation. Accessed April 30, 2020. https://www.eliasfoundation.org/programs-1#fellowship-guidelines.
8. “Programs.” The Elias Foundation. Accessed April 30, 2020. https://www.eliasfoundation.org/programs-1#fellowship-recipients
9. “Funding History.” The Elias Foundation, 2017. https://www.eliasfoundation.org/funding-history#2017.