The Jacob and Hilda Blaustein Foundation is a nonprofit organization based in Baltimore. It focuses on progressive education curriculums, abortion access, asylum for illegal immigrants, and politically and theologically liberal and inclusive Judaism. ^{1 2}

The group is a member of Confluence Philanthropy, an investment group started by the Rockefeller Philanthropy Fund in 2009 that is connected with Arabella Advisors and the formerly SEIU-owned Amalgamated Bank. ³

History

The group was founded in 1957 by Jacon and Hilda Blaustein under the name Louis and Henrietta Blaustein Foundation. That foundation dissolved in 2001 and turned into a network of organizations with the Jacob and Hilda Blaustein Foundation being the primary grantmaking foundation. ⁴ It has historically given grants to organizations who work towards liberal goals in public education, environmental movements, and social movements. ⁵

Grantmaking

Jacob and Hilda Blaustein Foundation gives to four main movements: international human rights, public education, left-of-center environmental movements, and Jewish life. ⁶

International Human Rights

Jacob and Hilda Blaustein Foundation considers groups that support asylum access, refugee assistance, abortion access, and feminist movements as its international human rights programs. Notable groups which received grants in this sector are Asylum Access who received $240,000 between 2021 and 2022; Center for Health and Gender Equity, an abortion access group ⁷ that received $25,000 in 2021; the Center for Reproductive Rights which received $60,000 between 2021 and 2022; the Fund for Global Human Rights, a group which advocates for immigration, LGBT and women’s interests  ⁸ that received $100,000 in 2022; and International Refugee Assistance Project which received $100,000 from 2021-2022. ⁹

Public Education

Public education consists of groups that want public schools to use left-of-center education practices such as democratic and self-directed learning, meaning students should be able to learn what they want to learn with no formal curriculum. ¹⁰ Notable organizations which received grants are the ACLU of Maryland which received $135,000 from 2021-2022, City Neighbors Foundation which received $40,000 from 2021-2022, and Teach for America which received $100,000 from 2021-2023. ¹¹

Environment

The environment section consists of groups which call for the exclusive use of weather-dependent wind and solar power, an end to common plastic usage, and stronger regulations for agriculture. Notable groups which have received grants are the Environmental Integrity Project which received $80,000; the Environmental Working Group which received $130,000; the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators that received $100,000; the Sierra Club, one of America’s oldest and largest environmentalist organizations with annual revenue upwards of $150 million, received $60,000; and Women’s Voice for Earth received $50,000. All these grants were from 2021-2022. ¹²

Jewish Life

Blaustein Foundation’s Jewish life program focuses on “progressive and inclusive approaches to Judaism.” ¹³ Notable grant recipients are the Jewish Council for Public Affairs which received $400,000 between 2021 and 2023, the Jewish Social Justice Roundtable which received $105,00 between 2021 and 2023, American Jewish Committee which received $200,000 between 2021 and 2022, and the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism which received $140,000 between 2021 and 2023. ¹⁴

1. “Jacob And Hilda Blaustein Foundation Profile: Commitments … – PitchBook.” pitchbook.com. Accessed September 19, 2023. https://pitchbook.com/profiles/limited-partner/53188-30.
2. “Jacob and Hilda Blaustein Foundation.” Blaustein Philanthropic Group, February 13, 2023. https://blaufund.org/jacob-and-hilda-blaustein-foundation/.
3. “Dana Lanza.” Confluence Philanthropy. Accessed May 15, 2019. https://www.confluencephilanthropy.org/Dana-Lanza
4. “Foundation Family Tree.” Blaustein Philanthropic Group, December 1, 2021. https://blaufund.org/foundation-family-tree/.
5. “Jacob and Hilda Blaustein Foundation.” Blaustein Philanthropic Group, February 13, 2023. https://blaufund.org/jacob-and-hilda-blaustein-foundation/#.
6. “Jacob and Hilda Blaustein Foundation.” Blaustein Philanthropic Group, February 13, 2023. https://blaufund.org/jacob-and-hilda-blaustein-foundation/.
7. Center for Health and Gender Equity CHANGE. United States, 2002. Web Archive. https://www.loc.gov/item/lcwaN0029081/.
8. The Fund for Global Human Rights. Last modified January 24, 2022. https://globalhumanrights.org/.
9. “Grants Database.” Blaustein Philanthropic Group, March 16, 2023. https://blaufund.org/grant-database/?programarea=International+Human+Rights&foundationname=The+Jacob+and+Hilda+Blaustein+Foundation
10. “Democratic and Self-Directed Education.” Progressive Education, September 7, 2022. https://www.progressiveeducation.org/approaches/democratic-self-directed-education/.
11. “Grants Database.” Blaustein Philanthropic Group, March 16, 2023. https://blaufund.org/grant-database/?programarea=Strengthening+Public+Education&foundationname=The+Jacob+and+Hilda+Blaustein+Foundation.
12.  “Grants Database.” Blaustein Philanthropic Group, March 16, 2023. https://blaufund.org/grant-database/?programarea=Health%3A+Environmental+Health&foundationname=The+Jacob+and+Hilda+Blaustein+Foundation.
13. “Jacob and Hilda Blaustein Foundation.” Blaustein Philanthropic Group, February 13, 2023. https://blaufund.org/jacob-and-hilda-blaustein-foundation/.
14.  “Grants Database.” Blaustein Philanthropic Group, March 16, 2023. https://blaufund.org/grant-database/?programarea=Jewish+Life&foundationname=The+Jacob+and+Hilda+Blaustein+Foundation