The Maximum Difference Foundation is a left-of-center grantmaking nonprofit based in Los Angeles, California. The group has two missions – one, stated on its website, is to empower parents and children to create better relationships. [1] The other, based upon its donations, appears to be the promotion of left-of-center and pro-Palestinian causes and organizations. [2]
The Foundation was founded by farming and real estate investor Michael Amin, who is involved with a number of Iranian cultural and political groups, including the controversial National Iranian American Council (NIAC). Amin sat on the board of NIAC from 2008 through 2010;[3] the group receives substantial funding from Maximum Difference Foundation. [4]
Mission
The Maximum Difference Foundation assists parents in creating better relationships with their children. It promotes four steps which it says “really good parents” – watching and reading relevant material, enrolling in parenting classes, and meeting with skilled counselors and therapists as necessary. [5] It has paid for parenting-related adverts in the Los Angeles metro area. [6]
The Foundation also provides funding to left-of-center groups like the American Civil Liberties Foundation and pro-Palestinian organizations. Its 2017 donations include:[7]
- $10,000 to the 9/11 conspiracy group Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth
- $100,000 to the National Iranian American Council, a group that supports the Obama administration’s Iran nuclear weapons deal and is critical of sanctions against Iran as well as of Israel. [8] [9] [10] [11]
- $40,000 to the Palestinian Advocacy Project. [12]
- $65,000 to the Tides Center’s Palestinian Legal initiative, which provides legal assistance to efforts in America to critique Israel and defend Palestinians. [13]
Financials
Virtually all of the Maximum Difference Foundation’s 2017 revenues came from founder Michael Amin. [14] It donated over $500,000 in 2017, spending over $639,000. Its 2017 activities brought its assets from over $763,000 to under $267,000. [15]
Leadership
Amin is the Maximum Difference Foundation’s sole donor. He is also its founder. [16] [17] A real estate investor, he has been involved in many Iranian-related groups, having sat on the Board of Directors for the National Iranian American Council. He is a trustee of the Iranian culture group Farhang Foundation. [18] [19]