The Ressler Family Foundation is the Los Angeles-based family foundation of Richard and Alison Ressler. Richard Ressler made his fortune in real estate development while Alison works as a corporate lawyer. ¹ They are also part owners of Major League Baseball’s Milwaukee Brewers. ²

While the foundation supports many nonideological charities and nonprofits, it also supports many left-of-center organizations, but it has recently scaled back its support of left-of-center causes. It also supports numerous Jewish and pro-Israel causes. ³

One left-of-center organization that the foundation continues to support is the Immigrant Defenders Law Center, an organization that defends those charged with illegal immigration into the country. The Immigrant Defenders Law Center is a member of the Check the Sheriff coalition, which is a group of left-of-center and radical organizations seeking left-wing changes to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. ^{4 5}

Overview

The Ressler Family Foundation is a Los Angeles based grantmaking foundation. The foundation is the personal foundation of Richard and Alison Ressler. Richard Ressler is a real estate developer based in Los Angeles while Alison Ressler is a corporate attorney. ⁶

While the foundation has not published its grantmaking criteria publicly, public filings suggest the foundation prioritizes education, funding charter schools and higher education. The Resslers’ alma maters, Brown and Columbia Universities, have received large donations from the foundation. They have funded other institutions such as Harvard Business School. ⁷

The foundation is also a major funder of health care institutions. Among those organizations which have received grants from the foundation are the American Red Cross Los Angeles Region. The foundation also funds research into conditions such as prostate cancer, Tourette Syndrome, and Rett Syndrome. ⁸

The foundation also funds various legal charities, including the local CASA program for juveniles’ guardians ad litem. ⁹

Leadership

The foundation’s two trustees are Richard and Alison Ressler. The Resslers met when they were in law school at Columbia University in 1980. ¹⁰ They married in 1984. ¹¹

Richard Ressler is a real estate developer. He is a co-founder of the real estate development company CIM Group. ¹²

Alison Ressler is a corporate attorney. She also serves as the vice chancellor of Brown University, co-chair of the dean’s council at Columbia Law School, and a trustee of the charter Harvard Westlake School. ¹³

The Resslers are also co-owners of the Milwaukee Brewers. ¹⁴

The foundation has no employees. ¹⁵

Finances

According to the 2018 tax return, the foundation awarded over $6.8 million in grants and had $37.8 million in assets. ¹⁶

In 2018, most donations went to nonideological groups and nonprofits. There were heavy contributions to education and health care charities. There were also contributions to Jewish-related organizations such as the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the Wilshire Boulevard Temple. ¹⁷ “Ressler Family Charity Foundation Tr 102794, Full Filing – Nonprofit Explorer.” Propublica. 2021. Accessed August 2, 2021. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/956979496/201843209349100604/full.

The most controversial grant in 2018 was a donation to the Immigrant Defenders Law Center. That organization defends those who are charged with illegal immigration into the United States. It is a member of the “Check the Sheriff” coalition, which is a coalition of left-of-center and radical organizations seeking the removal of Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva (D). ¹⁸ “Ressler Family Charity Foundation Tr 102794, Full Filing – Nonprofit Explorer.” Propublica. 2021. Accessed August 2, 2021. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/956979496/201843209349100604/full.[/note]” ¹⁹ About”. 2021. Check The Sheriff Coalition. Accessed August 2. https://www.checkthesheriff.com/about.

In 2017, the foundation funded pro-abortion causes, with a $25,000 grant to the National Women’s Law Center and a $121,335 grant to Planned Parenthood. It also funded pro-LGBT causes such as a $20,000 grant to the Trevor Project. It funded the pro-illegal immigrant organization United We Dream with a $25,000 grant. It funded Van Jones’s left-of-center organization Dream Corps with a $30,000 grant. ²⁰ “Ressler Family Charity Foundation Tr 102794, Full Filing – Nonprofit Explorer.” Propublica. 2021. Accessed August 2, 2021. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/956979496/201843209349100604/full.

1. “Richard And Alison Ressler.” Inside Philanthropy. 2021. Accessed August 2, 2021. https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/wall-street-donors/richard-ressler.html.
2. “Heavy Hitters: Two Alumni Talk Baseball And Law.” Columbia University. 2019. https://www.law.columbia.edu/news/archive/heavy-hitters-two-alumni-talk-baseball-and-law.
3. “Ressler Family Charit Foundation Tr 102794, Full Filing – Nonprofit Explorer.” Propublica. 2021. Accessed August 2, 2021. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/956979496/201843209349100604/full
4. “Ressler Family Charit Foundation Tr 102794, Full Filing – Nonprofit Explorer.” Propublica. 2021. Accessed August 2, 2021. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/956979496/201843209349100604/full
5. “About”. Check The Sheriff Coalition. 2021. Accessed August 2, 2021. https://www.checkthesheriff.com/about
6. “Richard And Alison Ressler.” Inside Philanthropy. 2021. Accessed August 2, 2021. https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/wall-street-donors/richard-ressler.html.
7. “”Richard And Alison Ressler.” Inside Philanthropy. 2021. Accessed August 2, 2021. https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/wall-street-donors/richard-ressler.html.
8. “Richard And Alison Ressler.” Inside Philanthropy. 2021. Accessed August 2, 2021. https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/wall-street-donors/richard-ressler.html.
9. “Richard And Alison Ressler.” Inside Philanthropy. 2021. Accessed August 2, 2021. https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/wall-street-donors/richard-ressler.html.
10. “Two Distinguished Alumni Are Honored For Excellence.” 2016. Columbia University. https://www.law.columbia.edu/news/archive/two-distinguished-alumni-are-honored-excellence.
11. “Miss Strasburger Becomes A Bride.” New York Times. 1984. https://www.nytimes.com/1984/09/16/style/miss-strasburger-becomes-a-bride.html.
12. “Richard Ressler.” CIM Group. 2021. Accessed August 2, 2021. https://www.cimgroup.com/about/leadership/richard-ressler.
13. “Alison Ressler – Partner.” Sullivan & Cromwell, LLP. 2021. Accessed August 2. https://www.sullcrom.com/lawyers/AlisonS-Ressler/.
14. “Heavy Hitters: Two Alumni Talk Baseball And Law.” Columbia University. 2019. https://www.law.columbia.edu/news/archive/heavy-hitters-two-alumni-talk-baseball-and-law.
15. “Ressler Family Charity Foundation Tr 102794, Full Filing – Nonprofit Explorer.” Propublica. 2021. Accessed August 2, 2021. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/956979496/201843209349100604/full.
16. “Ressler Family Charity Foundation Tr 102794, Full Filing – Nonprofit Explorer.” Propublica. 2021. Accessed August 2, 2021. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/956979496/201843209349100604/full.