Wexner Foundation

The Wexner Foundation is a private foundation founded in 1983 by Leslie Wexner, the creator of Limited Brands, the parent company of Victoria Secret, PINK, and Bath and Body Works which attempts to support Jewish leaders in religion and government in the United States and Israel. The group advocates for LGBT interests, 1 promotes environmentalist activities, 2 and advocates that systemic racism exists in the United States. 3

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At-A-Glance

Type: Non-profit, 501(c)(3), Private Foundation
Issue Areas: Environmental Policy, Identity Politics (for race-based policy/activism), LGBT Policy
Website: www.wexnerfoundation.org
President:

Barbara Abrahamson

Location: New Albany, OH View on map
Tax ID: 23-7320631
Most Recent Filing: 2024
Budget (2024): Assets: $4,640,042 Revenue: $12,842,712 Expenses: $12,186,217

Contents

    History

    The Wexner Foundation was founded in 1983 by Leslie Wexner, the creator of Limited Brands, the parent company of Victoria Secret, PINK, and Bath & Body Works. The organization was founded to support Jewish people seeking positions of authority in business and advocate for Israeli public officials. The organization has offices in Ohio, New York, and Jerusalem. Its Fellowship Program, formed in 1988, is a grant making arm which invests in Jewish graduate students and in Jewish study programs at universities around the U.S. such as Harvard and Yale. 4

    Its sister organization, Wexner Family Charitable Fund, is the foundation’s philanthropic arm which donates directly to Wexner Foundation and educational institutions. It was founded in 1991 and has regularly made donations to Ivy League universities such as Harvard and Yale. 5 According to the Charitable Fund’s 2020 tax return, it granted $9 million to the Wexner Foundation and $3 million to the President and Fellows of Harvard University. 6

    Advocacy

    Wexner Foundation publishes a blog which its members can use to discuss topics that align with the foundation’s ideologies. Some of the topics include LGBT groups, climate-change policy, and left-wing racial advocacy. 7

    LGBT

    Wexner published a blog post from Rachel Fried of Jewish Queer Youth (JQY). JQY is an organization that supports LGBT Orthodox Jewish youth from 13 to 23 meet with each other to help “heal or prevent” them from feeling alienated for going against traditionalist Jewish teachings on sexuality. 1

    Climate

    Racheli Merhav, an Israeli human rights activist, wrote for the Wexner Foundation about climate change in which she blamed humanity for the climate being different today than it was before WWII. She claimed that humans are not superior to any other animal, and that a fundamental reconsideration of society was necessary to “fix” the planet. 2

    Racism

    The Wexner Foundation created a Racial Justice Task Force following the police-involved death of George Floyd. This group focuses on growing the number of Black, Middle Eastern, and Asian people involved in the Jewish community. The group started a program which used the days between Juneteenth and Independence Day to reflect on “where systematic racism is inhibiting freedom.” 3 The group claimed that white people have privileges over non-white people and that it was important for white people to “unlearn and reevaluate in order to operate in solidarity with marginalized groups of people.” 3

    Financial Statistics

    Total Assets

    Total Revenue

    Total Expenses

    YearTotal AssetsTotal RevenueTotal ExpensesFiling
    2024 $4,640,042 $12,842,712 $12,186,217 View
    2023 $3,686,906 $14,917,241 $16,360,440 View
    2022 $5,094,557 $10,927,166 $12,275,970 View
    2021 $6,442,852 $9,976,190 $9,376,596 View
    2020 $5,787,648 $10,734,234 $10,686,719 View

    Prior year filings: 2019, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011

    Expenses Detail

    Employee Compensation

    Highest Earning Employees

    EmployeeTitleTotal Compensation
    Barbara AbrahamsonPRESIDENT$764,465
    Jay H MosesVP$277,689
    Gordon I MarsVP$253,473

    Grant Activity

    All-time grants received statistics from Candid dataset:

    • Total Grant Value: $222,544,227
    • Number of Grants: 121
    • Number of Funders: 24

    Selection of highest value grants received from the last seven years:

    AmountYearFunderSubject
    $12,000,0002023 The Wexner Family Charitable FundSUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF JEWISH PROFESSIONAL AND VOLUNTEER LEADERS
    $10,000,0002024 The Wexner Family Charitable FundSUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF JEWISH PROFESSIONAL AND VOLUNTEER LEADERS
    $9,000,0002020 The Wexner Family Charitable FundSUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF JEWISH PROFESSIONAL AND VOLUNTEER LEADERS
    $8,000,0002022 The Wexner Family Charitable FundSUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF JEWISH PROFESSIONAL AND VOLUNTEER LEADERS
    $8,000,0002021 The Wexner Family Charitable FundSUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF JEWISH PROFESSIONAL AND VOLUNTEER LEADERS
    $1,410,9002022 William Davidson FoundationTo support Class 32 and 33 of the Wexner Graduate Fellowship/Davidson Scholars, the Davidson Scholars Convening, and continued support for strategy exploration
    $1,000,0002024 William Davidson FoundationTo support the Wexner Davidson Fellowship, completion of Davidson Scholars program, and the alumni program for Davidson Scholars
    $910,3752020 William Davidson FoundationTO SUPPORT THE WEXNER GRADUATE FELLOWSHIP/ DAVIDSON SCHOLARS PROGRAM
    $900,0002023 William Davidson FoundationTo support the new Wexner Davidson scholars' program, provide continued support for Davidson Scholars classes 32 and 33, and support alumni programming.
    $664,6252021 William Davidson FoundationTO SUPPORT THE WEXNER GRADUATE FELLOWSHIP/DAVIDSON SCHOLARS PROGRAM
    $541,2462022 The Shimon Ben Joseph Foundation DBA Jim Joseph FoundationWexner Field Fellowship and Alumni Activities
    $476,0002021 United Jewish Appeal – Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of New York dba UJA-Federation of NYJEWISH LIFE
    $455,0002021 William Davidson FoundationTO SUPPORT THE WEXNER GRADUATE FELLOWSHIP/DAVIDSON SCHOLARS PROGRAM
    $398,6332020 The Shimon Ben Joseph Foundation DBA Jim Joseph FoundationWEXNER FIELD FELLOWSHIP AND ALUMNI ACTIVITIES
    $294,9302021 The Shimon Ben Joseph Foundation DBA Jim Joseph FoundationWEXNER FIELD FELLOWSHIP AND ALUMNI ACTIVITIES
    $175,0002024 JEWISHcoloradoGeneral Operating Support
    $175,0002024 JEWISH FEDERATION OF GREATER LOS ANGELESGRANT EXPENSE
    $175,0002023 Greater Miami Jewish FederationGENERAL SUPPORT
    $135,0002021 The Jewish Foundation of CincinnatiCincinnati 2019 – 2021 Cohort
    $125,0002023 ROSE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION2023-2024 Colorado cohort of the Wexner Heritage Program
    $87,5002020 JEWISH FEDERATION OF GREATER SEATTLEOperations support
    $67,5002021 JEWISH FEDERATION OF GREATER SEATTLEOPERATIONS SUPPORT
    $50,0002023 JEWISHcoloradoGen Operating Supprt

    All-time grants given statistics from Candid dataset:

    • Total Grant Value: $38,471,280
    • Number of Grants: 410
    • Number of Recipients: 153

    Selection of highest value grants given from the last seven years:

    AmountYearFunderSubject
    $1,602,5002023 P.E.F. Israel Endowment Funds, Inc.TO PROVIDE COMMUNITY RESOURCE FUNDING
    $1,497,5502023 Association for Computing Machinery Harvard University Aiken LabTO FUND EDUCATIONAL FELLOWSHIPS
    $1,373,0002020 President and Fellows of Harvard CollegeTO PROVIDE EDUCATIONAL FUNDING
    $1,060,5002022 Association for Computing Machinery Harvard University Aiken LabTO FUND EDUCATIONAL FELLOWSHIPS
    $666,9252021 President and Fellows of Harvard CollegeTO FUND EDUCATIONAL FELLOWSHIPS
    $500,0002023 Jewish Federation of San Diego CountyTO PROVIDE COMMUNITY SUPPORT.
    $341,3702020 President and Fellows of Harvard CollegeTO FUND EDUCATIONAL FELLOWSHIPS
    $315,0002020 Yeshiva UniversityTO FUND EDUCATIONAL FELLOWSHIPS
    $250,0002023 AMERICAN FRIENDS OF NATAL INCTO PROVIDE COMMUNITY RESOURCE FUNDING
    $200,0002023 The Jewish Federations of North America IncTO PROVIDE COMMUNITY SUPPORT.
    $195,0002020 Richard and Lois England Charitable Remainder Unitrust HUC Tte 15 0009TO FUND EDUCATIONAL FELLOWSHIPS
    $180,0002021 Yeshiva UniversityTO FUND EDUCATIONAL FELLOWSHIPS
    $150,0002021 Richard and Lois England Charitable Remainder Unitrust HUC Tte 15 0009TO FUND EDUCATIONAL FELLOWSHIPS
    $90,0002022 Richard and Lois England Charitable Remainder Unitrust HUC Tte 15 0009TO FUND EDUCATIONAL FELLOWSHIPS
    $75,0002022 Reconstructionist Rabbinical CollegeTO FUND EDUCATIONAL FELLOWSHIPS
    $75,0002022 Yeshiva UniversityTO FUND EDUCATIONAL FELLOWSHIPS
    $60,0002023 Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS)TO FUND EDUCATIONAL FELLOWSHIPS
    $60,0002023 Reconstructionist Rabbinical CollegeTO FUND EDUCATIONAL FELLOWSHIPS
    $60,0002023 Richard and Lois England Charitable Remainder Unitrust HUC Tte 15 0009TO FUND EDUCATIONAL FELLOWSHIPS
    $60,0002022 Brandeis UniversityTO FUND EDUCATIONAL FELLOWSHIPS
    $60,0002021 Yeshivat Maharat IncTO FUND EDUCATIONAL FELLOWSHIPS
    $60,0002020 Yeshivat Maharat IncTO FUND EDUCATIONAL FELLOWSHIPS
    $52,5002022 Pef Israel Endowment FundTO PROVIDE COMMUNITY RESOURCE FUNDING
    $45,0002023 American Jewish UniversityTO FUND EDUCATIONAL FELLOWSHIPS
    $45,0002022 American Jewish UniversityTO FUND EDUCATIONAL FELLOWSHIPS

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    Financials, employee compensation, and grant information provided by Candid.

    Mentioned in this Article

    References

    1. Katzner, Dara. “Aiming for Wistful.” The Wexner Foundation, August 17, 2022. https://www.wexnerfoundation.org/aiming-for-wistful/.
    2. Weinstein, Ze’ev. “To All It May Concern.” The Wexner Foundation, January 17, 2023. https://www.wexnerfoundation.org/to-all-it-may-concern/.
    3. Thomas, Becca. “Reflecting on a Year of Learning.” The Wexner Foundation, June 29, 2021. https://www.wexnerfoundation.org/reflecting-on-a-year-of-learning/.
    4. “Our Story.” The Wexner Foundation, January 11, 2022. https://www.wexnerfoundation.org/our-story/.
    5. “The Wexner Family Charitable Fund Profile: Commitments & Mandates.” PitchBook. Accessed June 20, 2023. https://pitchbook.com/profiles/limited-partner/466057-00.
    6. Wexner Family Charitable Fund, Form 990-PF, 2020, Part XV Line 3 https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/311318013/202123149349102007/full
    7. “Blog.” The Wexner Foundation. Accessed August 4, 2023. https://www.wexnerfoundation.org/blog/.