Zachor Legal Institute

Zachor Legal Institute is a legal think tank and advocacy organization that aims to combat boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) against Israel; antisemitic activities; and anti-Israel movements in the United States in the commercial, university, and government sectors. 1

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At-A-Glance

Type: Non-profit, 501(c)(3)
Issue Areas: Foreign Policy
Website: zachorlegal.org
Formation:

2015

Executive Director:

Marc Greendorfer

Location: Bozeman, MT View on map
Tax ID: 47-4687613
Most Recent Filing: 2024
Budget (2024): Assets: $344,111 Revenue: $324,448 Expenses: $260,394

Contents

    Activities

    Zachor Legal Institute employs both offensive and defensive strategies to combat antisemitism and BDS initiatives. This includes preventing the spread of boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) and antisemitic activities in academic institutions, government agencies, businesses, and unions, and suing individuals and organizations that are funding or participating in antisemitic and BDS activities. 1

    Zachor Legal Institute collaborates with like-minded organizations in its efforts to influence both federal and state level policy. In 2022, Zachor Legal was one of 28 organizations that signed a petition to top officials at the Department of State, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Department of Justice requesting that the BDS movement be monitored, investigated, and legally challenged as necessary. The petition described the BDS movement as hate groups that promote violence against Jews and claimed that the BDS movement in the U.S. has financial ties to terrorist organizations like Hamas and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Other organizations that signed this petition include Americans Fighting Antisemitism, the Endowment for Middle East Truth, and the Middle East Forum. 2

    Zachor Legal Institute researches and publishes legal research related to BDS and the First Amendment. Zachor Legal also participates in court challenges supporting state laws that would prevent taxpayer funds from being used to support BDS-affiliated organizations. While working on these court proceedings, Zachor Legal found that the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has a history of supporting anti-Semitism and BDS through its affiliation with the Council on American-Islamic Relations. Zachor Legal claims that it is hypocritical for the ACLU to align with BDS groups while simultaneously fighting to end discrimination against those in the LGBT, Black, and Asian communities. In its 2021 report “Not Your Parents’ American Civil Liberties Union,” Zachor Legal also found that the ACLU defended anti-Israel organizations, lobbied against state and federal anti-BDS laws, and employed staff with current or past affiliations to organizations that support BDS. 3

    In February 2023, the Zachor Legal Institute published a report titled, “The Unseen Threat of the Mapping Project,” that discussed how online initiative The Mapping Project and its reporting of Israeli-linked entities within the state of Massachusetts posed a national security threat to the United States and Israel. The report also stems from a December 2022 meeting in which 28 organizations requested the U.S Justice Department to investigate the anti-Israeli Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement due to its potential links to terrorist groups. 4 5 The Institute’s report concluded that due to the budget and skill necessary to maintain such an initiative, the project, “was likely created by a state-backed element via a proxy group, private contractor, or civilian intelligence unit.” 4

    Funding

    Zachor Legal Institute is funded by donations from individuals, foundations, and businesses. While Zachor Legal Institute does not disclose its donors, tax filings confirm donations from the Jewish Community Foundation of the Jewish Federation Council of Greater Los Angeles ($21,000 in 2020), 6 the Schwab Charitable Fund ($20,000 in 2021), 7 and the Merona Leadership Foundation ($12,000 in 2021). 8

    People

    Marc Greendorfer is the founder of Zachor Legal Institute and a founding partner of Tri Valley Law. 9 Greendorfer ran as a Republican candidate for the Montana House of Representatives in 2022. 10

    Ron Machol is the chief operating officer of Zachor Legal Institute. 9

    Financial Statistics

    Total Assets

    Total Revenue

    Total Expenses

    YearTotal AssetsTotal RevenueTotal ExpensesFiling
    2024 $344,111 $324,448 $260,394 View
    2023 $280,057 $185,742 $68,692 View

    Revenue Detail

    Expenses Detail

    Employee Compensation

    • Number of Employees: 3

    Highest Earning Employees

    EmployeeTitleTotal Compensation
    Marc GreendorferPresident$30,000
    Ron MacholChief Operating Officer$30,000

    Grant Activity

    All-time grants received statistics from Candid dataset:

    • Total Grant Value: $404,170
    • Number of Grants: 27
    • Number of Funders: 13

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

    AmountYearFunderSubject
    $65,6102023 Jewish Community Foundation of Los AngelesGENERAL SUPPORT
    $52,0002024 Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angelesgeneral support
    $33,3002020 Merona Leadership FoundationGENERAL SUPPORT
    $25,0002023 Samueli FoundationRELIGIOUS
    $25,0002022 Milstein Family FoundationGENERAL USE
    $21,0002020 Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles
    $20,0002024 Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust IncUNRESTRICTED GENERAL SUPPORT
    $13,6002023 Impact Forum FoundationGENERAL SUPPORT
    $12,0002021 Merona Leadership FoundationGENERAL SUPPORT
    $10,0002022 Mz Foundation Attn Myron Zimmerman PresidentEDUCATION
    $10,0002021 Mz Foundation Attn Myron Zimmerman PresidentEDUCATION
    $10,0002021 Milstein Family FoundationGENERAL USE
    $10,0002020 Milstein Family FoundationGeneral use
    $10,0002020 Mz Foundation Attn Myron Zimmerman PresidentEDUCATION
    $5,0002023 Hochberg Family FoundationTO FURTHER THE EXEMPT PURPOSE OF THE ORGANIZATION
    $5,0002020 Saidoff Foresight FoundationEDUCATION AND OTHER PUBLIC BENEFIT PROGRAMS
    $2,0002024 The Sandra & Lawrence Post Family FoundationTHINK TANK
    $1,8002023 The Sandra & Lawrence Post Family FoundationTHINK TANK
    $1,0002020 Hochberg Family FoundationGENERAL FUND
    $8602024 Maury and Nancy Fertig Family FoundationSUPPORT GENERAL OPERATIONS
    $5002023 Maury and Nancy Fertig Family FoundationSUPPORT GENERAL OPERATIONS
    $5002021 Maury and Nancy Fertig Family FoundationSUPPORT GENERAL OPERATIONS

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    Contact Us

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

    Mentioned in this Article

    References

    1. “About Us.” Zachor Legal Institute. Accessed October 5, 2023. https://zachorlegal.org/about-us/.
    2. Machol, Ron. “Coalition of 28 Organizations Petition the Government to Investigate BDS Groups with Ties to Terror.” Zachor Legal Institute, December 14, 2022. Accessed October 5, 2023. https://www.einpresswire.com/article/606085321/coalition-of-28-organizations-petition-the-government-to-investigate-bds-groups-with-ties-to-terror
    3. “Not Your Parents’ American Civil Liberties Union.” Zachor Legal Institute, July 2021. Accessed October 5, 2023. https://zachorlegal.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Not-Your-Parents%E2%80%99-ACLU-Report-July-2021.pdf.
    4. Mauro, Ryan. “Massachusetts Mapping Project Linked to Terrorists.” Capital Research Center, October 9, 2023. https://capitalresearch.org/article/massachusetts-mapping-project-linked-to-terrorists/
    5. “Special Brief: The Unseen Threat of the Mapping Project.” Zachor Legal Institute, February 2023. https://zachorlegal.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Mapping-Project-Special-Brief.pdf
    6. Jewish Community Foundation of the Jewish Federation Council of Greater Los Angeles, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2020, Schedule I, Part II.
    7. Schwab Charitable Fund, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2021, Schedule I, Part II.
    8. Merona Leadership Foundation, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2021, Schedule I, Part II.
    9. “Biographies.” Zachor Legal Institute. Accessed October 5, 2023. https://zachorlegal.org/biographies/.
    10. “Marc Greendorfer.” Ballotpedia. Accessed October 5, 2023. https://ballotpedia.org/Marc_Greendorfer.