Bruce A. Karsh is an American investor, philanthropist, and co-founder of Oaktree Capital Management, a global asset management firm specializing in alternative investments. ¹ His Karsh Family Foundation makes grants to left-of-center advocacy organizations including the Brady Center To Prevent Gun Violence, Common Sense Media, Education Reform Now (ERN), Human Rights First, and the New Venture Fund.  ²

Background

Bruce A. Karsh is an American investor, philanthropist, and co-founder of Oaktree Capital Management, a global asset management firm specializing in alternative investments. ¹

Born in 1955, Karsh earned his undergraduate degree in economics from Duke University and later graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law. He began his career as a clerk for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony M. Kennedy before transitioning into the corporate world, holding positions at O’Melveny & Myers and SunAmerica, Inc. ³ Oaktree manages over $160 billion in assets, primarily in corporate and distressed debt. ⁴ Karsh and his wife, Martha, have donated over $340 million through the Karsh Family Foundation to support left-of-center education, democracy, and community initiatives. ⁵

In 2018, Bruce and Martha Karsh gave a $43.9 million donation to the University of Virginia School of Law, the largest gift in the school’s history. This contribution established the Karsh Center for Law and Democracy and provided scholarships for law students. ⁶ Previously, they had funded the Karsh Student Services Center, which opened in 2012. In 2021, the couple pledged an additional $50 million to establish the Karsh Institute of Democracy, with the university matching this gift to bring the total funding to $100 million. ⁷

Karsh Family Foundation

The Karsh Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Beverly Hills, California that offers grants to eligible charitable organizations, such as KIPP LA. In the past year, it awarded 84 grants with notable ones to left-of-center advocacy organizations including the Brady Center To Prevent Gun Violence, Common Sense Media, Human Rights First, and the New Venture Fund. It also contributes to Education Reform Now (ERN), which is led by Joe Williams, who is also the top official for the PAC Democrats for Education Reform. ²

As of 2023, the Karsh Family Foundation awarded grants to several organizations, including $20,000 to the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, $25,000 to Common Sense Media (a nonprofit organization that funds research on the role of media in children’s lives and advocates for child-friendly policies and laws regarding media and education), $200,000 to Education Reform Now (a left-of-center nonprofit that provides aid to disadvantaged students and works to increase access to effective teachers and quality resources for historically underserved students), and $150,000 to the New Venture Fund. ⁸

One of the largest grants issued by the Karsh Family Foundation included a $1,500,000 to Teach for America. ⁹

1. “Bruce Karsh,” Oaktree Capital Management, accessed January 28, 2025, https://www.oaktreecapital.com/.
2. Instrumentl. “Karsh Family Foundation 990 Report.” Accessed January 28, 2025. https://www.instrumentl.com/990-report/karsh-family-foundation.
3.  “Bruce A. Karsh,” University of Virginia School of Law Alumni Profile, accessed January 28, 2025, https://www.law.virginia.edu/.
4. Forbes. “Bruce Karsh.” Forbes, January 18, 2023. https://www.forbes.com/profile/bruce-karsh/.
5. ProPublica. “Karsh Family Foundation.” ProPublica, accessed January 28, 2025. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/137147287.
6.  University of Virginia School of Law. “Martha and Bruce Karsh Make Largest Gift in History of UVA Law.” UVA Law News, May 10, 2018. https://www.law.virginia.edu/news/201805/martha-and-bruce-karsh-make-largest-gift-history-uva-law.
7. University of Virginia. “Led by Karsh Family Gift, UVA Plans $100 Million Institute for Democracy.” UVA Today, September 23, 2021. https://news.virginia.edu/content/led-karsh-family-gift-uva-plans-100-million-institute-democracy.
8. Instrumentl. “Karsh Family Foundation 990 Report.” Accessed January 28, 2025. https://www.instrumentl.com/990-report/karsh-family-foundation.
9. Teach For America. “Teach For America.” Accessed January 28, 2025. https://www.teachforamerica.org/.