Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein Foundation

OVERVIEW: The Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein Foundation supports Jewish-related causes in the U.S. and Israel. It also funds efforts in education, community development, and arts and culture, primarily in the Columbus, Ohio area.

IP TAKE: This funder keeps a low profile, does not have a website, or provide a clear way to get in contact or apply for support, making it difficult to get in touch. Its proactive grantmaking approach depends on the founders’ personal interests rather than a theory of change or research-based approach. It does not accept unsolicited requests for funding, which means networking is key here.

PROFILE: The Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein Foundation is the family foundation for Jay Schottenstein, his wife, Jeanie. Schottenstein is the chairman of the DSW retail chain and heads the Schottenstein Stores Corporation, which was established by his father. Schottenstein is the former executive chair of American Eagle Outfitters. More broadly, the Schottenstein family has been prominent in the Columbus, Ohio area for decades and have long led some of America's largest fashion retailers. Based in Columbus, Ohio, the foundation focuses almost exclusively on Jewish-related causes in the U.S. and Israel. In a recent year, the foundation has distributed approximately $6 million in grants. The Schottensteins are collectors of Judaica who strongly support the Israel Antiquities Authority and have gifted many items to Jewish museums in the U.S. and Israel. Other areas of grantmaking interest include education and organizations that support the Jewish community domestically and in Israel. Despite active grantmaking, the foundation keeps a low-profile. 

Grants for Jewish Causes

The Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein Foundation’s philanthropy is almost entirely directed to Jewish-related causes in the U.S. and Israel, and much of the grantmaking in other areas happens through this lens as well.

Schottenstein has given $6.6 million to Mesorah Heritage Foundation, almost $5 million to Gemilos Chasodim Chasdel, over $1.6 million to American Friends of Nishmat, and $1.3 Western Wall Heritage Foundation in New York. The foundation has also given over $1 million to Diaspora Yeshiva Toras Yisrael   in Ohio. Other previous grantees include Chofetz Chaim Heritage Foundation, Congregation Torat Emet, American Friends of Chasdei Yosef, Chabad of Key Biscayne, American Friends of the Jerusalem Great Synagogue, Birthright Israel Foundation, and Women’s International Zionist Organization.

Grants for K-12 and Higher Education

Schottenstein does not have a website or clearly defined grantmaking programs; however, tax records indicate that education is a significant focus of giving. In the arena of post-secondary education, Schottenstein has given millions to Yeshiva University, the site of the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein Honors Program and where Jay Schottenstein sits on the board of trustees. At University of Pennsylvania, the foundation gave several million dollars to establish the Schottenstein Jesselson Library in the Center for Advanced Judaic Studies, as well as endow the Schottenstein Jesselson Curator of Judaica Collections. It gave $10.2 million to Ohio State University in 2021 to establish the Jeffrey Schottenstein Program for Resilience.

The Schottenstein Foundation also funds community learning, and strongly supports American Friends of Nishmat. In fact, Nishmat-The Jeanie Schottenstein Center for Advanced Torah Study for Women in Jerusalem, was established in 1990 by Rabbanit Chana Henkin to "open the gates of higher Torah learning to women." Schottenstein also strongly supports Mesorah Heritage Foundation, which "recruits accomplished translators, scholars, writers, and editors who free our great texts from the captivity of ancient languages and bring them to English-speaking Jews."

The foundation also supports a long list of yeshivas and other Jewish K-12 schools around the country (with an emphasis in Ohio), as well as in Israel. In particular, the Columbus Torah Academy has received over $2 million in grants over the years.

Grants for Community Development and Ohio

Schottenstein supports local Ohio organizations, both Jewish and otherwise, with an emphasis on the Columbus area. Previous grantees in this space include the Columbus Community Kollel, Columbus Torah Academy, Congregation Torat Emet, Jewish Federation of Columbus, Capitol Square Foundation, OSU Chabad House, Jewish Family Services, United Way of Central Ohio Gold, National Council of Jewish Women, Columbus Jewish Foundation, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Chabad on Campus OSU, and OSU Chabad House. As with other areas of support, Jewish organizations receive the largest grants.

Grants for Arts and Culture

The foundation supports arts and culture groups both in the U.S. and in Israel. It has given grants to the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), which "regulates excavation and conservation, and promotes research." Through their foundation, the Schottensteins have given millions to IAA and helped create the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein National Campus for the Archaeology of Israel in Jerusalem. As prominent collectors, they have also donated some of their works to the Columbus Museum of Art. The couple also helps fund the Western Wall Heritage Foundation.

Important Grant Details:

Grants range from just a few thousand into the millions. The most common amount is around $25,000.

PEOPLE:

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CONTACT:

The Jay and Jean Schottenstein Foundation does not provide a clear avenue of contact but below is an address:

The Jay and Jean Schottenstein Foundation

4300 E. Fifth Ave.

Columbus, OH 43219

Telephone: (614) 449-4253