Founded in 1913 under the will of Benjamin Altman, the Altman Foundation focuses on advancing racial and economic equity and promoting a sound and just recovery from the impact of the pandemic. The foundation supports organizations working in its five program areas, emphasizing not only acting as grantmakers but also as investors in human gain. They aim to learn alongside their grantees, take chances on promising ideas, stay the course with issues and high-performing grantees, and prioritize results over activities.
The Altman Foundation’s grantmaking priorities, reflecting a commitment to racial and economic equity, are designed to address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and support a just recovery. Specific areas of interest include enhancing nonprofit capacity, cultural engagement and the arts, health care access and equity, educational opportunities and loss recovery, and community strengthening efforts. These include supporting umbrella organizations aiding communities in post-pandemic recovery, strengthening arts infrastructure and youth development, expanding out-of-hospital health care for marginalized populations, enhancing educational programs across networks or systems, and building economic security for low-income individuals and families. The foundation seeks to support initiatives that have scalable impacts on underserved communities, focusing on systemic change and equitable access to essential resources.