We need your support! Make a gift today at www.bronfman.org/support.
Q: Is the Fellowship free for participants?
A: The Fellowship operates with a negligible tuition obligation from participants. One of our guiding principles is that the Fellowship should be merit-based and need-blind. Financial need is never a barrier to participation and subsidies are available for travel to the interviews, to JFK for the start of Fellowship and for Fellowship Year programming and travel. This helps us ensure a pluralistic, talented, and economically diverse learning community.
Q: What are the funds raised by the annual campaign used for?
A: The funds raised are used for virtually everything that touches our community of Fellows and alumni. Here are just a few examples of what the money helps support:
Q: Who funds the Israeli program (Amitei Bronfman)?
A: Amitei Bronfman is part of The Bronfman Fellowship. When you donate, you help support our work with Israeli and American Bronfmanim.
Q: I did the program years ago. Is it the same program today as it was in the 1980s and 1990s?
A: Although The Bronfman Fellowship began as a study and travel summer program for a limited number of American students entering their senior year in high school, it has evolved over time to encompass four components, including over 100 days of immersive seminars:
While the Fellowship has evolved in significant ways, the heart of the Bronfman experience remains the same as it was when Edgar Bronfman founded it in 1987. It is steadfast in the belief that true pluralism is predicated on honest discourse and respectful relationships, even across potentially polarizing fault lines. Though Jews might practice their Judaism differently, learning can bring them together for a deeper exchange. The Bronfman Fellowship remains focused on providing both a context and a catalyst for fellows to study Jewish texts, traditions, history, and culture through a carefully designed curriculum that is intellectually challenging and existentially engaging.
*In 2020, the summer Fellowship took place virtually due to COVID-19; in 2021, it took place domestically.
Q: Can you break down the Fellowship’s budget for me?
The following data reflects our 2020 expenses:
Q: Is the Fellowship a non-profit organization? Are gifts tax-deductible?
A: Yes, the Fellowship is a non-profit 501(c)(3) private operating foundation in the United States, and gifts are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Q: Is my donation eligible for employer matching?
A: Yes, many employers will match donations to 501(c)(3) private operating foundations. However, you’ll need to check with your employer.
Q: How much should I donate?
A: That’s completely up to you. All gifts are welcome, and we hope that you’ll make a personally meaningful contribution that fits with your capacity and connection to the Fellowship. We believe in pluralism and diversity – this extends to our approach to fundraising and our efforts to remain an economically inclusive program and community.
Q: How can I make a donation?
A: You can visit our website at bronfman.org/support. If you prefer to make a payment by check, please make the check out to The Bronfman Fellowship and mail to: The Bronfman Fellowship; 420 Lexington Ave., Suite 331; New York, NY 10170.
For other ways of making gifts (e.g. wire transfer, stock options, planned giving, putting the Bronfman Fellowship in your will, etc.), please contact office@bronfman.org.
Q: Are you still accepting donations specifically for the Alumni Venture Fund (AVF)?
A: Yes, we are. However, we encourage donors to contribute primarily to the annual campaign, as this gives the Fellowship the ability to use the funds where they’re needed most. The AVF remains a core program of our alumni initiatives, and receives support through the annual campaign as well as through designated gifts. Click here to donate to the AVF.
Q: Why should I make my donation recurring?
A: Recurring gifts provide reliable support for the Bronfman Fellowship and help lower administrative costs; that means more of your contribution goes into the programming and engagement you value.
Q: How can I get involved as a volunteer?
A: There are many ways to get involved! For example, you can:
For more ideas or to discuss getting involved, please contact Aaron Steinberg at aaron@bronfman.org.
Q: How many people donated to the Fellowship last year (2021)?
A: In 2021, a remarkable 387 people contributed gifts of all sizes to The Bronfman Fellowship, helping us raise over $182,000. 71% of these donors were alumni from N. America and Israel, 25% were parents of alumni, and 4% were other friends of Bronfman. We are truly thankful for and amazed by the generosity of Bronfmanim.
Q: Why did the Fellowship begin fundraising in 2013?
A: Our founder, Edgar M. Bronfman, passed away in 2013. Over the past 30 years, Edgar and his philanthropy invested nearly $30M in the Fellowship, and his foundation (The Samuel Bronfman Foundation) continues to generously cover the majority of our operating expenses each year. Their generosity covers most of our expenses, but not all. As the breadth and depth of our mission and the size of our community grow, we seek new partners who have been impacted by the Fellowship to catapult this program into the future. That’s where the generosity of our community donors makes a difference.
Q: Is Edgar Bronfman’s family still involved in the Fellowship?
A: Yes! Adam R. Bronfman, Edgar’s son, is the president of The Samuel Bronfman Foundation, and offers his heartfelt support of the Fellowship:
“The Bronfman Fellowship was, and continues to be, our most valued project. As President of the Foundation, I am deeply committed to the perpetuity of the Fellowship.”
– Adam R. Bronfman
We need your support! Make a gift today at www.bronfman.org/support.
Applications for the 2025 Bronfman Fellowship are open!To nominate a teen, click here.
Learn more:
Watch our Oct. 10 info call recording here.