# Canadian Friends of Tel Aviv University

Canadian Friends of Tel Aviv University is an Endowment / Foundation based in Toronto, Canada.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Endowment / Foundation
- **Headquarters:** Toronto, Canada
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** Toronto, ON, Canada
- **Founded:** 1972
- **Assets under management:** Undisclosed
- **Website:** cftau.ca
- **LinkedIn:** https://ca.linkedin.com/company/canadian-friends-of-tel-aviv-university

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

CFTAU was established in 1972 to channel Canadian philanthropic capital to Tel Aviv University. Dr. Michael Tenenbaum serves as National President alongside Stephen Adler, a senior fundraising advisor, while David Altshuller chairs the Ontario and Western Canada region and Barbara Seal holds the title of National President Emerita. The foundation does not manage an endowment for external reporting purposes; it raises and deploys funds directly to the university. The organization's deployment model is direct grantmaking to named academic and research initiatives. Major partnerships include Sylvan Adams's support for the Sylvan Adams Sports Science Institute and The Asper Foundation's funding of the Asper Clean Water Fund. The foundation's assets consist of a small investment portfolio and cash equivalents held to facilitate multi-year commitments. The geographic focus is principally Canada, with all capital flowing to Tel Aviv University in Israel. CFTAU reports a modest balance sheet of approximately $5.8 million in assets (Altss estimate), reflecting its role as a fundraising conduit rather than an accumulating endowment. Its operational structure relies on a network of regional chairs and volunteer leadership, with no disclosed professional team size. There is no record of a separate philanthropic foundation — CFTAU itself is the charitable vehicle. Structurally, CFTAU functions as a single-beneficiary fundraising affiliate. Unlike multi-program foundations that build diversified portfolios, CFTAU's entire capital flow targets one institution. This creates a streamlined governance model where donor intent maps directly to specific academic outputs, bypassing the layers of investment committees typical of larger foundations.

## Sectors

- Education

## People

- Dr. Michael Tenenbaum — National President
- Stephen Adler — National President and senior fundraising advisor
- David Altshuller — Regional Chair, Ontario and Western Canada
- Barbara Seal — National President Emerita

## Questions

### Who runs investment decisions at Canadian Friends of Tel Aviv University?

CFTAU does not operate a traditional investment committee allocating across asset classes. The foundation holds a small portfolio of cash equivalents and investments to manage near-term liquidity for grant commitments. Strategic funding priorities are determined by the National Presidents and regional chairs in coordination with Tel Aviv University's development office.

### How is Canadian Friends of Tel Aviv University related to Tel Aviv University itself?

CFTAU is a legally separate Canadian charitable organization that exists solely to raise funds for Tel Aviv University. It is the university's primary fundraising arm in Canada. All grants flow directly to the university's academic and research programs, with no intermediary entities.

### Where does the underlying funding come from?

The foundation's capital originates from Canadian individual donors, family foundations, and corporations. Named benefactors include Sylvan Adams, a major donor for the Sylvan Adams Sports Science Institute, and The Asper Foundation, which supports the Asper Clean Water Fund.

### Is Canadian Friends of Tel Aviv University an endowment or a pass-through foundation?

It functions primarily as a pass-through foundation. With roughly $5.8 million in assets (Altss estimate), CFTAU raises and deploys funds rather than building a permanent endowment. Its balance sheet supports multi-year pledges but does not represent a self-sustaining invested pool.

### What investment stages or asset classes does CFTAU target?

CFTAU does not make commercial investments, direct deals, or fund commitments. Its deployment is exclusively grants to academic programs, research institutes, and named chairs at Tel Aviv University. There is no venture capital, real estate, or private equity activity.

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Last updated: 2026-06-03T20:00:00.000Z

Canonical page: https://altss.com/profile/canadian-friends-of-tel-aviv-university

Maintained by Altss — https://altss.com — methodology: https://altss.com/methodology