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Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity
The Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity was established in 1986 by Elie Wiesel and his wife, Marion, using the Nobel Peace Prize award he received that year.
Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity
The Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity was established in 1986 by Elie Wiesel and his wife, Marion, using the Nobel Peace Prize award he received that year. The foundation operates as a New York-based endowment dedicated to perpetuating Wiesel's legacy of combating indifference and intolerance. It funds programs focused on youth education, ethical leadership, and international dialogue rather than making grants to external organizations. The foundation's principal program is the Elie Wiesel Prize in Ethics Essay Contest, which awards scholarships to U.S. college juniors and seniors who submit essays on ethical issues. It also convenes the Elie Wiesel Foundation Beit Tzipora Centers for Study and Enrichment in Israel, which provide educational support for Ethiopian-Israeli children. The foundation's investment portfolio, based in New York, supports these operational programs rather than venture or private equity commitments, functioning more like a traditional endowed foundation than a family office. Elisha Wiesel, who spent 25 years at Goldman Sachs and served as the firm's chief information officer, became chairman of the board after his father's death in 2016. Marion Wiesel, the late author and translator, remained actively involved as vice president. Board member Lisa Opoku, a former Goldman managing director, represents the foundation's ties to the financial services community that helps steward its endowment. In September 2022, the foundation partnered with the National September 11 Memorial & Museum to host an annual lecture series on ethics and memory. The foundation's structural identity is shaped by its origin in a Nobel laureate's personal award money — Elie Wiesel donated the entirety of his $982,000 prize to create the endowment. This makes it a founder-created philanthropic entity rather than a wealth-management vehicle, with no private equity portfolio and no co-investment activity. Its intellectual capital, housed in the Wiesel Collection at the Florida Holocaust Museum, functions as a parallel, non-financial asset that extends the foundation's mission beyond grantmaking.
General information
Firm type
Endowment / Foundation
Year founded
1986
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
New York
Corporate office
555 Madison Avenue, 20th Floor, New York, NY 10022, United States
Principals
Elisha Wiesel
Chairman of the Board
Marion Wiesel
Co-founder and Vice President
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
What is the Elie Wiesel Foundation's primary mission and programmatic focus?
The foundation runs operating programs rather than making external grants. Its flagship is the Elie Wiesel Prize in Ethics Essay Contest, which has awarded over $1 million in scholarships to college students since 1989. It also operates Beit Tzipora educational enrichment centers for Ethiopian-Israeli children in Israel and convenes the Elie Wiesel Lecture Series on ethics and memory in partnership with the National September 11 Memorial & Museum. The foundation describes its work as combating indifference through dialogue and youth-focused initiatives.
How did the foundation's endowment originate?
Elie Wiesel donated the entirety of his 1986 Nobel Peace Prize award, approximately $982,000, to establish the foundation that same year. This makes the endowment a founder-created philanthropic entity seeded entirely with personal award money. Subsequent donations have supported its growth, but the foundation does not publicly disclose its current endowment size or asset allocation.
Does the Elie Wiesel Foundation have an investment portfolio that external allocators would review?
The foundation maintains an investment portfolio based in New York that supports its operational programs, but it is not structured as a family office or institutional allocator that external managers typically court. There is no public evidence of private equity commitments, venture capital activity, or co-investment programs. It functions as a traditional endowed foundation that funds its own programs rather than making grants or pursuing active investment strategies.
Who runs investment decisions at the Elie Wiesel Foundation?
Investment oversight is not publicly detailed. Elisha Wiesel, the chairman, spent 25 years at Goldman Sachs including serving as chief information officer and as a partner, which suggests connections to institutional financial networks. Board member Lisa Opoku is also a former Goldman Sachs managing director. The foundation does not publish an investment committee roster or name a chief investment officer.
Is the Elie Wiesel Foundation connected to any other philanthropic or professional networks?
Elisha Wiesel serves on the board of Zioness, a progressive Zionist organization, and Good Shepherd Services, a New York social services nonprofit. The late Elie Wiesel served on the board of the Agnes and Beny Steinmetz Foundation, reflecting close ties to the Steinmetz family. The foundation also houses intellectual assets in the Wiesel Collection at the Florida Holocaust Museum in St. Petersburg.
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