# Joyce & Irving Goldman Family Foundation

Joyce & Irving Goldman Family Foundation is an Endowment / Foundation based in New York, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Endowment / Foundation
- **Headquarters:** New York, United States
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** New York, NY, United States
- **Founded:** 1984
- **Assets under management:** $197 million (Altss estimate)
- **Website:** jigff.org
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/jigff

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

Irving Goldman established the Joyce & Irving Goldman Family Foundation in 1984, naming it for himself and his wife. The wealth originates from a legendary New York real estate portfolio built alongside his brother Sol Goldman, whose holdings once ranked among the city's most extensive private assemblages. Today, family members Dorian, Lloyd, and Katja Goldman serve as directors, operating the foundation from an office shared with BLDG Management — the family's real estate firm. The foundation deploys capital across three grant-making pillars: Jewish Life, Health, and Sustainable Agriculture. Its investment strategy extends beyond grants to include buyout, venture capital, and fund-of-funds commitments, often participating in direct co-investments and club deals. Activity spans early-stage seed rounds through late-stage expansion, primarily within the United States and Israel. The foundation engages with peer networks including the Jewish Funders Network and Philanthropy New York to identify opportunities. With an endowment Altss estimates at $197 million, the foundation operates with a lean family-led structure. Its leadership is deeply embedded in the Tiger 21 network — Michael Sonnenfeldt, Katja Goldman's husband, founded the peer-advisory group for high-net-worth investors, placing the Goldmans at the center of a global community of wealth holders. Adjacent vehicles include the Goldman-Sonnenfeldt Foundation. The foundation and BLDG Management co-locate at 417 Fifth Avenue, reinforcing a model where philanthropic and commercial real estate activities remain operationally intertwined. The foundation's architecture blurs the line between a family office and a traditional grant-maker. Its investment posture — direct venture and co-investment alongside programmatic grants — reflects a hands-on operator mindset shaped by the family's real estate roots. Succession rests with the second generation, who balance stewardship of the endowment with active commercial roles at BLDG Management, creating an unusually tight integration of profit and purpose.

## Sectors

- Real Estate
- Healthcare Services
- AgriTech & FoodTech

## People

- Dorian Goldman — President and Director
- Lloyd Goldman — Treasurer and Director
- Katja Goldman — Secretary and Director

## Questions

### Who runs investment decisions at the Joyce & Irving Goldman Family Foundation?

The foundation is governed by a family board. Dorian Goldman serves as President, Lloyd Goldman as Treasurer, and Katja Goldman as Secretary. Investment and grant-making decisions flow through this group, reflecting a closely held family governance model rather than a professionalized investment committee.

### How does the foundation's real estate heritage influence its investment strategy?

The Goldman family fortune was built through Sol and Irving Goldman's vast New York real estate empire. The foundation's direct investment posture — including venture capital and co-investments — mirrors the hands-on, operator-centric approach that defined the family's commercial success at BLDG Management, with which it shares leadership and offices.

### What is the foundation's relationship with BLDG Management?

BLDG Management is the Goldman family's real estate operating company, led by Lloyd Goldman as President. The foundation and BLDG share an address at 417 Fifth Avenue and key personnel, creating a structure where philanthropic capital and commercial real estate operations are governed by the same family principals.

### Does the foundation make direct investments beyond traditional grants?

Yes. The foundation's stated strategy includes buyout, early-stage venture, late-stage expansion, and fund-of-funds commitments. It participates in co-investments and deploys capital across asset classes beyond its programmatic grant-making pillars.

### What is the foundation's connection to Tiger 21?

Michael Sonnenfeldt, husband of foundation director Katja Goldman, founded Tiger 21, the prominent peer-advisory network for high-net-worth investors. This places the Goldman family at the center of a global network of wealth holders, which informs their philanthropic and investment perspective.

### Which geographic regions does the foundation focus on?

The foundation's grant-making and investment activity concentrates on the United States, with a significant secondary focus on Israel, aligning with its Jewish Life pillar. Its real estate interests remain rooted in the New York City market where the family built its fortune.

### How is the foundation's endowment managed?

Altss estimates the endowment at roughly $197 million. The foundation manages assets directly, blending program-related grants with venture and buyout investments, a structure that reflects the family's preference for direct control rather than outsourcing to external institutional managers.

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Last updated: 2026-07-06T00:35:05.206Z

Canonical page: https://altss.com/profile/joyce-irving-goldman-family-foundation

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