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Ressler Family Foundation
The Ressler Family Foundation was established in 1994 by Richard and Alison Ressler as a private grantmaking vehicle based in Los Angeles. Richard Ressler's...
Ressler Family Foundation
The Ressler Family Foundation was established in 1994 by Richard and Alison Ressler as a private grantmaking vehicle based in Los Angeles. Richard Ressler's wealth stems from his career as a corporate attorney and his co-founding role at CIM Group, the real estate and infrastructure investment firm he built with partners Shaul Kuba and Avi Shemesh. Alison Ressler, a former Sullivan & Cromwell partner, complements the foundation's legal and educational focus, serving on the Brown University Corporation and the LA28 Olympic Committee. The foundation's asset base, estimated at $43 million, supports a dual mandate of charitable giving and venture capital investments. Grant recipients cluster in higher education — including Brown University and Columbia Law School — alongside medical research entities such as the Melanoma Research Alliance, where Richard Ressler sits on the board. The foundation also directs capital to Jewish and pro-Israel organizations. On the investment side, venture allocations target generalist early-stage companies, though specific portfolio names are not publicly disclosed. Team size remains undisclosed, and the foundation operates without a known external website or dedicated staff presence beyond the principals. Richard and Alison Ressler maintain the entity alongside a constellation of adjacent interests: a Beverly Park estate, a Malibu beach house, stakes in the Milwaukee Brewers and Atlanta Hawks, and a private Gulfstream V. The Atlanta Hawks stake connects indirectly to Antony Ressler, Richard's brother and Ares Management co-founder, who leads the NBA franchise's ownership group. The foundation's defining architecture is its quiet, dual-purpose structure — it functions simultaneously as a tax-efficient grantmaking entity and a private investment vehicle, without the multi-family office overlay or external LP base common among peers of comparable wealth. This lean setup allows the Resslers to direct philanthropic capital and personal venture bets through a single entity without commingling with the larger Ressler family fortune managed at Ares.
General information
Firm type
Endowment / Foundation
Year founded
1994
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Los Angeles
Corporate office
Los Angeles, CA, United States
Principals
Richard Ressler
Founder / Director
Alison Ressler
Co-Founder / Director
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
What is the relationship between the Ressler Family Foundation and Ares Management?
There is no operational overlap. The Ressler Family Foundation is the personal grantmaking and investment vehicle of Richard and Alison Ressler. Richard's brother, Antony Ressler, co-founded Ares Management, a publicly traded alternative asset manager with over $400 billion in assets. The two brothers' financial and philanthropic activities remain structurally separate, though the families maintain personal and business connections, including shared ownership stakes in the Atlanta Hawks.
Where does the foundation's wealth originate?
Richard Ressler earned his wealth through corporate law and as a co-founder of CIM Group, the Los Angeles-based real estate and infrastructure firm launched in 1994 alongside Shaul Kuba and Avi Shemesh. CIM Group manages over $30 billion in assets across urban real estate and infrastructure projects. Alison Ressler contributed earnings from her partnership at Sullivan & Cromwell, where she was a leading mergers-and-acquisitions lawyer.
Does the foundation accept outside capital or co-investors?
No. The Ressler Family Foundation is a single-family philanthropic and investment entity. It does not raise capital from external limited partners, operate as a multi-family office, or offer investment products to outside investors. All capital is sourced from the Ressler family's personal wealth.
What types of venture investments does the foundation make?
The foundation makes direct early-stage venture capital investments through a generalist mandate, without publicly disclosed sector restrictions. Specific portfolio companies are not disclosed publicly, consistent with the entity's private operating posture. Grantmaking activity is more transparent, with documented support for education, medical research, and pro-Israel organizations.
How is the foundation governed, and are next-generation family members involved?
Governance details and succession plans are not publicly disclosed. Richard and Alison Ressler are the named principals on public records relevant to the foundation's operations. No adult children or next-generation family members are publicly identified as holding officer or director roles within the foundation as of current public records.
What philanthropic causes does the Ressler Family Foundation prioritize?
Grantmaking focuses on higher education, including Brown University and Columbia Law School, medical research through the Melanoma Research Alliance, human services, and Jewish and pro-Israel charitable organizations. Alison Ressler's board roles at Brown and the LA28 Olympic Committee further signal the foundation's geographic and institutional affinities toward Los Angeles and Northeast academic institutions.
Does the foundation maintain a public profile or accept grant applications?
The foundation maintains no known public website and does not appear to solicit unsolicited grant applications. Its philanthropic activity is visible primarily through IRS filings and the public disclosures of recipient organizations. This low-profile posture is consistent with the personal, non-institutionalized character of many single-family foundations of its size.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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