What we Fund

The Norman Raab Foundation envisions a forward-thinking, healthy world that encourages innovation and supports local communities.

We focus our work on strengthening communities by funding organizations that work in our three main program areas of Education, Health and Research, and Human Services.

The Foundation’s grant investments span the continuum from direct services to initiatives working toward systemic change. The Foundation prioritizes grants to organizations serving individuals and families who are low-income or located in underserved communities. Many successful grant projects conduct work that engages more than one of our program areas.

Grant awards by the Norman Raab Foundation are made through an invitation-only application process. See the Application Process page for more information. Many of our grant recipients serve communities where members of our family are connected.

PROGRAM AREAS:

Education

We are committed to the idea that educational opportunity is critical to all people reaching their potential and contributing positively to our world. The Foundation’s vision for education is intentionally broad and encompasses both traditional and non-traditional pathways.

Health and Research Sciences

We support organizations that cultivate the health and well-being of communities. The Foundation funds research, education and access in the healthcare and medical fields. Areas of funding interest include healthcare access and education for underserved populations, specific medical research topics, and violence prevention.

Human Services

We believe that strengthening self-sufficiency allows people to reach their full potential with dignity. The Foundation supports organizations that help people in need achieve self-sufficiency for themselves and their families.

PHILANTHROPY TODAY PROGRAM:

Philanthropy Today is a student-led giving club program offered in a selection of public schools in Bucks County, PA. The program provides a framework for each student club to make collective funding decisions to charitable organizations that impact their communities. Through research, site visits, and collaborative decision-making, each student club gains experience in the ideas and practice of philanthropy.

Read more about the Philanthropy Today clubs here.

Additional Grant Programs:

The Foundation awards a limited number of grants at the recommendation of our most senior trustees. These grants, which we call Legacy Grants, are by invitation only and have a distinct process.

A portion of our annual grant budget is made outside of our application processes, and instead are directed by our Board of Trustees in response to current events or to support current Board priorities.

The Foundation

The Norman Raab Foundation is a family foundation historically based in southeastern Pennsylvania. The Foundation was created in 1968 by Norman Raab (1915-2005) as a way to promote active philanthropic giving by his descendants. Norman Raab was a business leader in the garment industry in Philadelphia and New York. Today, two generations of family serve on the Foundation’s Board of Trustees and the main Foundation office is located in Seattle, WA.

The Norman Raab Foundation envisions a forward-thinking, healthy world that encourages innovation and supports local communities. We support charitable organizations focused on education, health and research, and community-based human services.

Mission Statement

The Norman Raab Foundation supports educational programs, the biological and environmental sciences and human service organizations that value innovation and create measurable change in their local communities.

 

The mission of the Foundation is to promote a forward thinking, healthy world through the spirit of mitzvah, an act of human kindness.