Deeply moved by the experience of directing the film Schindler’s List, Steven Spielberg decided to donate his portion of the film’s profits to help support a flourishing and meaningful Jewish community. To that end, he established the Righteous Persons Foundation (RPF), which has made more than $90 million in grants since 1994.

For over sixteen years, RPF has funded a broad range of innovative approaches to strengthening Jewish identity and community in the United States and to preserving the memory of the Holocaust. Today, the Foundation supports ventures that engage the next generation, connect with art and culture, digitize the Jewish past, inspire social activism, and promote understanding between Jews and those of other faiths and backgrounds. By partnering with inventive organizations and efforts, the Righteous Persons Foundation hopes to contribute towards a more vibrant and just community – one committed both to its own transformation and to transforming the broader world.

While much has changed since the Foundation began, RPF’s mission remains the same: to support and actively build a thriving Jewish community that reflects the realities of Jewish life in America today.

For more information about the Foundation's funding, please see Funding Priorities and Featured Grants.