Dave Foundation

The Dave Foundation is a small private foundation based in Emerald Hills (Redwood City area), California, led by trustee Valera Fooksman. The foundation operates as a personal family philanthropic vehicle established in December 2016 with a clear focus on Jewish religious, educational, and humanitarian causes — particularly those supporting Israeli communities and Jewish heritage preservation. The foundation operates an event center (maintained with real estate taxes as a charitable activity) that generates income to support its grantmaking and hosts educational and community events. The giving strategy appears to be relationship-driven and community-network-based, channeling support primarily to Jewish organizations across the United States and Israel. The foundation operates with modest overhead — trustee Valera Fooksman receives no compensation for the role.

The Dave Foundation held approximately $1.2 million in assets as of the 2024 tax year, with annual contributions of approximately $260,000 from donors/trustees. In 2024, the foundation made 15 grants across multiple organizations totaling approximately $90,000+. Grant amounts ranged dramatically from $25 (Prager University Foundation) to $50,000 (Gush Etzion for Jewish history preservation), with a median of approximately $2,900. The foundation's largest grant in 2024 was $50,000 to the Gush Etzion Foundation for preserving Jewish history and heritage in the Israeli region. Recurring grantees include Kumah (Jewish education, Chicago), Central Fund of Israel, and Chabad (Redwood City). The foundation also maintains a real estate asset (event center) with $21,463 in annual tax expenses, which serves as both a revenue source and charitable venue. Total direct charitable activities in 2024 were approximately $38,500.

The Dave Foundation is representative of a common class of small Jewish diaspora philanthropic vehicles that support Israeli and American Jewish educational and humanitarian causes. Comparable foundations include:

The Dave Foundation's giving pattern is typical for a Russian-American Jewish diaspora family foundation in the Bay Area, combining local Chabad support with national and Israel-focused giving. The inclusion of Prager University Foundation suggests conservative/educational media alignment as well.

As of the 2024 tax filing (published by IRS in June 2025), the foundation remains active with robust giving. The largest single grant was $50,000 to the Gush Etzion Foundation for preserving Jewish history and heritage in the West Bank Etzion Bloc region of Israel, reflecting significant prioritization of Israeli historical preservation causes. Recurring giving to Kumah (three separate grants totaling $17,503 across Jewish education and cultural awareness) and Central Fund of Israel ($10,000 total) indicates ongoing multi-year relationships with these organizations. The Bay Area's Chabad-Redwood City community received two small grants ($816 combined). The event center continues generating income and hosting charitable events.

The Dave Foundation explicitly does not accept unsolicited requests for funds per its IRS Form 990 PF filing. All grants are made to preselected organizations based on trustee Valera Fooksman's personal philanthropic relationships. The foundation's giving is concentrated in: (1) Jewish educational organizations, particularly those with connections to Israeli causes or Zionist education; (2) Israeli humanitarian aid organizations, especially those supporting communities in contested or historic regions; (3) local Bay Area Jewish religious organizations (Chabad). Organizations that align with Jewish heritage preservation, Israeli community support, or American Jewish education — and that have existing relationships with the foundation's trustee community — would be the most natural fit. There is no public application process available.