Ted Arison Family Found

The Ted Arison Family Foundation operates as one of Florida's largest private family foundations — with $482 million in assets as of FY2024 — but its philanthropic center of gravity is squarely in Israel. Founded in 1982 by the late Ted Arison, who built Carnival Cruise Lines into a global enterprise, the foundation was established to convert business success into lasting social investment. Today it is chaired by Jason Arison, who draws a full-time salary ($357,000–$507,000 annually) and guides the foundation alongside four unpaid family trustees: Shari Arison, David Arison, Cassie Arison Sueiras, and Daniel Arison Dorsman.

The foundation's giving philosophy is grounded in three Jewish values: Tzedakah (charity and responsibility), Tikkun Olam (transforming the world), and Chessed (acts of loving kindness). These are operative terms, not decorative language — understanding them is essential for any applicant crafting a Letter of Request. Proposals that articulate how a program embodies these values in practice, not just conceptually, land differently with this committee.

Grantmaking is discretionary and committee-driven. A single grant committee convenes once per year to evaluate all submitted applications, making this an annual cycle with no second chances once the January window closes. For new applicants, this means the relationship clock starts well before January: building a connection to the foundation 12–18 months before an intended submission is not excessive. The foundation is known in grant circles as loyal to its established partners — it renews long-term relationships consistently — which is both a challenge (new entrants compete against incumbents) and a signal (once you're in, you're likely to stay in).

Alongside discretionary grantmaking, the foundation operates Vision Ventures, a portfolio of organizations it co-founded and continues to support: Good Deeds Day, Goodnet, Artport Tel Aviv, Matan, Ruach Tova, Essence of Life, and All One. These internal investments represent strategic priorities that go beyond grant applications and command direct organizational leadership from the Arison family. They compete with external grantee requests for philanthropic bandwidth.

First-time applicants should treat the initial Letter of Request as a relationship-opening document, not simply a funding request. Reference specific programs the foundation has previously supported, demonstrate prior knowledge of their five priority areas, and make the Israel connection explicit and substantive from the very first paragraph.

Over the decade from FY2011 to FY2022 (the most complete data on public record), the Ted Arison Family Foundation consistently expanded its grantmaking from $14.9 million in grants paid in FY2011 to $29 million in FY2022 — a near-doubling in direct disbursements. Total giving (which includes program-related investments and charitable expenditures beyond pure grants) grew from $21.7 million in FY2011 to $42.4 million in FY2022.

The standout anomaly in the financial record is FY2020, when grants paid spiked to $65.8 million and total giving reached $76.9 million — roughly 2.5 times the foundation's typical annual pace. Contributions received in FY2020 hit $41.7 million (versus a more typical $3.8–$11.3 million range in surrounding years), indicating a significant capital infusion from Arison family members drove the exceptional disbursement year. This was not a new baseline: FY2021 ($29.9M grants paid, $41M total giving) and FY2022 ($29M grants paid, $42.4M total giving) returned squarely to the established range.

Typical annual grantmaking: $20–$30 million in direct grants paid, with total giving reaching $27–$42 million when all charitable disbursements are included. As of FY2024, total assets stand at $482 million with $55.6 million in revenue — suggesting strong investment returns that position the foundation to sustain or modestly grow giving through 2025–2026.

Individual grant size data is not itemized in available IRS filings (reported in aggregate as "Total Grants Paid — See Statement B"). Third-party sources confirm individual grants have exceeded $2 million, and capital investments like the Arison Pediatric Emergency Medicine Center at Wolfson Medical Center (announced February 2025) suggest the foundation supports multi-million-dollar flagship institutional partnerships. Smaller programmatic grants to operational nonprofits likely range from $50,000 to $500,000 based on the foundation's asset scale and sector norms.

Geographic breakdown: Approximately 95%+ of grants flow to Israeli organizations across five named priority areas — Education, Children and Youth, Population in Distress, Disabilities, and Health. The remaining slice reaches U.S.-based Jewish organizations, with documented grants to Jewish federations in Miami and Pittsburgh. No significant international (non-Israel, non-U.S.) grantmaking appears in the public record. Within Israel, the foundation funds both established national institutions and community-level nonprofits serving vulnerable populations.

The Ted Arison Family Foundation occupies a distinctive niche among major U.S.-registered foundations with a primary Israel focus. It ranks as a mid-to-large funder by assets among Jewish family philanthropy peers, with an above-average giving rate relative to endowment size.

Note: Peer asset and giving figures are approximate, based on publicly available data and may reflect varying fiscal years.

The Arison Foundation differs structurally from most peers in running an annual open call — the January application window — rather than a purely invitation-only process. For qualified Israeli nonprofits, this is a meaningful structural access advantage not found at Klarman or Milken. However, the foundation's deep loyalty to existing grantees effectively functions as a de facto invitation requirement for new entrants in practice. Unlike Schusterman and Klarman, which fund beyond Israel into broader civil society and U.S. Jewish education, Arison remains tightly concentrated on Israeli social infrastructure and does not fund U.S. domestic programs unconnected to Jewish community life.

The most significant public announcement from the foundation in the 2025–2026 period came on February 20, 2025, when a cornerstone laying ceremony marked the start of construction on the Arison Pediatric Emergency Medicine Center at Wolfson Medical Center in Holon, Israel. Built in partnership with the nonprofit Save a Child's Heart, the center will serve approximately 25,000 pediatric patients annually when it opens in 2026, covering the central Israel cities of Holon, Bat Yam, southern Tel Aviv, and Rishon LeZion. At the ceremony, Jason Arison, Chairman, stated that the foundation "considers the establishment of the 'Arison Pediatric Emergency Medicine Center' to be of great importance" and described the project as central to its mission of "improving the quality of life for broad communities." No specific dollar figure was publicly disclosed for the construction commitment, though the scale and the naming opportunity suggest a multi-million-dollar pledge.

No additional 2026 announcements were available in public sources at the time of this report. Leadership structure has remained stable: Jason Arison continues as full-time Chairman with consistent compensation between $357,000 and $507,000. The family trustee composition — Shari Arison, David Arison, Cassie Arison Sueiras, Daniel Arison Dorsman, and Shlomit De-Vries as Treasurer — is unchanged per available IRS filings.

The foundation's Vision Ventures portfolio continues to operate as active internal investments. Good Deeds Day has grown into a global event observed in multiple countries, reflecting the foundation's appetite for scalable social models that originate in Israel and expand outward. No program pivots, new grant categories, or endowment restructurings were announced through early 2026.

Understand the geography first. The Ted Arison Family Foundation's Israel-centric mandate is not a preference to work around — it is the core eligibility screen. Every documented grant flows to Israeli organizations, with narrow exceptions for U.S. Jewish institutions in Miami and Pittsburgh specifically. Organizations outside Israel without substantive Israeli programming should not apply.

Work the January window. The foundation accepts applications once per year, in January, via the online portal at arisonfoundation.com/stagea/. This is a hard constraint. Begin preparing materials in October, confirm the portal is accepting submissions in early December, and submit before the window closes. There is no late exception or rolling consideration process.

Cultivate relationships before you apply. Grant practitioners consistently flag this foundation as a tough funder for new applicants. The committee rewards organizations with demonstrated histories of engagement. Attend Good Deeds Day events, connect with Matan's network (an Arison-founded organization and Israel's leading community philanthropy intermediary), and seek introductions through Israeli nonprofits that are current grantees. A warm introduction to foundation staff in Israel (+972-3-6073100) carries more weight than a polished cold application.

Lead with values, not just outputs. The required initial submission is a Letter of Request (2–3 pages). Root your program explicitly in the foundation's three pillars: Tzedakah, Tikkun Olam, and Chessed. Do not use these terms as buzzwords — show operationally how your work embodies each concept and produces measurable change in Israeli society.

Signal institutional stability. This foundation invests in organizations, not experiments. Demonstrate proven leadership, multi-year track records, diverse funding sources, and financial sustainability. First-time applicants with fewer than 3 years of operations face long odds.

Consider naming opportunities for large capital asks. The Arison family has a documented appetite for landmark gifts that carry the family name — the Arison Pediatric Emergency Medicine Center being the most recent example. Organizations seeking infrastructure funding above $1 million should explore how naming rights or co-branding a facility could strengthen their case.

Plan for a long decision timeline. The grant committee meets once annually. From January submission to funding notification typically spans 6–12 months. Do not build near-term operational budgets around this grant as a predictable revenue source.