Overbrook Foundation

The Overbrook Foundation is a philanthropic organization, founded in 1949. Since its creation, it has donated more than $188 million to education and progressive causes.

History
Frank and Helen Altschul created Overbrook to fund education causes including his alma mater, Yale University. Altschul was an early supporter of NPR.

After Altschul's death in 1981, the foundation hired professional management under the stewardship of family members.

Major grants and initiatives
The foundation provides grants averaging $40,000 to causes including human rights and environmental causes primarily in the western hemisphere.

The foundation supports, for example, In Our Backyard, a crowdfunder of New York City environmental projects.

Position on political contributions
In 2015, Overbrook joined with like-minded foundations including the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, the Ford Foundation, the Carnegie Corporation of New York, and the Turner Foundation to decry corporate contributions to political causes in the wake of the Citizens United v. FEC case.