Winnie Sandler Grinspoon is the president of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, established by her father-in-law, Harold Grinspoon, in 1991.
Since its inception, the foundation has invested more than $230 million in programs that have made Jewish life and learning more vibrant, connected and enjoyable.
Perhaps its most notable creation is PJ Library, which distributes free Jewish-themed books, music and resources each month to more than half a million Jewish children around the world. PJ Library mails more than 230,000 Jewish-themed books every month in the United States and Canada, reaching more than 175,000 households in North America.
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The Israeli arm of the project, Sifriyat Pijama, operates in conjunction with the Education Ministry, and the foundation runs a version for Arab-Israeli children as well.
In a 2020 article in Tablet, the online Jewish magazine, Harold Grinspoon explained that the idea of distributing books to children came to him while attending the Seder table of his eldest son and daughter-in-law, Winnie. When his daughter-in-law handed out Jewish books as afikomen prizes, Grinspoon noticed the enthusiasm of his grandchildren.
Another successful initiative developed by the foundation is JCamp180, which provides consulting services in board development, strategic planning, fundraising, and outreach technology to volunteer boards of affiliated camps. In 2020, the foundation gave $10m. in emergency grant funding to support nonprofit Jewish summer camps participating in the foundation’s JCamp 180 program. This year, the Grinspoon Foundation, together with an anonymous donor, committed to almost $11m. in matching funds, in the All Together Now 2021 program to help Jewish summer camps.
A third landmark program established by the Harold Grinspoon Foundation is called Life & Legacy, which assists communities across North America, through partnerships with Jewish Federations and foundations, to promote after-life giving to build endowments that will provide financial stability to Jewish day schools, synagogues, social service organizations and other Jewish entities. Since the program’s inception, donors have committed almost $1 billion in future gifts to participating organizations.
Winnie Sandler Grinspoon is continuing the pioneering philanthropic work of her father-in-law to ensure that the foundation will continue to be a major presence in Jewish education for many years to come.