After directing Schindler’s List in 1993, Steven Spielberg donated his share of the film’s profits to a foundation; the organisation has since distributed more than $160 million in grants | World News

When Steven Spielberg directed Schindler’s List in 1993, the experience left a lasting impact on him, inspiring a philanthropic commitment that has continued for decades. The filmmaker donated his share of the film’s profits to establish the Righteous Persons Foundation in 1994, with the aim of strengthening Jewish life, preserving historical memory and supporting initiatives that promote social justice. Since its establishment, the foundation has expanded its work beyond Holocaust education to include arts, culture, documentary filmmaking and efforts to build understanding between communities. According to its official website, the organisation has distributed more than $160 million in grants, supporting projects that preserve Jewish heritage, amplify overlooked stories and encourage a more inclusive society.

How Schindler’s List inspired the foundation

Released in 1993, Schindler’s List tells the story of German industrialist Oskar Schindler, who saved more than 1,000 Jews during the Holocaust by employing them in his factories. The film, based on Thomas Keneally’s novel Schindler’s Ark, brought the history of the Holocaust to a global audience and became one of Spielberg’s most acclaimed works.Spielberg’s experience directing the film motivated him to establish the Righteous Persons Foundation the following year. In August 1994, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported that all his personal profits from the film would go towards the newly established organisation. The foundation began operating in the autumn of 1994, with its initial priorities including Holocaust education and support for Jewish causes in the United States. The foundation’s vision was not limited to preserving the past. It also sought to strengthen contemporary Jewish communities by supporting education, cultural initiatives and social justice efforts.

A philanthropic effort that grew beyond one film

The foundation’s work expanded as Spielberg and his wife, actress Kate Capshaw, contributed additional funds. Spielberg also designated profits from his films Munich (2005) and Lincoln (2012) for the organisation, according to its official website.In 2005, profits from Munich, which explores the aftermath of the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre, helped establish the foundation’s Media Fund for Co-existence. An initial $5 million allocation supported projects using media and storytelling to encourage understanding between people from different backgrounds.Among the initiatives supported through the fund were Arab Labor, a television sitcom about the life of an Arab Israeli journalist, and Israel Story, a radio programme and podcast exploring Israeli society. The projects reflected the foundation’s belief that storytelling can help audiences understand experiences beyond their own.

More than $160 million distributed in grants

The Righteous Persons Foundation reports that it has distributed more than $160 million in grants since its establishment. Its funding has supported organisations working in Jewish history, education, arts and culture, documentary filmmaking, social justice and intercultural understanding.The grants have backed both established institutions and projects seeking new ways to engage audiences with history and contemporary social issues. The foundation has also supported efforts to make Jewish cultural traditions accessible to younger generations and to encourage dialogue across religious and cultural divides.Its grantmaking has evolved over time, but its central aim remains to strengthen Jewish life while promoting dignity, justice and a deeper understanding of different communities. The $160 million figure represents the foundation’s cumulative grantmaking as reported on its own website.

Preserving Holocaust survivors’ testimonies

One of the foundation’s significant areas of support has been the preservation of Holocaust survivor testimony through the USC Shoah Foundation, an independent institute established by Spielberg in 1994.The institute records and preserves the experiences of Holocaust survivors and other witnesses of genocide, making their accounts available for education and research. The Righteous Persons Foundation provided substantial support towards establishing the organisation and has continued to fund its work.In 2024, the foundation pledged $30 million over six years to the USC Shoah Foundation’s endowment. According to the grant announcement, the funding is intended to help preserve testimonies, provide opportunities for additional survivors and liberators to record their experiences, and strengthen the institute’s educational programmes.The grant reflects a long-term commitment to ensuring that survivor accounts remain accessible to future generations, particularly as the number of living Holocaust survivors declines. The two organisations remain independent, with the USC Shoah Foundation focused on testimony and education and the Righteous Persons Foundation operating as a grantmaking organisation.

Supporting documentary films and Jewish culture

The foundation has also invested in documentary filmmaking as a way to explore Jewish identity, history and social issues. In 1996, it helped establish a documentary film fund at the Foundation for Jewish Culture.The fund supported projects including Trembling Before G-d, which examines the experiences of gay and lesbian Orthodox Jews, and Waltz with Bashir, an animated documentary about memory and the Lebanon War. The foundation says the initiative backed close to 100 documentaries.Another major cultural project involved the digitisation of Yiddish literature. In 1998, the foundation became the lead funder of the Yiddish Book Center’s effort to preserve and make Yiddish books available online. The resulting Steven Spielberg Digital Yiddish Library contains digitised copies of more than 11,000 distinct titles, according to the foundation.Subsequent support helped fund translators working to make Yiddish literature available in English, widening access to a literary tradition that might otherwise be difficult for new generations to explore.

Helping Holocaust survivors access reparations

The foundation’s work has also included practical assistance for Holocaust survivors. In 2008, it supported Bet Tzedek, a legal services organisation, in establishing the Holocaust Survivor Justice Network.The network brought together attorneys who volunteered to help survivors navigate the process of seeking reparations from the German government. According to the foundation’s account, the network had helped more than 5,000 survivors obtain an estimated $25 million in reparations by the time of its published update.The initiative demonstrated how grantmaking could help survivors access compensation through legal assistance, particularly when complex procedures created barriers. It also extended the foundation’s work beyond historical preservation and education to address the needs of people who lived through the Holocaust.

A lasting commitment to history and community

The Righteous Persons Foundation’s work has developed into a broad philanthropic programme connecting cultural preservation, education, storytelling and social justice. Its grants have supported Holocaust testimony, documentary films, Jewish literature and projects that encourage dialogue between communities.