Stacy and Lynn Schusterman on Showing Up as Jews for the Benefit of All

“Each of us is worth only what we are willing to give to others.” Lynn Schusterman recalled this lesson from her father in a recent interview with Sapir.

For almost 40 years, the Schusterman family has shaped their philanthropy around Jewish values like tzedek (justice), tikkun olam (repairing the world) and derekh eretz (treating all people with dignity). Inspired by these values and their Jewish upbringing, Lynn and her late husband, Charles, began the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation. They eventually passed leadership to Stacy, who has led the foundation, now Schusterman Family Philanthropies, since 2018.  

While the family's initial giving primarily focused on Jewish and Israeli causes and their hometown of Tulsa, it has grown over time to include K-12 education, democracy and voting rights, criminal justice reform, and gender and reproductive equity. Stacy explains, “We feel a responsibility to show up as Jews to do what we can to benefit all people.”

Today, Schusterman Family Philanthropies supports efforts to shape more just and inclusive societies in the United States and Israel. This interview explores how Lynn and Stacy navigate supporting the Jewish community and broader communities, how they respond to challenges within and across giving areas, and how they rely on close collaboration with grantees to achieve the greatest impact.

“The roles we must play for our own people and for the world around us are interwoven,” Stacy shared. “To separate one of the strands would be to unravel something sacred.”  

Explore how the Schustermans continue to weave these commitments together through their philanthropic work.