Our Mission is to support organizations and causes which we believe Cliff would have supported, especially in the areas of animal welfare and bringing music to the underprivileged.  We will donate to organizations as well as directly funding programs.  We will manage our funds in order to ensure that the Foundation is able to make important positive contributions to worthy causes for many years to come, as Cliff would have.  Thus, the Foundation will generally spend at least 5% and at most 20% of its assets in any one year.

All donations to the Cliff Kaminsky Memorial Foundation are fully tax deductible as gifts to a 501(c)(3) public charity.

Please go to the Donate page for information about where to send a check or to donate securely with your credit card.

Cliff's Music

Thank you for donating to the Cliff Kaminsky Foundation

Decisions regarding whom the Foundation will support will be made by Cliff's family, in consultation with others including experts in the field, i.e. animal welfare, and Cliff's friends and colleagues who knew him best.  We will generally contribute to organizations which are not already very well funded, so that a contribution of a few hundred to a few thousand dollars would make a substantial difference to the charity and its ability to operate at its highest level.

The Foundation is structured as a donor-advised fund, with the funds held by The Community Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization based in Boulder, CO.  Only 2% of funds donated go towards overhead and costs; this is a fixed fee of the Community Foundation for doing all the paperwork and tax and regulatory filings.  No member of Cliff's family or anybody else involved running the Cliff Kaminsky Memorial Foundation takes any salary, any cost reimbursements, or any other withdrawals of any type.  Thus, the Cliff Kaminsky Memorial Foundation is operated without any other costs, allowing an amazing 98% of funds received to be used for charitable purposes.  (Note that donations made by credit card will result in a fee being deducted from the donation amount before it gets to the Foundation.  However any gift made by credit card will still be entitled to a tax deduction for the full amount of the gift.)

Thank you for donating to the Cliff Kaminsky Foundation                      

Here is a list of the organizations we've supported so far. If the organization name is also a link, that will link you to their web site so you can learn more about them.

Compassion Over Killing (Compassion Over Killing is a Washington DC-based animal advocacy organization whose priorities are reducing animal suffering, especially by working to end animal abuse in factory farming. They also promote vegetarian eating and provide vegan outreach and education.)
Neighborhood Cats (Neighborhood Cats and Francis's Friends are organizations devoted to caring for feral cats in the New York City area, spaying and neutering them and finding them adoptive homes.)
Francis's Friends (Francis's Friends is "dedicated to (1)rescuing, making healthy, and arranging adoptions for cats and kittens, and (2)supporting other rescuers' efforts to trap/neuter/release (TNR) feral cats by providing advice, equipment, and transportation to free or low cost neuter sites.")
In Defense of Animals (IDA is "an international animal protection organization dedicated to ending the exploitation and abuse of animals by raising the status of animals beyond that of mere property, and by defending their rights, welfare and habitat. IDA’s efforts include educational events, cruelty investigations, boycotts, grassroots activism, and hands-on rescue through our sanctuaries in Mississippi and Cameroon, Africa.")
Last Chance for Animals (LCA advocates for the end of animal use for "scientific curiosity, entertainment, clothing, and food". They encourage "conscious and informed lifestyle decisions".)
Saint Martin's Animal Foundation (St Martin's Animal Foundation focuses on reducing animal abuse, rescuing dogs at risk of losing their lives,  educating youngsters about reducing animal cruelty and suffering, helping low income families with spay and neuter  services for their pets and finding homes for homeless pets. They have an animal sanctuary, focus on Spanish-speaking people in the Los Angeles area, and encourage vegan eating.)