About - AJA Foundation

Our Mission

AJA Foundation seeks to help those who have done everything society asks of them, yet for whom access to essential resources and the probability for advancement that comes from them remain elusive at best and structurally impossible at worst.

We know that the “playing field” of opportunity tilts substantially and unfairly towards those coming from advantage and that nobody succeeds on their own. AJA Foundation is dedicated to leveling the playing field by investing globally in organizations addressing what we see as fundamental human rights with a focus on equal access to clean water, quality education and essential healthcare.

Guinea – Unicef

Zambia – Chipembele Wildlife Education Trust, Makolekole

Italy – Engera

Haiti – Three Angels

Geneva, Switzerland – Doctors Without Borders, UN Refugee Agency

London, England – Save the Children, Global Witness

Kenya – AMREF, Nashulai Masai Conservancy

Ethiopia – Engera

California – Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation, Fulfillment Fund, Prostate Cancer Foundation, Special Olympics (Los Angeles), Miracle League San Diego (San Diego), Wheelchairs for Humanity (San Rafael)

Nevada – Fulfillment Fund Las Vegas, Leader’s in Training, The ShadeTree, Make a Wish (Las Vegas), Dean’s Future Scholars (Reno)

New York – Unicef, Tikum Olam Makers, Innocence Project, Trident Swim Foundation, Planned Parenthood, ACLU, Harlem Grown, RED, V Day (New York, NY) Connecticut – Pathfinder (New Haven) Massachusetts – Steppingstone (Boston)

Texas – Mercy Ships

Pennsylvania – University of Pennsylvania Scholarship

Alabama – Southern Poverty Law

Washington, D.C. – Red Cross International Virginia – Partnership for the Future

Missouri – Pianos for People

Uganda – Action in Africa, Bringing Hope to the Family USA, Soft Power Health

Malawi – The Sparkle Foundation

Israel – Early Starters

Guatemala – International Esperanza Project

Afghanistan – Aseel, Code to Inspire

From Local Mentorship to Global Impact

Three events in Andy Astrachan‘s life informed the three pillars of philanthropy of the charitable foundation bearing his initials.

The first was an invitation by the principal of the 112th Street Elementary School in South Central Los Angeles to mentor a group of students and help the school obtain resources. The second was a trip to Africa to participate in the digging of a water well in a remote rural village. The third was his own cancer diagnosis.

Driven by the steadfast belief that everyone deserves the opportunity to reach their fullest potential, the AJA Foundation’s primary focus is providing access globally to clean water, affordable healthcare, and quality childhood education.

We invest in these areas because we believe them to be essential human rights fundamental to human development that must be equitably distributed, not skewed towards wealth and privilege.

Recognizing that nobody achieves success on their own and believing that all of us have a moral obligation to help lift up those less fortunate, the AJA Foundation is the result of Andy‘s hands-on life experiences and desire to pay forward the immeasurable help and support he received.