COMMON MAPS
Map version new-york activity top-down
Main site Contact
Menu
↑ parent activity group ·
research dossier

THE ALEX FUND INC
TARRYTOWN, NY · EIN 223786644 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE T30 · Philanthropy & Grantmaking · Small ($100K-$1M) · alexfund.org
revenue
$180K
expenses
$156K
net assets
$239K
employees
2
program ratio
79%
mission · from form 990

BREAKING THE CYCLE OF POVERTY THROUGH EARLY EDUCATION.

profile · synthesized from sources

The Alex Fund Inc is a U.S.-based grantmaking foundation that supports early education initiatives in Romania, primarily through its long-term funding of Asociatia OvidiuRo. The organization was founded to break the cycle of poverty by increasing access to quality preschool for disadvantaged children, particularly Roma communities. It has played a pivotal role in advancing national policy, including the passage of Romania's "Preschool Law" (No. 248/2015), and continues to support teacher training, literacy programs, and systemic reform.

named programs · 7 · from sources

What they call their work

Acceleratorul de literație
Two-year literacy program in Dâmbovița County focused on improving vocabulary and language skills among primary school pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Every Child Deserves a Story
Pilot program providing rural kindergartens with books, teacher training, and literacy resources to improve early language development for children aged 3–6.
Fiecare Copil în Grădiniță (Every Child in Kindergarten)
Program that incentivizes preschool attendance among impoverished families through food coupons, later adopted as national law in Romania. Reached over 70,000 children living below the poverty line.
PeStop
NGO providing menstrual hygiene products and health education to vulnerable girls and women in Romania.
Punguța cu 2 cărți (Two Books in a Bag)
Pilot project distributing books to parents of toddlers (0–3 years) to promote reading at home and improve early literacy in disadvantaged communities.
Reality Check
NGO founded by former OvidiuRo staff to monitor and improve implementation of social policies, particularly the Preschool Law, ensuring effective delivery and accountability.
Șotron Summer Programs
Annual two-week educational program led by volunteer teachers in 37 counties, serving 6,000 disadvantaged preschoolers and distributing 18,000 picture books.
activities · 6 groups

What they do

  • Child Care and Early Childhood Policy Advocacy 1 activity
    • Advocating for national early education policy reform in Romania
      Played a key role in advocating for legislative changes including Law 49/2020 and amendments to Law 248/2015, which expanded conditional food coupon programs to improve preschool attendance among impoverished children, impacting approximately 100,000 children annually.
  • Children's Book Distribution Programs 1 activity
    • Distributing books and educational materials to children in Romania
      Distributes picture books and mini-libraries to children in rural and urban kindergartens across Romania; distributed over 600,000 picture books to reach more than 265,000 children and supports home-based reading by providing books for children to take home.
  • Literacy Program Funding 1 activity
    • Funding early education programs in Romania and Moldova
      Funds early childhood education initiatives in Romania and the Republic of Moldova, including teacher training, distribution of learning materials, and the establishment of Hubs for Literacy & Quality Early Education. Supports Asociatia OvidiuRo and other partners to expand access to quality early education for disadvantaged children.
  • Integrated Community-Led Development Programs 1 activity
    • Implementing community development and direct support programs in Romanian villages
      Runs community development projects in Ponorâta and Castelu villages in Romania, providing daily warm meals, school supplies, clothing, food coupons conditional on school attendance, home repairs, public hygiene facilities, education through sports for 400 children, and medical assistance to vulnerable families.
  • Summer and Seasonal Reading Programs 1 activity
    • Organizing literacy promotion and summer learning programs
      Conducts traveling community reading events to promote books and preschool enrollment, and operates a summer learning program that includes reading, hygiene education, socialization, and remedial learning for children in need.
  • Teacher Professional Development 1 activity
    • Providing teacher training and literacy capacity building in Romania
      Conducts intensive training for kindergarten teachers and community workers in read-aloud techniques and early literacy development; trained 20,000 teachers through 300 sessions and 1,500 teachers to serve as peer trainers, with online sessions in 2020 reaching 2,000 educators who became reading ambassadors.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$180K
Contributions & grants$175K97%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$5K3%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$156K
Program expenses79%
Admin / overhead5%
Fundraising15%
Salaries & benefits$20K
Grants paid out$120K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$241K
Cash$200K
Investments$40K
Liabilities$2K
Net assets$239K
Liquid reserves18.5 mo
3 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +37.4%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 2
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
WENDY PHILLIPS KAHN TREASURER/SECRETERY 5 $10K
RALUCA GOLD-FUCHS PRESIDENT 1 $8K
board members · 11
  • ALEXANDRA TINJALA — TRUSTEE
  • ANDREW SOLOMON — TRUSTEE
  • CARRIE MALCOLM — VICE-PRESIDENT
  • ELENA MARIA BURUIANA — TRUSTEE
  • ETHAN HAWKE — TRUSTEE
  • ISABEL FONSECA — TRUSTEE
  • LESLIE HAWKE — TRUSTEE
  • MARILENA MARITESCU — TRUSTEE
  • PAUL CANTOR — VICE-PRESIDENT
  • RYAN SHAWHUGHES HAWKE — TRUSTEE
  • STELIAN DRAGAN — TRUSTEE
relationships · 27

Who they work with

  • Agency for Early Education Partner — Collaborates under the umbrella of the Agency for Early Education to advance early childhood education initiatives.
  • Asociatia OvidiuRo Partner — Primary implementing partner for early education programs in Romania and the Republic of Moldova.
  • Asociatia OvidiuRo Partner — Recipient of funding from The Alex Fund for program implementation.
  • Asociatia OvidiuRo Partner — Supports the NGO's work in early education in Romania through fundraising and collaboration.
  • Asociația OvidiuRo Partner — Co-founded by The Alex Fund's Leslie Hawke and Maria Gheorghiu to expand educational programs in Romania.
  • Carrefour Partner — Partnered with Asociația OvidiuRo on the "Pofta de Carte" read-aloud project and received joint recognition for CSR efforts.
  • Dâmbovița School Inspectorate Partner — Collaborated with Asociația OvidiuRo to launch the "Acceleratorul de literație" literacy program in disadvantaged areas.
  • Fundatia de Sprijin Comunitar Partner — Partner organization receiving grants from The Alex Fund to support community initiatives.
  • Fundația Noi Orizonturi Partner — Partnered with Asociația OvidiuRo on a pilot project focused on parental education using the Circle of Security model.
  • Microsoft Foundation Funder — Monthly matching donor to The Alex Fund in 2025.
  • Minister of Education and Research of the Republic of Moldova Government — Invited OvidiuRo to replicate early literacy initiatives in Moldova, indicating official governmental collaboration.
  • Ministry of Education (Romania) Government — Partnered with The Alex Fund through Asociația OvidiuRo to implement and scale early education programs including Fiecare Copil în Grădiniță.
  • Ministry of Education (Romania) Partner — Collaborates with OvidiuRo to implement early literacy interventions in kindergartens.
  • Ministry of Labor (Romania) Partner — Collaborated with Reality Check to draft amendments to Law 248/2015 to improve preschool attendance among impoverished children.
  • OvidiuRo Partner — Implementing early education programs in partnership with THE ALEX FUND INC.
  • OvidiuRo Partner — Long-term grantee partner implementing early education programs in Romania.
  • OvidiuRo Partner — Partner organization implementing early literacy programs in Romania and Moldova, funded and supported by The Alex Fund.
  • PeStop Partner — Funded partner organization providing menstrual hygiene products and health education to vulnerable girls and women.
  • Reality Check Partner — Funded partner organization that evaluates social programs and runs community development projects.
  • Reality Check Partner — Monitors and improves implementation of the “Preschool Law” as OvidiuRo’s partner organization.
  • Reality Check Partner — Organization supported by The Alex Fund through grant funding.
  • Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Funder — Donor to The Alex Fund at the $500 and above level in 2025 and 2026.
  • Romania Government — Collaborates with Romanian government entities to support vulnerable children through early education initiatives.
  • The Alex Fund Funder — Provided support for Reality Check to work with public authorities and Parliament to amend Law 248/2015.
  • The J.M. Kaplan Fund Funder — Donor to The Alex Fund at the $20,000 and above level in 2025 and 2026.
  • UNICEF Partner — Planned partner in the second phase of the early literacy program in Moldova, supporting national expansion.
  • county school inspectorates Partner — Works with OvidiuRo to implement early education programs at the local level.
strategies · 5

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Conditional Incentives to Increase Early Education Participation
    methodology: conditional_incentives
    By offering food coupons conditional on daily preschool attendance, the organization improves participation among disadvantaged children, because short-term material incentives help families overcome immediate barriers to consistent engagement in long-term educational benefits.
  • Early Literacy Through Teacher Training and Book Access
    methodology: early_literacy_ecosystem
    By equipping teachers with read-aloud training, providing classroom libraries, and distributing take-home books, the organization strengthens foundational literacy, because combining professional development with material resources and family engagement creates a sustained culture of reading.
  • Effective Program Grantmaking with Evidence-Based Partnerships
    methodology: effective_program_grantmaking
    By funding the most effective programs through strategic grants to local organizations, the organization levels the educational playing field in Romania, because directing resources to high-impact, community-rooted initiatives maximizes systemic change and sustainability.
  • Integrated Early Childhood Development Model
    methodology: integrated_early_childhood_development
    By combining early education with access to health care, nutrition, and home literacy support, the organization improves school readiness, because holistic interventions that address multiple dimensions of child development produce stronger and more equitable outcomes than education alone.
  • Two-Generation Approach to Break Intergenerational Poverty
    methodology: two_generation_approach
    By providing early education for children and job training for mothers simultaneously, the organization aims to disrupt the cycle of poverty, because addressing both child development and caregiver economic stability creates compounding, long-term benefits for families.