Mateo Kauffman Sandler Fund

Mateo’s Fund Supports Education, the Arts, and Community  

While we are heartbroken about the loss of Mateo, our family has been moved by the tremendous impact he had in his 16 years of life. He left us with so much love and a beautiful legacy of light, joy, and dreams that we feel inspired to build on the impact he made on our world. And we want to see his huge heart and tremendous creativity live on.
 
To that end, we are proud to initiate the Mateo Kauffman Sandler Fund, which will celebrate the things Mateo cared about the most and ensure that his spirit will continue to positively influence and support others well into the future. 
 
 
 

About Mateo  

Mateo was an extraordinary person — kind, funny, inquisitive, curious, and almost always smiling. For those who knew him, Mateo lit up a room and made it warmer, more fun, and a better place to be. He had such a purity of heart that made his dads and those around him want to be better human beings. 

In recent years, he grew more mature and comfortable with himself. He successfully ran for class president in the spring of his freshman year, was proud to represent his classmates, and took the job very seriously. He was motivated to start clubs at school for his passions, including designing the logo for the car club he created.

We have heard from many of his classmates about how they want to continue to start clubs and pursue their passion for art or other things because of Mateo. Unlike his twin sister, sports weren’t his passion. But he still tried out new sports like soccer, skiing, and golf (which he took a particular interest in). He spent many hours with his friends at local golf courses in New Jersey and during the summer in Nantucket.

More than anything, Mateo loved his family and friends, drawing, and practical jokes. Since his passing, we have heard many beautiful anecdotes from family, friends, and classmates about the small things Mateo did to support others — quiet acts of kindness and thoughtfulness that made their lives better or simply brought a smile or some joy to their day.

Areas of focus for Mateo’s Fund

While Mateo loved many things, our goal each year is to identify effective organizations that are aligned with the following areas of focus: 

  • Arts Education: Mateo absolutely loved to draw and was an artist at a young age. In that spirit, the fund aims to support arts education via grants for high school students, arts programs at middle and high schools, and community art projects.  
  • Architecture and Community Advancement: Mateo would comment on every house and building, and was aware of even the smallest changes in the physical world around him, during drives in the car. Architecture was a frequent topic of conversation, a potential career, and a common theme in his artwork. In his honor, the fund will support park and community improvements in New Jersey, historic preservation, and animal rescue projects. 
  • Nantucket Community: Mateo spent every summer at his favorite place — his grandparents’ house on Nantucket in Massachusetts. While there are many worthy causes on the island, the fund will focus on supporting affordable housing, open space, and the Strong Wings Adventure School (Mateo’s beloved camp and the place where he discovered a love for biking). 
Donate to Mateo’s Fund 
We welcome and are grateful for your donations to the fund. Thank you to all who have already given in honor of Mateo. There is no obligation to participate, and any amount will, we promise, be put to good use and serve important causes that were close to Mateo’s big, wonderful heart. 
 

The fund will be administered by the Community Foundation of New Jersey, and Eliud, Johnathan, and Sofia will work with the Foundation each year to identify the most impactful nonprofit organizations that should receive grants in three focus areas (arts education, architecture/community advancement, Nantucket community). 

Other ways to donate:

 

  • Cash contributions: Make your check payable to the “Community Foundation of New Jersey” and mail it to:
    Community Foundation of New Jersey
    Post Office Box 338
    Morristown, NJ 07963-0338
  • Stock, corporate bond, or other marketable securities: It’s important that we’re notified about the details of this type of donation. This ensures that the correct fund is credited without delay. Please call Stephen Furai or Lydia Gracey at 973.267.5533 with details (ticker symbol, the number of shares, the donor’s name, and the name of the CFNJ fund that’s receiving the proceeds). The Community Foundation sells stocks upon receipt unless instructed otherwise, and we can securely send DTC instructions for making your donation.

For general questions about donating to Mateo’s Fund, call Lydia Gracey at 973.267.5533.  

Contact us 

Please reach out to us at jtsandler@gmail.com or eliud.kauffman@gmail.com with any questions or ideas that are in keeping with Mateo’s spirit and interests. To those of you who have supported our family during this time, we are forever grateful.

Love to you all,

Johnathan, Eliud, and Sofia