Dan Mansoor’s reason for giving
March 20, 2026
When Claire and Menahem Mansoor arrived in Madison in 1955, they knew they had found their true home. One way they expressed their love for the city was by giving back to 
the community. This served as an inspiration to their children, Dan and Yardena.
In the 1990s, to help facilitate their parents’ giving, Dan and Yardena explored creating a private foundation. They soon decided, however, that a donor advised fund would be a better route, and in 2001 Claire and Menahem created the Claire and Menahem Mansoor Fund at Madison Community Foundation.
“I’ve always been an admirer of MCF and its effectiveness and leadership,” Dan said. “The ease of transitioning my parents’ giving to a donor advised fund at MCF and the efficiency of giving through a donor advised fund made it an attractive choice.”
Claire and Menahem used their fund to support the causes organizations that were important to them, including education and various faith-based organizations. They also named their children as successor advisors to the fund, and eventually, Dan and Yardena took over supporting organizations that reflected the family’s values.
Giving Back Maintains Ties
Dan has devoted his life to philanthropy, both professionally and personally. Today, he lives in Cleveland, Ohio, where he founded a firm that provides nonprofit and philanthropy advisory services. Although he left Madison to attend college after graduating from West High School, his connection to the city remains strong.
“I’ve always appreciated the gift of growing up in Madison,” Dan shared. “Even though my sister and I have settled elsewhere, we’ve never wanted to sever our ties with the city. Engaging with charitable organizations, our schools and Madison Community Foundation, allows us to remain connected to a community that continues to hold our attention and affection. And, of course, my parents believed in giving back to the community they embraced in Madison.”
Supporting Schools by Engaging Alumni
In 2005, Dan’s passion for giving back led him to work with the leadership at West High School to create a database of 22,000 alumni. He then helped organize a fundraising drive to support the renovation of the school’s Ash Street entrance. Dan and fellow alumni also organized an all-alumni concert at Overture Center and an 1,100-person anniversary banquet at Monona Terrace.
“I’ve always believed that the alumni of our public schools would be philanthropically supportive of our schools if we made the case for support in the same way that public universities have done,” Dan explained. “My work with Madison West has been very rewarding and I believe we are only at the start of what will be a significant initiative in providing a margin of excellence in Madison’s public schools through alumni giving.” To that end, Dan is working with the Madison West administration in planning the school’s centennial in 2030.
Following Inspiration With Action
While Dan’s parents served as the earliest and biggest influence for his generosity, he also found inspiration in the actions of Irwin and Robert Goodman. When the Irwin A. and Robert D. Goodman Foundation’s support allowed MCF to launch the Goodman Nonprofit Center, Dan saw an opportunity to be involved in a project that reflected the Goodman brothers’ legacy and tied in with his commitment to strengthening nonprofits and education.
“I’ve been a big fan of capacity building as well as pursuing an effort to elevate the practice and profession of fundraising and development,” Dan said. “I have always been in awe of the Goodman brothers, and I love the idea of a nonprofit center for Madison. Yardena and I believed using the fund our parents created to support scholarships for the Goodman Fellows program was a perfect approach.”
Although the Dan and Yardena no longer call Madison home, their ties to the community continue to make a difference here.
