Aaron and Lillie Straus founded the Straus Foundation in 1926 with a dual focus on rescue and relief of Jewish communities and families throughout the world and connecting children in the Baltimore region to opportunities that could help them build strong and secure futures. Since the Strauses had no children of their own, the stewardship of their Foundation was entrusted to the Directors of Reliable Stores Corporation, which Aaron Straus had founded. Since the Straus were actively engaged in their philanthropy during much of the lifetime, their mission and vision remains an indelible blueprint for the work of the Foundation.

The Foundation has limited resources to invest in areas of tremendous need, so we must seek funding opportunities that leverage the more significant investments of the public sector, that influence not only those public funding streams, but also the policies to which these funds are attached, and that have a diversified base of revenue. Programs must have clearly defined goals, which can be measured. In order to best ensure that our investments produce better outcomes for those we serve, we look for opportunities to prevent severe circumstances.