Evan Zimmermann and the Zimmermann Family Charitable Trust have announced a $3 million grant to the University of California in support of initiatives that focus on the causes and consequences of the Holocaust and the study of human rights, minority protection and reparations of historical wrongs and injustices.

Mr. Zimmermann is a globally recognized brand growth strategist and investor.  He has invested in successful start-ups such as Farfetch, Rent the Runway and Glossier.  Evan Zimmermann, purchased the Swiss auction House Antiquorium for $30 million in a distress buyout and turned it profitable within a few years. Under his management, the auction house grew into the largest watch auction house in the world.

Mr. Zimmermann in a statement to the press said “we gladly support the research and scholarly dissemination of legal and historical questions related to both the establishment and strengthening of human rights, individual as well as collective rights. These subject matters were at the core interest and activity of leading Jewish legal scholars throughout the twentieth century. That legacy has to be continued, strengthen, and applied during exceptionally precarious times.”

The funds will be used in various philanthropic projects in 3 research centres of the universities. It will provide funding to the University’s Centre for Human Rights, help establish a Study of Protection of Minorities and Vulnerable Groups and a Digital Humanities Lab , and partial funds will be used in Jacob Robinson Institute for the History of Legal thoughts and Practice, an institute named after famous historian who worked on the prosecution of Nazi murderers and participated in drafting reparation agreement between Israel, the Jewish People and  Germany.

With this initiative, Evan Zimmermann has taken a step towards his commitment to create an international academic network dedicated to investigating the key aspects of protection of democratic, pluralism, and ethnic, religious, and cultural minorities. This is one of the several planned steps he has decided to take towards philanthropic contributions from his and Zimmermann Charitable Trust’s side.