The Abraham Shapiro Charity Fund concentrates its giving on regional Jewish communal infrastructure and higher education in the Boston area. Most gifts are sizable, directed to a small number of repeat recipients that serve the Jewish community and local academic life. The foundation acts like a donor to community-wide philanthropic intermediaries and a nearby university rather than making many small or geographically diffuse grants.
Concentrated and high-dollar: a small portfolio of large grants to repeat beneficiaries (two organizations received multiple gifts), favoring regional Jewish communal intermediaries and a local university rather than broad, dispersed giving.
Abraham Shapiro Charity Fund C/o Morris & Morris gives in a concentrated way to a small set of Jewish communal and educational institutions, with a clear tilt toward Greater Boston. Its largest recent grant was $150,000 to Combined Jewish Philanthropies in Boston, followed by repeated support for Brandeis University in Waltham at $53,000 in both 2023 and 2024. That pattern points to a funder that prefers larger, targeted awards over broad, scattered philanthropy. The foundation’s recent record also shows steady support for Jewish community infrastructure, including Hillel International, the Anti-Defamation League, and Hebrew Senior Life. Local institutions appear often, as do organizations tied to education and student life such as Gann Academy and Our Generation Speaks. The giving pattern suggests a funder that backs established organizations serving Jewish community needs, campus engagement, and regional charitable work rather than one-off, highly varied causes. Across the grant list, most gifts fall into familiar size bands and recur over multiple years. Several recipients appear in both 2023 and 2024, including Combined Jewish Philanthropies, Brandeis University, Gann Academy, Project Kesher, Itrek, Hebrew Senior Life, Keshet, Brothers for Life, Jalsa, Bidmc, and Our Generation Speaks.
In Jewish communal support, the foundation gave $150,000 to Combined Jewish Philanthropies in Boston for charitable purposes, alongside $25,000 to Hillel International in Washington, DC and $25,000 to the Anti-Defamation League in New York. Those grants show support for umbrella philanthropy, campus Jewish life, and advocacy-oriented communal work. Higher education is another recurring lane. The funder gave $53,000 to Brandeis University in Waltham in both 2023 and 2024, and it also supported Gann Academy with $5,500 in 2024 and $5,000 in 2023. Those gifts place education and student-serving institutions within the foundation’s regular grant mix. The portfolio also includes social service and cultural organizations. Hebrew Senior Life in Roslindale received $5,000 in both 2023 and 2024, while Keshet in Jamaica Plain received $3,600 in each of those years. The funder also supported Yad Chessed in North Waltham and Chabad Lithuania in Boston.
$306K
$4M
$1.4M
$330K
Most grants fall between $3K and $10K, with a median of $5K.
25th Percentile
$3K
Median
$5K
75th Percentile
$10K
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Notable grantees: Combined Jewish Philanthropies, Brandeis University
Typical grants cluster around modest-to-mid-sized awards: the p25 is $2,500, median $5,000, and p75 $10,000. The distribution is shaped by a small number of larger gifts, including $150,000 to Combined Jewish Philanthropies and repeated $53,000 grants to Brandeis University. The pattern is not one-off; several recipients appear in both 2023 and 2024, indicating recurring support rather than isolated gifts. This looks like a private family-style charity fund operating through direct grants, with no evidence here of program-related investments or individual giving.
Grantmaking is heavily Massachusetts-centered. Sixty-two percent of grants go to recipients in the HQ state, and Massachusetts is also the top state by grant count. Boston and nearby communities show up often, including Boston, Waltham, Roslindale, Jamaica Plain, and North Waltham. Outside Massachusetts, the funder still stays within the United States, with grants to Washington, DC; New York, NY; Evanston, IL; Seattle, WA; San Diego, CA; Cambridge, MA; and Needham-area organizations.
The recent grant record centers on Jewish communal infrastructure, higher education, and related social-service or cultural organizations. Examples include Combined Jewish Philanthropies in Boston, Brandeis University in Waltham, Hillel International, the Anti-Defamation League, Hebrew Senior Life, and Keshet.
Yes. Several recipients appear in both 2023 and 2024, including Combined Jewish Philanthropies, Brandeis University, Gann Academy, Project Kesher, Itrek, Hebrew Senior Life, Keshet, Brothers for Life, Jalsa, Bidmc, and Our Generation Speaks.
The grant-size distribution is centered on $5,000 awards, with a p25 of $2,500 and a p75 of $10,000. Larger exceptions exist, including $150,000 to Combined Jewish Philanthropies and $53,000 grants to Brandeis University.
Massachusetts receives 62% of the grants, and it is also the top state by grant count. Recent recipient cities include Boston, Waltham, Roslindale, Jamaica Plain, and North Waltham.
2024
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2024.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| COMBINED JEWISH PHILANTHROPIES | BOSTON, MA | $150,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY | WALTHAM, MA | $53,000 | 2024 | EDUCATIONAL |
| HILLEL INTERNATIONAL | WASHINGTON, DC | $25,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| YAD CHESSED | NORTH WALTHAM, MA | $10,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| GANN ACADEMY | WALTHAM, MA | $5,500 | 2024 | EDUCATIONAL |
| PROJECT KESHER | EVANSTON, IL | $5,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| BROTHERS FOR LIFE | SEATTLE, WA | $5,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| ITREK | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| HEBREW SENIOR LIFE | ROSLINDALE, MA | $5,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| KESHET | JAMAICA PLAIN, MA | $3,600 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| OUR GENERATION SPEAKS | WALTHAM, MA | $3,535 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| JALSA | BOSTON, MA | $2,500 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| BIDMC | BOSTON, MA | $2,500 | 2024 | MEDICAL |
| CHABAD LITHUANIA | BOSTON, MA | $2,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| NEW ENGLAND INNOCENCE PROJECT | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $1,800 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| AMERICAN FRIENDS OF ITIM | NEW YORK, NY | $1,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| ROSIE'S PLACE | BOSTON, MA | $1,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY | WALTHAM, MA | $53,000 | 2023 | EDUCATIONAL |
| COMBINED JEWISH PHILANTHROPIES | BOSTON, MA | $50,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| OUR GENERATION SPEAKS | WALTHAM, MA | $15,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| CONGREGATION BETH AM | SAN DIEGO, CA | $10,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| BIRTHRIGHT ISRAEL FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| HEBREW SENIOR LIFE | ROSLINDALE, MA | $5,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| ITREK | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| GANN ACADEMY | WALTHAM, MA | $5,000 | 2023 | EDUCATIONAL |
| PROJECT KESHER | EVANSTON, IL | $5,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| KESHET | JAMAICA PLAIN, MA | $3,600 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| BIDMC | BOSTON, MA | $2,500 | 2023 | MEDICAL |
| BROTHERS FOR LIFE | SEATTLE, WA | $2,500 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| JALSA | BOSTON, MA | $2,500 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
COMBINED JEWISH PHILANTHROPIES
$150,000CHARITABLE
BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY
$53,000EDUCATIONAL
HILLEL INTERNATIONAL
$25,000CHARITABLE
ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE
$25,000CHARITABLE
YAD CHESSED
$10,000CHARITABLE
GANN ACADEMY
$5,500EDUCATIONAL
PROJECT KESHER
CHARITABLE
BROTHERS FOR LIFE
$5,000CHARITABLE
ITREK
$5,000CHARITABLE
HEBREW SENIOR LIFE
$5,000CHARITABLE
KESHET
$3,600CHARITABLE
OUR GENERATION SPEAKS
$3,535CHARITABLE
JALSA
$2,500CHARITABLE
BIDMC
$2,500MEDICAL
CHABAD LITHUANIA
$2,000CHARITABLE
NEW ENGLAND INNOCENCE PROJECT
$1,800CHARITABLE
AMERICAN FRIENDS OF ITIM
$1,000CHARITABLE
ROSIE'S PLACE
$1,000CHARITABLE
BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY
$53,000EDUCATIONAL
COMBINED JEWISH PHILANTHROPIES
$50,000CHARITABLE
OUR GENERATION SPEAKS
$15,000CHARITABLE
ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE
$10,000CHARITABLE
CONGREGATION BETH AM
$10,000CHARITABLE
BIRTHRIGHT ISRAEL FOUNDATION
$10,000CHARITABLE
HEBREW SENIOR LIFE
$5,000CHARITABLE
ITREK
$5,000CHARITABLE
GANN ACADEMY
$5,000EDUCATIONAL
PROJECT KESHER
$5,000CHARITABLE
KESHET
$3,600CHARITABLE
BIDMC
$2,500MEDICAL
BROTHERS FOR LIFE
$2,500CHARITABLE
JALSA
$2,500CHARITABLE