The Agudath Israel of Illinois directs most of its support to Orthodox Jewish educational institutions, communal religious organizations, and local Chicago-area Jewish social welfare programs, with additional targeted international relief and Israel-focused endowments. It favors traditional yeshivot, day schools, scholarship funds and community chesed (charity) initiatives, often funding organizations that serve orthodox religious life and continuity. Grants range from large institutional gifts to smaller programmatic and camp support, and the foundation shows a mix of local Chicago focus and support for national/international Orthodox networks.
A 2024 grant of $505,000 to Agudath Israel of America stands out among the foundation’s recent awards and points to its core role as a supporter of Orthodox Jewish communal infrastructure. Agudath Israel of Illinois gives at a regional scale, with annual grants of $3,270,155 and a total asset base of $19,278,183. Its recent awards cluster around yeshivot, Jewish day schools, scholarship programs, rabbinic organizations, and chesed-oriented institutions. The foundation’s pattern is not limited to one city: it supports institutions in Chicago, St. Louis, New York, and other Orthodox Jewish centers. In Chicago, grants include $358,250 to Telshe Yeshiva of Chicago and $77,000 to Bais Yitzchok Foundation, while in St. Louis it supported Torah Prep School with $427,125 and H F Epstein Hebrew Academy with $142,916. Those awards show a funder that combines large institutional support with targeted scholarship and community aid, especially for organizations serving Orthodox religious life and continuity.
Education is a central theme in the foundation’s giving. It awarded $427,125 to Torah Prep School in St. Louis for scholarships, $142,916 to H F Epstein Hebrew Academy in St. Louis for scholarships, and $38,250 to Esther Miller Bais Yaakov for scholarships. It also backed Missouri Torah Institute with $25,500 for scholarships. Beyond schools, the foundation supports Orthodox communal and rabbinic infrastructure. It gave $33,000 to Vaad Harabbanim and $115,000 to United Mosdos Torah Veyirah, both part of the broader network of religious institutions that sustain Orthodox community life. Youth and camp programming also appears in the grant list, including $35,072 to Ai Camps, $20,204 to Agudah Camps, and $12,000 to Camp Nageela Midwest.
The typical grant size sits at $20,000 at the 25th percentile, $55,000 at the median, and $130,000 at the 75th percentile, indicating a spread from smaller local awards to six-figure institutional gifts. The foundation funds organizations, not individuals, and the recent grant list shows repeated support to several recipients across 2024 and 2025, including Agudath Israel of America and Areivim USA. That pattern suggests recurring relationships rather than one-time awards. The grantmaking appears to be administered through the foundation itself, with no program-related investments reported. The presence of scholarship-designated awards alongside charitable grants shows a mix of restricted and general support.
$244K
$17.1M
$7.7M
$9.5M
Most grants fall between $20K and $130K, with a median of $55K.
25th Percentile
$20K
Median
$55K
75th Percentile
$130K
ARI STRULOWITZ
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Concentrated but diversified: the foundation makes several large institutional grants to a small set of repeat core grantees while also funding many smaller local programs and youth initiatives. Grants emphasize operational and scholarship support over one-off capital projects, and the portfolio mixes multi-year/core relationships with occasional targeted relief or endowment gifts.
Notable grantees: Agudath Israel of America, Torah Prep School, Telshe Yeshiva of Chicago, Vaad Hatzalah Ukraine, H F Epstein Hebrew Academy
Grants are concentrated in the United States, with all recent awards going to U.S.-based recipients. Illinois accounts for 45% of grants, and Chicago-area recipients appear repeatedly, including Telshe Yeshiva of Chicago, Bais Yitzchok Foundation, Nachlas Shimon, and Agudah Camps. Missouri is another major recipient state, especially through St. Louis institutions such as Torah Prep School, H F Epstein Hebrew Academy, and Esther Miller Bais Yaakov. Outside those states, the foundation also gave to organizations in New York, including Agudath Israel of America and Vaad Hatzalah Ukraine, showing a broader Orthodox network beyond its Chicago base.
Its recent grants favor Orthodox Jewish yeshivot, Jewish day schools, scholarship funds, rabbinic organizations, and chesed-oriented community institutions. Examples include Telshe Yeshiva of Chicago, Torah Prep School, Vaad Harabbanim, and Chicago Chesed Fund.
Yes. The recent grant list includes repeated awards to Agudath Israel of America in both 2024 and 2025, and to Areivim USA in 2024. That suggests ongoing relationships with some grantees rather than single awards only.
The grant-size distribution is $20,000 at the 25th percentile, $55,000 at the median, and $130,000 at the 75th percentile. Recent awards range from smaller gifts such as $12,000 to Camp Nageela Midwest to larger awards such as $505,000 to Agudath Israel of America.
Illinois receives 45% of grants, and Chicago-area organizations appear often. Missouri is also prominent, with multiple grants to St. Louis and Chesterfield recipients such as Torah Prep School, H F Epstein Hebrew Academy, and Missouri Torah Institute.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AGUDATH ISRAEL OF AMERICA | NEW YORK, NY | $130,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| AREIVIM USA | BROOKLYN, NY | $79,506 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| JEWISH FEDERATION OF METROPOLITAN C | CHICAGO, IL | $17,583 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| MISC ORGANIZATIONS UNDER 1000 | CHICAGO, IL | $17,097 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| AGUDATH ISRAEL OF AMERICA | NEW YORK, NY | $130,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| AREIVIM USA | BROOKLYN, NY | $76,482 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| CONGREGATION BAIS SUCHI | CHICAGO, IL | $30,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| JEWISH EDUCOF METROPOLITAN CHICAGO | CHICAGO, IL | $12,500 | 2025 | — |
| BAIS MEDRASH TORAH U'TFILAH | CHICAGO, IL | $9,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| AGUDATH ISRAEL OF AMERICA | NEW YORK, NY | $505,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| TORAH PREP SCHOOL | ST LOUIS, MO | $427,125 | 2024 | SCHOLARSHIPS |
| TELSHE YESHIVA OF CHICAGO | CHICAGO, IL | $358,250 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| PEF ISRAEL ENDOWMENT FUNDS | NEW YORK, NY | $200,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| CONG AHAVAS TZEDAKA | BROOKYN, NY | $175,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| VAAD HATZALAH UKRAINE | NEW YORK, NY | $160,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| H F EPSTEIN HEBREW ACADEMY | ST LOUIS, MO | $142,916 | 2024 | SCHOLARSHIPS |
| AGUDATH ISRAEL OF AMERICA | NEW YORK, NY | $130,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| HENRY & LOUIS MERMELSTEIN CHARITAB | LINCOLNWOOD, IL | $120,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| UNITED MOSDOS TORAH VEYIRAH | MONROE, NY | $115,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| BNEI YERUSHALAYIM | AIRMONT, NY | $115,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| BAIS YITZCHOK FOUNDATION | CHICAGO, IL | $77,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| NETINA VECHINUCH | BROOKLYN, NY | $75,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| NACHLAS SHIMON | CHICAGO, IL | $75,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| CHICAGO CHESED FUND | LINCOLNWOOD, IL | $55,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| ESTHER MILLER BAIS YAAKOV | SAINT LOUIS, MO | $38,250 | 2024 | SCHOLARSHIPS |
| AI CAMPS | CHICAGO, IL | $35,072 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| VAAD HARABBANIM | NEW YORK, NY | $33,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| AREIVIM USA | BROOKLYN, NY | $30,786 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| MISSOURI TORAH INSTITUTE | CHESTERFIELD, MO | $25,500 | 2024 | SCHOLARSHIPS |
| AGUDAH CAMPS | CHICAGO, IL | $20,204 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| CHICAGO CENTER FOR TORAH & CHESED | LINCOLNWOOD, IL | $20,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| VARIOUS CHARITIES | CHICAGO, IL | $15,700 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| CHICAGO MITZVAH CAMPAIGN | CHICAGO, IL | $15,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| CAMP NAGEELA MIDWEST | CHICAGO, IL | $12,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| YESHIVA GEDOLA OF CLIFTON | CLIFTON, NJ | $12,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| KULANU YACHAD | HILLSIDE, NJ | $11,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| AGUDAH BAIS HORAAH | CHICAGO, IL | $7,970 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| DERECH HATORAH | CHICAGO, IL | $5,400 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| TELSHE YESHIVA OF CHICAGO | CHICAGO, IL | $268,738 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| AGUDATH ISRAEL OF AMERICA | NEW YORK, NY | $136,100 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| CAMP NAGEELA MIDWEST | CHICAGO, IL | $20,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
AREIVIM USA
$79,506CHARITABLE
MISC ORGANIZATIONS UNDER 1000
$17,097CHARITABLE
AREIVIM USA
CHARITABLE
CONGREGATION BAIS SUCHI
$30,000CHARITABLE
BAIS MEDRASH TORAH U'TFILAH
$9,000CHARITABLE
TORAH PREP SCHOOL
$427,125SCHOLARSHIPS
TELSHE YESHIVA OF CHICAGO
$358,250CHARITABLE
CONG AHAVAS TZEDAKA
$175,000CHARITABLE
H F EPSTEIN HEBREW ACADEMY
$142,916SCHOLARSHIPS
HENRY & LOUIS MERMELSTEIN CHARITAB
$120,000CHARITABLE
UNITED MOSDOS TORAH VEYIRAH
$115,000CHARITABLE
BNEI YERUSHALAYIM
$115,000CHARITABLE
BAIS YITZCHOK FOUNDATION
$77,000CHARITABLE
NETINA VECHINUCH
$75,000CHARITABLE
NACHLAS SHIMON
$75,000CHARITABLE
ESTHER MILLER BAIS YAAKOV
$38,250SCHOLARSHIPS
AI CAMPS
$35,072CHARITABLE
AREIVIM USA
$30,786CHARITABLE
AGUDAH CAMPS
$20,204CHARITABLE
CHICAGO CENTER FOR TORAH & CHESED
$20,000CHARITABLE
VARIOUS CHARITIES
$15,700CHARITABLE
CHICAGO MITZVAH CAMPAIGN
$15,000CHARITABLE
CAMP NAGEELA MIDWEST
$12,000CHARITABLE
KULANU YACHAD
$11,000CHARITABLE
AGUDAH BAIS HORAAH
$7,970CHARITABLE
DERECH HATORAH
$5,400CHARITABLE
TELSHE YESHIVA OF CHICAGO
$268,738CHARITABLE
CAMP NAGEELA MIDWEST
$20,000CHARITABLE