Bernard Osher Jewish Philanthropies concentrates on supporting Jewish communal life, cultural programming, and Jewish student engagement—primarily in the Bay Area but with some national reach. Major gifts fund community infrastructure (JCCs, Federation), Jewish film and cultural festivals, college Hillel organizations, and Israel‑connection programs like Birthright. The foundation also directs funds to community security and senior services within the Jewish community.
Bernard Osher Jewish Philanthropies’ largest recent grant bundles support for the Jewish Community Federation into one award: $250,000 in 2024, including $100,000 for the unrestricted annual campaign, $75,000 for community security, $50,000 for the Osher Marin Jewish Community Center, and $25,000 for senior mobility. That single grant captures the foundation’s pattern of backing Jewish communal infrastructure, security, and services for older adults alongside cultural and campus-oriented work. Another major 2024 gift went to the same federation for $200,000 in general support, underscoring its role as a core local partner. The foundation also funds Jewish cultural programming, with $75,000 grants to the Jewish Film Institute for the Mitzvah Series program, and it supports Jewish student engagement through Hillel organizations and Birthright Israel–related work. Across the recent grants list, its giving stays closely tied to Jewish communal organizations and institutions that serve community life in the Bay Area and beyond.
A major theme is community infrastructure. In 2024, Bernard Osher Jewish Philanthropies gave $250,000 to the Jewish Community Federation for the annual campaign, community security, the Osher Marin Jewish Community Center, and senior mobility, and another $200,000 to the same federation for general support. Cultural programming is another clear lane: the foundation awarded $75,000 to the Jewish Film Institute for the Mitzvah Series program, showing support for film-based Jewish cultural engagement. It also backs campus Jewish life, including $20,000 to Berkeley Hillel for general support and $20,000 to Bnai Brith Hillel Foundation at Ucb. Israel engagement appears as well, with $50,000 grants to Birthright Israel Foundation and The Birthright Israel Foundation.
Recent grants cluster around mid-sized awards, with a typical range of $20,000 at the 25th percentile, $50,000 at the median, and $68,750 at the 75th percentile. The foundation also makes larger anchor gifts, including $200,000 and $250,000 awards in 2024. The pattern is heavily relational and recurring: the same organizations appear more than once in the recent list, including the Jewish Community Federation, Jewish Film Institute, Birthright Israel Foundation, San Francisco Jewish Comm Publications, and Maine Jewish Film Festival. The foundation is a mixed DAF tied to Jewish Federation infrastructure, and the grants shown are program support, general support, unrestricted annual campaign support, and operating support.
$915K
$6.1M
$513K
$491K
Most grants fall between $20K and $69K, with a median of $50K.
25th Percentile
$20K
Median
$50K
75th Percentile
$69K
About 71% of grants go to recipients in CA.
BERNARD OSHER
Sign up for a free Kindora account to access AI-generated insights into this funder's giving patterns, decision-makers, and fit signals.
Get Started FreeFree Kindora accounts unlock side-by-side comparisons with foundations that share this funder's focus areas and giving profile.
Get Started FreeSign up free to see how well your nonprofit fits this funder, get an AI-generated pitch, and unlock similar foundations.
Relatively concentrated giving: a few large, repeat grants account for the majority of dollars (notably a large multi-part grant to the Jewish Community Federation and recurring support for Jewish Film Institute). Funding mixes multi-year or repeat support for core regional grantees with smaller grants to local Hillels, cultural festivals, and targeted program support.
Notable grantees: Jewish Community Federation, Jewish Film Institute, The Birthright Israel Foundation, Osher Marin Jewish Community Center, Berkeley Hillel / Bnai Brith Hillel at UCB
Grantmaking is concentrated in California, which accounts for 71% of grants and is the top state by grant count. San Francisco appears frequently, including grants to the Jewish Community Federation, Jewish Film Institute, San Francisco Jewish Comm Publications, and Jewish Community Center of San Francisco. Other California recipients include San Rafael and Berkeley. Outside California, the recent list includes Portland, Maine, and New York, New York. All listed recent grants went to US recipients.
The foundation supports Jewish communal infrastructure, cultural programming, campus engagement, Israel-related work, and community services. Recent grants include funding for a Jewish Community Federation, the Jewish Film Institute’s Mitzvah Series, Hillel organizations in Berkeley, and Birthright Israel Foundation.
The grant-size distribution centers on mid-sized awards: p25 is $20,000, the median is $50,000, and p75 is $68,750. Recent grants also include larger awards of $200,000 and $250,000.
California is the top state by grant count, with 71% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state. Recent California recipients include organizations in San Francisco, San Rafael, and Berkeley.
Yes. Several organizations appear more than once in the recent grants list, including the Jewish Community Federation, Jewish Film Institute, Birthright Israel Foundation, San Francisco Jewish Comm Publications, and Maine Jewish Film Festival. That points to an ongoing relationship with select Jewish institutions.
The recent grants show general support, general operating support, unrestricted annual campaign support, and program-specific support. Examples include unrestricted annual campaign funding, community security support, and project support for the Mitzvah Series program.
2024
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2024.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JEWISH COMMUNITY FEDERATION | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $250,000 | 2024 | OF THIS GRANT, $50,000 IS FOR THE OSHER MARIN JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER, $100,000 IS FOR THE UNRESTRICTED ANNUAL CAMPAIGN, $75,000 IS FOR THE COMMUNITY SECURITY PROGRAM, AND $25,000 IS FOR THE SENIOR MOBILITY INITIATIVE |
| JEWISH COMMUNITY FEDERATION | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $200,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| JEWISH FILM INSTITUTE | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $75,000 | 2024 | FOR THE MITZVAH SERIES PROGRAM |
| JEWISH FILM INSTITUTE | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $75,000 | 2024 | THE MITZVAH SERIES PROGRAM |
| OSHER MARIN JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER | SAN RAFAEL, CA | $50,000 | 2024 | OSHER MARIN JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER |
| THE BIRTHRIGHT ISRAEL FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BIRTHRIGHT ISRAEL FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2024 | GEN SUPPORT |
| SAN FRANCISCO JEWISH COMM PUBLICATIONS | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER OF SAN FRANCISCO | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $25,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| SAN FRANCISCO JEWISH COMM PUBLICATIONS | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $20,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| BERKELEY HILLEL | BERKELEY, CA | $20,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BNAI BRITH HILLEL FOUNDATION AT UCB | BERKELEY, CA | $20,000 | 2024 | GEN SUPPORT |
| MAINE JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL | PORTLAND, ME | $15,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MAINE JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL | PORTLAND, ME | $15,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
JEWISH COMMUNITY FEDERATION
$250,000OF THIS GRANT, $50,000 IS FOR THE OSHER MARIN JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER, $100,000 IS FOR THE UNRESTRICTED ANNUAL CAMPAIGN, $75,000 IS FOR THE COMMUNITY SECURITY PROGRAM, AND $25,000 IS FOR THE SENIOR MOBILITY INITIATIVE
JEWISH COMMUNITY FEDERATION
$200,000GENERAL SUPPORT
JEWISH FILM INSTITUTE
$75,000FOR THE MITZVAH SERIES PROGRAM
JEWISH FILM INSTITUTE
$75,000THE MITZVAH SERIES PROGRAM
OSHER MARIN JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER
$50,000OSHER MARIN JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER
THE BIRTHRIGHT ISRAEL FOUNDATION
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
BIRTHRIGHT ISRAEL FOUNDATION
$50,000GEN SUPPORT
SAN FRANCISCO JEWISH COMM PUBLICATIONS
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER OF SAN FRANCISCO
$25,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
SAN FRANCISCO JEWISH COMM PUBLICATIONS
$20,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
BERKELEY HILLEL
$20,000GENERAL SUPPORT
BNAI BRITH HILLEL FOUNDATION AT UCB
$20,000GEN SUPPORT
MAINE JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL
$15,000GENERAL SUPPORT
MAINE JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL
$15,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT