The Charina Foundation (Richard Menschel) focuses its philanthropic support narrowly on preserving and expanding Judaica scholarship and collections at elite academic institutions. Its recorded giving consists of large, repeat gifts directed to Harvard’s Friends of the Judaica Collection, indicating a preference for high-impact investments in cultural heritage within the academy.
Highly concentrated giving: very few, large grants committed to a single repeat grantee (Harvard’s Judaica collection). This indicates targeted, donor-directed philanthropy rather than broad-based or distributed grantmaking.
Charina Foundation Inc Richard Menschel has a clear pattern of backing Judaica scholarship and collections at major universities, with repeated large gifts to Harvard’s Friends of the Judaica Collection over multiple years. That emphasis points to a foundation that uses general support to strengthen academic stewardship of Jewish cultural material rather than to fund a broad mix of program types. In the latest grants, Harvard University received $750,000 in 2025, while Harvard’s Friends of the Judaica Collection received $700,000 in both 2024 and 2025. Beyond Harvard, the foundation’s giving includes institutions tied to Jewish studies, libraries, museums, and related cultural preservation work. Syracuse University appears with multiple grants, including a $75,000 award in 2023 and two $50,000 grants in 2025, suggesting ongoing institutional support rather than isolated project funding. The broader record also shows gifts to The Morgan Library and Museum, The Jewish Museum, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, all under general support. Taken together, the pattern is centered on preserving and expanding Judaica holdings within established academic and cultural institutions.
The foundation’s strongest thematic thread is Judaica collections and Jewish studies scholarship at research universities. Harvard University received $750,000 in 2025 for general support, and Harvard’s Friends of the Judaica Collection received $700,000 in both 2024 and 2025 for general support. Museum and library support is another consistent area. The Morgan Library and Museum received $180,000 in 2023 and $105,000 in 2024, both for general support, while The Jewish Museum received $55,000 in 2025 after earlier grants of $52,500 in 2023 and 2024. The foundation also supported civic and community institutions. Phipps Neighborhoods received $146,000 in 2023, $53,000 in 2024, and $75,000 in 2025, all as general support. Syracuse University also appears repeatedly, with $75,000 in 2023, $65,000 in 2024, and $50,000 twice in 2025.
Typical grants are modest to mid-sized: the p25 is $2,500, the median is $5,000, and the p75 is $10,000. The recent grants list also shows that the foundation makes larger general-support awards alongside those smaller grants, including seven-figure and six-figure gifts. The pattern is recurring rather than one-off; several recipients appear in multiple years, including Harvard University, Harvard’s Friends of the Judaica Collection, The Morgan Library and Museum, The Jewish Museum, Phipps Neighborhoods, Syracuse University, and Uja-federation of New York. The foundation is a regular funder and does not make program-related investments.
$3.8M
$10.1M
$605K
$4M
Most grants fall between $3K and $10K, with a median of $5K.
25th Percentile
$3K
Median
$5K
75th Percentile
$10K
Top 3 recipient countries by grant volume for Charina Foundation Inc Richard Menschel.
| Rank | Country | Grants | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United StatesDomestic | 1,124 | $13M | 99.7% |
| 2 | Canada |
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Notable grantees: Harvard University (Friends of the Judaica Collection)
Grantmaking is heavily concentrated in the United States, which accounts for 99.7% of grants in the country distribution. New York City is a major recipient hub, with grants to organizations in New York, Queens, and nearby institutions, while Cambridge, Massachusetts, stands out through multiple Harvard-related awards. Massachusetts is the top state by grant count, followed by New York as the headquarters state and a major recipient state. Outside the US, the recipient-country data shows only limited activity: three grants to Canada and one to the UK.
Its most visible pattern is support for Judaica scholarship and collections at major academic institutions. Harvard University and Harvard’s Friends of the Judaica Collection received repeated general-support grants, and the broader record includes support for museums, libraries, and Jewish cultural institutions.
The recent grants are labeled general support across the listed recipients, including Harvard University, The Morgan Library and Museum, The Jewish Museum, and Syracuse University. That indicates flexible institutional support rather than narrowly defined project funding.
Yes. Harvard’s Friends of the Judaica Collection appears in 2024 and 2025, The Morgan Library and Museum in 2023 and 2024, The Jewish Museum in 2023, 2024, and 2025, and Syracuse University in 2023, 2024, and 2025. That points to a recurring grantmaking pattern.
The distribution centers on smaller awards: the p25 is $2,500, the median is $5,000, and the p75 is $10,000. The recent list also includes larger support grants, so the foundation uses a mix of small and substantial awards.
The country distribution is overwhelmingly US-based at 99.7%. Massachusetts is the top state by grant count, and New York is also a major recipient state, with grants in New York City, Queens, and Cambridge appearing in the recent record.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
| 3 |
| $15K |
0.3% |
| 3 | United Kingdom | 1 | $8K | 0.1% |
Recipient country reflects the grantee's headquarters per IRS 990-PF and Schedule F filings, not the program's implementation country.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HARVARD UNIVERSITY | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $750,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| UJA-FEDERATION OF NEW YORK | NEW YORK, NY | $115,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| REFUGEES INTERNATIONAL | WASHINGTON, DC | $100,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MUSEUM OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK | NEW YORK, NY | $75,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PHIPPS NEIGHBORHOODS | NEW YORK, NY | $75,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE MORGAN LIBRARY AND MUSEUM | NEW YORK, NY | $75,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| AMERICAN JEWISH COMMITTEE | NEW YORK, NY | $60,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SOCRATES SCULPTURE PARK INC | QUEENS, NY | $59,750 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE JEWISH MUSEUM | NEW YORK, NY | $55,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY | SYRACUSE, NY | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| RANDALL'S ISLAND PARK ALLIANCE | NEW YORK, NY | $39,700 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CONGREGATION EMANU-EL | RYE, NY | $34,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| LEO BAECK INSTITUTE | NEW YORK, NY | $33,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| GEORGE EASTMAN MUSEUM | NEW YORK, NY | $30,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BREAST CANCER RESEARCH FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $30,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PUBLIC ART FUND INC | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NANTUCKET COTTAGE HOSPITAL | NANTUCKET, MA | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| COMMUNITY FOUNDATION FOR NANTUCKET | NANTUCKET, MA | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE NEWARK MUSEUM OF ART | NEWARK, NJ | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NANTUCKET CONSERVATION FOUNDATION INC | NANTUCKET, MA | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MUSEUM OF MODERN ART | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE STUDIO MUSEUM IN HARLEM | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| WEILL CORNELL MEDICINE | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| JOSLYN MUSEUM | OMAHA, NE | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE MUNICIPAL ART SOCIETY OF NEW YORK | NEW YORK, NY | $24,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CENTRAL PARK CONSERVANCY | NEW YORK, NY | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE CHILDREN'S AID SOCIETY | NEW YORK, NY | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| GOVERNORS ISLAND THE FRIENDS OF | NEW YORK, NY | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| LINCOLN CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS INC | NEW YORK, NY | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| STORM KING ART CENTER | MOUNTAINVILLE, NY | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| WEITZMAN NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN JEWISH HISTORY | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SCOUTING AMERICA GNYC | NEW YORK, NY | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| AMERICAN RED CROSS | NEW YORK, NY | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FILM AT LINCOLN CENTER | NEW YORK, NY | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY | NEW YORK, NY | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| STRONG WINGS ADVENTURE SCHOOL | NANTUCKET, MA | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| AYCO COMPANY | ALBANY, NY | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ARIZONA FRIENDS OF FOSTER CHILDREN | PHOENIX, NY | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE NEW JEWISH HOME | NEW YORK, NY | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| VERA INSTITUTE OF JUSTICE | NEW YORK, NY | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SEEDS OF PEACE | PORTLAND, ME | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| TENEMENT MUSEUM | NEW YORK, NY | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MAHLER FOUNDATIONMAHLER LEWITT STUDIOS | SANTA CRUZ, CA | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE SOCIETY OF THE FOUR ARTS | PALM BEACH, FL | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MYFACE | NEW YORK, NY | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CARMEL PUBLIC LIBRARY FOUNDATION | CARMEL, CA | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE US HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL MUSEUM | WASHINGTON, DC | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
HARVARD UNIVERSITY
$750,000GENERAL SUPPORT
THE MORGAN LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
GENERAL SUPPORT
CONGREGATION EMANU-EL
$34,000GENERAL SUPPORT
GEORGE EASTMAN MUSEUM
$30,000GENERAL SUPPORT
NANTUCKET COTTAGE HOSPITAL
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
THE NEWARK MUSEUM OF ART
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
WEILL CORNELL MEDICINE
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
JOSLYN MUSEUM
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
GOVERNORS ISLAND THE FRIENDS OF
$20,000GENERAL SUPPORT
WEITZMAN NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN JEWISH HISTORY
$20,000GENERAL SUPPORT
SCOUTING AMERICA GNYC
$20,000GENERAL SUPPORT
AMERICAN RED CROSS
$15,000GENERAL SUPPORT
FILM AT LINCOLN CENTER
$15,000GENERAL SUPPORT
STRONG WINGS ADVENTURE SCHOOL
$15,000GENERAL SUPPORT
AYCO COMPANY
$15,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ARIZONA FRIENDS OF FOSTER CHILDREN
$15,000GENERAL SUPPORT
THE NEW JEWISH HOME
$15,000GENERAL SUPPORT
SEEDS OF PEACE
$15,000GENERAL SUPPORT
TENEMENT MUSEUM
$15,000GENERAL SUPPORT
MAHLER FOUNDATIONMAHLER LEWITT STUDIOS
$15,000GENERAL SUPPORT
MYFACE
$15,000GENERAL SUPPORT
CARMEL PUBLIC LIBRARY FOUNDATION
$15,000GENERAL SUPPORT
THE US HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL MUSEUM
$15,000GENERAL SUPPORT