The Charles and M R Shapiro Foundation concentrates its giving on Chicago-area Jewish life and institutions, while also supporting local healthcare and social-service organizations. Grants emphasize Jewish education and youth (seminaries, day schools/camps, scholarship funds), Israel-related medical and emergency support, and regionally focused health and eldercare programs. The foundation appears motivated by community continuity—religious, educational and eldercare needs—alongside targeted medical research and emergency relief.
Charles and M R Shapiro Foundation Inc gave its largest recent grant, $152,390 to Rush University Medical Center for medical research, while also making sizable commitments to Jewish communal institutions, scholarship funds, and senior services. In 2025, the foundation supported a mix of Chicago-area organizations and national Jewish education and Israel-related nonprofits, reflecting a pattern of funding institutions rather than small ad hoc projects. Its recent grants include $150,000 to Jewish United Fund for general support, $75,000 to Hebrew Union College for scholarship funds, and $60,000 to Jewish Community Centers of Chicago for scholarship assistance. The portfolio also reaches beyond education into health and emergency support, including grants to Cancer Wellness Center, Memory Care Home Solutions, and American Friends of Magen David Adom. Across the recent record, the foundation combines direct support for community infrastructure with targeted help for medical, educational, and relief efforts. The scale of the 2025 grants ranges from six-figure research support to a broad set of mid-sized awards across Jewish life, healthcare, and social services.
Jewish communal infrastructure is a major theme in the foundation’s giving. It awarded $150,000 to Jewish United Fund for general support and $60,000 to Jewish Community Centers of Chicago for scholarship assistance, alongside $35,000 to Camp Ramah in Wisconsin for general support. Education is another clear thread: $75,000 went to Hebrew Union College for scholarship funds, $50,000 to The Jewish Theological Seminary for educational support, and $30,000 to Roosevelt University for scholarship assistance. Health and medical support appear in several forms, including $40,000 to Hadley Institute for the Blind for medical support and $35,000 to Rolfe Pancreatic Cancer Foundation for medical research. The foundation also funded relief-oriented work, such as $50,000 to American Red Cross of Greater Chicago for relief services and $30,000 to UNICEF USA for medical assistance and immunization.
Recent grant sizes cluster in the mid-range, with many awards between $25,000 and $60,000, a median around the middle of that band, and a top grant of $152,390. The pattern suggests a private foundation that makes multiple direct grants rather than one-off megadonations. The 2025 list also shows repeat support for established institutions across education, health, and Jewish communal services. The foundation is classified as a private foundation and is a regular funder, and it also funds individuals. The grants shown are all from the latest 990 year on file, 2025.
$2.4M
$52.4M
$3.5M
$2.9M
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Moderately concentrated regional giving: 25 mid-to-large grants (many in the $30k–$150k range) focused on repeat topical areas rather than broad national diversification. Funds are distributed across multiple organizations with several recurring thematic recipients (Jewish institutions, local health/senior service providers, and Israel-related charities).
Notable grantees: Jewish United Fund, Rush University Medical Center, Hebrew Union College, CJE Senior Life, American Friends of Magen David Adom
All recent grants in the provided record went to U.S. recipients. Chicago appears frequently, with grants to organizations such as Chicago-based medical, legal, youth, and Jewish communal groups. Northbrook and New York also appear among recipient locations, including Northbrook-based and New York-based grantees. Outside Illinois, the list includes St. Louis, Washington, Montgomery, and Skokie. The recipient-country distribution is entirely domestic, with 99 grants in the United States.
The foundation supports Jewish communal organizations, education and scholarship programs, medical research and health services, senior and dementia care, and selected relief or social-service work. Recent grants include support for scholarship funds, medical research, emergency services, and senior assistance programs.
Recent awards range from $25,000 to $152,390. Several grants fall in the $30,000 to $60,000 range, with a median-sized pattern centered in that middle band rather than at the low end or the top grant.
The recent record is heavily Chicago-centered, with many recipients located in Chicago and nearby suburbs such as Northbrook, Deerfield, Winnetka, and Skokie. The grants also reach New York, St. Louis, Washington, and Montgomery, but all of the provided recipient-country data is U.S.-based.
Yes. Recent education-related grants include scholarship funds for Hebrew Union College, scholarship assistance for Jewish Community Centers of Chicago and Roosevelt University, and educational support for The Jewish Theological Seminary. It also funded a fellowship program through American Technion Society.
The latest 990 year shows support for established institutions across multiple categories, which points to a recurring institutional grantmaking pattern rather than isolated one-off awards. The recent list includes Jewish, health, senior, and relief organizations that are longstanding recipients in their fields.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RUSH UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER | CHICAGO, IL | $152,390 | 2025 | MEDICAL RESEARCH |
| JEWISH UNITED FUND | CHICAGO, IL | $150,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| HEBREW UNION COLLEGE | NEW YORK, NY | $75,000 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS |
| URJ OLIN-SANG RUBY UNION INSTITUTE | DEERFIELD, IL | $60,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTERS OF CHICAGO | NORTHBROOK, IL | $60,000 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIP ASSISTANCE |
| CJE SENIOR LIFE | CHICAGO, IL | $55,000 | 2025 | SENIORS SUPPORT |
| THE ARK | CHICAGO, IL | $55,000 | 2025 | SARNOFF LEVIN RESIDENCE PROGRAM |
| AMERICAN RED CROSS OF GREATER CHICAGO | CHICAGO, IL | $50,000 | 2025 | RELIEF SERVICES |
| AMERICAN FRIENDS OF LANIADO HOSPITAL | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | MEDICAL EQUIPMENT |
| THE JEWISH THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | EDUCATIONAL |
| ADL MIDWEST | CHICAGO, IL | $40,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| THE CHICAGO LIGHTHOUSE | CHICAGO, IL | $40,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| CANCER WELLNESS CENTER | NORTHBROOK, IL | $40,000 | 2025 | PROGRAMS |
| HADLEY INSTITUTE FOR THE BLIND | WINNETKA, IL | $40,000 | 2025 | MEDICAL |
| AMERICAN FRIENDS OF THE HEBREW UNIVERSITY | CHICAGO, IL | $37,500 | 2025 | MECHINA PROGRAM |
| MEMORY CARE HOME SOLUTIONS | ST LOUIS, MO | $37,500 | 2025 | DEMENTIA CARE PROGRAM |
| AMERICAN TECHNION SOCIETY | CHICAGO, IL | $37,500 | 2025 | FELLOWSHIP FUND |
| AMERICAN FRIENDS OF MAGEN DAVID ADOM | NORTHBROOK, IL | $36,000 | 2025 | SPECIAL EMERGENCY FUND |
| MAOT CHITIM OF GREATER CHICAGO INC | NORTHBROOK, IL | $35,000 | 2025 | HOLIDAY FOOD PROGRAM |
| CAMP RAMAH IN WISCONSIN | CHICAGO, IL | $35,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| PEOPLE FOR THE AMERICAN WAY FOUNDATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $35,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| ROLFE PANCREATIC CANCER FOUNDATION | CHICAGO, IL | $35,000 | 2025 | MEDICAL RESEARCH |
| LEGAL AID CHICAGO (FORMERLY LEGAL ASSISTANCE FOUNDATION OF CHICAGO) | CHICAGO, IL | $35,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| UNICEF USA | CHICAGO, IL | $30,000 | 2025 | MEDICAL ASSISTANCE, IMMUNIZATION PROGRAM |
| JEWISH COUNCIL FOR YOUTH SERVICES | CHICAGO, IL | $30,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER | MONTGOMERY, AL | $30,000 | 2025 | TEACHING TOLERENCE PROGRAM |
| ROOSEVELT UNIVERSITY | CHICAGO, IL | $30,000 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIP ASSISTANCE |
| AMERICAN FRIENDS OF TEL AVIV UNIVERSITY | NEW YORK, NY | $28,000 | 2025 | PRESIDENTIAL SCHOLARS FUND |
| CHICAGO PSYCHOANALYTIC INSTITUTECHILD GRIEF SERVICES | CHICAGO, IL | $25,000 | 2025 | CHILDREN'S GRIEF CENTER |
| LYRIC OPERA OF CHICAGO | CHICAGO, IL | $25,000 | 2025 | ARTS EDUCATION PROGRAMS |
| JEWISH CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES | CHICAGO, IL | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| LES TURNER ALS FOUNDATION | SKOKIE, IL | $25,000 | 2025 | ALS RESEARCH |
| ADA S MCKINLEY COMMUNITY SERVICES INC | CHICAGO, IL | $25,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION PROGRAM |
| JOHN HOWARD ASSOCIATION | CHICAGO, IL | $22,500 | 2025 | JUVENILE JUSTICE PROGRAM |
| HIAS | SILVER SPRING, MD | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| HEBREW THEOLOGICAL COLLEGE | SKOKIE, IL | $20,000 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIP ASSISTANCE |
| NATIONAL JEWISH HEALTH | DEERFIELD, IL | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY | WALTHAM, MA | $20,000 | 2025 | LIBRARY COLLECTION |
| UNITED STATES HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL MUSEUM | WASHINGTON, DC | $20,000 | 2025 | HOLOCAUST EDUCATION |
| RAVINIA FESTIVAL ASSOCIATION | HIGHLAND PARK, IL | $20,000 | 2025 | READ TEACH PLAY PROGRAM |
| UNIVERSITY OF THE CUMBERLANDS | WILLIAMSBURG, KY | $20,000 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIP ASSISTANCE |
| ALL CHICAGO MAKING HOMELESSNESS HISTORY | CHICAGO, IL | $20,000 | 2025 | EMERGENCY FUND PROGRAM |
| JEWISH NATIONAL FUND | NORTHBROOK, IL | $20,000 | 2025 | SPECIAL IN UNIFORM PROGRAM |
| AMERICANS FOR BEN-GURION UNIVERSITY | NEW YORK, NY | $20,000 | 2025 | OPEN APARTMENTS PROGRAM |
| CHICAGO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA | CHICAGO, IL | $20,000 | 2025 | NEGAUNEE MUSIC INSTITUTE PROGRAM |
| FRIENDS OF THE DANIEL CENTERS FOR PROGRESSIVE JUDAISM | CHEVY CHASE, MD | $20,000 | 2025 | EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING |
| THE SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION OF ST LOUIS | ST LOUIS, MO | $19,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| ISRAEL GUIDE DOG CENTER FOR THE BLIND | WARRINGTON, PA | $18,000 | 2025 | GUIDE DOG PARTNERSHIP |
| LITTLE CITY FOUNDATION | PALATINE, IL | $17,500 | 2025 | HEALTH PROGRAMS |
| FRIENDS OF THE UNITED HATZALAH ISRAEL | NEW YORK, NY | $17,500 | 2025 | GENERAL |
HEBREW UNION COLLEGE
$75,000SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS
URJ OLIN-SANG RUBY UNION INSTITUTE
$60,000GENERAL
SENIORS SUPPORT
AMERICAN RED CROSS OF GREATER CHICAGO
$50,000RELIEF SERVICES
THE JEWISH THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
$50,000EDUCATIONAL
ADL MIDWEST
$40,000GENERAL
THE CHICAGO LIGHTHOUSE
$40,000GENERAL
HADLEY INSTITUTE FOR THE BLIND
$40,000MEDICAL
AMERICAN FRIENDS OF THE HEBREW UNIVERSITY
$37,500MECHINA PROGRAM
MEMORY CARE HOME SOLUTIONS
$37,500DEMENTIA CARE PROGRAM
AMERICAN TECHNION SOCIETY
$37,500FELLOWSHIP FUND
AMERICAN FRIENDS OF MAGEN DAVID ADOM
$36,000SPECIAL EMERGENCY FUND
CAMP RAMAH IN WISCONSIN
$35,000GENERAL
ROLFE PANCREATIC CANCER FOUNDATION
$35,000MEDICAL RESEARCH
UNICEF USA
$30,000MEDICAL ASSISTANCE, IMMUNIZATION PROGRAM
CHICAGO PSYCHOANALYTIC INSTITUTECHILD GRIEF SERVICES
$25,000CHILDREN'S GRIEF CENTER
ADA S MCKINLEY COMMUNITY SERVICES INC
$25,000EDUCATION PROGRAM
HIAS
$20,000GENERAL
HEBREW THEOLOGICAL COLLEGE
$20,000SCHOLARSHIP ASSISTANCE
NATIONAL JEWISH HEALTH
$20,000GENERAL
RAVINIA FESTIVAL ASSOCIATION
$20,000READ TEACH PLAY PROGRAM
JEWISH NATIONAL FUND
$20,000SPECIAL IN UNIFORM PROGRAM
AMERICANS FOR BEN-GURION UNIVERSITY
$20,000OPEN APARTMENTS PROGRAM
EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING