The Ellen & Ronald Block Family Foundation made a single, large, program-restricted grant, indicating it concentrates its giving on specific initiatives rather than broad, diversified funding. The $500,000 award was routed through an intermediary (CATS2 Foundation) and designated for an "OWL for Schools" program, suggesting a focus on supporting a particular K–12 school service or curriculum delivery model. The foundation appears to prioritize targeted, outcome-driven gifts delivered via fiscal sponsors or donor-advised intermediaries.
A single $500,000 restricted grant to Cats2 Foundation for OWL for Schools stands out in the Ellen & Ronald Block Family Foundation Inc’s recent record. That award points to a grantmaker that favors tightly defined initiatives over broad, scattered support, with funding routed through intermediaries and tied to specific program delivery. The foundation’s other recent gifts reinforce that pattern: it backs project-based work in education, youth services, Jewish campus life, children’s health, food access, arts, and refugee and disaster response. Recent recipients include Norton Museum of Art for afterschool arts programming for children at needy schools, Hias for Afghan refugee resettlement basics, and NYU Langone - Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital for hospital support. The portfolio also shows repeated support for organizations with national reach and for organizations serving local communities in Florida, Illinois, and New York. Alongside restricted grants, the foundation has made several unrestricted awards, including to Birthright Israel Foundation and Israel Policy Forum. Taken together, the grants suggest a family foundation that combines targeted program funding with selected general support, often at meaningful mid-range amounts and occasionally at much larger scale.
Education and youth programming appear across several awards. The foundation gave $69,278 to Norton Museum of Art to support three afterschool arts programs for children at needy schools and two arts workshops at Rinconcito del Sol, and it gave $25,000 to Repair the World for Summer NYC Teen Service Corps. It also supports mental-health and family-stability work. In 2024, it gave $22,750 to Ladies of Virtue for programming at elementary schools, mental health programming, and an emergency fund, and $27,750 to Voices for Children Foundation for the Family Care Intake Manager. Jewish communal and campus-oriented work is another visible theme. Grants went to Hillel International for the Hillel Campus Climate Initiative, to Jewish Council for Public Affairs for Resetting the Table Hillel Campus Intensive training, and to Museum of Jewish Heritage for the Courage to Act exhibit. The foundation has also funded humanitarian response, including $50,000 to JDC- American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee for the Global Response Innovative Development disaster rapid response fund and $50,000 to Hias for Afghan refugee US resettlement basic needs support.
$717K
$3.3M
$2.7M
$942K
Most grants fall between $5K and $20K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$20K
About 21% of grants go to recipients in NY.
Top 2 recipient countries by grant volume for Ellen & Ronald Block Family Foundation.
| Rank | Country | Grants | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United StatesDomestic | 247 | $4.1M | 99.2% |
| 2 | Canada |
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Highly concentrated: one large, restricted grant to an intermediary for a specific school-focused program rather than multiple or unrestricted gifts.
Notable grantees: CATS2 Foundation, OWL for Schools (designated program/recipient)
Typical grants cluster around $5,000 at the 25th percentile, a $10,000 median, and $20,000 at the 75th percentile. The recent record includes both a very large outlier and many mid-sized awards, which suggests a core pattern of modest project grants with occasional larger commitments. The foundation’s 2023-2024 grants show repeat support to several organizations across years, including JDC- American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, NYU Langone - Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital, Hillel International, Israel Policy Forum, Society of the Four Arts, and Voices for Children Foundation. It is a family foundation, makes no program-related investments, and the data includes grants to individuals.
Grantmaking is national, with 99.2% of grants going to U.S. recipients and 1 grant to Canada. Illinois is the top state by grant count, and Chicago appears repeatedly through grants to Voices for Children Foundation and Ladies of Virtue. Florida is also important, with 21% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state and awards to Palm Beach-based Society of the Four Arts, West Palm Beach’s Norton Museum of Art, and Sunrise’s Jafco. New York receives frequent support, including organizations in New York City.
Its recent grants cover education and youth programming, mental-health and family support, Jewish campus and communal life, children’s health, food access, and humanitarian response. Examples include afterschool arts programming, Hillel campus training, refugee resettlement basics, and disaster rapid response funding.
Yes. Several organizations appear in more than one year, including JDC- American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, NYU Langone - Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital, Hillel International, Israel Policy Forum, Society of the Four Arts, and Voices for Children Foundation.
The 25th percentile is $5,000, the median is $10,000, and the 75th percentile is $20,000. The recent record also includes a $500,000 restricted grant, showing that the foundation sometimes makes much larger awards.
Illinois is the top state by grant count. Florida accounts for 21% of grants, and New York recipients also appear frequently. A small share of grants goes outside the U.S., including one to Canada.
Both appear in the recent grants. Many awards are restricted to specific programs or funds, such as OWL for Schools, disaster rapid response, trauma training, and campus climate initiatives, while some grants are unrestricted, including awards to Birthright Israel Foundation and Israel Policy Forum.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
| 2 |
| $14K |
0.8% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JDC- AMERICAN JEWISH JOINT DISTRIBUTION COMMITTEE | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2026 | Restricted to the GRID Disaster Rapid Response Fund |
| iCivics | Cambridge, MA | $40,000 | 2026 | Restricted to the K-12 Private i History Detectives curriculum |
| NORTON MUSEUM OF ART | WEST PALM BEACH, FL | $40,000 | 2026 | Restricted to support two afterschool arts programs for children in underresourced areas |
| VOICES FOR CHILDREN FOUNDATION | Miami, FL | $35,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| Literacy Academy Collective | NEW YORK, NY | $35,000 | 2026 | Restricted to Curriculum Development |
| LADIES OF VIRTUE | CHICAGO, IL | $32,100 | 2026 | Restricted to staff coaching, development staff support, and LOV program matching funds |
| BERKSHIRE SCHOOL | SHEFFIELD, MA | $25,000 | 2026 | RESTRICTED TO ANNUAL FUND |
| ISRAEL POLICY FORUM | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| SOCIETY OF THE FOUR ARTS | PALM BEACH, FL | $25,000 | 2026 | Unrestricted |
| HILLEL INTERNATIONAL | WASHINGTON, DC | $25,000 | 2026 | RESTRICTED TO CAMPUS CLIMATE INITATIVE |
| Feeding South Florida | Pembroke Park, FL | $25,000 | 2026 | Restricted to support food insecure individuals and familes |
| Israel on Campus Coalition | WASHINGTON, DC | $24,000 | 2026 | Restricted to Academic Engagement Network Fellowships |
| JAFCO | SUNRISE, FL | $20,000 | 2026 | RESTRICTED TO INDEPENDENT LIVING PROGRAM |
| Resetting the Table | New York, NY | $20,000 | 2026 | Restricted to Hotline Support for RTT alumni |
| Food Bank for NYC | NEW YORK, NY | $20,000 | 2026 | Restricted to support food insecure individuals and families |
| Institute for Currriculum Services | Berkeley, CA | $20,000 | 2026 | Restricted to support increasing editorial capacity |
| GREATER CHICAGO FOOD DEPOSITORY | CHICAGO, IL | $20,000 | 2026 | Restricted to support food insecure individuals and families |
| JEWISH FEDERATION OF PALM BEACH COUNTY | WEST PALM BEACH, FL | $18,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| Ilinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center | Skokie, IL | $15,000 | 2026 | Restricted to the K-12 Teaching Trunks program |
| REPAIR THE WORLD | NEW YORK, NY | $15,000 | 2026 | Restricted to support Repair the World Summer 2025 NYC Teen Service Corps |
| JEWISH UNITED FUND OF METROPOLITAN CHICAGO | CHICAGO, IL | $15,000 | 2026 | Restricted to support Sanabel Leadership Pilot Program in Israel |
| AMERICAN FRIENDS OF THE ISRAEL MUSEUM | NEW YORK, NY | $15,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| USC- Shoah Foundation | Los Angeles, CA | $12,000 | 2026 | Restricted to the Shoah Foundation Last Chance Testimony Project |
| TOWN OF PALM BEACH UNITED WAY | PALM BEACH, FL | $12,000 | 2026 | Unrestricted |
| NEW HOPE CHARITIES | WEST PALM BEACH, FL | $10,000 | 2026 | RESTRICTED TO HOLIDAY TOY PURCHASE FUND |
| AID TO VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC ABUSE (AVDA) | DELRAY BEACH, FL | $10,000 | 2026 | RESTRICTED TO VICTIM ADVOCATE STAFF RETENTION |
| JDC- AMERICAN JEWISH JOINT DISTRIBUTION COMMITTEE | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2026 | Unrestricted |
| Project Kesher | New York, NY | $10,000 | 2026 | Restricted to medical and hygiene products for women in Ukraine |
| Operation Homefront | San Antonio, TX | $10,000 | 2026 | Restricted to support food insecure individuals and families |
| NYU LANGONE - FACES | NEW YORK, NY | $7,500 | 2026 | Restricted to FACES |
| ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO | CHICAGO, IL | $6,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| THRESHOLDS | CHICAGO, IL | $5,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| APPEAL OF CONSCIENCE FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO MEDICINE | Chicago, IL | $5,000 | 2026 | RESTRICTED TO FOREFRONT FUND |
| Tufts University - Friedman School | BOSTON, MA | $5,000 | 2026 | Restricted to Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy |
| Food Rescue US | Stamford, CT | $5,000 | 2026 | Restricted to Food Rescue South Florida |
| ProjectCamp | LOS ANGELES, CA | $5,000 | 2026 | Restricted to emergency response support |
| US HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL MUSEUM | WASHINGTON, DC | $5,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| OYC Miami | Miami, FL | $5,000 | 2026 | Restricted to College and Career Readiness |
| Planned Parenthood of South East and North Florida | West Palm Beach, FL | $5,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| Northwestern University - Institute for Global Health | EVANSTON, IL | $4,500 | 2026 | Restricted to support three IGH medical student rotations |
| Free Root Operation | Chicago, IL | $2,500 | 2026 | Restricted to support food insecure individuals and families |
| ASPEN INSTITUTE | WASHINGTON, DC | $2,500 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| CENTER FOR HEARING & COMMUNICATION | NEW YORK, NY | $2,500 | 2026 | RESTRICTED TO PEDIATRICS |
| SWIPE OUT HUNGER | COVINA, CA | $2,500 | 2026 | Restricted to supporting campus food pantries |
| PALM BEACH COUNTRY CLUB FOUNDATION | PALM BEACH, FL | $2,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| SOCIETY OF THE FOUR ARTS | PALM BEACH, FL | $2,000 | 2026 | Restricted to underwriting fundraising event decor |
| MAKING HEADWAY | CHAPPAQUA, NY | $1,500 | 2026 | Unrestricted |
| Promise Fund of Florida | West Palm Beach, FL | $1,000 | 2026 | Unrestricted |
| JDC- AMERICAN JEWISH JOINT DISTRIBUTION COMMITTEE | NEW YORK, NY | $500 | 2026 | Unrestricted |
Restricted to the GRID Disaster Rapid Response Fund
Restricted to support two afterschool arts programs for children in underresourced areas
Literacy Academy Collective
$35,000Restricted to Curriculum Development
Restricted to staff coaching, development staff support, and LOV program matching funds
BERKSHIRE SCHOOL
$25,000RESTRICTED TO ANNUAL FUND
HILLEL INTERNATIONAL
$25,000RESTRICTED TO CAMPUS CLIMATE INITATIVE
Restricted to support food insecure individuals and familes
Restricted to Academic Engagement Network Fellowships
Resetting the Table
$20,000Restricted to Hotline Support for RTT alumni
Food Bank for NYC
$20,000Restricted to support food insecure individuals and families
Institute for Currriculum Services
$20,000Restricted to support increasing editorial capacity
Restricted to support food insecure individuals and families
Ilinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center
$15,000Restricted to the K-12 Teaching Trunks program
Restricted to support Repair the World Summer 2025 NYC Teen Service Corps
Restricted to support Sanabel Leadership Pilot Program in Israel
USC- Shoah Foundation
$12,000Restricted to the Shoah Foundation Last Chance Testimony Project
NEW HOPE CHARITIES
$10,000RESTRICTED TO HOLIDAY TOY PURCHASE FUND
RESTRICTED TO VICTIM ADVOCATE STAFF RETENTION
Restricted to medical and hygiene products for women in Ukraine
Restricted to support food insecure individuals and families
NYU LANGONE - FACES
$7,500Restricted to FACES
UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO MEDICINE
$5,000RESTRICTED TO FOREFRONT FUND
Tufts University - Friedman School
$5,000Restricted to Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy
OYC Miami
$5,000Restricted to College and Career Readiness
Planned Parenthood of South East and North Florida
$5,000UNRESTRICTED
Northwestern University - Institute for Global Health
$4,500Restricted to support three IGH medical student rotations
Free Root Operation
$2,500Restricted to support food insecure individuals and families
PALM BEACH COUNTRY CLUB FOUNDATION
$2,000UNRESTRICTED