About Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies
This foundation is a regionally rooted philanthropic funder centered on Jewish communal life in Buffalo and Western New York while also making sizable gifts to health, conservation/park projects, education, arts, and animal welfare. It routinely supports core local institutions (Jewish Federation, synagogues, JCC) alongside major one-off or multi-year commitments to medical research, land trust/park development, and high-profile conservation and cultural organizations. Grants mix unrestricted/general operating support with repeated investments in a relatively small set of priority organizations.
Focus Areas
Support for Jewish communal infrastructure in Buffalo/WNY (Buffalo Jewish Federation, synagogues, JCC)Major cancer and medical research funding (Dana-Farber, Roswell Park, Boston Children's Hospital)Regional parks and waterfront development / land conservation (Nathan Benderson Park Conservancy, Finger Lakes Land Trust, Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper)Animal rescue and welfare (Nate's Honor Animal Rescue)Local arts and independent education in Buffalo area (Burchfield Penney Art Center, Park School, Lafayette College)
Who They Fund
general public/unspecified nonprofits
About Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies
A defining feature of Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies Inc is its repeated support for Jewish communal infrastructure in Western New York, including six- and seven-figure grants to Buffalo Jewish Federation, Temple Beth Zion, and Jewish Federation Cemetery Corporation in recent years. The foundation also gives outside that core lane, with large general-purpose awards to medical research, conservation, parks, and education organizations. Recent examples include $1 million to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in 2025, $1 million to Richardson Center Corporation in 2025, and $1 million to Sciencenter in 2025. Its grant record shows both institutional continuity and flexibility: the same grantee can appear across multiple years, and awards are often made for general purposes rather than a narrowly defined project. That pattern fits a funder that supports a small set of recurring priorities while also making sizable one-off gifts across sectors. The foundation’s portfolio includes Jewish organizations, hospitals, land trusts, youth education, cultural institutions, and animal welfare, with most of its activity landing in New York.
What Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies Funds
Jewish communal life is the clearest throughline in the foundation’s giving. It awarded $897,415 to Buffalo Jewish Federation in 2024 and $360,000 in 2025, both for general purposes, and also gave $1 million to Temple Beth Zion in 2025 and $125,000 to Jewish Federation Cemetery Corporation in 2025. Beyond that core area, the foundation funds health and medical research: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute received $1 million in 2024 and another $1 million in 2025, while Boston Children’s Hospital received $150,000 in 2024. Environmental and place-based work is another area of support, including $250,000 each year from 2023 through 2025 to Finger Lakes Land Trust and $856,684 to Nathan Benderson Park Conservancy in 2024. Education also appears through grants such as $200,000 to New Roots Charter School in 2024 and $250,000 to Lafayette College in 2025.
How Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies Gives
Typical grant size clusters in the low five figures: p25 is $10,000, median is $13,610, and p75 is $39,268. The recent grants list also shows a smaller number of much larger awards, including several $1 million grants and a $2.66 million gift. Giving is not limited to one-time support; some recipients appear across multiple years, such as Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Buffalo Jewish Federation, and Finger Lakes Land Trust. The foundation is a mixed DAF-classified Jewish federation funder, and the listed awards are predominantly general-purpose support. It also makes some structured scholarship and aid awards through named programs such as Israel Scholarships and Academic Scholarships.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$9.3M
Total Assets
$271.4M
Total Revenue
$33.3M
Total Expenses
$14.2M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $10K and $39K, with a median of $14K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$14K
75th Percentile
$39K
Geographic Reach
Regional20 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
IRVING LEVY
Accepts unsolicited proposals
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Where Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies Funds
Top 3 recipient countries by grant volume for Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies.
| Rank | Country | Grants | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United StatesDomestic | 405 | $26.7M | 99.5% |
| 2 | Canada |
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