About Jean F Herskovits Foundation
The Jean F. Herskovits Foundation concentrates its giving on girls’ education and empowerment in Nigeria, funding programs that create academic ‘safe spaces,’ provide mentoring and exam preparation, and award scholarships that help girls transition between primary and secondary school. Grants are targeted and impact-focused, often routed through local NGOs with expenditure responsibility for overseas giving and occasional support for school infrastructure like water access.
Focus Areas
Girls’ academic safe spaces and mentorship programs in NigeriaScholarships for girls transitioning from primary to secondary (including placement in private schools)Early-childhood and primary-school support for girls ages 7–10Local Nigerian women’s empowerment organizations delivering education servicesSchool infrastructure tied to girls’ education (e.g., water provision)
Who They Fund
girls ages 7-10 enrolled in public primary schoolgirls graduating from public secondary school (college-bound)public school students / scholarship-eligible girls
About Jean F Herskovits Foundation
Jean F Herskovits Foundation Inc. centers its giving on girls’ education in Nigeria, with grants that combine mentoring, academic safe spaces, exam preparation, scholarships, and school support. The largest recent award went to Centre for Girls Education in Zaria for mentoring and academic tutoring for girls graduating from public secondary school, along with an academic safe space and preparation for college entrance exams. Another major grant supported Isa Wali Empowerment Initiative in Nassarawa GRA for academic safe spaces for girls ages 7–10 in public primary school and scholarships to private primary and secondary schools for girls who qualify. The foundation’s grants are project-restricted and often directed to local Nigerian organizations delivering education services. Recent awards also show support for girls moving between school stages, from primary school through secondary completion and toward college entrance testing. Where needed, the foundation uses expenditure responsibility for overseas giving. Its pattern points to targeted, program-specific funding rather than broad institutional support, with the same program partners appearing in more than one year.
What Jean F Herskovits Foundation Funds
In girls’ academic support, the foundation funded Centre for Girls Education in Zaria with $50,000 in 2023 for mentoring and academic tutoring for girls graduating from public secondary school to prepare for college entrance exams. In a larger 2024 award, the same organization received $229,000 for that work plus an academic safe space. For younger students, Isa Wali Empowerment Initiative in Nassarawa GRA received $123,489 in 2023 and $44,000 in 2024 for academic safe spaces for girls ages 7–10 enrolled in public primary school, along with scholarships to private primary and secondary schools for girls who qualify. School access and conditions also appear in the portfolio. Global One 2015 Nigeria (GON) in Nassarawa District received $38,300 in 2024 for scholarships and to provide water to schools.
How Jean F Herskovits Foundation Gives
The foundation gives at a mid-sized project level: the grant-size spread runs from a 25th percentile of $39,725 to a median of $47,000 and a 75th percentile of $105,117. Recent awards cluster around a few repeated partners rather than one-off recipients, with Centre for Girls Education, Isa Wali Empowerment Initiative, and Global One 2015 Nigeria each appearing in multiple years. It is a regular funder, not a donor-advised fund or program-related-investment vehicle. Grants are project-restricted, and at least some overseas awards use expenditure responsibility.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$311K
Total Assets
$1.4M
Total Revenue
-$101K
Total Expenses
$346K
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $40K and $105K, with a median of $47K.
25th Percentile
$40K
Median
$47K
75th Percentile
$105K
Geographic Reach
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Where Jean F Herskovits Foundation Funds
Top 1 recipient countries by grant volume for Jean F Herskovits Foundation.
| Rank | Country | Grants | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nigeria | 9 | $811K | 100.0% |
Recipient country reflects the grantee's headquarters per IRS 990-PF and Schedule F filings, not the program's implementation country.
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