The Joseph and Rae Gann Charitable Foundation concentrates almost all of its philanthropic support on Chabad Jewish centers, making sizable unrestricted grants to local Orthodox Jewish congregational and community organizations. Grants are large and targeted, supporting general operating needs rather than project-specific initiatives, and appear focused on sustaining Jewish religious life and community services in the foundation's local area.
Highly concentrated giving: very few, large grants primarily to repeat grantees within the Chabad network; funds are directed to general operating support rather than diverse or small-scale charities.
The Joseph and Rae Gann Charitable Foundation’s giving is tightly centered on Chabad Jewish centers and Orthodox Jewish communal institutions, with general operating support appearing again and again in the recent grant record. One of the clearest signals is the repeated support for the Chabad Jewish Center in Needham, Massachusetts, which received $230,000 in 2025, $192,000 in 2024, and $132,360 in 2023. The foundation also backed Beth Menachem Chabad in Newton, Massachusetts with a $176,000 general grant in 2023, reinforcing that its philanthropy is aimed at sustaining institutions rather than funding isolated projects. Across the recent grants list, the pattern is consistent: support for Jewish religious life, congregational operations, and community services delivered through Chabad-affiliated organizations. Larger grants appear alongside many smaller awards, but the common thread is institutional support for organizations serving Jewish communities, especially in the Boston-area network visible in the grant list. The foundation’s recent record shows concentration, repetition, and a strong preference for unrestricted funding tied to ongoing community operations.
A major theme in the Joseph and Rae Gann Charitable Foundation’s grantmaking is Chabad institutional support. In Needham, Massachusetts, the foundation gave $230,000 in 2025 to Chabad Jewish Center for general support, following $192,000 in 2024 and $132,360 in 2023. It also supported Beth Menachem Chabad in Newton with $176,000 in 2023 for general purposes. Jewish education is another visible area: Gann Academy - New Jewish High School in Waltham received $110,000 in 2025 and $75,000 in 2024. The foundation also funded Jewish Community Day School in Watertown with $95,000 in 2025 and $75,000 in 2024, showing continued support for school operations. Community umbrella organizations appear as well, including Combined Jewish Philanthropies in Boston, which received $106,500 in 2025 and $100,000 in 2024.
Typical grant size is small in the lower range and much larger at the top end, with a p25 of $200, median of $545, and p75 of $5,000. That spread sits alongside several six-figure awards in the recent record, indicating a mix of many modest grants and a smaller number of large institutional gifts. The foundation’s pattern also shows repetition: several recipients appear in multiple years, including the Chabad Jewish Center, Hebrew College, Shaloh House, Temple Emanuel, and Birthright Israel Foundation. Grants are listed as general support, and the foundation does not make program-related investments. The giving profile is concentrated rather than broad, with few recurring recipients accounting for many of the larger awards.
$1.8M
$17M
$1.7M
$1.9M
Most grants fall between $200 and $5K, with a median of $545.
25th Percentile
$200
Median
$545
75th Percentile
$5K
About 3% of grants go to recipients in MA.
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Notable grantees: CHABAD JEWISH CENTER, BETH MENACHEM CHABAD, Other local Chabad-affiliated congregations (South Florida)
Grantmaking is national, but the recent grants are heavily clustered in Massachusetts, especially the Boston area. Needham, Newton, Brighton, Boston, Waltham, Watertown, and Newton Centre all appear multiple times in the grant list. Outside Massachusetts, New York City appears through Birthright Israel Foundation in New York, NY. By grant count, the top state is DC, while Florida receives 3% of grants; that means the foundation’s headquarters state is not where it gives most often. All listed recipient countries are in the US.
The recent grants are concentrated in Chabad Jewish centers, Orthodox Jewish congregational institutions, Jewish schools, and umbrella Jewish community organizations. Examples in the data include Chabad Jewish Center, Beth Menachem Chabad, Gann Academy - New Jewish High School, Jewish Community Day School, and Combined Jewish Philanthropies.
Yes. The recent grants list repeatedly marks awards as GENERAL, and the existing summary describes the foundation as making unrestricted grants to sustain institutional operations. The recurring pattern suggests support for ongoing budgets rather than project-specific funding.
The grant-size distribution is $200 at the 25th percentile, $545 at the median, and $5,000 at the 75th percentile. The recent grants list also includes several much larger awards in the six-figure range, so the portfolio includes both small and large gifts.
The top state by grant count is DC, while Florida receives 3% of grants. The recent grant list itself is heavily weighted toward Massachusetts cities such as Needham, Newton, Brighton, Boston, Waltham, and Watertown.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including the Chabad Jewish Center in Needham, Hebrew College, Shaloh House, Temple Emanuel, Birthright Israel Foundation, Gann Academy - New Jewish High School, Jewish Community Day School, Solomon Schechter Day School, and Combined Jewish Philanthropies.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MESVITA OF GREATER BOSTON | BRIGHTON, MA | $200,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| CHABAD JEWISH CENTER | NEEDHAM, MA | $180,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| FIDELITY CHARITABLE | CINCINNATI, OH | $106,755 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| COMBINED JEWISH PHILANTHROPIES | BOSTON, MA | $105,360 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| GANN ACADEMY - NEW JEWISH HIGH SCHOOL | WALTHAM, MA | $100,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| SOLOMON SCHECHTER DAY SCHOOL | NEWTON, MA | $75,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| JEWISH COMMUNITY DAY SCHOOL | WATERTOWN, MA | $75,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| SHALOH HOUSE | BRIGHTON, MA | $60,200 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| TEMPLE EMANUEL | NEWTON, MA | $55,521 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| BIRTHRIGHT ISRAEL FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $52,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| HEBREW COLLEGE | NEWTON, MA | $40,360 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| MACHNE ISRAEL | BROOKLYN, NY | $26,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| CAMERA | BOSTON, MA | $22,700 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| BAIS YAAKOV OF BOSTON INC | BRIGHTON, MA | $22,600 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| TORAH ACADEMY | BROOKLINE, MA | $21,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| ROFEH INTERNATIONAL | BROOKLINE, MA | $20,360 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| JCC'S OF GREATER BOSTON | NEWTON, MA | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| CHELSEA JEWISH NURSING HOME FOUNDATION INC | PEABODY, MA | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| BOSTON JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL | NEWTON, MA | $19,300 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| COLEL CHABAD | BROOKLYN, NY | $18,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| YESHIVA TORAH VODAATH | BROOKLYN, NY | $17,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| BETH MENACHEM CHABAD | NEWTON, MA | $16,180 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| KOLLEL OF GREATER BOSTON INC | BRIGHTON, MA | $16,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| VILNA CENTER FOR JEWISH HERITAGE | BOSTON, MA | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| HEBREW SENIOR LIFE | BOSTON, MA | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| NEW ENGLAND HEBREW ACADEMY | BROOKLINE, MA | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| WALNUT STREET SHUL | CHELSEA, MA | $13,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| FRIENDS OF THE IDF | NEW YORK, NY | $13,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| CONGREGATION BETH EL-ATERETH ISRAEL | NEWTON, MA | $12,530 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| YIDDISH BOOK CENTER | AMHERST, MA | $11,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| AMERICAN FRIENDS OF MAGEN DAVID ADOM | NEW YORK, NY | $11,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| WYNER JEWISH HERITAGE CENTER | BOSTON, MA | $10,900 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| AMIT CHILDREN | NEW YORK, NY | $10,500 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| JINSA | WASHINGTON, DC | $10,400 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| CHABAD OF DOWNTOWN BOSTON | BOSTON, MA | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| AMERICAN FRIENDS OF THE ISRAEL INTELLIGENCE HERITAGE | LOS ANGELES, CA | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| FRIENDS OF UNITED HATZALAH | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| OHR TORAH STONE | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| AISH CAMPUS | BRIGHTON, MA | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| STRIAR HEBREW ACADEMY OF SHARON INC | SHARON, MA | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| 2 LIFE COMMUNITIES | BRIGHTON, MA | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| BOCA RATON KOLLEL | BOCA RATON, FL | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| YESHIVA OHR YISRAEL | BROOKLYN, NY | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| JEWISH BROADCASTING SERVICE | NEW YORK, NY | $9,600 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| TEMPLE NER TAMID COMMUNITY DAY SCHOOL | PEABODY, MA | $7,500 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| AMERICAN COMMITTEE FOR WEIZMANN INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE | NEW YORK, NY | $7,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| AMIT | NEW YORK, NY | $6,704 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| YAD CHESSED FUND | WALTHAM, MA | $6,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| MACULAR DEGENERATION RESEARCH | CLARKSBURG, MD | $5,256 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| DANA-FARBER CANCER INSTITUTE | BOSTON, MA | $5,200 | 2026 | GENERAL |
MESVITA OF GREATER BOSTON
$200,000GENERAL
CHABAD JEWISH CENTER
$180,000GENERAL
FIDELITY CHARITABLE
$106,755GENERAL
GANN ACADEMY - NEW JEWISH HIGH SCHOOL
$100,000GENERAL
SOLOMON SCHECHTER DAY SCHOOL
$75,000GENERAL
SHALOH HOUSE
$60,200GENERAL
TEMPLE EMANUEL
$55,521GENERAL
HEBREW COLLEGE
$40,360GENERAL
MACHNE ISRAEL
$26,000GENERAL
BAIS YAAKOV OF BOSTON INC
$22,600GENERAL
TORAH ACADEMY
$21,000GENERAL
ROFEH INTERNATIONAL
$20,360GENERAL
JCC'S OF GREATER BOSTON
$20,000GENERAL
CHELSEA JEWISH NURSING HOME FOUNDATION INC
$20,000GENERAL
BOSTON JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL
$19,300GENERAL
COLEL CHABAD
$18,000GENERAL
YESHIVA TORAH VODAATH
$17,000GENERAL
BETH MENACHEM CHABAD
$16,180GENERAL
KOLLEL OF GREATER BOSTON INC
$16,000GENERAL
VILNA CENTER FOR JEWISH HERITAGE
$15,000GENERAL
HEBREW SENIOR LIFE
$15,000GENERAL
NEW ENGLAND HEBREW ACADEMY
$15,000GENERAL
WALNUT STREET SHUL
$13,000GENERAL
CONGREGATION BETH EL-ATERETH ISRAEL
$12,530GENERAL
WYNER JEWISH HERITAGE CENTER
$10,900GENERAL
CHABAD OF DOWNTOWN BOSTON
$10,000GENERAL
AMERICAN FRIENDS OF THE ISRAEL INTELLIGENCE HERITAGE
$10,000GENERAL
OHR TORAH STONE
$10,000GENERAL
AISH CAMPUS
$10,000GENERAL
STRIAR HEBREW ACADEMY OF SHARON INC
$10,000GENERAL
2 LIFE COMMUNITIES
$10,000GENERAL
BOCA RATON KOLLEL
$10,000GENERAL
YESHIVA OHR YISRAEL
$10,000GENERAL
JEWISH BROADCASTING SERVICE
$9,600GENERAL
TEMPLE NER TAMID COMMUNITY DAY SCHOOL
$7,500GENERAL
AMIT
$6,704GENERAL
YAD CHESSED FUND
$6,000GENERAL
MACULAR DEGENERATION RESEARCH
$5,256GENERAL