The Klaff Family Foundation concentrates its giving through a small number of very large, mostly unrestricted grants, with a clear emphasis on Jewish communal and international Jewish relief causes alongside use of donor-advised/endowment vehicles. Much of the dollar volume flows to donor-advised fund sponsors and Jewish community institutions (local and overseas), with occasional support for early childhood services and victim/commemoration funds. Grants are broad-purpose ('General') rather than program-restricted, suggesting flexible, core-style support or pass-through funding.
Klaff Family Foundation c/o Rita Sawyer channels unusually large gifts into donor-advised and endowment vehicles before moving funds onward to Jewish communal, relief, and related civic causes. The single largest recent grant in the data is $9,462,433 to American Endowment Foundation for general purposes, followed by another seven-figure transfer of $6,425,000 to AEF FBO KFF Donor Adviser Fund. Those pass-through awards sit alongside direct support for Jewish institutions and international Jewish aid. In the recent-grants list, the foundation also gave $1,750,000 to Jewish Community Foundation San Diego and $1,299,998 to JCC Chicago, both on a general basis. That mix suggests a funder that uses a concentrated set of high-dollar grants to sustain Jewish communal infrastructure, relief networks, and a few broader community organizations. The grants are typically unrestricted, and several recipients appear more than once across the file, including Jewish United Fund, Friends of United Hatzalah, and Johannesburg Jewish Helping Hand - US. The foundation’s latest 990 year on file is 2025, and its annual grants total $32,540,852.
A major share of the foundation’s giving goes through donor-advised or endowment structures. In 2024, it awarded $2,000,000 to American Endowment Foundation FBO KFF Donor Advise, again for general purposes, reinforcing that intermediary channel. Jewish communal infrastructure is another clear thread: JCC Chicago received $1,299,998 in 2025, while Jewish United Fund received $412,500 in 2025 and $154,000 in 2024. The foundation also backs international Jewish relief. Johannesburg Jewish Helping Hand - US received $702,500 in 2025 and $275,000 in 2024, both general grants. In family and youth-oriented work, Start Early received $833,333 in 2025, and Chicago Jesuit Academy received $110,000 in 2025.
The grant size profile is highly skewed: p25 is $5,000, the median is $15,000, and p75 is $50,000, even though the recent file includes several multi-million-dollar awards. The pattern also shows recurrence. American Endowment Foundation appears across multiple years, and several operating grantees recur as well, including Jewish United Fund, Friends of United Hatzalah, and Johannesburg Jewish Helping Hand - US. The foundation is not an individual giver and does not make program-related investments. Most awards in the file are labeled general, indicating flexible support rather than tightly restricted project funding.
$15.6M
$223.3M
$11.1M
$19.3M
Most grants fall between $5K and $50K, with a median of $15K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$15K
75th Percentile
$50K
Top 8 recipient countries by grant volume for Klaff Family Foundation C/O Rita Sawyer.
| Rank | Country | Grants | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United StatesDomestic | 204 | $32.1M | 91.5% |
| 2 | South Africa |
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Very concentrated: a handful of very large grants (several multi-million dollar transfers) primarily routed through donor-advised/endowment intermediaries and repeat recipients; grants are generally unrestricted and infrequent rather than many small awards.
Notable grantees: American Endowment Foundation (multiple large transfers), JCC Chicago, Jewish Community Foundation San Diego, Start Early, Johannesburg Jewish Helping Hand (US)
Grant recipients are mostly in the United States, which accounts for 204 grants, or 91.5% of the recipient-country distribution. New York is the top state by grant count, even though the foundation is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. In the recent-grants list, New York City appears repeatedly through recipients such as Jewish National Fund - USA, HelpArgentina (PILAS), Friends of United Hatzalah, Fractured Atlas, The Fresh Air Fund, and Wild Tomorrow Fund. Chicago also appears often through JCC Chicago, Start Early, Jewish United Fund, Thresholds, WTTW, and Chicago Jesuit Academy. Smaller clusters appear in San Diego, Hudson, and Miami.
Its recent grants tilt toward donor-advised or endowment vehicles, Jewish communal institutions, international Jewish relief, and a smaller set of youth and civic organizations. The largest awards in the file go to American Endowment Foundation and Jewish Community Foundation San Diego, while direct gifts also go to groups such as JCC Chicago and Jewish United Fund.
Yes. American Endowment Foundation appears in multiple years, and several operating recipients recur as well, including Jewish United Fund, Friends of United Hatzalah, and Johannesburg Jewish Helping Hand - US. That pattern suggests repeated support rather than one-time awards only.
The grant-size distribution is small relative to the largest awards: p25 is $5,000, median grant size is $15,000, and p75 is $50,000. Even with that distribution, the recent file includes several large transfers in the seven-figure range.
New York is the top state by grant count, while 91.5% of recipient-country records are in the United States. Chicago recipients also appear frequently, including JCC Chicago, Start Early, Jewish United Fund, Thresholds, WTTW, and Chicago Jesuit Academy.
No. The foundation does not fund individuals, and it does not make program-related investments. The file instead shows general-purpose grants, including major transfers to donor-advised and endowment vehicles.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
| 11 |
| $93K |
4.9% |
| 3 | United Kingdom | 2 | $75K | 0.9% |
| 4 | Brazil | 2 | $20K | 0.9% |
| 5 | Israel | 1 | $250K | 0.5% |
| 6 | Austria | 1 | $25K | 0.5% |
| 7 | Australia | 1 | $10K | 0.5% |
| 8 | Latvia | 1 | $5K | 0.5% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Endowment Foundation | Hudson, OH | $9,462,433 | 2025 | General |
| JCC Chicago | Northbrook, IL | $1,299,998 | 2025 | General |
| Start Early | Chicago, IL | $833,333 | 2025 | General |
| Johannesburg Jewish Helping Hand - US | Wheaton, IL | $702,500 | 2025 | General |
| Jewish United Fund | Chicago, IL | $412,500 | 2025 | General |
| Fundacion Escuela Integral Hebreo Urugaya | Aventura, FL | $333,333 | 2025 | General |
| Jewish National Fund - USA | New York, NY | $333,000 | 2025 | General |
| Fundacion Tzedaka USA Inc | Miami, FL | $250,000 | 2025 | General |
| HelpArgentina (PILAS) | New York, NY | $250,000 | 2025 | General |
| Friends of United Hatzalah (Eli Beer) | New York, NY | $180,000 | 2025 | General |
| Fractured Atlas Inc | New York, NY | $130,000 | 2025 | General |
| HelpArgentina (PILAS) (DAIA) | New York, NY | $125,000 | 2025 | General |
| Chicago Jesuit Academy | Chicago, IL | $110,000 | 2025 | General |
| West Point Jewish Chapel Fund Inc | Great Neck, NY | $100,000 | 2025 | General |
| JBI International (Jewish Braille Institute) | New York, NY | $100,000 | 2025 | General |
| WTTW | Chicago, IL | $100,000 | 2025 | General |
| Hillel International | Washington, DC | $100,000 | 2025 | General |
| Challenge Athletes Foundation | San Diego, CA | $100,000 | 2025 | General |
| Friends of Glencoe Golf Club | Glencoe, IL | $50,000 | 2025 | General |
| Thresholds | Chicago, IL | $50,000 | 2025 | General |
| Wolcott School | Chicago, IL | $50,000 | 2025 | General |
| Chabad of Glencoe | Glencoe, IL | $36,000 | 2025 | General |
| Jewish Community Foundation San Diego | San Diego, CA | $33,487 | 2025 | General |
| Friends of Blue and White | San Diego, CA | $30,000 | 2025 | General |
| Grinspoon Hillel at Cornell | Ithaca, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | General |
| Israel Cancer Research Fund | New York, NY | $18,000 | 2025 | General |
| American Jewish Committee | New York, NY | $18,000 | 2025 | General |
| Rabinnical College of Telshe Inc (Telshe Yeshiva) | Wickliffe, OH | $18,000 | 2025 | General |
| Machne Israel Inc (Chabad of Kaunas) | Brooklyn, NY | $18,000 | 2025 | General |
| JTA (Jewish Telegraphic Agency) | New York, NY | $18,000 | 2025 | General |
| Friends of Yad LaKashihLifeline for the Old | Englewood, NJ | $18,000 | 2025 | General |
| UJA Federation of New York | New York, NY | $16,750 | 2025 | General |
| Ravinia Festival | Highland Park, IL | $15,000 | 2025 | General |
| Southeastern Guide Dogs Inc | Palmetto, FL | $15,000 | 2025 | General |
| Bideawee | New York, NY | $15,000 | 2025 | General |
| American Committee for Shaare Zedek Medical Center | New York, NY | $10,300 | 2025 | General |
| ChiArts | Chicago, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | General |
| The Ark | Northbrook, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | General |
| Greater Chicago Food Depository | Chicago, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | General |
| Highland Park Community Foundation | Highland Park, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | General |
| Lambs Farm | Libertyville, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | General |
| Nami Chicago | Chicago, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | General |
| American Friends of Beit Issie Shapiro | New York, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | General |
| Mercy Ships | Lindale, TX | $10,000 | 2025 | General |
| The Chicago High School for the Arts (ChiArts) | Chicago, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | General |
| Daniel Murphy Scholarship Fund | Chicago, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | General |
| Los Angeles Jewish Health | Reseda, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | General |
| The Fresh Air Fund | New York, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | General |
| UCLA Foundation | Los Angeles, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | General |
| Northwestern University | Evanston, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | General |
Fundacion Escuela Integral Hebreo Urugaya
$333,333General
Jewish National Fund - USA
$333,000General
Fundacion Tzedaka USA Inc
$250,000General
HelpArgentina (PILAS)
$250,000General
HelpArgentina (PILAS) (DAIA)
$125,000General
Chicago Jesuit Academy
$110,000General
West Point Jewish Chapel Fund Inc
$100,000General
JBI International (Jewish Braille Institute)
$100,000General
WTTW
$100,000General
Hillel International
$100,000General
Challenge Athletes Foundation
$100,000General
Friends of Glencoe Golf Club
$50,000General
Chabad of Glencoe
$36,000General
Friends of Blue and White
$30,000General
Grinspoon Hillel at Cornell
$25,000General
Rabinnical College of Telshe Inc (Telshe Yeshiva)
$18,000General
Machne Israel Inc (Chabad of Kaunas)
$18,000General
JTA (Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
$18,000General
Friends of Yad LaKashihLifeline for the Old
$18,000General
Ravinia Festival
$15,000General
Southeastern Guide Dogs Inc
$15,000General
Bideawee
$15,000General
American Committee for Shaare Zedek Medical Center
$10,300General
Mercy Ships
$10,000General
Los Angeles Jewish Health
$10,000General
The Fresh Air Fund
$10,000General