The Berman Support Foundation concentrates its giving on Jewish communal life (local synagogues, national Jewish networks, and Israel-focused endowments), anti-hunger/food-rescue organizations, and cultural institutions in the Detroit region, with additional support for higher education, medical research, and local human/animal services. Grants are often repeated to the same organizations and split between strong hometown investments in Metro Detroit and targeted national/international Jewish causes. The foundation favors program and operating support across nonprofits that serve community resilience (food security, homelessness), Jewish identity and continuity, and arts access.
A defining feature of the Madeleine H and Mandell L Berman Support Foundation is its repeated backing of Jewish communal infrastructure alongside Detroit-area civic and cultural institutions. In the recent grants list, PEF Israel Endowment Fund received two $165,000 grants in 2025, while the Detroit Institute of Arts also received two $100,000 grants in the same year. Those awards sit within a broader pattern of support for Jewish continuity, Israel-related funding, food security, and local public-serving organizations. The foundation’s giving includes both unrestricted support and awards marked for various programs or memorial purposes. Metro Food Rescue received two $85,000 grants in 2025, and Wayne State University received two $75,000 grants in memory of Eugene Driker. Other recipients include Boulder Jewish Community Center, Eastern Michigan University Foundation, Gleaners Community Food Bank, Forgotten Harvest, and American Friends of the Old City Inc. The result is a grantmaking profile that connects national Jewish causes with a strong concentration of Metro Detroit institutions and services.
Jewish communal giving is a central thread. The foundation gave $165,000 twice in 2025 to PEF Israel Endowment Fund for various programs, and $65,000 twice in 2025 to American Friends of the Old City Inc. In the same area, Friends of Israel Sci-tech Schools Onc received $45,000 in 2024. Food security is another clear priority. Metro Food Rescue received $85,000 twice in 2025, Gleaners Community Food Bank received $65,000 in 2024 and $45,000 twice in 2025, and Forgotten Harvest received $60,000 in 2024 and $40,000 twice in 2025. The foundation also supported Make Food Not Waste with a $35,000 grant in 2025. Beyond those areas, it funded Detroit civic and educational institutions. The Detroit Institute of Arts received $100,000 twice in 2025 and $40,000 in 2024, while Eastern Michigan University Foundation received $70,000 twice across 2024 and 2025.
Typical grants cluster in the mid-five-figure range: the p25 is $5,750, the median is $15,000, and the p75 is $30,000. The recent list also shows repeated awards to the same organizations across years and, in several cases, duplicated grants within the same year. That pattern suggests ongoing relationships rather than one-time awards. The foundation is a non-individual funder and does not make program-related investments. The grants shown use unrestricted, various-programs, and memorial-designated language, pointing to flexible support rather than a single grantmaking mechanism or application model.
$2.4M
$0
$178K
$1.2M
Most grants fall between $6K and $30K, with a median of $15K.
25th Percentile
$6K
Median
$15K
75th Percentile
$30K
JONATHAN BERMAN
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Mix of concentrated, repeat grants to a core set of grantees and geographically split commitments (heavy Metro Detroit focus plus national/Israel-directed gifts). Grants range from modest to large sizes, frequently issued as multiple installments across years and covering both program and general operating support.
Notable grantees: PEF Israel Endowment Fund, Detroit Institute of Arts, Metro Food Rescue, Forgotten Harvest (and Gleaners Community Food Bank), Temple Israel / Congregation Shaarey Zedek
The foundation gives nationally, but Michigan accounts for 44% of its grants and is the top state by grant count. Metro Detroit recipients appear frequently, including Detroit, West Bloomfield, Oak Park, Rochester Hills, Ypsilanti, and Shelby Twp. Outside Michigan, the recent grants include Boulder, Colorado; New York, New York; and Ft Lauderdale, Florida. All grants in the provided recipient-country distribution go to US organizations.
Recent grants show support for Jewish communal institutions, Israel-related endowment funding, food rescue and food banks, Detroit cultural institutions, universities, and local human and animal services. Named recipients include PEF Israel Endowment Fund, Detroit Institute of Arts, Metro Food Rescue, Gleaners Community Food Bank, Wayne State University, and Michigan Humane Society.
The foundation’s recent grant profile is centered on mid-sized awards. The p25 is $5,750, the median is $15,000, and the p75 is $30,000. Recent individual grants also include larger awards such as $165,000 to PEF Israel Endowment Fund and $100,000 to Detroit Institute of Arts.
Yes. The recent grants list shows repeated support to multiple organizations across 2024 and 2025, including Eastern Michigan University Foundation, Gleaners Community Food Bank, Forgotten Harvest, Detroit Institute of Arts, and PEF Israel Endowment Fund. Some recipients also appear more than once in the same year.
Michigan is the top state by grant count, with 44% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state. The recent recipient list includes multiple Metro Detroit cities such as Detroit, West Bloomfield, Oak Park, Rochester Hills, Ypsilanti, and Shelby Twp, alongside a smaller set of grants to organizations in Colorado, New York, and Florida.
No. The foundation’s recent awards cover several areas, with especially visible support for Jewish communal life, food security, and Detroit cultural institutions. Other grants extend to higher education and memorial-designated support, showing a multi-issue pattern rather than one narrow program area.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PEF ISRAEL ENDOWMENT FUND | NEW YORK, NY | $165,000 | 2025 | VARIOUS PROGRAMS |
| PEF ISRAEL ENDOWMENT FUND | NEW YORK, NY | $165,000 | 2025 | VARIOUS PROGRAMS |
| BOULDER JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER | BOULDER, CO | $100,079 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| BOULDER JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER | BOULDER, CO | $100,079 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| DETROIT INSTITUTE OF ARTS | DETROIT, MI | $100,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| DETROIT INSTITUTE OF ARTS | DETROIT, MI | $100,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| METRO FOOD RESCUE | WEST BLOOMFIELD, MI | $85,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| METRO FOOD RESCUE | WEST BLOOMFIELD, MI | $85,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY | DETROIT, MI | $75,000 | 2025 | IN MEMORY OF EUGENE DRIKER |
| WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY | DETROIT, MI | $75,000 | 2025 | IN MEMORY OF EUGENE DRIKER |
| EASTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION | YPSILANTI, MI | $70,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| EASTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION | YPSILANTI, MI | $70,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| AMERICAN FRIENDS OF THE OLD CITY INC | FT LAUDERDALE, FL | $65,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| AMERICAN FRIENDS OF THE OLD CITY INC | FT LAUDERDALE, FL | $65,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| MICHIGAN HUMANE SOCIETY | ROCHESTER HILLS, MI | $60,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| MICHIGAN HUMANE SOCIETY | ROCHESTER HILLS, MI | $60,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| GLEANERS COMMUNITY FOOD BANK | DETROIT, MI | $45,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| GLEANERS COMMUNITY FOOD BANK | DETROIT, MI | $45,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| FORGOTTEN HARVEST | OAK PARK, MI | $40,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| FORGOTTEN HARVEST | OAK PARK, MI | $40,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| MAKE FOOD NOT WASTE | DETROIT, MI | $35,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| MAKE FOOD NOT WASTE | DETROIT, MI | $35,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| JEWISH FUNDERS NETWORK | NEW YORK, NY | $30,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| JEWISH FUNDERS NETWORK | NEW YORK, NY | $30,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| ALZHEIMER'S DRUG DISCOVERY FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $30,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| ALZHEIMER'S DRUG DISCOVERY FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $30,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| STANFORD UNIVERSITY | STANFORD, CA | $22,500 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| STANFORD UNIVERSITY | STANFORD, CA | $22,500 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| TEMPLE ISRAEL | WEST BLOOMFIELD, MI | $20,000 | 2025 | THE WELL |
| FOOD BANK FOR NEW YORK CITY | NEW YORK, NY | $20,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| BOWERY RESIDENTS COMMITTEE INC | NEW YORK, NY | $20,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| BOWERY RESIDENTS COMMITTEE INC | NEW YORK, NY | $20,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| COMMUNITY FOOD BANK OF NEW JERSEY INC | HILLSIDE, NJ | $20,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| CITY HARVEST INC | NEW YORK, NY | $20,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| CITY HARVEST INC | NEW YORK, NY | $20,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| TEMPLE ISRAEL | WEST BLOOMFIELD, MI | $20,000 | 2025 | THE WELL |
| MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART DETROIT | DETROIT, MI | $20,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART DETROIT | DETROIT, MI | $20,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| COMMUNITY FOOD BANK OF NEW JERSEY INC | HILLSIDE, NJ | $20,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| FOOD BANK FOR NEW YORK CITY | NEW YORK, NY | $20,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| JEWISH HOSPICE AND CHAPLAINCY NETWORK | WEST BLOOMFIELD, MI | $16,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| JEWISH HOSPICE AND CHAPLAINCY NETWORK | WEST BLOOMFIELD, MI | $16,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| CONGREGATION SHAAREY ZEDEK | SOUTHFIELD, MI | $15,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| ISAAC AGREE DOWNTOWN SYNAGOGUE | DETROIT, MI | $15,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| ISAAC AGREE DOWNTOWN SYNAGOGUE | DETROIT, MI | $15,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| CONGREGATION SHAAREY ZEDEK | SOUTHFIELD, MI | $15,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| CONSTRUCTION EDUCATION TRUST | MADISON HEIGHTS, MI | $14,800 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| CONSTRUCTION EDUCATION TRUST | MADISON HEIGHTS, MI | $14,800 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| NEW ISRAEL FUND | NEW YORK, NY | $12,500 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| NEW ISRAEL FUND | NEW YORK, NY | $12,500 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
DETROIT INSTITUTE OF ARTS
$100,000UNRESTRICTED
DETROIT INSTITUTE OF ARTS
UNRESTRICTED
WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY
$75,000IN MEMORY OF EUGENE DRIKER
WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY
$75,000IN MEMORY OF EUGENE DRIKER
AMERICAN FRIENDS OF THE OLD CITY INC
$65,000UNRESTRICTED
AMERICAN FRIENDS OF THE OLD CITY INC
$65,000UNRESTRICTED
MAKE FOOD NOT WASTE
$35,000UNRESTRICTED
MAKE FOOD NOT WASTE
$35,000UNRESTRICTED
TEMPLE ISRAEL
$20,000THE WELL
TEMPLE ISRAEL
$20,000THE WELL
CONGREGATION SHAAREY ZEDEK
$15,000UNRESTRICTED
ISAAC AGREE DOWNTOWN SYNAGOGUE
$15,000UNRESTRICTED
ISAAC AGREE DOWNTOWN SYNAGOGUE
$15,000UNRESTRICTED
CONGREGATION SHAAREY ZEDEK
$15,000UNRESTRICTED
CONSTRUCTION EDUCATION TRUST
$14,800UNRESTRICTED
CONSTRUCTION EDUCATION TRUST
$14,800UNRESTRICTED