The Ratner Salzberg family prioritizes sustaining Jewish communal infrastructure and engagement, with major gifts to local and regional Jewish federations and community centers, especially in Washington, D.C. and Cleveland. They also make targeted gifts to national civic heritage institutions (e.g., the National Archives), typically funding annual funds, capital campaigns, and signature events that support operating and capital needs.
A recurring pattern defines Michael and Deborah Ratner Salzberg Fami’s grantmaking: large annual gifts to Jewish communal institutions, especially the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington and the Jewish Federation of Cleveland, alongside support for Washington, DC cultural and civic organizations. The foundation’s recent grants show a clear preference for operating and campaign support rather than project-only awards, with gifts tied to annual funds, capital campaigns, and named funds. That approach appears at multiple levels of support, from a $250,000 grant to the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington for its 2025 annual fund to a $50,000 grant to the Jewish Federation of Cleveland for the Campaign for Jewish Needs. They also back institutions that serve broader civic and cultural functions, including the National Archives Foundation and the National Symphony Orchestra. Across the recent grants list, the foundation’s giving reaches community infrastructure, public history, arts programming, and Jewish engagement, with Washington-area organizations appearing frequently and a smaller set of grants extending to other cities such as Cleveland, New York-area recipients, Philadelphia, and Columbia, Maryland.
Jewish communal life is the clearest throughline in the foundation’s portfolio. In Washington, DC, they gave $79,800 to the Edlavitch Jewish Community Center of Washington DC for its capital campaign, the 2022 spring gala, and EntryPoint DC, then followed with additional annual fund support in later years. They also supported the Jewish Federation of Cleveland with $50,000 grants in both 2024 and 2025 for the Campaign for Jewish Needs. Beyond federation support, the foundation funds civic and cultural institutions tied to public access and historical education. Examples include $60,000 to the National Archives Foundation for its annual fund and $25,000 to Planet Word for its annual fund. Their giving also includes arts and performance, such as support for the National Symphony Orchestra and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
Typical grant size is modest-to-mid-sized for a family foundation: the p25 is $2,500, the median is $4,600, and the p75 is $10,000. The recent record also shows a smaller number of larger campaign and annual-fund grants that sit well above the median. Recurrence is a clear feature of the portfolio: the same recipients appear across multiple years, including the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, the Jewish Federation of Cleveland, the National Archives Foundation, and the Federal City Council. The foundation is a regular funder rather than a donor-advised fund, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments.
$575K
$2.7M
$98K
$585K
Most grants fall between $3K and $10K, with a median of $5K.
25th Percentile
$3K
Median
$5K
75th Percentile
$10K
About 4% of grants go to recipients in DC.
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Concentrated, high-dollar giving to a small set of repeat grantees; a few large unrestricted/annual fund and campaign gifts rather than many small awards. Geographic focus on Washington, D.C. and Northeast Ohio with both multi-grant relationships and one-off major gifts to national organizations.
Notable grantees: Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, Jewish Federation of Cleveland, Edlavitch Jewish Community Center of Washington DC, National Archives Foundation
Grantmaking is national, but it is heavily centered in Washington, DC and the surrounding region. The top state by grant count is New York, while only 3% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state of Ohio. Recent grants also land in Cleveland, North Bethesda, Philadelphia, Columbia, and Upper Montclair. The recipient-country distribution is entirely US-based, with 136 grants in the United States and no international grants in the data provided.
The clearest pattern is support for Jewish communal infrastructure, especially federations and community centers. Recent grants include $250,000 to the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington for its 2025 annual fund, $50,000 to the Jewish Federation of Cleveland for the Campaign for Jewish Needs, and $79,800 to the Edlavitch Jewish Community Center of Washington DC for capital campaign and program support.
Recurring support is a major feature. The same organizations appear in multiple years, including the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, the Jewish Federation of Cleveland, the National Archives Foundation, the Federal City Council, and the Edlavitch Jewish Community Center of Washington DC.
The distribution centers on smaller grants, with a p25 of $2,500, a median of $4,600, and a p75 of $10,000. The recent grant list also includes larger annual-fund and campaign gifts above that range, such as $150,000 and $250,000 awards.
The top state by grant count is New York, but the grant list is still heavily tied to Washington, DC-area organizations. The data also shows only 3% of grants going to recipients in Ohio, the foundation’s headquarters state.
Their grants often support annual funds, campaign drives, and named restricted funds. Examples in the recent list include annual fund gifts to the National Archives Foundation and Planet Word, a capital campaign gift to the Edlavitch Jewish Community Center of Washington DC, and a campaign grant to the Jewish Federation of Cleveland.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JEWISH FEDERATION OF GREATER WASHINGTON | NORTH BETHESDA, MD | $250,000 | 2026 | 2025 ANNUAL FUND |
| NATIONAL ARCHIVES FOUNDATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $60,000 | 2026 | ANNUAL FUND |
| NATL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA ASSOC OF WASHINGTON DC | WASHINGTON, DC | $47,500 | 2026 | ANNUAL FUND-$35,000 AND THE NOSEDA ERA FUND-$12,500 |
| EDLAVITCH JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER OF WASHINGTON DC | WASHINGTON, DC | $40,000 | 2026 | ANNUAL FUND |
| FEDERAL CITY COUNCIL | WASHINGTON, DC | $25,000 | 2026 | ANNUAL FUND |
| INDEPENDENCE INITIATIVE INC | WASHINGTON, DC | $20,000 | 2026 | DEMOCRACY RISING COLLABORATIVE FUND |
| SIBLEY MEMORIAL HOSPITAL FOUNDATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $10,000 | 2026 | MEDITATION GARDEN FUND |
| UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $10,000 | 2026 | WHARTON SCHOOL-URBAN RESEARCH AND EDUCATION FUND |
| BROOKLYN COMMUNITY HOUSING & SERVICES | BROOKLYN, NY | $10,000 | 2026 | ANNUAL FUND |
| MEDSTAR HEALTH | COLUMBIA, MD | $10,000 | 2026 | ANNUAL FUND |
| OHR KODESH CONGREGATION | CHEVY CHASE, MD | $9,000 | 2026 | ANNUAL FUND |
| THE WASHINGTON BALLET | WASHINGTON, DC | $6,900 | 2026 | THE NUTCRACKER TEA PARTY FUND |
| DC POLICY CENTER | WASHINGTON, DC | $5,000 | 2026 | ANNUAL FUND |
| PARK SYNAGOGUE | PEPPER PIKE, OH | $5,000 | 2026 | ANNUAL FUND |
| FJC - FOUNDATION OF DONOR ADVISED FUNDS | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2026 | ALMA LINKS |
| CITY KIDS WILDERNESS PROJECT | WASHINGTON, DC | $5,000 | 2026 | ANNUAL FUND |
| WASHINGTON PERFORMING ARTS SOCIETY | WASHINGTON, DC | $4,595 | 2026 | 2025 ANNUAL FUND AUCTION CONSORTIUM |
| NATL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA ASSOC OF WASHINGTON DC | WASHINGTON, DC | $4,096 | 2026 | ANNUAL FUND |
| ST JUDES CHILDREN RESEARCH HOSPITAL | MEMPHIS, TN | $3,600 | 2026 | ANNUAL FUND |
| JCRC OF GREATER WASHINGTON | NORTH BETHESDA, MD | $3,600 | 2026 | ANNUAL FUND |
| MARET SCHOOL | WASHINGTON, DC | $3,600 | 2026 | GRANDPARENT'S FUND |
| URBAN LAND INSTITUTE | WASHINGTON, DC | $2,660 | 2026 | AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE EVENT-PACEMAKER CO-SPONSOR FUND |
| MARTHA'S TABLE INC | WASHINGTON, DC | $2,500 | 2026 | ANNUAL FUND |
| WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY | ST LOUIS, MO | $2,500 | 2026 | ANNUAL FUND |
| WASHINGTON HOUSING CONSERVANCY | WASHINGTON, DC | $2,500 | 2026 | ANNUAL FUND |
| AT THE WELL | WASHINGTON, DC | $2,500 | 2026 | ANNUAL FUND |
| N STREET VILLAGE | WASHINGTON, DC | $2,500 | 2026 | ANNUAL FUND |
| MARY'S CENTER FOR MATERNAL & CHILD CARE | WASHINGTON, DC | $2,500 | 2026 | ANNUAL FUND |
| KENYON COLLEGE | GAMBIER, OH | $2,500 | 2026 | ANNUAL FUND |
| WASHINGTON PERFORMING ARTS SOCIETY | WASHINGTON, DC | $1,840 | 2026 | 2025 ANNUAL FUND |
| GREATER WASHINGTON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $1,800 | 2026 | RISA FUND |
| SAVE A CHILD'S HEART FOUNDATION INC | ROCKVILLE, MD | $1,800 | 2026 | ANNUAL FUND |
| COLGATE UNIVERSITY | HAMILTON, NY | $1,800 | 2026 | ANNUAL FUND |
| YAD YEHUDA OF GREATER WASHINGTON | SILVER SPRING, MD | $1,800 | 2026 | ANNUAL FUND |
| YESHIVA OF GREATER WASHINGTON | SILVER SPRING, MD | $1,800 | 2026 | ANNUAL FUND |
| SEEDS OF PEACE | NEW YORK, NY | $1,800 | 2026 | ANNUAL FUND |
| WENDT CENTER FOR LOSS & HEALING | WASHINGTON, DC | $1,000 | 2026 | ANNUAL FUND |
| THE SEED FOUNDATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $1,000 | 2026 | ANNUAL FUND |
| BETHESDA-CHEVY CHASE RESCUE SQUAD INC | BETHESDA, MD | $1,000 | 2026 | ANNUAL FUND |
| ALL FAITHS FOODBANK | SARASOTA, FL | $1,000 | 2026 | ANNUAL FUND |
| EDENS COMMUNITY ENRICHMENT FOUNDATION | COLUMBIA, SC | $600 | 2026 | ANNUAL FUND |
| JEWISH FEDERATION OF GREATER WASHINGTON | NORTH BETHESDA, MD | $200,000 | 2025 | ANNUAL FUND |
| JEWISH FEDERATION OF CLEVELAND | CLEVELAND, OH | $50,000 | 2025 | CAMPAIGN FOR JEWISH NEEDS |
| NATIONAL ARCHIVES FOUNDATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $50,000 | 2025 | WE THE PEOPLE CAPITAL CAMPAIGN |
| NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA | WASHINGTON, DC | $37,500 | 2025 | ANNUAL FUND |
| EDLAVITCH JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER OF WASHINGTON DC | WASHINGTON, DC | $35,000 | 2025 | ANNUAL FUND |
| FEDERAL CITY COUNCIL | WASHINGTON, DC | $25,000 | 2025 | ANNUAL FUND |
| MUSEUM OF LANGUAGE ARTS - PLANET WORD | WASHINGTON, DC | $25,000 | 2025 | ANNUAL FUND |
| FEDERAL CITY COUNCIL | WASHINGTON, DC | $15,000 | 2025 | TASK FORCE FUND |
| JEWBELONG | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | ANNUAL FUND |
ANNUAL FUND-$35,000 AND THE NOSEDA ERA FUND-$12,500
ANNUAL FUND
INDEPENDENCE INITIATIVE INC
$20,000DEMOCRACY RISING COLLABORATIVE FUND
WHARTON SCHOOL-URBAN RESEARCH AND EDUCATION FUND
OHR KODESH CONGREGATION
$9,000ANNUAL FUND
PARK SYNAGOGUE
$5,000ANNUAL FUND
SAVE A CHILD'S HEART FOUNDATION INC
$1,800ANNUAL FUND
COLGATE UNIVERSITY
$1,800ANNUAL FUND
YAD YEHUDA OF GREATER WASHINGTON
$1,800ANNUAL FUND
SEEDS OF PEACE
$1,800ANNUAL FUND
WENDT CENTER FOR LOSS & HEALING
$1,000ANNUAL FUND
THE SEED FOUNDATION
$1,000ANNUAL FUND
EDENS COMMUNITY ENRICHMENT FOUNDATION
$600ANNUAL FUND
NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
$37,500ANNUAL FUND
MUSEUM OF LANGUAGE ARTS - PLANET WORD
$25,000ANNUAL FUND