The Michael and Jean Freed Family Foundation directs a small number of relatively large gifts to higher education and Jewish community causes, often supporting institutions rather than program-specific projects. Their giving is concentrated: multiple multi-thousand-dollar, repeat grants to a handful of beneficiary organizations, principally a major Israeli university affiliate, a top U.S. law school, and a Jewish community federation. This pattern suggests priority for advancing Jewish institutional life and elite legal/higher-education institutions.
Concentrated portfolio with few, large grants and repeat funding to the same institutions rather than many small awards; general-purpose institutional support rather than restricted program grants.
A small set of repeat gifts defines the Michael and Jean Freed Family Foundation’s grantmaking: larger awards to American Friends of Hebrew University, the University of Chicago Law School, and Jewish United Fund appear again and again in the recent record. The foundation’s pattern points to support for higher education and Jewish communal institutions rather than a wide spread of one-off projects. Recent grants include $33,300 to American Friends of Hebrew University, along with follow-on gifts of $25,000 to the University of Chicago Law School and $20,000 to Jewish United Fund in the same recent period. That mix shows a donor that favors established institutions and recurring relationships over many small awards. The giving profile also includes support for Ringling College, Jewish Federation of Sarasota, Cancer Research Foundation, and Embracing Our Differences, but the dominant theme remains concentrated institutional funding. With annual grants of $180,500 against total assets of $310,766, the foundation operates on a modest base while directing relatively large individual grants. Its stated philosophy includes unrestricted, general-purpose support and broad-discretion funding, which aligns with the institution-focused pattern in the grant list.
Higher education is a clear thread in the foundation’s recent giving. In 2024, it gave $33,300 to American Friends of Hebrew University for general charitable purposes, and it also supported the University of Chicago Law School with $25,000 in 2024 after a $25,000 grant in 2023. Jewish communal support appears just as consistently: Jewish United Fund received $20,000 in both 2023 and 2024. The foundation also extended smaller gifts to Jewish Federation of Sarasota and Embracing Our Differences, both in Sarasota, showing that its local support reaches beyond one institution. Another area of interest is arts and education in southwest Florida, where Ringling College received $10,000 in both 2023 and 2024. Across these causes, the grants are framed as general charitable support rather than project-specific funding, which suggests flexibility for recipient organizations.
Typical grants cluster at the upper end of the foundation’s distribution, with a p25 of $8,000, a median of $20,000, and a p75 of $25,000. The recent record shows repeat gifts to the same organizations across consecutive years, including American Friends of Hebrew University, University of Chicago Law School, Jewish United Fund, and Ringling College. That points to an ongoing relationship model rather than isolated one-time awards. The foundation is a family foundation, and its grants are listed as general charitable support. Its latest 990 year on file is 2025.
$181K
$311K
$72K
$94K
Most grants fall between $8K and $25K, with a median of $20K.
25th Percentile
$8K
Median
$20K
75th Percentile
$25K
About 55% of grants go to recipients in FL.
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Notable grantees: American Friends of Hebrew University, University of Chicago Law School, Jewish United Fund
Grantmaking is concentrated in the United States, with 11 recent grants and 100% of recipient locations in the U.S. Florida is the top state by grant count, accounting for 54% of grants. Recent Florida recipients include Sarasota-based Ringling College, Jewish Federation of Sarasota, and Embracing Our Differences. Chicago also appears frequently through American Friends of Hebrew University, University of Chicago Law School, Jewish United Fund, and Cancer Research Foundation. The pattern shows a strong Florida and Chicago footprint.
Its recent grants center on higher education and Jewish communal institutions. Named recipients include American Friends of Hebrew University, University of Chicago Law School, Jewish United Fund, Jewish Federation of Sarasota, and Ringling College. The grants are listed as general charitable support.
Yes. American Friends of Hebrew University, University of Chicago Law School, Jewish United Fund, and Ringling College each received grants in both 2023 and 2024, showing a recurring pattern of support rather than a purely one-time approach.
The foundation’s grant-size distribution is relatively large: p25 is $8,000, median grant size is $20,000, and p75 is $25,000. Recent grants also include amounts above that range, such as $33,300.
Florida is the top state by grant count, with 54% of grants going to recipients in the state. Recent Florida recipients include organizations in Sarasota, while Chicago-based recipients also make up a substantial share of the recent grant list.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AMERICAN FRIENDS OF HEBREW UNIVERSITY | CHICAGO, FL | $33,300 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE |
| UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO LAW SCHOOL | CHICAGO, IL | $25,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE |
| JEWISH UNITED FUND | CHICAGO, IL | $20,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE |
| RINGLING COLLEGE | SARASOTA, FL | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE |
| CANCER RESEARCH FOUNDATION | CHICAGO, IL | $6,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE |
| JEWISH FEDERATION OF SARASOTA | SARASOTA, FL | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE |
| EMBRACING OUR DIFFERENCES | SARASOTA, FL | $1,200 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE |
| UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO LAW SCHOOL | CHICAGO, IL | $25,000 | 2023 | GENERAL CHARITABLE |
| AMERICAN FRIENDS OF HEBREW UNIVERSITY | CHICAGO, FL | $25,000 | 2023 | GENERAL CHARITABLE |
| JEWISH UNITED FUND | CHICAGO, IL | $20,000 | 2023 | GENERAL CHARITABLE |
| RINGLING COLLEGE | SARASOTA, FL | $10,000 | 2023 | GENERAL CHARITABLE |
AMERICAN FRIENDS OF HEBREW UNIVERSITY
$33,300GENERAL CHARITABLE
UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO LAW SCHOOL
$25,000GENERAL CHARITABLE
JEWISH UNITED FUND
$20,000GENERAL CHARITABLE
RINGLING COLLEGE
$10,000GENERAL CHARITABLE
CANCER RESEARCH FOUNDATION
$6,000GENERAL CHARITABLE
JEWISH FEDERATION OF SARASOTA
$5,000GENERAL CHARITABLE
EMBRACING OUR DIFFERENCES
$1,200GENERAL CHARITABLE
UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO LAW SCHOOL
$25,000GENERAL CHARITABLE
AMERICAN FRIENDS OF HEBREW UNIVERSITY
$25,000GENERAL CHARITABLE
JEWISH UNITED FUND
$20,000GENERAL CHARITABLE
RINGLING COLLEGE
$10,000GENERAL CHARITABLE