The Morton & Carole Olshan Foundation concentrates funding on Jewish communal life and New York–area civic institutions, with sizable unrestricted contributions to synagogues, Jewish service organizations, and emergency/medical partners. They also support cultural institutions, independent schools and higher education, and occasional sports/community programs, often making multi-year or repeated general operating gifts to established, institutional grantees.
Concentrated, institution-focused giving: relatively few, large grants (several six-figure gifts), multiple repeat grants to the same core grantees, and a strong New York geographic emphasis with some Israel-linked recipients.
The Morton & Carole Olshan Foundation makes some of its largest recent gifts as general contributions to Jewish communal institutions in New York, including $740,000 to Young Men's & Young Women's Hebrew Association and $346,000 to Uja Federation of New York in 2023. That pattern signals a funder that favors flexible support for established organizations rather than tightly restricted project funding. Across the recent grants list, the foundation also backs synagogues, emergency response groups with a Jewish or Israel connection, museums, schools, and local sports philanthropy. Its giving shows a strong preference for organizations embedded in New York civic and Jewish life. Park Avenue Synagogue received $150,000 in 2023, while Harvard College, the New York Yankees Foundation, and other institutions appear at the $100,000 level. Smaller awards continue the same theme of general support: Brooklyn Institute of Arts, Museum of Arts and Design, American Friends of Beit Ruth, Friends of United Hatzalah, and Horace Mann School all received recent grants. The foundation’s recent portfolio points to a steady emphasis on organizational sustainability for long-standing institutions.
Jewish communal institutions are a central part of the foundation’s giving. In 2023 it gave $740,000 to Young Men's & Young Women's Hebrew Association for a general contribution and $346,000 to Uja Federation of New York for a general contribution, both in New York City. Synagogues and related community institutions also receive support. Park Avenue Synagogue Inc in Airmont received $150,000 in 2023 as a general contribution, showing that synagogue support is not limited to Manhattan addresses. The foundation also funds emergency medical and volunteer-response organizations with a Jewish or Israel connection. Friends of United Hatzalah Inc in New York received $36,000 in 2023. Arts and cultural institutions appear in the recent grant list as well. Museum of Arts and Design in New York received $50,000 in 2023, and Brooklyn Institute of Arts received $50,000 in 2025, both as general support.
Recent grants cluster around a $50,000 midpoint, with a p25 of $50,000, a median of $50,000, and a p75 of $100,000. Larger commitments sit at the top of the range, including major general contributions in 2023, while many other awards are at the $50,000 level. The pattern suggests flexible institutional support rather than highly customized project grants. The recent list also shows repeat support to the same recipients across multiple years, including several awards to the same organizations in 2023, 2024, and 2025. The foundation does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments.
$150K
$556
$150K
$150K
Most grants fall between $50K and $100K, with a median of $50K.
25th Percentile
$50K
Median
$50K
75th Percentile
$100K
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Notable grantees: Young Men's & Young Women's Hebrew Association, UJA Federation of New York, Park Avenue Synagogue, American Friends of Beit Ruth, The New York Yankees Foundation
The foundation’s giving is overwhelmingly New York-centered: 88% of grants go to recipients in New York, and the top state by grant count is NY. Recent grants land in New York City, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Airmont, and Jericho. Outside New York, the recent list includes Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Detroit, Michigan. All recent grants in the provided list were awarded to U.S. recipients.
Recent grants show support for Jewish communal institutions, synagogues, emergency medical and volunteer-response groups with a Jewish or Israel connection, arts and cultural institutions, independent schools, higher education, and local sports/community philanthropy. Examples include general contributions to Jewish federations, synagogue support, museum support, and school support.
The recent grants list shows a p25 of $50,000, a median of $50,000, and a p75 of $100,000. Many awards are at $50,000, with larger gifts appearing at $100,000 and above.
No. The foundation gives mostly in New York, where 88% of grants go and which is the top state by grant count. Recent grants also went to recipients in Massachusetts and Michigan, though the portfolio is strongly New York-focused.
Yes. The recent grant list includes multiple recipients that appear in more than one year, including Young Men's & Young Women's Hebrew Association, American Friends of Beit Ruth, and The New York Yankees Foundation. That points to recurring support rather than one-time giving only.
The recent grants are consistently labeled general contribution or general support, and the topic taxonomy lists organizational sustainability, operational and administrative costs, and no programmatic restrictions. That indicates flexible funding for ongoing institutional needs.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BROOKLYN INSTITUTE OF ARTS | BROOKLYN, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| AMERICAN FRIENDS OF BEIT RUTH | JERICHO, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE NEW YORK YANKEES FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| YOUNG MEN'S & YOUNG WOMEN'S HEBREW ASSOCIATION | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE NEW YORK YANKEES FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| AMERICAN FRIENDS OF BEIT RUTH | JERICHO, NY | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| COLLEGE FOR CREATIVE STUDIES | DETROIT, MI | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| HORACE MANN SCHOOL | BRONX, NY | $30,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| YOUNG MEN'S & YOUNG WOMEN'S HEBREW ASSOCIATION | NEW YORK, NY | $740,000 | 2023 | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION |
| UJA FEDERATION OF NEW YORK | NEW YORK, NY | $346,000 | 2023 | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION |
| PARK AVENUE SYNAGOGUE INC | AIRMONT, NY | $150,000 | 2023 | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION |
| THE NEW YORK YANKEES FOUNDATION | BRONX, NY | $100,000 | 2023 | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION |
| PRESIDENT & FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $100,000 | 2023 | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION |
| AMERICAN FRIENDS OF BEIT RUTH | JERICHO, NY | $50,000 | 2023 | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION |
| MUSEUM OF ARTS AND DESIGN | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2023 | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION |
| FRIENDS OF UNITED HATZALAH INC | NEW YORK, NY | $36,000 | 2023 | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION |
BROOKLYN INSTITUTE OF ARTS
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
THE NEW YORK YANKEES FOUNDATION
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
THE NEW YORK YANKEES FOUNDATION
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
GENERAL SUPPORT
COLLEGE FOR CREATIVE STUDIES
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
HORACE MANN SCHOOL
$30,000GENERAL SUPPORT
YOUNG MEN'S & YOUNG WOMEN'S HEBREW ASSOCIATION
$740,000GENERAL CONTRIBUTION
PARK AVENUE SYNAGOGUE INC
$150,000GENERAL CONTRIBUTION
THE NEW YORK YANKEES FOUNDATION
$100,000GENERAL CONTRIBUTION
MUSEUM OF ARTS AND DESIGN
$50,000GENERAL CONTRIBUTION