The Norbert A Zuckerman Foundation concentrates its giving on Jewish communal and Israel-related causes, directing large, targeted gifts rather than many small donations. Recent grants show a priority for emergency support for Israel and programs that strengthen Jewish identity and connection to Israel, with an emphasis on organized community and national-level initiatives.
Very concentrated giving: a small number of relatively large grants to established Jewish institutions and Israel-focused programs, favoring organizational/umbrella groups over many grassroots recipients.
A defining feature of the Norbert a Zuckerman Foundation is its large, targeted support for Jewish communal and Israel-related causes, including a $166,000 general-support grant to American Friends of Magen David Adom in 2026. The grant record also shows emergency-oriented giving to Israel through a $100,000 contribution to the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit for its 2023 Israel Emergency Campaign. Alongside crisis response, the foundation backs institutions that shape Jewish education and identity in Metro Detroit, with repeated support for schools such as Yeshiva Beth Yehuda, Farber Hebrew Day School, and Frankel Jewish Academy of Metro Detroit. It also funds Israel engagement for young adults through Birthright Israel Foundation. The pattern is one of concentrated gifts to a small set of organizations rather than a wide-spread portfolio of small grants. Most of the recipients in the recent record are in Michigan, especially the Detroit-area Jewish community, while the foundation also supports national organizations with a broader reach. Its latest 990 on file shows annual grants of $251,000 and total assets of $606,508, underscoring a modest asset base relative to its focused giving.
In emergency relief for Israel, the foundation gave $100,000 to Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit for the 2023 Israel Emergency Campaign and $166,000 to American Friends of Magen David Adom for general support. Those grants place crisis response at the center of its recent giving. The foundation also supports Jewish education in Metro Detroit: it gave $20,000 to Farber Hebrew Day School, $20,000 to Yeshiva Beth Yehuda, and $20,000 to Frankel Jewish Academy of Metro Detroit for general support. A separate strand of grantmaking supports Jewish identity and young-adult engagement, including $25,000 to Birthright Israel Foundation for general support in 2024 and again in 2026. The recipient list points to a mix of local institutions and national organizations tied to Jewish communal life and Israel connection.
The foundation’s recent grants cluster tightly at a single amount: the median grant is $20,000, and both the 25th and 75th percentiles are also $20,000. That means most awards in the record are fixed-size gifts, with a few larger outliers. Recipients recur across multiple years, especially in Metro Detroit, which points to repeat support rather than one-off awards. The grantmaking profile also includes general-support funding and emergency campaign gifts. The foundation does not appear to use program-related investments. Its record shows giving to individuals is possible, and the latest 990 year on file is 2026.
$251K
$607K
$132K
$314K
Most grants fall between $20K and $20K, with a median of $20K.
25th Percentile
$20K
Median
$20K
75th Percentile
$20K
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Notable grantees: Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit, Birthright Israel Foundation
Grant recipients are overwhelmingly in the United States, with 14 of 14 recent grants going to U.S. organizations. Michigan is the top state by grant count, and 78% of grants go to recipients in the foundation’s HQ state. Recent awards land most often in the Detroit area, including Southfield, Bloomfield Hills, and West Bloomfield. The record also includes recipients in New York City and Brooklyn, showing some national giving beyond Michigan.
Its recent grants focus on Jewish communal and Israel-related causes. The record includes emergency support for Israel, Jewish federation support, Jewish education in Metro Detroit, and Jewish identity or young-adult Israel engagement through Birthright Israel Foundation.
The typical grant size is $20,000. The 25th percentile, median, and 75th percentile are all $20,000, which indicates a strong concentration of awards at that amount.
Yes. Several organizations appear across multiple years, including Yeshiva Beth Yehuda, Farber Hebrew Day School, Frankel Jewish Academy of Metro Detroit, and Birthright Israel Foundation. The pattern suggests repeat support rather than isolated gifts.
Michigan is the top state by grant count, and 78% of grants go to recipients in Michigan. Recent recipients include organizations in Southfield, Bloomfield Hills, and West Bloomfield.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AMERICAN FRIENDS OF MAGEN DAVID ADOM (AFMDA) | NEW YORK, NY | $166,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BIRTHRIGHT ISRAEL FOUNDATION | SOUTHFIELD, MI | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FARBER HEBREW DAY SCHOOL | SOUTHFIELD, MI | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| YESHIVA BETH YEHUDA | SOUTHFIELD, MI | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FRANKEL JEWISH ACADEMY OF METRO DETROIT | WEST BLOOMFIELD, MI | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BIRTHRIGHT ISRAEL FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| YESHIVA BETH YEHUDA | SOUTHFIELD, MI | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FRANKEL JEWISH ACADEMY OF METRO DETROIT | WEST BLOOMFIELD, MI | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FARBER HEBREW DAY SCHOOL | SOUTHFIELD, MI | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| JEWISH FEDERATION OF METROPOLITAN DETROIT | BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MI | $100,000 | 2024 | 2023 ISRAEL EMERGENCY CAMPAIGN |
| BIRTHRIGHT ISRAEL FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FRANKEL JEWISH ACADEMY OF METRO DETROIT | WEST BLOOMFIELD, MI | $20,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| YESHIVA BETH YEHUDA | SOUTHFIELD, MI | $20,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FARBER HEBREW DAY SCHOOL | SOUTHFIELD, MI | $20,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| AMERICAN FRIENDS OF YESHIVA D'MIR | BROOKLYN, NY | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| YESHIVA BETH YEHUDA | SOUTHFIELD, MI | $20,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FARBER HEBREW DAY SCHOOL | SOUTHFIELD, MI | $20,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FRANKEL JEWISH ACADEMY OF METRO DETROIT | WEST BLOOMFIELD, MI | $20,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
BIRTHRIGHT ISRAEL FOUNDATION
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
FARBER HEBREW DAY SCHOOL
$20,000GENERAL SUPPORT
YESHIVA BETH YEHUDA
$20,000GENERAL SUPPORT
FRANKEL JEWISH ACADEMY OF METRO DETROIT
$20,000GENERAL SUPPORT
GENERAL SUPPORT
YESHIVA BETH YEHUDA
$20,000GENERAL SUPPORT
FARBER HEBREW DAY SCHOOL
$20,000GENERAL SUPPORT
2023 ISRAEL EMERGENCY CAMPAIGN
YESHIVA BETH YEHUDA
$20,000GENERAL SUPPORT
FARBER HEBREW DAY SCHOOL
$20,000GENERAL SUPPORT
YESHIVA BETH YEHUDA
$20,000GENERAL SUPPORT
FARBER HEBREW DAY SCHOOL
$20,000GENERAL SUPPORT