The Paula and Jerry Gottesman Family Supporting Foundation concentrates its giving heavily on Jewish life, education, and Israel-related causes, funding both institutional endowments and programmatic initiatives. Grants are directed to Jewish federations, day schools, adult learning and youth engagement programs, and Israel advocacy/education organizations, with sizable gifts also supporting a few local New Jersey community nonprofits and occasional academic/health-related partners. The foundation favors organizations that strengthen Jewish continuity, Israel ties, and communal infrastructure rather than one-off small projects.
PAULA and Jerry GOTTESMAN FAMILY SUPPORTING FOUNDATION INC’s recent giving is marked by large support for Jewish communal infrastructure, especially the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater MetroWest, which received $17,353,590 in 2023 and $3,275,000 in 2024. That pattern fits a broader grantmaking profile centered on Jewish life, education, and Israel-related causes, with gifts reaching federations, schools, advocacy groups, and educational initiatives. The foundation also backed institutional and school-based work at scale, including a $4,000,000 grant to Gottesman RTW Academy in Randolph and $1,230,000 to Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest in Whippany. Other significant gifts supported Jewbelong Inc, American Friends of OR National Missions, and American Friends of Leket Israel, showing a mix of community support, Jewish identity programming, and Israel-linked organizations. Across the portfolio, the foundation favors organizations that reinforce Jewish continuity, learning, and communal capacity. The grants lean toward general support rather than tightly restricted project funding, which gives recipient institutions flexibility to sustain core operations and long-term programming.
Jewish education is a clear theme. The foundation gave $4,000,000 to Gottesman RTW Academy in Randolph and $250,000 to Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy in Livingston, alongside $170,000 to Jewish Educational Center in Elizabeth. Those grants show sustained support for K–12 Jewish schooling in New Jersey. Israel-related giving is another major strand. It included $1,500,000 to American Friends of Leket Israel in Teaneck, $1,000,000 to Impact Israel in Bethesda, and $500,000 to Friends of Israel Sci-Tech Schools in New York. The portfolio also includes $186,868 to Israel Center for Educational Innovation. Adult learning and Jewish identity programs appear as well, with $1,250,000 to Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in New York and $222,000 to Moving Traditions in Jenkintown. The foundation also supported Jewbelong Inc with $3,000,000 and $1,000,000 in separate grants.
Typical grants are mid-to-large in size: the 25th percentile is $81,250, the median is $178,434, and the 75th percentile is $715,538. That distribution suggests a portfolio with many meaningful institutional grants and a smaller number of very large awards. The grants shown are all to U.S. recipients, and the foundation’s structure includes community grantmaking plus restricted endowment and advisory-council programs. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including Jewish Community Foundation of Greater MetroWest, Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest, Gottesman RTW Academy, Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy, and American Friends of Leket Israel, indicating repeat support rather than one-time gifts. Some programs accept unsolicited requests, including Community Grantmaking and several restricted-endowment grant channels.
$19.3M
$31.1M
$3.8M
$19.5M
Most grants fall between $81K and $716K, with a median of $178K.
25th Percentile
$81K
Median
$178K
75th Percentile
$716K
Paula Gottesman
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Concentrated, repeat giving with a few very large multi-million grants to core Jewish institutions and foundations complemented by multiple mid-size and smaller recurring grants to day schools, campus and advocacy groups. The foundation frequently makes multi-year or multiple grants to the same organizations, balances local (NJ/MetroWest) investments with significant Israel-focused and national Jewish initiatives, and occasionally supports non-Jewish community needs and academic partners.
Notable grantees: Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Metrowest, Gottesman RTW Academy, Jewbelong Inc, American Friends of Leket Israel, Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies
Grant recipients are concentrated in New Jersey, which is also the top state by grant count, with 41% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state. Whippany appears repeatedly through support for Jewish Community Foundation of Greater MetroWest and Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest, while Randolph, Livingston, Elizabeth, and Fairfield also receive notable gifts. Outside New Jersey, the foundation funds organizations in New York, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New Hampshire. The recipient country distribution is entirely U.S.-based, with 58 grants and no non-U.S. recipients in the listed data.
Its grants focus heavily on Jewish life, education, and Israel-related causes. Recent recipients include federations, Jewish day schools, adult learning organizations, Israel advocacy groups, and Jewish communal institutions, with many awards listed as general support.
Yes. Several recipients appear across multiple years, including Jewish Community Foundation of Greater MetroWest, Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest, Gottesman RTW Academy, Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy, and American Friends of Leket Israel.
The grant-size distribution is substantial: the 25th percentile is $81,250, the median is $178,434, and the 75th percentile is $715,538. That places many awards well above small-capacity-building levels.
Yes. Community Grantmaking accepts unsolicited requests, and several restricted-endowment grant channels are also marked as accepting unsolicited applications. The scholarship funds listed include both open and closed application structures.
New Jersey is the top state by grant count, with 41% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state. Recent New Jersey recipients include organizations in Whippany, Randolph, Livingston, Elizabeth, Fairfield, and Teaneck.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Current and upcoming funding from Paula and Jerry Gottesman Family Supporting Foundation that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Organizations must be eligible charitable grantees per JCF policy. Grants are made per donor recommendation subject to JCF review and approval.
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Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Metrowest | Whippany, NJ | $15,375,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| New Jersey Federation of YMHA-YWHA | Fairfield, NJ | $1,000,000 | 2026 | General support |
| American Friends of Leket Israel | Teaneck, NJ | $750,000 | 2026 | General Support |
| Johns Hopkins University | Baltimore, MD | $502,414 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest | Whippany, NJ | $320,495 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy | Livingston, NJ | $250,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| Prizmah Center for Jewish Day Schools | New York, NY | $200,000 | 2026 | general support |
| Jewish Federations of North America | New York, NY | $180,749 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| Honest Reporting | New York, NY | $150,000 | 2026 | general support |
| Israel on Campus Coalition | Washington, DC | $150,000 | 2026 | General Support |
| CAMERA | New York, NY | $150,000 | 2026 | General Support |
| Gottesman RTW Academy | Randolph, NJ | $110,004 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| American Israel Education Foundation | Washington, DC | $75,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| Friendship Circle MetroWest | Livingston, NJ | $75,000 | 2026 | general support |
| Literacy Volunteers of Morris County | Morristown, NJ | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Metrowest | Whippany, NJ | $1,457,500 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest | Whippany, NJ | $1,154,907 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| New Jersey Federation of YMHA-YWHA | Fairfield, NJ | $1,000,000 | 2025 | General support |
| Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies | New York, NY | $900,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| American Friends of Leket Israel | Teaneck, NJ | $750,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Johns Hopkins University | Baltimore, MD | $558,881 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| Friends of Israel Sci-Tech Schools | New York, NY | $500,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| Gottesman RTW Academy | Randolph, NJ | $314,410 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy | Livingston, NJ | $250,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| Moving Traditions | Jenkintown, PA | $222,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| Israel Center for Educational Innovation | — | $186,868 | 2025 | General support |
| CAMERA | New York, NY | $150,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Israel on Campus Coalition | Washington, DC | $150,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Honest Reporting | New York, NY | $125,000 | 2025 | general support |
| Prizmah Center for Jewish Day Schools | New York, NY | $100,000 | 2025 | general support |
| Friendship Circle MetroWest | Livingston, NJ | $75,000 | 2025 | general support |
| American Israel Education Foundation | Washington, DC | $75,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| Lada'at - Choose Well | — | $65,000 | 2025 | General support |
| Literacy Volunteers of Morris County | Morristown, NJ | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Metrowest | Whippany, NJ | $3,275,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| Jewbelong Inc | Verona, NH | $3,000,000 | 2024 | general support |
| Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies | New York, NY | $1,250,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| Impact Israel | Bethesda, MD | $1,000,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| Johns Hopkins University | Baltimore, MD | $612,153 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| American Friends of OR National Missions | New York, NY | $500,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| American Friends of Leket Israel | Teaneck, NJ | $500,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest | Whippany, NJ | $417,333 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy | Livingston, NJ | $250,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| Gottesman RTW Academy | Randolph, NJ | $202,553 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| Jewish Educational Center | Elizabeth, NJ | $170,000 | 2024 | General support |
| Friends of Israel Sci-Tech Schools | New York, NY | $166,667 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| Israel on Campus Coalition | Washington, DC | $150,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| CAMERA | New York, NY | $125,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| Honest Reporting | New York, NY | $100,000 | 2024 | general support |
| Prizmah Center for Jewish Day Schools | New York, NY | $100,000 | 2024 | general support |
GENERAL SUPPORT
Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy
$250,000GENERAL SUPPORT
American Israel Education Foundation
$75,000GENERAL SUPPORT
Literacy Volunteers of Morris County
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy
$250,000GENERAL SUPPORT
Israel Center for Educational Innovation
$186,868General support
American Israel Education Foundation
$75,000GENERAL SUPPORT
Lada'at - Choose Well
$65,000General support
Literacy Volunteers of Morris County
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
Impact Israel
$1,000,000General Support
Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy
$250,000GENERAL SUPPORT
Jewish Educational Center
$170,000General support