The Richard and Bette Saltzman Foundation concentrates its giving on a small number of large, unrestricted gifts focused on youth education and Jewish communal life, primarily in the New York area. The foundation is a repeat funder, especially of the I Have a Dream Foundation, indicating a sustained commitment to long-term youth support and college-access programming. Its support also includes major gifts to umbrella Jewish philanthropic institutions, suggesting an interest in community resilience and service infrastructure.
Concentrated, high-dollar unrestricted grants to a very small set of repeat grantees rather than many small awards; funding appears to be relationship-driven and multi-year or recurring.
The Richard and Bette Saltzman Foundation’s recent giving is anchored by repeated unrestricted support for I Have a Dream Foundation, including a $250,000 grant in 2024 and two additional six-figure grants in 2025. That pattern points to a funder that backs long-term youth education work rather than short-term projects. Across its recent grants, the foundation combines college-access and mentoring support with Jewish communal philanthropy and selective support for arts and education institutions. Uja Federation of New York is another recurring recipient, with grants of $115,000 in 2023 and 2024, then additional gifts in 2025. American Jewish Committee also appears across multiple years, alongside gifts to Swarthmore College and Brooklyn Academy of Music. The foundation’s recent portfolio includes unrestricted donations to school, cultural, health, and community-service organizations, showing a broad but still recognizable pattern of support for youth opportunity, Jewish communal life, and New York-area civic institutions. Its grant history suggests continuity: several organizations appear more than once, and many awards are unrestricted rather than project-specific.
Youth education is the clearest throughline. The foundation gave $250,000 to I Have a Dream Foundation in 2024, then followed with $125,843 and $125,000 in 2025, all as unrestricted donations. That repeated support aligns with mentoring and college-access work for underserved students. Jewish communal institutions are another major theme. The foundation awarded $115,000 to Uja Federation of New York in 2023 and again in 2024, then added further unrestricted gifts of $48,236, $43,266, and $8,317 in 2025. It also supported American Jewish Committee with $35,190 in 2025 after earlier gifts in 2024 and 2023. Education and culture extend beyond those core areas. Swarthmore College received $22,500 grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025, while Brooklyn Academy of Music received $15,000 in 2023.
Typical grants are modest in size relative to a handful of large commitments: p25 is $500, median is $1,250, and p75 is $3,750. The distribution suggests a foundation that makes many small grants while reserving larger awards for a few repeat recipients. The grant list shows recurring support across multiple years, especially for I Have a Dream Foundation, Uja Federation of New York, American Jewish Committee, Swarthmore College, and Edgartown Great Pond Foundation. The foundation is a private foundation profile rather than an operating charity, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. Recent awards are predominantly unrestricted donations.
$395K
$890K
$55K
$398K
Most grants fall between $500 and $4K, with a median of $1K.
25th Percentile
$500
Median
$1K
75th Percentile
$4K
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Notable grantees: I Have A Dream Foundation, UJA Federation of New York, Various New York arts and culture organizations (NTEE I-classified grantees)
Giving is concentrated in the United States, with all listed grants going to U.S. recipients. New York City appears often, including awards to organizations in New York, NY and Brooklyn, NY. Outside New York, Swarthmore, PA; Boston, MA; Chicago, IL; Austin, TX; Edgartown, MA; Americus, GA; and Commack, NY each appear in the recent grants list. Massachusetts is the top state by grant count, while 46% of grants go to recipients in the foundation’s HQ state, New York.
The recent grants show support for youth education, Jewish communal institutions, schools, arts organizations, health-related charities, and community-service nonprofits. Examples include recurring gifts to I Have a Dream Foundation and Uja Federation of New York, plus grants to Swarthmore College, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Citymeals on Wheels, Habitat for Humanity, and Nassau Suffolk Services for Autism.
The foundation’s grant-size distribution is small at the center: p25 is $500, median is $1,250, and p75 is $3,750. That sits alongside a few much larger unrestricted awards, including six-figure gifts to I Have a Dream Foundation and five-figure gifts to Uja Federation of New York and American Jewish Committee.
It gives recurring support. Several recipients appear across multiple years, including I Have a Dream Foundation, Uja Federation of New York, American Jewish Committee, Swarthmore College, and Edgartown Great Pond Foundation. The repeated unrestricted grants suggest ongoing relationships rather than isolated awards.
By grant count, Massachusetts is the top state. The recent-grants list also shows many awards going to New York recipients, including organizations in New York, NY and Brooklyn, NY, and 46% of grants go to recipients in New York, the foundation’s HQ state.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I HAVE A DREAM FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $120,737 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED DONATION |
| UJA FEDERATION OF NEW YORK | NEW YORK, NY | $83,330 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED DONATION |
| I HAVE A DREAM FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $80,884 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED DONATION |
| I HAVE A DREAM FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $43,382 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED DONATION |
| UJA FEDERATION OF NEW YORK | NEW YORK, NY | $21,136 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED DONATION |
| EDGARTOWN GREAT POND FOUNDATION | EDGARTOWN, MA | $10,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED DONATION |
| NASSAU SUFFOLK SERVICES FOR AUTISM | COMMACK, NY | $5,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED DONATION |
| BIRTHRIGHT ISRAEL FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED DONATION |
| CITY MEALS ON WHEELS | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED DONATION |
| SIGNATURE THEATER INC | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED DONATION |
| AMERICAN FRIENDS OF RABIN MEDICAL C | NEW YORK, NY | $3,600 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED DONATION |
| JEWISH MUSEUM FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $2,500 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED DONATION |
| MUSEUM OF ARTS AND DESIGN | NEW YORK, NY | $1,700 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED DONATION |
| MARTHA'S VINEYARD MUSEUM | EDGARTOWN, MA | $1,700 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED DONATION |
| FEATHERSTONE CENTER FOR THE ARTS | OAK BLUFFS, MA | $1,500 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED DONATION |
| NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY | NEW YORK, NY | $1,332 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED DONATION |
| DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS | NEW YORK, NY | $500 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED DONATION |
| STUDIO MUESEM HARLEM | NEW YORK, NY | $500 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED DONATION |
| WBGO | NEWARK, NJ | $500 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED DONATION |
| MARTHA'S VINEYARD FILM SOCIETY | VINEYARD HAVEN, MA | $500 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED DONATION |
| SHERMAN VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT | SHERMAN, CT | $300 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED DONATION |
| GOD'S LOVE WE DELIVER | NEW YORK, NY | $250 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED DONATION |
| Museum of Modern Art | NEW YORK, NY | $125 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED DONATION |
| SALON ART DESIGN | NEW YORK, NY | $31 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED DONATION |
| I HAVE A DREAM FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $125,843 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED DONATION |
| I HAVE A DREAM FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $125,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED DONATION |
| UJA FEDERATION OF NEW YORK | NEW YORK, NY | $48,236 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED DONATION |
| UJA FEDERATION OF NEW YORK | NEW YORK, NY | $43,266 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED DONATION |
| AMERICAN JEWISH COMMITTEE | NEW YORK, NY | $35,190 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED DONATION |
| SWARTHMORE COLLEGE | SWARTHMORE, PA | $22,500 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED DONATION |
| NOTELY IMPACT | AUSTIN, TX | $10,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED DONATION |
| EDGARTOWN GREAT POND FOUNDATION | EDGARTOWN, MA | $10,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED DONATION |
| ACCELERATE CHANGE | BOSTON, MA | $10,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED DONATION |
| WIN | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED DONATION |
| UJA FEDERATION OF NEW YORK | NEW YORK, NY | $8,317 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED DONATION |
| POLY PREP COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL | BROOKLYN, NY | $5,500 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED DONATION |
| HABITAT FOR HUMANITY | AMERICUS, GA | $5,095 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED DONATION |
| CITY MEALS ON WHEELS | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED DONATION |
| NASSAU SUFFOLK SERVICES FOR AUTISM | COMMACK, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED DONATION |
| AMERICAN FRIENDS OF RABIN MEDICAL C | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED DONATION |
| GREENWICH HOUSE | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED DONATION |
| WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN | WASHINGTON, DC | $5,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED DONATION |
| MUSEUM OF ARTS AND DESIGN | NEW YORK, NY | $3,800 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED DONATION |
| SHERIFF'S MEADOW FOUNDATION | VINEYARD HAVEN, MA | $3,750 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED DONATION |
| SIGNATURE THEATER INC | NEW YORK, NY | $3,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED DONATION |
| THE JEWISH MUSEUM | NEW YORK, NY | $2,500 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED DONATION |
| NORTHWEST CT LAND CONSERVANCY | KENT, CT | $2,500 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED DONATION |
| CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY | PITTSBURGH, PA | $2,500 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED DONATION |
| THE GLAUCOMA FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $2,237 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED DONATION |
| PUBLIC ART FUND | BOOKLYN, NY | $2,100 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED DONATION |
UNRESTRICTED DONATION
EDGARTOWN GREAT POND FOUNDATION
$10,000UNRESTRICTED DONATION
NASSAU SUFFOLK SERVICES FOR AUTISM
$5,000UNRESTRICTED DONATION
JEWISH MUSEUM FOUNDATION
$2,500UNRESTRICTED DONATION
MUSEUM OF ARTS AND DESIGN
$1,700UNRESTRICTED DONATION
FEATHERSTONE CENTER FOR THE ARTS
$1,500UNRESTRICTED DONATION
DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS
$500UNRESTRICTED DONATION
STUDIO MUESEM HARLEM
$500UNRESTRICTED DONATION
WBGO
$500UNRESTRICTED DONATION
MARTHA'S VINEYARD FILM SOCIETY
$500UNRESTRICTED DONATION
SHERMAN VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT
$300UNRESTRICTED DONATION
SALON ART DESIGN
$31UNRESTRICTED DONATION
SWARTHMORE COLLEGE
$22,500UNRESTRICTED DONATION
NOTELY IMPACT
$10,000UNRESTRICTED DONATION
EDGARTOWN GREAT POND FOUNDATION
$10,000UNRESTRICTED DONATION
POLY PREP COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL
$5,500UNRESTRICTED DONATION
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY
$5,095UNRESTRICTED DONATION
NASSAU SUFFOLK SERVICES FOR AUTISM
$5,000UNRESTRICTED DONATION
WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN
$5,000UNRESTRICTED DONATION
MUSEUM OF ARTS AND DESIGN
$3,800UNRESTRICTED DONATION
SHERIFF'S MEADOW FOUNDATION
$3,750UNRESTRICTED DONATION
NORTHWEST CT LAND CONSERVANCY
$2,500UNRESTRICTED DONATION
PUBLIC ART FUND
$2,100UNRESTRICTED DONATION