The Robert M Beren Family Foundation concentrates giving on Jewish life, institutions, and Israel-related causes, with strong support for Jewish day schools, synagogues, federations, and Israel emergency/relief efforts. It also makes select large institutional gifts (notably to Harvard and the family’s own Beren Sea Foundation) and funds initiatives combating antisemitism and supporting Jewish identity-building programs (camp, Birthright, Israel trips). Grants show both repeated, sustained support to core Jewish organizations and occasional high-dollar, one-off institutional commitments.
A defining feature of the Robert M Beren Family Foundation Inc C/o Donna Stucky is its repeated support for Jewish institutions at very large and very small scales in the same year. Alongside multimillion-dollar commitments to major universities and Jewish communal organizations, the foundation also backs day schools, synagogues, camps, and identity-building programs tied to Jewish life and Israel. Its recent grants include large gifts to Harvard University President and Fellows for the Faculty of Arts & Sciences House Renewal Fund, to the Jewish Federation of North America for March for Israel, and to Uja Federation New York in memory of RMB. The pattern suggests a funder that uses a mix of institutional support, memorial gifts, and program funding to reinforce Jewish education, communal infrastructure, and Israel-related engagement. Some grants are clearly directed to capital or renewal efforts, while others support annual campaigns and general funds. The foundation also appears in grants to organizations connected to antisemitism response, Holocaust-related support, and Jewish identity programs such as Birthright and camps. Its current 990 data shows a large grantmaking base, with giving spread nationally and concentrated in Jewish-serving organizations rather than a single type of institution.
Jewish education is one of the clearest threads in the foundation’s grantmaking. It gave $1,200,000 to Robert M Beren Academy for the Robert M Beren Scholarship Program and another $450,000 to the same school for general support. The foundation also backed youth and informal education with $1,000,000 to Camp Ramah for general fund support and $750,000 to Foundation for Jewish Camp Inc for its general fund. Israel engagement is another major area: it granted $1,000,000 to Birthright Israel Foundation for general fund support and $1,216,000 to Combat Hate for the Combat Anti-Semitism Program / CAM Israel Trips. Jewish communal advocacy and emergency relief also appear through gifts such as $1,381,000 to Jewish Federation of Greater Houston for Israel Emergency Fund and $2,000,000 to American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee for general fund support.
$30.1M
$551.2M
$29.9M
$32.7M
Most grants fall between $500 and $12K, with a median of $1K.
25th Percentile
$500
Median
$1K
75th Percentile
$12K
About 6% of grants go to recipients in NY.
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Concentrated donor strategy: a few very large multi-million-dollar gifts alongside numerous mid-to-large grants. The foundation repeatedly funds a core set of Jewish organizations and institutions (many recurring grants), while occasionally making substantial single gifts to major secular institutions or family-run entities.
Notable grantees: Harvard University President and Fellows, Robert M. Beren Academy, Jewish Federation of North America (and regional federations/UJA-Federation NY), Tikvah Fund, American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee
The foundation’s typical grant size is modest relative to its largest commitments: p25 is $500, median is $1,232, and p75 is $12,000. That distribution sits alongside a handful of very large institutional gifts, indicating a mixed pattern of broad support and concentrated major awards. Several recipients appear across multiple years, including Harvard University President and Fellows, Beren Sea Foundation, Uja Federation New York, Jewish Federation of North America, Tikvah Fund, Jewish Federation of Palm Beach, Foundation for Jewish Camp Inc, and Robert M Beren Academy. The foundation funds individuals as well as organizations, and it does not make program-related investments. The recent record also shows both general-fund support and purpose-restricted gifts, including scholarship, emergency, and campaign designations.
The foundation gives nationally, and every recent grant listed goes to a U.S. recipient. New York City appears repeatedly through recipients such as New York-based Jewish communal organizations and synagogues, while Houston, Palm Beach, Los Angeles, and Wichita also show up often. Among recipient states, Virginia receives the highest share of grants by count, even though the foundation’s headquarters is in Wichita, Kansas. Kansas itself accounts for 6% of grants to recipients in the HQ state, indicating that most giving goes elsewhere.
Its grants center on Jewish life and institutions: day schools, synagogues, federations, camps, Israel engagement groups, and Jewish advocacy organizations. Recent examples include Robert M Beren Academy, Park Avenue Synagogue, Birthright Israel Foundation, and Jewish Federation of North America.
The distribution is mixed. The 25th percentile is $500, the median is $1,232, and the 75th percentile is $12,000, even though the recent record also includes multimillion-dollar awards to major institutions.
Yes. Several organizations appear in multiple years, including Harvard University President and Fellows, Beren Sea Foundation, Uja Federation New York, Jewish Federation of North America, Tikvah Fund, and Robert M Beren Academy. That points to ongoing relationships rather than one-time gifts only.
Yes. Recent grants include $1,000,000 to Birthright Israel Foundation, $1,216,000 to Combat Hate for the Combat Anti-Semitism Program / CAM Israel Trips, and $4,000,000 to Jewish Federation of North America for March for Israel.
No. While 6% of grants go to recipients in Kansas, the foundation gives nationally. Recent recipients are spread across cities including New York, Houston, Los Angeles, Palm Beach, Cambridge, Boston, and Encino.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BEREN SEA FOUNDATION | WICHITA, KS | $5,500,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| JEWISH FEDERATION OF NORTH AMERICA | NEW YORK, NY | $4,000,000 | 2025 | MARCH FOR ISRAEL |
| UJA FEDERATION NEW YORK | NEW YORK, NY | $2,500,000 | 2025 | IN MEMORY OF RMB |
| AMERICAN JEWISH JOINT DISTRIBUTION COMMITTEE | NEW YORK, NY | $2,000,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| TIKVAH FUND | NEW YORK, NY | $1,660,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| JEWISH FEDERATION OF GREATER HOUSTON | HOUSTON, TX | $1,381,000 | 2025 | ISRAEL EMERGENCY FUND |
| JEWISH NATIONAL FUND | ROCKVILLE CENTRE, NY | $1,350,000 | 2025 | ANNUAL FUND |
| COMBAT HATE | WICHITA, KS | $1,216,000 | 2025 | COMBAT ANTI-SEMITISM PROGRAM / CAM ISRAEL TRIPS |
| JEWISH FEDERATION OF GREATER LOSANGELES | LOS ANGELES, CA | $1,000,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| BIRTHRIGHT ISRAEL FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $1,000,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| CAMP RAMAH | ENCINO, CA | $1,000,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| FOUNDATION FOR JEWISH CAMP INC | NEW YORK, NY | $750,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| TZOHAR ISRAEL FOUNDATION | WOODMERE, NY | $710,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| PARK AVENUE SYNAGOGUE | NEW YORK, NY | $500,000 | 2025 | IN MEMORY OF RMB |
| SINAI TEMPLE | LOS ANGELES, CA | $500,000 | 2025 | IN MEMORY OF RMB |
| EMATAI - HALACHIC ORGAN DONOR SOCIETY | LINCOLNWOOD, IL | $485,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| ROBERT M BEREN ACADEMY | HOUSTON, TX | $450,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| PEF - ISRAEL ENDOWMENT FUNDS INC | NEW YORK, NY | $410,500 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| UNITED ORTHODOX SYNAGOGUES | HOUSTON, TX | $400,000 | 2025 | UOS CAPITAL CAMPAIGN |
| NEFESH B'NEFESH | PARAMUS, NJ | $339,540 | 2025 | CAPITAL CAMPAIGN |
| PRIZMAH-CENTER FOR JEWISH DAY SCHOOLS | NEW YORK, NY | $281,060 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| AMERICAN FRIENDS OF IDF WIDOWS & ORPHANS | NEW YORK, NY | $250,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| ZAKA INC | BROOKLYN, NY | $250,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| ERASE PTSD NOW | SCHAUMBURG, IL | $250,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| AMERICAN ISRAEL EDUCATION FOUNDATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $250,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| YESHIVA UNIVERSITY | NEW YORK, NY | $200,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| AMERICAN FRIENDS OF SHEBA MEDICAL CENTER | LOS ANGELES, CA | $150,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| SINAI AKIBA ACADEMY (ALICE AND HAHUM LAINER SCHOOL) | LOS ANGELES, CA | $150,000 | 2025 | IN MEMORY OF RMB |
| HILLEL THE FOUNDATION FOR JEWISH CAMPUS LIFE | WASHINGTON, DC | $125,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| JEWISH GRADUATE LEADERSHIP ORGANIZATION | BEVERLY HILLS, CA | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| BROTHERS FOR LIFE | SEATTLE, WA | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| AHAVATH ACHIM -HEBREW CONGREGATION | WICHTA, KS | $100,000 | 2025 | CONTRIBUTION PLEDGE 2021 |
| ORAYTA | BOYNTON BEACH, FL | $72,000 | 2025 | SECURITY |
| AMERICAN FRIENDS OF PEACE OF MIND | EDISON, NJ | $60,900 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| MILTON GOTTESMAN JEWISH DAY SCHOOL OF THE NATION'S CAPITAL | WASHINGTON, DC | $54,000 | 2025 | ANNUAL FUND |
| PRESSMAN ACADEMY - DAY SCHOOL | LOS ANGELES, CA | $54,000 | 2025 | IN MEMORY OF RMB |
| AMERICAN FRIENDS OF SHALVA | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| HARVARD HILLEL | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| NEXTBOOK INC | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| HEBREW FREE LOAN SOCIETY | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| COLUMBIABARNARD HILLEL | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| WELLESLEY COLLEGE | WELLESLEY, MA | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| AREYVUT | BERGENFIELD, NJ | $36,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| PALM BEACH ORTHODOX SYNAGOGUE | PALM BEACH, FL | $18,000 | 2025 | SNEIOR PROGRAM & GENERAL FUND |
| RODEPH SHOLOM SCHOOL - DAY SCHOOL | NEW YORK, NY | $18,000 | 2025 | DAY SCHOOL EDUCATION |
| JEWISH FEDERATION OF PALM BEACH | WEST PALM BEACH, FL | $18,000 | 2025 | ANNUAL FUND |
| HILLELOF BROWARD AND PALM BEACH | BOCA RATON, FL | $18,000 | 2025 | IN MEMORY OF RMB |
| WILSHIRE BOULEVARD TEMPLE SCHOOL | LOS ANGELES, CA | $18,000 | 2025 | DAY SCHOOL EDUCATION |
| HANNAH SENESH - DAY SCHOOL | BROOKLYN, NY | $18,000 | 2025 | IN MEMORY OF RMB |
| CAMP RAMAH BERKSHIRES | TEANECK, NJ | $18,000 | 2025 | JEWISH SUMMER CAMPS |
BEREN SEA FOUNDATION
$5,500,000GENERAL FUND
JEWISH FEDERATION OF NORTH AMERICA
$4,000,000MARCH FOR ISRAEL
UJA FEDERATION NEW YORK
$2,500,000IN MEMORY OF RMB
AMERICAN JEWISH JOINT DISTRIBUTION COMMITTEE
$2,000,000GENERAL FUND
TIKVAH FUND
$1,660,000GENERAL FUND
JEWISH FEDERATION OF GREATER HOUSTON
$1,381,000ISRAEL EMERGENCY FUND
JEWISH NATIONAL FUND
$1,350,000ANNUAL FUND
COMBAT HATE
$1,216,000COMBAT ANTI-SEMITISM PROGRAM / CAM ISRAEL TRIPS
JEWISH FEDERATION OF GREATER LOSANGELES
$1,000,000GENERAL
BIRTHRIGHT ISRAEL FOUNDATION
$1,000,000GENERAL FUND
CAMP RAMAH
$1,000,000GENERAL FUND
FOUNDATION FOR JEWISH CAMP INC
$750,000GENERAL FUND
TZOHAR ISRAEL FOUNDATION
$710,000GENERAL
PARK AVENUE SYNAGOGUE
$500,000IN MEMORY OF RMB
SINAI TEMPLE
$500,000IN MEMORY OF RMB
EMATAI - HALACHIC ORGAN DONOR SOCIETY
$485,000GENERAL FUND
ROBERT M BEREN ACADEMY
$450,000GENERAL FUND
PEF - ISRAEL ENDOWMENT FUNDS INC
$410,500GENERAL FUND
UNITED ORTHODOX SYNAGOGUES
$400,000UOS CAPITAL CAMPAIGN
NEFESH B'NEFESH
$339,540CAPITAL CAMPAIGN
PRIZMAH-CENTER FOR JEWISH DAY SCHOOLS
$281,060GENERAL FUND
AMERICAN FRIENDS OF IDF WIDOWS & ORPHANS
$250,000GENERAL FUND
ZAKA INC
$250,000GENERAL
ERASE PTSD NOW
$250,000GENERAL FUND
AMERICAN ISRAEL EDUCATION FOUNDATION
$250,000GENERAL FUND
YESHIVA UNIVERSITY
$200,000GENERAL FUND
AMERICAN FRIENDS OF SHEBA MEDICAL CENTER
$150,000GENERAL
SINAI AKIBA ACADEMY (ALICE AND HAHUM LAINER SCHOOL)
$150,000IN MEMORY OF RMB
HILLEL THE FOUNDATION FOR JEWISH CAMPUS LIFE
$125,000GENERAL FUND
JEWISH GRADUATE LEADERSHIP ORGANIZATION
$100,000GENERAL FUND
BROTHERS FOR LIFE
$100,000GENERAL
AHAVATH ACHIM -HEBREW CONGREGATION
$100,000CONTRIBUTION PLEDGE 2021
ORAYTA
$72,000SECURITY
AMERICAN FRIENDS OF PEACE OF MIND
$60,900GENERAL
MILTON GOTTESMAN JEWISH DAY SCHOOL OF THE NATION'S CAPITAL
$54,000ANNUAL FUND
PRESSMAN ACADEMY - DAY SCHOOL
$54,000IN MEMORY OF RMB
AMERICAN FRIENDS OF SHALVA
$50,000GENERAL FUND
HARVARD HILLEL
$50,000GENERAL FUND
NEXTBOOK INC
$50,000GENERAL FUND
HEBREW FREE LOAN SOCIETY
$50,000GENERAL FUND
COLUMBIABARNARD HILLEL
$50,000GENERAL FUND
WELLESLEY COLLEGE
$50,000GENERAL FUND
AREYVUT
$36,000GENERAL FUND
PALM BEACH ORTHODOX SYNAGOGUE
$18,000SNEIOR PROGRAM & GENERAL FUND
RODEPH SHOLOM SCHOOL - DAY SCHOOL
$18,000DAY SCHOOL EDUCATION
JEWISH FEDERATION OF PALM BEACH
$18,000ANNUAL FUND
HILLELOF BROWARD AND PALM BEACH
$18,000IN MEMORY OF RMB
WILSHIRE BOULEVARD TEMPLE SCHOOL
$18,000DAY SCHOOL EDUCATION
HANNAH SENESH - DAY SCHOOL
$18,000IN MEMORY OF RMB
CAMP RAMAH BERKSHIRES
$18,000JEWISH SUMMER CAMPS