The Robert U & Roberta Goldman Family Foundation concentrates its giving in the Chicago area with a strong emphasis on Jewish community institutions, combined with investments in human services that support vulnerable populations (children, refugees, survivors of domestic violence, and people with behavioral health needs). Grants range from major gifts to central federated Jewish organizations to smaller, targeted awards for local service providers and food security efforts. The foundation appears to favor organizations that deliver direct services and community supports rather than purely advocacy work.
A $100,000 general operating grant to Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago is the largest recent award on file for the Robert U & Roberta Goldman Family Foundation, and it points to a clear pattern: the foundation backs core operating support for Chicago-area Jewish institutions alongside local human services. The recent grants list shows repeated support for Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago, Chicago HOPES for Kids, Build Inc, and Connections for Abused Women and Their Children, all on a general operating basis. That mix suggests a funder interested in helping organizations keep services running rather than financing short-term projects only. The foundation’s grantmaking is centered in Illinois, especially Chicago and nearby communities, but it also reaches a small set of organizations beyond the Jewish communal network when their work aligns with local needs. Grants include support for children and youth, domestic violence response, refugee services, behavioral health, and food access. Typical awards are modest to mid-sized, with several grants in the $10,000 to $15,000 range, while a handful of larger commitments support federated Jewish organizations. Across the record, the foundation appears to favor direct-service organizations and infrastructure support for community institutions.
Jewish communal support is the clearest thread in the recent grants. In 2025, the foundation gave $100,000 to Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago for general operating support, and it also supported Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago with $10,000 in 2023, $9,000 in 2024, and $6,000 in 2025. Children and youth services appear in multiple years as well. Chicago HOPES for Kids received $15,000 in 2024 and $12,500 in 2025, while Build Inc received $15,000 in 2023 and $10,000 in 2024, both for general operating support. The foundation also backs human services tied to safety and basic needs. Examples include $15,000 to Connections for Abused Women and Their Children in 2025, $10,000 to Chicago Metropolitan Battered Women’s Network in 2025, and $7,500 to Greater Chicago Food Depository in 2025. RefugeeOne, Esperanza Community Services, and Northern Illinois Food Bank also appear in the recent record.
$120K
$2.6M
$491K
$192K
Most grants fall between $8K and $15K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$8K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$15K
ROBERT U GOLDMAN
Sign up for a free Kindora account to access AI-generated insights into this funder's giving patterns, decision-makers, and fit signals.
Get Started FreeFree Kindora accounts unlock side-by-side comparisons with foundations that share this funder's focus areas and giving profile.
Get Started FreeSign up free to see how well your nonprofit fits this funder, get an AI-generated pitch, and unlock similar foundations.
Concentrated local giving with a mix of a few large, high-profile grants (notably to federated Jewish institutions) and numerous smaller, repeat or one-off operating/support grants to Chicago-area direct-service nonprofits; funding is predominantly place-based and service-oriented.
Notable grantees: Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago, Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago, Chicago Hopes for Kids, RefugeeOne, Connections for Abused Women and Their Children
Typical grants cluster tightly around the middle of the range: p25 is $7,500, median is $10,000, and p75 is $15,000. The recent record also includes one much larger award at $100,000. Most grants are for general operating support, which aligns with the foundation’s emphasis on organizational capacity and stabilization. Recipients often appear more than once across the years, including Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago, Chicago HOPES for Kids, Build Inc, and Center for Enriched Living. The foundation is led by Robert U Goldman.
Giving is heavily concentrated in Illinois, with 92% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state. Chicago is the main city in the record, but grants also reach Riverwoods, Rockford, and Geneva in Illinois. Outside the state, the recent list includes only a small number of recipients, such as New York, NY and Raritan, NJ. The country distribution is entirely U.S.-based, with 24 grants to U.S. recipients.
The recent record shows support for Jewish communal institutions and local human services. Named recipients include Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago, Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago, Chicago HOPES for Kids, Build Inc, Connections for Abused Women and Their Children, RefugeeOne, and Greater Chicago Food Depository.
Yes. Every recent grant listed is marked general operating support, including awards to Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago, Chicago HOPES for Kids, Build Inc, and Connections for Abused Women and Their Children.
Typical awards are in a narrow range: p25 is $7,500, median is $10,000, and p75 is $15,000. The recent record also includes a $100,000 grant, which is higher than the rest of the listed awards.
Yes. 92% of grants go to recipients in Illinois, and the recent list is centered on Chicago-area organizations, with additional Illinois recipients in Riverwoods, Rockford, and Geneva.
Yes. Several organizations appear in multiple years, including Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago, Chicago HOPES for Kids, Build Inc, Center for Enriched Living, and Esperanza Community Services.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| INSTITUTE FOR CURRICULUM SERVICES | BERKELEY, CA | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| AMERICAN FRIENDS OF LEKET ISRAEL INC | TEANECK, NJ | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| HONEST REPORTING COM INC | NEW YORK, NY | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| JEWISH FEDERATION OF METROPOLITAN CHICAGO | CHICAGO, IL | $11,500 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| GREATER CHICAGO FOOD DEPOSITORY | CHICAGO, IL | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| ROSECRANCE FOUNDATION | ROCKFORD, IL | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| CHICAGO HOPES FOR KIDS | CHICAGO, IL | $8,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| NORTHERN ILLINOIS FOOD BANK | GENEVA, IL | $7,500 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| CENTER FOR ENRICHED LIVING | RIVERWOODS, IL | $7,500 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| INTERFAITH AMERICA | CHICAGO, IL | $7,500 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| JEWISH NATIONAL FUND (KEREN KAYEMETH LEISRAEL) INC | NEW YORK, NY | $7,500 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| JEWISH UNITED FUND OF METROPOLITAN CHICAGO | CHICAGO, IL | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| CONNECTIONS FOR ABUSED WOMEN AND THEIR CHILDREN | CHICAGO, IL | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| ROSECRANCE FOUNDATION | ROCKFORD, IL | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| CHICAGO HOPES FOR KIDS | CHICAGO, IL | $12,500 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| CHICAGO METROPOLITAN BATTERED WOMEN'S NETWORK | CHICAGO, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| ESPERANZA COMMUNITY SERVICES | CHICAGO, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| CENTER FOR ENRICHED LIVING | RIVERWOODS, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| GREATER CHICAGO FOOD DEPOSITORY | CHICAGO, IL | $7,500 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| JEWISH CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES | CHICAGO, IL | $7,500 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| NORTHERN ILLINOIS FOOD BANK | GENEVA, IL | $6,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| JEWISH FEDERATION OF METROPOLITAN CHICAGO | CHICAGO, IL | $6,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| Chicago HOPES for Kids | Chicago, IL | $15,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| RefugeeOne | Chicago, IL | $15,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| Esperanza Community Services | Chicago, IL | $12,500 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| Center for Enriched Living | Riverwoods, IL | $12,500 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| Build Inc | Chicago, IL | $10,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago | Chicago, IL | $9,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| Build Inc | Chicago, IL | $15,000 | 2023 | General Operating Support |
| Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago | Chicago, IL | $10,000 | 2023 | General Operating Support |
| Alternatives INC | Raritan, NJ | $7,500 | 2023 | General Operating Support |
| I Grow Chicago NFP | Chicago, IL | $7,500 | 2023 | General Operating Support |
| NAMI Chicago | Chicago, IL | $7,500 | 2023 | General Operating Support |
| The Boulevard of Chicago Inc | Chicago, IL | $5,500 | 2023 | General Operating Support |
INSTITUTE FOR CURRICULUM SERVICES
$20,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
CHICAGO HOPES FOR KIDS
$8,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
CHICAGO HOPES FOR KIDS
$12,500GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
ESPERANZA COMMUNITY SERVICES
$10,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
Chicago HOPES for Kids
$15,000General Operating Support
Esperanza Community Services
$12,500General Operating Support
Alternatives INC
$7,500General Operating Support
I Grow Chicago NFP
$7,500General Operating Support