The Sam Berman Charitable Foundation concentrates its giving on Jewish communal life and youth-serving programs, primarily through sizable gifts to established Jewish institutions and regional community organizations. Grants are predominantly donations to nonprofits that support Jewish identity, community infrastructure, and youth mentoring/education, with a noticeable emphasis on South Florida and national Jewish philanthropy.
A $250,000 donation to David Posnack JCC in Davie is the largest recent grant on file for the Sam Berman Charitable Foundation, and it reflects a pattern of giving to established Jewish institutions and youth-serving organizations. The foundation’s recent grants also include seven-figure-scale cumulative support across Jewish federations, Jewish education, and community infrastructure, with repeated gifts to groups such as the Harold Grinspoon Foundation and the Greater Miami Jewish Federation. Its portfolio shows a clear preference for institutional partners rather than individuals, with grants aimed at community-building, educational programming, and service capacity. South Florida organizations appear often, but the foundation also backs national Jewish philanthropy and select university or youth-development programs. In the recent record, donations range from larger gifts to Jewish communal bodies to mid-sized support for mentoring, JCC programming, and related nonprofit work. The recurring appearance of the same institutions across multiple years suggests a relationship-based approach centered on a small set of established recipients.
Jewish communal life is a core theme. The foundation gave $85,000 to Greater Miami Jewish Federation in 2023 and another $50,000 in 2025, alongside $75,000 to Jewish Federation of Broward County in 2025 and $45,250 in 2023. It also supports Jewish identity and educational philanthropy. The Harold Grinspoon Foundation received $200,000 in 2023 and $100,000 in 2025, indicating continued support for Jewish communal education and related programming. Youth mentoring is another visible thread. Women of Tomorrow Mentor & Scholars received $100,000 in 2023 and $50,000 in 2025, showing repeated backing for girls’ and young women’s mentoring work. The foundation also funds JCC programming and facility support, including $250,000 to David Posnack JCC in 2025, which stands out as a major institutional grant.
Typical grants cluster in the middle range, with a p25 of $7,500, a median of $15,000, and a p75 of $41,312. The recent record includes both larger institutional gifts and many grants at or near the median, suggesting selective but repeated support for established nonprofits. Several recipients appear in more than one year, including the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, Greater Miami Jewish Federation, Jewish Federation of Broward County, Women of Tomorrow Mentor & Scholars, University of Florida Foundation Inc, and Memorial Foundation Inc. The foundation is a private charitable foundation and does not fund individuals.
$759K
$13.2M
$1.5M
$1.3M
Most grants fall between $8K and $41K, with a median of $15K.
25th Percentile
$8K
Median
$15K
75th Percentile
$41K
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Concentrated, high-dollar gifts to a small number of organizations (five grants totaling $735k), including repeat funding to at least one grantee; favors large, one-time donations over many small grants and targets established Jewish and youth-serving organizations.
Notable grantees: Harold Grinspoon Foundation, David Posnack JCC, Women of Tomorrow Mentor & Scholars, Greater Miami Jewish Federation
Grantmaking is concentrated in Florida, which accounts for 75% of grants and is the top state by count. Recent recipient cities include Miami, Davie, Doral, Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, North Miami, Coral Gables, and Hollywood. Outside Florida, grants also reached Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island, and North Carolina, but the overall pattern remains strongly South Florida-centered.
Recent grants show a focus on Jewish communal institutions, Jewish federations, Jewish education and philanthropy, JCC programming, and youth mentoring for girls and young women. Examples in the record include Jewish federations, the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, David Posnack JCC, and Women of Tomorrow Mentor & Scholars.
Yes. Several organizations appear across multiple years in the recent record, including the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, Greater Miami Jewish Federation, Jewish Federation of Broward County, Women of Tomorrow Mentor & Scholars, University of Florida Foundation Inc, and Memorial Foundation Inc.
The typical grant size is $7,500 at the 25th percentile, $15,000 at the median, and $41,312 at the 75th percentile. The recent grants list also includes larger gifts, showing that the foundation makes both mid-sized and substantial institutional donations.
Florida is the top state by grant count, with 75% of grants going to recipients in the foundation’s HQ state. Recent Florida recipients are spread across South Florida and include Miami, Davie, Doral, Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, North Miami, Coral Gables, and Hollywood.
The foundation does not fund individuals. The recent grant record is entirely composed of nonprofit recipients, including Jewish communal organizations, educational institutions, and youth-serving charities.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DAVID POSNACK JCC | DAVIE, FL | $250,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| HAROLD GRINSPOON FOUNDATION | AGAWAM, MA | $100,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| JEWISH FEDERATION OF BROWARD COUNTY | DAVIE, FL | $75,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| WOMEN OF TOMORROW MENTOR & SCHOLARS | DORAL, FL | $50,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| GREATER MIAMI JEWISH FEDERATION | MIAMI, FL | $50,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| UNIVERSITY OF FL FOUNDATION INC | GAINESVILLE, FL | $50,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| CAMP ERROL ATHLETICS | PROVIDENCE, RI | $40,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| JEWISH NATIONAL FUND | BOCA RATON, FL | $25,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| MEMORIAL FOUNDATION INC | HOLLYWOOD, FL | $15,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| ISRAEL HEART 2 HEART | FORT LAUDERDALE, FL | $15,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| FRIENDS OF UNITED HATZALAH INC | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER JACKSONVILL | JACKSONVILLE, FL | $10,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI | CORAL GABLES, FL | $10,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| FRIENDS OF ISRAEL DISABLED VETERANS | NEW YORK, NY | $8,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS | MIAMI, FL | $7,500 | 2025 | DONATION |
| NO MORE TEARS INC | MIAMI, FL | $7,500 | 2025 | DONATION |
| CELESTE BURGESS ONE FOUNDATION | WINSTON SALEM, NC | $6,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| JEWISH ADOPTION AND FOSTER CARE | SUNRISE, FL | $5,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| MIAMI LIGHTHOUSE FOR THE BLIND | MIAMI, FL | $5,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| MIAMI CHILDREN'S MUSEUM INC | MIAMI, FL | $5,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| VOICES FOR CHILDREN FOUNDATION | MIAMI, FL | $5,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| ANIMAL AID INC | OAKLAND PARK, FL | $5,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF BROWARD COUNTY | FORT LAUDERDALE, FL | $5,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| JEWISH FEDERATION OF BROWARD COUNTY | DAVIE, FL | $252,500 | 2024 | DONATION |
| WOMEN OF TOMORROW MENTOR & SCHOLARS | DORAL, FL | $100,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| HAROLD GRINSPOON FOUNDATION | AGAWAM, MA | $100,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| GREATER MIAMI JEWISH FEDERATION | MIAMI, FL | $52,500 | 2024 | DONATION |
| UNIVERSITY OF FL FOUNDATION INC | GAINESVILLE, FL | $50,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| DAVID POSNACK JCC | DAVIE, FL | $25,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| JEWISH COMM SERVICES OF S FLORIDA | NORTH MIAMI, FL | $25,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| HOFSTRA UNIVERSITY | HEMPSTEAD, NY | $25,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT OF GREATER MIAMI | NORTH MIAMI, FL | $20,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| MEMORIAL FOUNDATION INC | HOLLYWOOD, FL | $15,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS | MIAMI, FL | $15,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| JEWISH FAMILY & COMM SERVICES -JACK | JACKSONVILLE, FL | $10,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI | CORAL GABLES, FL | $10,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| JEWISH ADOPTION AND FOSTER CARE | SUNRISE, FL | $10,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| ANIMAL AID INC | OAKLAND PARK, FL | $10,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| LEUKEMIA & LYMPHOMA SOCIETY | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| CELESTE BURGESS ONE FOUNDATION | WINSTON SALEM, NC | $6,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| VOICES FOR CHILDREN FOUNDATION | MIAMI, FL | $5,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| VICTORY ACADEMY | TUALATIN, OR | $5,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| FRIENDS OF ARAVA INSTITUTE | NEWTON, MA | $5,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| HAROLD GRINSPOON FOUNDATION | AGAWAM, MA | $200,000 | 2023 | DONATION |
| WOMEN OF TOMORROW MENTOR & SCHOLARS | DORAL, FL | $100,000 | 2023 | DONATION |
| GREATER MIAMI JEWISH FEDERATION | MIAMI, FL | $85,000 | 2023 | DONATION |
| UNIVERSITY OF FL FOUNDATION INC | GAINESVILLE, FL | $75,000 | 2023 | DONATION |
| INNOVATION AFRICA | BOSTON, MA | $65,000 | 2023 | DONATION |
| HOFSTRA UNIVERSITY | HEMPSTEAD, NY | $50,000 | 2023 | DONATION |
| JEWISH FEDERATION OF BROWARD COUNTY | DAVIE, FL | $45,250 | 2023 | DONATION |
CAMP ERROL ATHLETICS
$40,000DONATION
JEWISH NATIONAL FUND
$25,000DONATION
ISRAEL HEART 2 HEART
$15,000DONATION
JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER JACKSONVILL
$10,000DONATION
NO MORE TEARS INC
$7,500DONATION
CELESTE BURGESS ONE FOUNDATION
$6,000DONATION
MIAMI LIGHTHOUSE FOR THE BLIND
$5,000DONATION
ANIMAL AID INC
$5,000DONATION
JEWISH FEDERATION OF BROWARD COUNTY
$252,500DONATION
WOMEN OF TOMORROW MENTOR & SCHOLARS
$100,000DONATION
JEWISH COMM SERVICES OF S FLORIDA
$25,000DONATION
BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS
$15,000DONATION
JEWISH FAMILY & COMM SERVICES -JACK
$10,000DONATION
ANIMAL AID INC
$10,000DONATION
CELESTE BURGESS ONE FOUNDATION
$6,000DONATION
INNOVATION AFRICA
$65,000DONATION