To benefit organizations located in Israel that are working for charitable and benevolent purposes.
The Kathryn Ames Foundation Inc. gives one-time grants to organizations working in Israel, with a clear emphasis on pluralism, disadvantaged populations, and tolerance and equality of opportunity. Its recent records show repeated support for a small set of organizations over multiple years, including Friends of Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism, which received $75,000 in 2024 and additional awards in 2023 and 2025, and New Israel Fund, which received grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025. The foundation also uses grantmaking to respond to urgent needs in Israel, including emergency relief and social welfare. That mix of recurring support and issue-specific giving sits alongside a grant portfolio that is relatively concentrated in a defined set of Jewish and Israeli civic institutions. In addition to general charitable purposes, the foundation’s stated priorities include pluralistic public space, empowerment of disadvantaged groups, and systemic improvement. Recent awards also reach organizations serving vulnerable populations such as low-income families, people affected by emergency conditions, and abused women. The public record suggests a pattern of direct program support rather than capital or research funding.
Pluralism is one of the foundation’s clearest themes. Recent grants include $50,000 in 2025 to Friends of Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism and $20,000 in 2024 to Friends of the Daniel Centers for Progressive Judaism, both marked for pluralism. The same theme appears in funding to New Israel Fund, including a $35,000 award in 2025 and a $17,500 award in 2025. The foundation also supports emergency response in Israel. In 2024, it gave $25,000 to American Friends of Leket Israel for emergency relief and the same amount to PEF Israel Endowment Funds for emergency relief. Social welfare and protection-related work also appears in the record, including $20,000 in 2025 to PEF Israel Endowment Funds for social welfare and another $20,000 in 2025 for abused women. Poverty relief is another recurring area, with awards to American Friends of Leket Israel for poverty relief in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
Typical grants cluster in a narrow range: the 25th percentile is $10,000, the median is $13,000, and the 75th percentile is $15,000. The recent grant list also shows several larger, repeated awards above that range, especially to a few recurring recipients across 2023, 2024, and 2025. The foundation gives one-time grants through programs that accept unsolicited letters of inquiry, and its listed programs are all framed as general grantmaking rather than project finance tied to capital or medical research. The pattern favors programmatic support for organizations in Israel, with repeated awards used for different purposes over time.
$467K
$5M
$759K
$543K
Most grants fall between $10K and $15K, with a median of $13K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$13K
75th Percentile
$15K
About 5% of grants go to recipients in NY.
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.
Grantmaking is national in recipient location, but every grant in the provided distribution goes to U.S.-based organizations working in Israel. New York is the top state by grant count, and Maryland accounts for 4% of grants. Recipient cities in the recent grants list include New York, Philadelphia, Teaneck, Staten Island, Beverly Hills, Chevy Chase, and Newton Centre. The awards are concentrated among organizations that serve Israel, rather than a broad mix of domestic geographies.
It funds organizations working in Israel for charitable and benevolent purposes, with emphasis on pluralism, empowerment of disadvantaged groups, tolerance and equality of opportunity, and systemic improvement. The active programs also say grants are for nonprofit organizations based in Israel and are used for programmatic work.
The foundation’s active programs describe grants as one-time awards. The recent grant list still shows repeated support to some recipients across 2023, 2024, and 2025, which suggests a recurring relationship even when each award is one-time.
Typical award sizes are fairly compact: the 25th percentile is $10,000, the median is $13,000, and the 75th percentile is $15,000. The active grant programs also list a $5,000–$15,000 range.
Yes. The active grant programs state that letters of inquiry are required for some programs and that unsolicited submissions are accepted.
Pluralism appears most often, and the record also includes emergency relief, social welfare, abused women, education, poverty relief, and environmental support. These themes align with the foundation’s stated interest in disadvantaged groups and tolerance and equality of opportunity.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Current and upcoming funding from Kathryn Ames Foundation that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Organization must work for charitable purposes in Israel; must not discriminate in the provision of services based on race, religious affiliation, or ethnic/national origin; must have 501(c)(3) status.
Deadline: There is no deadline for submission of letters of inquiry.
Who can apply: Organization must work for charitable purposes in Israel; must be operated so that it does not discriminate in the provision of services based upon race, religious affiliation, or ethnic or national origin; must have exempt status under 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Deadline: There is no deadline for the submission of letters of inquiry.
Track these deadlines, get reminders, and see how well your nonprofit fits — free with a Kindora account.
Create a free accountDeadlines and eligibility are summarized from public sources and may change — always confirm the details on the funder's official application page before applying.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friends of Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism | Beverly Hills, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | Pluralism |
| New Israel Fund | Philadelphia, PA | $35,000 | 2025 | Pluralism |
| Friends of the Daniel Centers for Progressive Judaism | Chevy Chase, MD | $20,000 | 2025 | Pluralism |
| PEF Israel Endowment Funds | New York, NY | $20,000 | 2025 | Abused Women |
| American Friends of Ogen | University Heights, OH | $20,000 | 2025 | Emergency Relief |
| PEF Israel Endowment Funds | New York, NY | $20,000 | 2025 | Social Welfare |
| American Friends of Leket Israel | Teaneck, NJ | $18,310 | 2025 | Poverty Relief |
| New Israel Fund | Philadelphia, PA | $17,500 | 2025 | Pluralism |
| The Good People Fund | Milburn, NJ | $15,000 | 2025 | Education |
| PEF Israel Endowment Funds | New York, NY | $15,000 | 2025 | Pluralism |
| New Israel Fund | Philadelphia, PA | $15,000 | 2025 | Social Welfare |
| PEF Israel Endowment Funds | New York, NY | $15,000 | 2025 | Pluralism |
| PEF Israel Endowment Funds | New York, NY | $15,000 | 2025 | Pluralism |
| PEF Israel Endowment Funds | New York, NY | $15,000 | 2025 | Pluralism |
| PEF Israel Endowment Funds | New York, NY | $15,000 | 2025 | Pluralism |
| American Friends of Leket Israel | Teaneck, NJ | $15,000 | 2025 | Emergency relief |
| PEF Israel Endowment Funds | New York, NY | $15,000 | 2025 | Pluralism |
| Netzach Educational Network | Brooklyn, NY | $15,000 | 2025 | Pluralism |
| PEF Israel Endowment Funds | New York, NY | $14,000 | 2025 | Emergency relief |
| PEF Israel Endowment Funds | New York, NY | $12,500 | 2025 | Pluralism |
| PEF Israel Endowment Funds | New York, NY | $12,500 | 2025 | Social Welfare |
| National Library of Israel USA | New York, NY | $12,500 | 2025 | Pluralism |
| PEF Israel Endowment Fund | New York, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | Pluralism |
| PEF Israel Endowment Funds | New York, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | Abused Women |
| American Friends of ELI | Merion Station, PA | $10,000 | 2025 | Emergency Relief |
| PEF Israel Endowment Fund | New York, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | Environmental |
| New Israel Fund | Philadelphia, PA | $10,000 | 2025 | Pluralism |
| American Friends of Tenufa Bakehila | Baltimore, MD | $7,500 | 2025 | Poverty Relief |
| PEF Israel Endowment Funds | New York, NY | $7,000 | 2025 | Pluralism |
| Friends of Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism | Beverly Hills, CA | $75,000 | 2024 | Pluralism |
| New Israel Fund | Philadelphia, PA | $35,000 | 2024 | Pluralism |
| American Friends of the IACC | Staten Island, NY | $25,000 | 2024 | Emergency relief |
| New Israel Fund | Philadelphia, PA | $25,000 | 2024 | Emergency relief |
| PEF Israel Endowment Funds | New York, NY | $25,000 | 2024 | Emergency relief |
| American Friends of Leket Israel | Teaneck, NJ | $25,000 | 2024 | Emergency relief |
| PEF Israel Endowment Funds | New York, NY | $20,000 | 2024 | Emergency relief |
| Friends of the Daniel Centers for Progressive Judaism | Chevy Chase, MD | $20,000 | 2024 | Pluralism |
| PEF Israel Endowment Funds | New York, NY | $20,000 | 2024 | Pluralism |
| PEF Israel Endowment Fund | New York, NY | $20,000 | 2024 | Emergency relief |
| PEF Israel Endowment Fund | New York, NY | $20,000 | 2024 | Emergency relief |
| American Friends of Leket Israel | Teaneck, NJ | $17,000 | 2024 | Poverty Relief |
| PEF Israel Endowment Funds | New York, NY | $15,000 | 2024 | Pluralism |
| PEF Israel Endowment Funds | New York, NY | $15,000 | 2024 | Emergency relief |
| Friends of the Arava Institute | Newton Centre, MA | $15,000 | 2024 | Pluralism |
| PEF Israel Endowment Funds | New York, NY | $15,000 | 2024 | Pluralism |
| Friends of the Daniel Centers for Progressive Judaism | Chevy Chase, MD | $15,000 | 2024 | Emergency relief |
| PEF Israel Endowment Funds | New York, NY | $15,000 | 2024 | Pluralism |
| PEF Israel Endowment Funds | New York, NY | $15,000 | 2024 | Education |
| PEF Israel Endowment Funds | New York, NY | $15,000 | 2024 | Pluralism |
| American Friends of Ogen | University Heights, OH | $15,000 | 2024 | Absorbtion of Immigrants |
New Israel Fund
$35,000Pluralism
Friends of the Daniel Centers for Progressive Judaism
$20,000Pluralism
PEF Israel Endowment Funds
$20,000Abused Women
American Friends of Ogen
$20,000Emergency Relief
PEF Israel Endowment Funds
$20,000Social Welfare
The Good People Fund
$15,000Education
PEF Israel Endowment Funds
$15,000Pluralism
PEF Israel Endowment Funds
$15,000Pluralism
PEF Israel Endowment Funds
$15,000Pluralism
PEF Israel Endowment Funds
$15,000Pluralism
PEF Israel Endowment Funds
$14,000Emergency relief
PEF Israel Endowment Funds
$12,500Social Welfare
National Library of Israel USA
$12,500Pluralism
PEF Israel Endowment Funds
$10,000Abused Women
American Friends of ELI
$10,000Emergency Relief
American Friends of Tenufa Bakehila
$7,500Poverty Relief
American Friends of the IACC
$25,000Emergency relief