About Richard & Diane Cohen Family Foundation
The Richard & Diane Cohen Family Foundation concentrates giving on sustaining local Jewish communal life in Minneapolis—regularly funding synagogue operations and the local Jewish federation—while also making philanthropic gifts to prominent healthcare institutions focused on cancer care. Their grants are operational/general support rather than project-specific, and they favor a small number of meaningful awards.
Focus Areas
Local Jewish congregational support (Beth El Synagogue operations)Minneapolis Jewish community infrastructure (Minneapolis Jewish Federation)Cancer care and research at major medical centers (Memorial Sloan Kettering)
Who They Fund
local Jewish congregations (e.g., Beth El Synagogue)local Jewish communal institutions/federations (e.g., Minneapolis Jewish Federation)cancer patients and cancer research programs at major medical centers (e.g., Memorial Sloan Kettering)
Giving Approach
Concentrated, modest-dollar portfolio: few grants each year with multiple repeat payments to the same local grantee (Beth El Synagogue). Grants are operational/general support rather than restricted program funding, split between local community institutions and selective national healthcare philanthropy.
About Richard & Diane Cohen Family Foundation
The Richard & Diane Cohen Family Foundation makes its clearest mark through sustained operating support for Minneapolis-area Jewish institutions, with Beth El Synagogue and the Minneapolis Jewish Federation appearing among its largest recent grants. That pattern points to a funder focused on maintaining local communal infrastructure rather than backing short-term projects. The foundation’s recent awards also extend beyond Jewish communal life: it has supported Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and its Cycle for Survival effort, showing a separate commitment to cancer care and research at a major medical center. Across the recent grants list, most awards are concentrated in Minnesota and are structured as general operating support, which suggests a preference for keeping recipient organizations functioning day to day. The sizes range from modest five-figure gifts to smaller supplemental awards, but the common thread is institutional support for organizations already rooted in the communities they serve. Recurring payments to the same recipients further indicate an ongoing relationship-based grantmaking style rather than isolated one-time grants.
What Richard & Diane Cohen Family Foundation Funds
Local Jewish infrastructure is a central theme. In 2024, the foundation gave $22,000 to the Minneapolis Jewish Federation for operations, and it also supported Beth El Synagogue with $21,800 in 2024 and $10,000 in 2025, both for operations. Cancer care is another clear area of support: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center received $18,000 in 2023 for operations, and Cycle for Survival received $3,780 in 2025. The portfolio also includes broader community-facing grants. Page Education Foundation received $5,000 in 2023, Twin Cities Youth Rowing received $5,000 in 2024, and Jewish Family & Children's Services of Minneapolis received $2,000 in 2024. These awards show a mix of Jewish communal institutions, healthcare, education, and youth-oriented organizations.
How Richard & Diane Cohen Family Foundation Gives
Typical grant size is modest but not micro-scale: the p25 is $4,250, the median is $8,400, and the p75 is $18,950. The foundation’s recent giving is concentrated in a small number of organizations, with repeat awards to Beth El Synagogue across 2023, 2024, and 2025, and multiple gifts in 2024 to Minneapolis Jewish Federation and Beth El Synagogue. The pattern is heavily oriented toward operating support rather than restricted project funding. The foundation is a family foundation, not a fund that makes program-related investments, and it does not fund individuals.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$112K
Total Assets
$204K
Total Revenue
$14K
Total Expenses
$35K
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $4K and $19K, with a median of $8K.
25th Percentile
$4K
Median
$8K
75th Percentile
$19K
Geographic Reach
Local2 states funded
About 88% of grants go to recipients in MN.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
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