About Russell Berrie Foundation A New Jersey Nonprofit
The Russell Berrie Foundation concentrates large, targeted gifts to Jewish communal and educational institutions, with a strong emphasis on supporting Israel-related endowments and higher education. Its giving favors major organizations and universities—both in the U.S. (including Columbia) and in Israel (Bar-Ilan, PEF Israel)—and also supports local Jewish community infrastructure in northern New Jersey. The foundation typically makes few, high-dollar grants rather than many small awards.
Focus Areas
Israel endowment and philanthropic infrastructure (PEF Israel Endowment Funds)Support for Israeli higher education and research (Bar-Ilan University)U.S. higher education and university initiatives (Columbia University)Local Jewish community and federation support (Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey)
Who They Fund
tax-exempt nonprofit donees (e.g., 501(c)(3) organizations)
Giving Approach
Highly concentrated giving: a small number of very large grants, including repeat funding to the same Israel-focused endowment; prioritizes institutional partners over many small grantees.
About Russell Berrie Foundation A New Jersey Nonprofit
A defining feature of The Russell Berrie Foundation a New Jersey Nonprofit Corporation is its large, targeted support for Jewish communal and educational institutions, including major endowment and institutional gifts in both the United States and Israel. Recent grants show a pattern of sizeable awards to PEF Israel Endowment Funds Inc., Columbia University, Bar-Ilan University, and Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey, with funding often described as intended "to further donees exempt purpose" or as general operating support. That mix points to a funder that works through established organizations rather than many small program grants. The foundation also backs Israel-related civic, cultural, and health institutions, alongside New Jersey community organizations and universities. Its portfolio includes support for Bar-Ilan University, Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design Jerusalem, Shalom Hartman Institute, and the Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey, suggesting a strong link between philanthropy in Israel and Jewish life in northern New Jersey. Grants in the record also include health and research support through Sheba-affiliated entities, showing that the foundation’s giving is not limited to education and communal infrastructure.
What Russell Berrie Foundation A New Jersey Nonprofit Funds
The foundation’s Israel portfolio is broad and institutionally focused. It gave $1,312,435 to Bar Ilan University (ra) in 2024 and $1,150,000 to Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design Jerusalem the same year, alongside $750,000 to Shalom Hartman Institute in 2024. Health and medical research is another clear line of giving: in 2025 it awarded $750,000 to The Sheba Fund for Health Services and Research for general operating expenses. The foundation also supports intermediary infrastructure, including $3,295,500 to Pef Israel Endowment Funds Inc. in 2024 and $2,152,425 to Columbia University in 2023, both recorded as grants to further exempt purpose. In New Jersey, it backed Jewish community capacity with $1,310,000 to Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey in 2024.
How Russell Berrie Foundation A New Jersey Nonprofit Gives
Typical awards cluster in the mid-five-figure range, with p25 at $15,000, median at $40,000, and p75 at $105,000. The recent grants list also shows a much larger upper tier, including seven-figure gifts and repeated awards to the same organizations across years, such as Bar Ilan University, Pef Israel Endowment Funds Inc., The Sheba Fund for Health Services and Research, Maoz-seal, and Nli USA Inc. That pattern suggests relationship-based, repeat institutional funding rather than one-off microgrants. The foundation is a nonprofit corporation, and the grants shown are largely unrestricted or broadly framed as furthering exempt purpose, with several labeled general operating expenses.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$8.7M
Total Assets
$157.5M
Total Revenue
$20.6M
Total Expenses
$15.6M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $15K and $105K, with a median of $40K.
25th Percentile
$15K
Median
$40K
75th Percentile
$105K
Geographic Reach
Regional27 states funded
About 27% of grants go to recipients in NY.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Where Russell Berrie Foundation A New Jersey Nonprofit Funds
Top 2 recipient countries by grant volume for Russell Berrie Foundation A New Jersey Nonprofit.
| Rank | Country | Grants | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United StatesDomestic | 315 | $32.7M | 90.3% |
| 2 |
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