The Samuel and Jean Frankel Jewish Heritage Foundation is a highly focused Jewish philanthropic funder that prioritizes support for Jewish day schools, religious education, and strengthening Jewish learning both locally and in Israel. The foundation makes very large, targeted grants to a small set of core institutions—often repeating payments to the same organizations—rather than distributing many small awards across sectors. Its giving emphasizes sustaining institutional Jewish education and religious heritage programs with occasional discretionary support.
The Samuel and Jean Frankel Jewish Heritage Foundation’s largest recent grant was $25,289,785 to Yeshiva Beth Yehudah in Southfield, Michigan, underscoring a pattern of very large support for Jewish education. Across the recent grants list, the foundation repeatedly backs a small set of institutions rather than dispersing many small awards. Its giving includes multi-million-dollar awards to Hillel Day School of Metro Detroit, Mesorah Heritage Foundation, and New School in Israel, alongside continued support for community-based Jewish learning and religious programs. The foundation’s portfolio shows a strong emphasis on sustaining schools and organizations tied to Jewish religious education and heritage. Grants to Partners in Torah, V Hechzakta Bo, and the Jewish Community Center in West Bloomfield indicate support that extends beyond formal day schools into learning, community engagement, and religious instruction. It also makes targeted discretionary grants, such as awards to Nistar in Bloomfield Hills, suggesting some flexibility within an otherwise focused education-and-religion strategy. The grant record also shows recurring support over multiple years for several core recipients, including Yeshiva Beth Yehudah, Mesorah Heritage Foundation, and Yad Ezra. That repeated pattern points to an ongoing institutional funding relationship rather than one-time project support.
In general education programs, the foundation gave $10,155,011 to Hillel Day School of Metro Detroit in Farmington Hills for educational support, and later $450,000 to Jewish Community Center in West Bloomfield for educational purposes. It also made a $325,000 grant to American Israel Education Fund in Troy for educational work. Religious education is another clear thread. The foundation awarded $5,600,000 and later $3,000,000 to Mesorah Heritage Foundation in Brooklyn for religious support, and $475,000 and $350,000 to V Hechzakta Bo in Detroit for religious purposes. Smaller religious grants also went to Friends of Sinai Trust in Southfield and Miriam's Well -- Be'er Miriam in Saugerties. Its Israel-related grantmaking includes $2,300,000 to New School in Israel in Tel Aviv, as well as grants labeled Israel youth travel to Jewish Federation of Metro Detroit in Bloomfield Hills. The foundation also supports food access through Yad Ezra in Berkley.
$29.8M
$176.4M
$16M
$31.5M
Most grants fall between $67K and $498K, with a median of $160K.
25th Percentile
$67K
Median
$160K
75th Percentile
$498K
Top 2 recipient countries by grant volume for Samuel and Jean Frankel Jewish Heritage Foundation.
| Rank | Country | Grants | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United StatesDomestic | 59 | $74.3M | 98.3% |
| 2 |
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Highly concentrated, large-dollar grants to a small number of repeat core grantees; multi-grant relationships dominate rather than one-off, small awards or broad diversification.
Notable grantees: YESHIVA BETH YEHUDAH, HILLEL DAY SCHOOL OF METRO DETROIT, MESORAH HERITAGE FOUNDATION, PARTNERS IN TORAH, NEW SCHOOL IN ISRAEL
The typical grant size is substantial: p25 is $66,500, the median is $160,230, and p75 is $497,500. The recent grants list shows repeated support to several recipients across multiple years, including Yeshiva Beth Yehudah, Mesorah Heritage Foundation, Nistar, Partners in Torah, V Hechzakta Bo, Jewish Federation of Metro Detroit, and Yad Ezra. That points to an ongoing relationship model rather than isolated one-off awards. The foundation is a private foundation with no individual giving and no program-related investments reported in the provided data.
Grant recipients are overwhelmingly in the United States, with 59 grants there and one in Israel. Michigan dominates the recipient map: 77% of grants go to recipients in the foundation’s top giving state, with many awards landing in Southfield, Bloomfield Hills, West Bloomfield, Farmington Hills, Detroit, Berkley, and Troy. Outside Michigan, the list includes Brooklyn and Saugerties in New York, plus Tel Aviv in Israel. That distribution matches a regional grantmaking footprint centered on Michigan.
The recent grants list is centered on Jewish education and religious institutions. Named recipients include Yeshiva Beth Yehudah, Hillel Day School of Metro Detroit, Mesorah Heritage Foundation, Partners in Torah, and V Hechzakta Bo. The portfolio also includes Israel youth travel, educational travel, and food bank support through Jewish organizations.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including Yeshiva Beth Yehudah, Mesorah Heritage Foundation, Nistar, Partners in Torah, V Hechzakta Bo, Jewish Federation of Metro Detroit, and Yad Ezra. The pattern suggests continuing support for a relatively small set of institutions.
The middle of the distribution is sizable: p25 is $66,500, the median is $160,230, and p75 is $497,500. The recent grants list also includes multi-million-dollar awards, showing that the foundation funds both mid-sized and very large grants.
Michigan receives the bulk of the grants, with 77% going to recipients in MI. Recent Michigan recipients include Southfield, Farmington Hills, Bloomfield Hills, West Bloomfield, Detroit, Berkley, and Troy. Outside Michigan, the recent grants list includes Brooklyn, Saugerties, and Tel Aviv.
Outside Michigan, the recent grants list includes recipients in New York and Israel. Brooklyn appears on multiple grants to Mesorah Heritage Foundation, Saugerties appears on grants to Miriam's Well -- Be'er Miriam, and Tel Aviv appears on a grant to New School in Israel.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
| 1 |
| $2.3M |
1.7% |
Recipient country reflects the grantee's headquarters per IRS 990-PF and Schedule F filings, not the program's implementation country.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| YESHIVA BETH YEHUDAH | SOUTHFIELD, MI | $25,289,785 | 2025 | EDUCATIONAL |
| NISTAR | BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MI | $1,125,000 | 2025 | DISCRETIONARY |
| MESORAH HERITAGE FOUNDATION | BROOKLYN, NY | $1,000,000 | 2025 | RELIGIOUS |
| JEWISH FEDERATION OF METRO DETROIT | BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MI | $496,604 | 2025 | ISRAEL YOUTH TRAVEL |
| V HECHZAKTA BO | DETROIT, MI | $350,000 | 2025 | RELIGIOUS |
| AMERICAN ISRAEL EDUCATION FUND | TROY, MI | $325,000 | 2025 | EDUCATIONAL |
| FRIENDS OF SINAI TRUST | SOUTHFIELD, MI | $250,000 | 2025 | RELIGIOUS |
| MIRIAM'S WELL -- BE'ER MIRIAM | SAUGERTIES, NY | $225,000 | 2025 | RELIGIOUS |
| YAD EZRA | BERKLEY, MI | $215,000 | 2025 | FOOD BANK |
| JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER | WEST BLOOMFIELD, MI | $179,250 | 2025 | EDUCATIONAL |
| UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN-ENDELMAN & GITELMAN FUND | ANN ARBOR, MI | $130,000 | 2025 | EDUCATIONAL |
| B'NAI BRITH YOUTH ORGANIZATION | WEST BLOOMFIELD, MI | $75,000 | 2025 | RELIGIOUS |
| NCSY | WASHINGTON, DC | $64,000 | 2025 | EDUCATIONAL & RELIGIOUS |
| HEBREW DAY SCHOOL OF ANN ARBOR | ANN ARBOR, MI | $50,000 | 2025 | EDUCATIONAL |
| UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN HILLEL | ANN ARBOR, MI | $25,000 | 2025 | EDUCATIONAL |
| YIDDISH BOOK CENTER | AMHERST, MA | $1,000 | 2025 | EDUCATIONAL |
| YESHIVA BETH YEHUDAH | SOUTHFIELD, MI | $7,802,903 | 2024 | EDUCATIONAL |
| MESORAH HERITAGE FOUNDATION | BROOKLYN, NY | $3,000,000 | 2024 | RELIGIOUS |
| NISTAR | BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MI | $1,460,000 | 2024 | DISCRETIONARY |
| PARTNERS IN TORAH | SOUTHFIELD, MI | $600,000 | 2024 | EDUCATIONAL |
| JEWISH FEDERATION OF METRO DETROIT | BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MI | $565,000 | 2024 | ISRAEL YOUTH TRAVEL |
| JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER | WEST BLOOMFIELD, MI | $450,000 | 2024 | EDUCATIONAL |
| V HECHZAKTA BO | DETROIT, MI | $350,000 | 2024 | RELIGIOUS |
| AMERICAN ISRAEL EDUCATION FUND | TROY, MI | $300,000 | 2024 | EDUCATIONAL |
| YAD EZRA | BERKLEY, MI | $200,000 | 2024 | FOOD BANK |
| HILLEL DAY SCHOOL OF METRO DETROIT | FARMINGTON HILLS, MI | $159,129 | 2024 | EDUCATIONAL |
| MIRIAM'S WELL -- BE'ER MIRIAM | SAUGERTIES, NY | $150,000 | 2024 | RELIGIOUS |
| UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN-ENDELMAN & GITELMAN FUND | ANN ARBOR, MI | $130,000 | 2024 | EDUCATIONAL |
| YESHIVAH HAKAYITZ OF DETROIT | SOUTHFIELD, MI | $125,000 | 2024 | EDUCATIONAL |
| B'NAI BRITH YOUTH ORGANIZATION | WEST BLOOMFIELD, MI | $75,000 | 2024 | RELIGIOUS |
| FRESH AIR SOCIETY | BLOOMFIELD TWP, MI | $70,000 | 2024 | DISCRETIONARY |
| NCSY | WASHINGTON, DC | $56,000 | 2024 | EDUCATIONAL & RELIGIOUS |
| HATZALAH OF MICHIGAN | OAK PARK, MI | $50,000 | 2024 | PUBLIC |
| HEBREW DAY SCHOOL OF ANN ARBOR | ANN ARBOR, MI | $50,000 | 2024 | EDUCATIONAL |
| UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN HILLEL | ANN ARBOR, MI | $25,000 | 2024 | EDUCATIONAL |
| HILLEL OF METRO DETROIT | DETROIT, MI | $5,000 | 2024 | EDUCATIONAL |
| YIDDISH BOOK CENTER | AMHERST, MA | $2,000 | 2024 | EDUCATIONAL |
| HILLEL DAY SCHOOL OF METRO DETROIT | FARMINGTON HILLS, MI | $10,155,011 | 2023 | EDUCATIONAL |
| YESHIVA BETH YEHUDAH | SOUTHFIELD, MI | $8,121,097 | 2023 | EDUCATIONAL |
| MESORAH HERITAGE FOUNDATION | BROOKLYN, NY | $5,600,000 | 2023 | RELIGIOUS |
| NEW SCHOOL IN ISRAEL | TEL AVIV, IS | $2,300,000 | 2023 | EDUCATIONAL |
| PARTNERS IN TORAH | SOUTHFIELD, MI | $1,697,775 | 2023 | EDUCATIONAL |
| NISTAR | BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MI | $650,000 | 2023 | DISCRETIONARY |
| V HECHZAKTA BO | DETROIT, MI | $475,000 | 2023 | RELIGIOUS |
| JEWISH FEDERATION OF METRO DETROIT | BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MI | $430,000 | 2023 | ISRAEL YOUTH TRAVEL |
| JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER | WEST BLOOMFIELD, MI | $300,000 | 2023 | EDUCATIONAL |
| AMERICAN ISRAEL EDUCATION FUND | TROY, MI | $250,000 | 2023 | EDUCATIONAL |
| MIRIAM'S WELL -- BE'ER MIRIAM | SAUGERTIES, NY | $225,000 | 2023 | RELIGIOUS |
| YAD EZRA | BERKLEY, MI | $200,000 | 2023 | FOOD BANK |
| CENTER FOR KEHIILA GROWTH | TROY, MI | $161,330 | 2023 | EDUCATIONAL |
YESHIVA BETH YEHUDAH
$25,289,785EDUCATIONAL
NISTAR
$1,125,000DISCRETIONARY
V HECHZAKTA BO
$350,000RELIGIOUS
AMERICAN ISRAEL EDUCATION FUND
$325,000EDUCATIONAL
FRIENDS OF SINAI TRUST
$250,000RELIGIOUS
MIRIAM'S WELL -- BE'ER MIRIAM
$225,000RELIGIOUS
JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER
$179,250EDUCATIONAL
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN-ENDELMAN & GITELMAN FUND
$130,000EDUCATIONAL
B'NAI BRITH YOUTH ORGANIZATION
$75,000RELIGIOUS
NCSY
$64,000EDUCATIONAL & RELIGIOUS
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN HILLEL
$25,000EDUCATIONAL
YESHIVA BETH YEHUDAH
$7,802,903EDUCATIONAL
MESORAH HERITAGE FOUNDATION
$3,000,000RELIGIOUS
NISTAR
$1,460,000DISCRETIONARY
PARTNERS IN TORAH
$600,000EDUCATIONAL
V HECHZAKTA BO
$350,000RELIGIOUS
AMERICAN ISRAEL EDUCATION FUND
$300,000EDUCATIONAL
MIRIAM'S WELL -- BE'ER MIRIAM
$150,000RELIGIOUS
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN-ENDELMAN & GITELMAN FUND
$130,000EDUCATIONAL
YESHIVAH HAKAYITZ OF DETROIT
$125,000EDUCATIONAL
FRESH AIR SOCIETY
$70,000DISCRETIONARY
NCSY
$56,000EDUCATIONAL & RELIGIOUS
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN HILLEL
$25,000EDUCATIONAL
YESHIVA BETH YEHUDAH
$8,121,097EDUCATIONAL
MESORAH HERITAGE FOUNDATION
$5,600,000RELIGIOUS
NEW SCHOOL IN ISRAEL
$2,300,000EDUCATIONAL
PARTNERS IN TORAH
$1,697,775EDUCATIONAL
NISTAR
$650,000DISCRETIONARY
V HECHZAKTA BO
$475,000RELIGIOUS
AMERICAN ISRAEL EDUCATION FUND
$250,000EDUCATIONAL
MIRIAM'S WELL -- BE'ER MIRIAM
$225,000RELIGIOUS
CENTER FOR KEHIILA GROWTH
$161,330EDUCATIONAL