The Steven & Joyce Wolitzer Charitable Foundation concentrates its giving on institutional, education-focused charities — primarily large universities and a major Jewish community federation. Grants are sizable and targeted, often made repeatedly to the same organizations, suggesting long-term institutional relationships and possible alumni or community ties. The foundation appears to prioritize higher education and New York-area Jewish communal support over a wide spread of small charities.
The Steven & Joyce Wolitzer Charitable Foundation’s recent grantmaking is anchored by repeated large gifts to Uja Federation, New York University, and Cornell University. That pattern points to a funder that favors long-running institutional relationships rather than one-off charitable checks. The biggest recent grant in the dataset is $101,543 to Uja Federation in 2025, followed by another $101,219 grant in 2024 and a $75,560 grant in 2023, showing continuity across multiple years. Higher education is a major throughline: New York University and Cornell University each appear several times with grants clustered around the $50,000 range, along with smaller support for Harvard University. The foundation also gives to Jewish communal and related organizations, including Park Ave Synagogue, JDC, HIAS, Elluminate, Afya Foundation, Save the Children, and World Central Kitchen. The overall picture is of a regional funder making targeted grants to a small set of institutions, especially in New York and in university settings.
A major theme is Jewish communal philanthropy in New York. The foundation gave $101,543 to Uja Federation in 2025, $101,219 in 2024, and $75,560 in 2023, indicating repeated support for the same communal institution. Another cluster centers on higher education. New York University received $50,874 in 2024, $50,773 in 2025, and $50,547 in 2023, while Cornell University received $50,874 in 2024, $50,771 in 2025, and $44,263 in 2023. Smaller grants show a broader charitable layer: Park Ave Synagogue received $19,452 in 2024 and $18,052 in 2023, and Harvard University received $5,211 in 2023 and $1,102 in 2024.
Typical grant size is highly skewed: the 25th percentile is $1,000, the median is $3,156, and the 75th percentile is $50,772. That spread matches a pattern of a few large institutional grants alongside many smaller charitable awards. The same recipients recur across years, especially Uja Federation, New York University, Cornell University, Park Ave Synagogue, Harvard University, HIAS, JDC, Afya Foundation, Save the Children, and World Central Kitchen. The foundation does not fund individuals and makes no program-related investments. Grants appear to be discretionary charitable support rather than a visible application-based program in the data.
$631K
$1.5M
$80K
$207K
Most grants fall between $1K and $51K, with a median of $3K.
25th Percentile
$1K
Median
$3K
75th Percentile
$51K
About 67% of grants go to recipients in NY.
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Concentrated, high-dollar giving to a small set of repeat grantees (three organizations account for the vast majority of total grants), indicating multi-grant relationships rather than numerous one-off donations.
Notable grantees: UJA Federation, New York University (NYU), Cornell University
Grantmaking is strongly New York-centered: 67% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state, and New York is also the top state by grant count. New York City appears repeatedly through Uja Federation, New York University, Park Ave Synagogue, JDC, and Elluminate. Ithaca appears through Cornell University, while Yonkers appears through Afya Foundation. Outside New York, recipient cities include Boston, Silver Spring, Fairfield, and Washington, DC. All recorded grants in the dataset are to U.S. recipients.
The foundation’s recent grants center on institutional charities, especially New York University, Cornell University, and Uja Federation. Other recipients include Park Ave Synagogue, Harvard University, HIAS, JDC, Elluminate, Afya Foundation, Save the Children, and World Central Kitchen.
The grant-size distribution is wide: the 25th percentile is $1,000, the median is $3,156, and the 75th percentile is $50,772. Recent grants range from $1,000 awards to more than $100,000 for Uja Federation.
Yes. Several recipients appear across multiple years, including Uja Federation in 2023, 2024, and 2025; New York University and Cornell University in 2023, 2024, and 2025; and Park Ave Synagogue, Harvard University, HIAS, JDC, Afya Foundation, Save the Children, and World Central Kitchen in at least two years.
New York dominates the pattern. The foundation’s top state by grant count is New York, and 67% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state. Recent New York recipients include organizations in New York City, Ithaca, and Yonkers.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UJA FEDERATION | NEW YORK, NY | $101,543 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| NEW YORK UNIVERSITY | NEW YORK, NY | $50,773 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| CORNELL UNIVERSITY | ITHACA, NY | $50,771 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| UJA FEDERATION | NEW YORK, NY | $101,219 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| CORNELL UNIVERSITY | ITHACA, NY | $50,874 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| NEW YORK UNIVERSITY | NEW YORK, NY | $50,874 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| PARK AVE SYNAGOGUE | NEW YORK, NY | $19,452 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| HARVARD UNIVERSITY | BOSTON, MA | $1,102 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| SAVE THE CHILDREN | FAIRFIELD, CT | $1,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| JDC | NEW YORK, NY | $1,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| ELLUMINATE | NEW YORK, NY | $1,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| AFYA FOUNDATION | YONKERS, NY | $1,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN | WASHINGTON, DC | $1,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| HIAS | SILVER SPRING, MD | $1,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| UJA FEDERATION | NEW YORK, NY | $75,560 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| NEW YORK UNIVERSITY | NEW YORK, NY | $50,547 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| CORNELL UNIVERSITY | ITHACA, NY | $44,263 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| PARK AVE SYNAGOGUE | NEW YORK, NY | $18,052 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| HARVARD UNIVERSITY | BOSTON, MA | $5,211 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| JDC | NEW YORK, NY | $1,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| HIAS | SILVER SPRING, MD | $1,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| SAVE THE CHILDREN | FAIRFIELD, CT | $1,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| AFYA FOUNDATION | YONKERS, NY | $1,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN | WASHINGTON, DC | $1,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
UJA FEDERATION
$101,543CHARITABLE
NEW YORK UNIVERSITY
$50,773CHARITABLE
CORNELL UNIVERSITY
$50,771CHARITABLE
UJA FEDERATION
$101,219CHARITABLE
CORNELL UNIVERSITY
$50,874CHARITABLE
NEW YORK UNIVERSITY
$50,874CHARITABLE
PARK AVE SYNAGOGUE
CHARITABLE
HARVARD UNIVERSITY
$1,102CHARITABLE
SAVE THE CHILDREN
$1,000CHARITABLE
JDC
$1,000CHARITABLE
ELLUMINATE
$1,000CHARITABLE
AFYA FOUNDATION
$1,000CHARITABLE
WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN
$1,000CHARITABLE
HIAS
$1,000CHARITABLE
UJA FEDERATION
$75,560CHARITABLE
NEW YORK UNIVERSITY
$50,547CHARITABLE
CORNELL UNIVERSITY
$44,263CHARITABLE
PARK AVE SYNAGOGUE
$18,052CHARITABLE
HARVARD UNIVERSITY
$5,211CHARITABLE
JDC
$1,000CHARITABLE
HIAS
$1,000CHARITABLE
SAVE THE CHILDREN
$1,000CHARITABLE
AFYA FOUNDATION
$1,000CHARITABLE
WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN
$1,000CHARITABLE