The Wagner Descendant's Foundation concentrates its giving on pro-Israel foreign policy and Jewish communal life, combining support for Washington-based policy and advocacy organizations with sustained funding for Chicago-area Jewish institutions. Grants fund Israel advocacy, security/foreign‑policy research, Jewish federations and community foundations, and local Jewish education and philanthropy initiatives. The foundation favors established organizations with repeat grants and a clear Israel/strategic policy or communal impact.
Concentrated giving with a mix of a few large multi-thousand-dollar gifts to national policy/advocacy groups and repeat mid-size grants to local Jewish federations and community organizations; several grantees receive multiple grants over time.
A $182,000 general operating grant to the Washington Institute for Near East Policy is the largest recent award on file for Wagner Descendant's Foundation, and it points clearly to the foundation’s interest in pro-Israel foreign policy research and advocacy. The foundation uses flexible support rather than project-only awards, with multiple grants labeled general operating support across its recent giving. That pattern reaches beyond Washington, DC, to Chicago-area Jewish institutions and to organizations working on Israel advocacy, Jewish education, and philanthropic infrastructure. The foundation’s recent grants show a mix of national policy groups and local Jewish communal organizations. Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago received repeat general operating support in 2023 and 2024, while Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago also appears with operating support. Friends of ELNET and Israel Emergency AllianceStand With Us are among the other recipients in the recent record, alongside the American Israel Education Foundation and Foundation for the Defense of Democracies Inc. The recurring use of operating grants suggests the foundation backs core organizational continuity for established nonprofits that align with its Israel and Jewish communal priorities.
Pro-Israel policy and advocacy organizations are central to the foundation’s giving. In 2024, it awarded $182,000 to the Washington Institute for Near East Policy for general operating support, and in 2023 it gave $25,000 to Foundation for the Defense of Democracies Inc for the same purpose. It also funded the American Israel Education Foundation with a $50,000 general operating grant in 2024. Jewish communal institutions in Chicago are another clear focus. Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago received $60,000 in both 2023 and 2024 for general operating support, and Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago received $45,000 in 2024 after a $40,000 grant in 2023. The foundation also supported Chicago Jewish Day School with $10,000 in 2023. Philanthropic infrastructure appears in the recent record as well. Center for Entrepreneurial Jewish Philanthropy received $7,500 in both 2023 and 2024, reflecting support for Jewish philanthropic capacity-building.
$70K
$1.5M
$203K
$78K
Most grants fall between $19K and $53K, with a median of $40K.
25th Percentile
$19K
Median
$40K
75th Percentile
$53K
Nathan Wagner
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Notable grantees: Washington Institute for Near East Policy, Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago, Friends of ELNET, American Israel Education Foundation, Chicago Jewish Day School
Typical grant sizes cluster in the mid-five-figure range, with a p25 of $18,700, a median of $40,000, and a p75 of $52,500. Recent grants include both larger operating awards and smaller support grants, but the pattern is consistent: general operating support dominates the recent record. The foundation shows repeat funding behavior. Several recipients appear in consecutive years, including Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago, Friends of ELNET, Israel Emergency AllianceStand With Us, Center for Entrepreneurial Jewish Philanthropy, and Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago. That repeat pattern suggests ongoing relationships rather than one-off gifts. The foundation is not identified as funding individuals, and the recent grants all go to nonprofit organizations.
Grantmaking is regional and heavily centered in the United States. Illinois is the top state by grant count, and 44% of grants go to recipients in the foundation’s HQ state. Chicago is a recurring recipient city, alongside Skokie in Illinois. Washington, DC also appears repeatedly through policy-oriented grantees, and Los Angeles and New Rochelle show up in the recent record as additional recipient locations.
The foundation funds nonprofit organizations, especially groups connected to pro-Israel foreign policy research and advocacy, Chicago Jewish communal support, Jewish education, and Jewish philanthropic infrastructure. Recent recipients include policy organizations in Washington, DC and Jewish institutions in Chicago, all supported with general operating grants.
Yes. The recent grant list is dominated by general operating support awards, including a $182,000 grant to the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, a $60,000 grant to Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago, and repeated operating support to several other recipients across 2023 and 2024.
Typical awards are in the mid-five-figure range. The grant-size distribution shows a p25 of $18,700, a median of $40,000, and a p75 of $52,500. Recent gifts include both smaller $7,500 awards and larger six-figure support, but most grants cluster around that middle range.
Yes. Illinois is the top state by grant count, and 44% of grants go to recipients in the foundation’s HQ state. Chicago and Skokie appear repeatedly, while Washington, DC is another frequent destination because of the foundation’s policy-focused giving.
Yes. Multiple organizations appear in both 2023 and 2024, including Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago, Friends of ELNET, Israel Emergency AllianceStand With Us, Center for Entrepreneurial Jewish Philanthropy, and Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago. That points to recurring relationships rather than isolated one-time awards.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JEWISH UNITED FUND OF METROPOLITAN CHICAGO | CHICAGO, IL | $70,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| Washington Institute for Near East Policy | Washington, DC | $182,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago | Chicago, IL | $60,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| American Israel Education Foundation | Washington, DC | $50,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago | Chicago, IL | $45,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| Friends of ELNET | Skokie, IL | $45,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| Israel Emergency AllianceStand With Us | Los Angeles, CA | $21,600 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| Center for Entrepreneurial Jewish Philanthropy | New Rochelle, NY | $7,500 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| Washington Institute for Near East Policy | Washington, DC | $110,000 | 2023 | General Operating Support |
| Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago | Chicago, IL | $60,000 | 2023 | General Operating Support |
| Friends of ELNET | Skokie, IL | $40,000 | 2023 | General Operating Support |
| Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago | Chicago, IL | $40,000 | 2023 | General Operating Support |
| Foundation for the Defense of Democracies Inc | Washington, DC | $25,000 | 2023 | General Operating Support |
| Israel Emergency AllianceStand With Us | Los Angeles, CA | $21,600 | 2023 | General Operating Support |
| Chicago Jewish Day School | Chicago, IL | $10,000 | 2023 | General Operating Support |
| American Committee for Weizmann Institute of Science | New York, NY | $10,000 | 2023 | General Operating Support |
| Center for Entrepreneurial Jewish Philanthropy | New Rochelle, NY | $7,500 | 2023 | General Operating Support |
Washington Institute for Near East Policy
$182,000General Operating Support
American Israel Education Foundation
$50,000General Operating Support
General Operating Support
Washington Institute for Near East Policy
$110,000General Operating Support
General Operating Support