The Warrior Mensch Foundation makes a small number of very large, unrestricted gifts concentrated on elite institutions in health, biomedical research and higher education, with a notable philanthropic outlier toward Jewish communal life. Their largest support goes to university medical centers and research programs focused on cancer genetics and clinical research, while they also fund a prominent New York synagogue for general operations. Grants are high-dollar and appear aimed at core operating or strategic support rather than many small project grants.
Warrior Mensch Foundation C/o Caryn Seidman-becker makes a small number of very large general grants, with the largest recent award going to Park Avenue Synagogue in New York for $693,900. That pattern is visible across its recent giving: the foundation backs institutions rather than individuals, and its gifts often land as unrestricted support for core operations or broad program work. In 2025, it also gave $500,000 to the Basser Center for BRCA and $360,000 to Duke University, underscoring a strong emphasis on medical research and higher education. The funder’s recent grants also reach major research universities and health systems, including Johns Hopkins University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Alongside that institutional support, the foundation allocates meaningful resources to Jewish communal life and related civic institutions, with Park Avenue Synagogue appearing multiple times in the recent-grants record. The overall picture is of a concentrated grantmaker that favors large, recurring gifts to established organizations with operating or strategic needs.
A major share of the foundation’s giving supports university-based medical research and clinical programs. It gave $260,000 to Johns Hopkins University in 2024 and $250,000 each to the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Pennsylvania in the same year, along with another $200,000 grant to each of those University of Pennsylvania entities. Hereditary cancer research is also a clear theme: the Basser Center for BRCA received $500,000 in 2025. Higher-education support appears in other forms as well, including $100,000 to Brunswick School and $50,000 to Trustees of Dartmouth College. The foundation also funds Jewish institutions and civic culture, with $150,000 to the National September 11 Memorial & Museum and $50,000 to the Jewish Museum in 2024.
Typical grant size is relatively large: the p25 is $5,000, the median is $18,184, and the p75 is $50,000. Recent giving is concentrated in a small number of substantial awards, including several six-figure grants. The record also shows repeated support to the same institutions across multiple years, especially Park Avenue Synagogue, the University of Pennsylvania, Teak Fellowship, and the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, which points to ongoing relationships rather than one-time awards. The foundation does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments. No application process is described in the provided data.
$3.9M
$8K
$11M
$4M
Most grants fall between $5K and $50K, with a median of $18K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$18K
75th Percentile
$50K
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Concentrated, high-dollar grants to a small number of repeat, institutional grantees; primarily general/operating support rather than many restricted project grants.
Notable grantees: Park Avenue Synagogue, Basser Center for BRCA, Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania / University of Pennsylvania, Duke University, Johns Hopkins University
Grants are entirely U.S.-based. New York recipients appear most often, with 56% of grants going to organizations in the HQ state. Recent New York City recipients include Park Avenue Synagogue, the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, Teak Fellowship, the Jewish Museum, and UJA Federation. Outside New York, the foundation gave to Philadelphia-based institutions such as the Basser Center for BRCA and the University of Pennsylvania, and to university recipients in Durham, Baltimore, and Washington, DC.
The foundation supports university medical research and clinical programs, hereditary cancer and BRCA research, elite higher-education institutions, and Jewish congregational or cultural institutions. Recent recipients include the Basser Center for BRCA, Duke University, Johns Hopkins University, Park Avenue Synagogue, and the Jewish Museum.
Typical grant size is substantial: the p25 is $5,000, the median is $18,184, and the p75 is $50,000. The recent record also includes several six-figure awards, such as $693,900 to Park Avenue Synagogue and $500,000 to the Basser Center for BRCA.
Yes. The recent-grants list shows repeated support for Park Avenue Synagogue across 2023, 2024, and 2025, as well as multiple grants to the University of Pennsylvania and the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania. Teak Fellowship and the National September 11 Memorial & Museum also appear more than once.
The giving is U.S.-only in the provided data, and New York is the top state by grant count, with 56% of grants going to recipients in that state. Recent New York recipients include organizations in New York City and Brooklyn, while other recipients are in Philadelphia, Durham, Baltimore, Washington, DC, and Ann Arbor.
No. The provided data shows that the foundation does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| THE TEAK FELLOWSHIP | NEW YORK, NY | $1,045,671 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| ROBIN HOOD FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $1,000,016 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $1,000,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| DUKE UNIVERSITY | DURHAM, NC | $210,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| ROBIN HOOD FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $122,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| CHABAD AT DARTMOUTH | HANOVER, NH | $118,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| THE TEAK FELLOWSHIP | NEW YORK, NY | $100,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| UJA FEDERATION | NEW YORK, NY | $100,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| RIVERDALE COUNTRY SCHOOL | BRONX, NY | $75,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| UJA FEDERATION | NEW YORK, NY | $72,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| JOHN HOPKINS UNIVERSITY | BALTIMORE, MD | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| PAT TILLMAN FOUNDATION | CHICAGO, IL | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| JEWISH CHILD CARE ASSOCIATION OF NEW YORK | BROOKLYN, NY | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| JEWISH CHILD CARE ASSOCIATION OF NEW YORK | BROOKLYN, NY | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| PARK AVENUE SYNAGOGUE - HANUKKAH ON BROADWAY | NEW YORK, NY | $3,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| PARK AVENUE SYNAGOGUE | NEW YORK, NY | $693,900 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| BASSER CENTER FOR BRCA | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $500,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| DUKE UNIVERSITY | DURHAM, NC | $360,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| UJA FEDERATION | NEW YORK, NY | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| NATIONAL SEPTEMBER 11 MEMORIAL AND MUSEUM | NEW YORK, NY | $35,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| THE TEAK FELLOWSHIP | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| SCHOOL FOR ETHICS AND GLOBAL LEADERSHIP | WASHINGTON, DC | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| SIMON WIESENTHAL CENTER | LOS ANGELES, CA | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| HABITAT FOR HUMANITY NEW YORK CITY | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE LLC | NEW YORK, NY | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| PAT TILLMAN FOUNDATION | CHICAGO, IL | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| PARK AVENUE SYNAGOGUE - HANUKKAH ON BROADWAY | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| ANTI DEFAMATION LEAGUE | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| JEWISH LIFE AT DUKE UNIVERSITY | DURHAM, NC | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY | BALTIMORE, MD | $260,000 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| TRUSTEES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $250,000 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $250,000 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $200,000 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| TRUSTEES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $200,000 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| PARK AVENUE SYNAGOGUE | NEW YORK, NY | $100,000 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| BRUNSWICK SCHOOL | GREENWICH, CT | $100,000 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| TEAK FELLOWSHIP | NEW YORK, NY | $100,000 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| PARK AVENUE SYNAGOGUE | NEW YORK, NY | $53,640 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| JEWISH MUSEUM | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING CANCER CENTER | HAGERSTOWN, MD | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| REFORM ALLIANCE | LITTLE ROCK, AR | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN | ANN ARBOR, MI | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| SCHOOL FOR ETHICS AND GLOBAL LEADERSHIP | WASHINGTON, DC | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| JEWISH CHILD CARE ASSOCIATION | BROOKLYN, NY | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| SOCIAL GOOD FUND (FOR NEXT GENERATION POLITICS) | RICHMOND, CA | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| JEWISH MUSEUM | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| PARK AVENUE SYNAGOGUE | NEW YORK, NY | $31,172 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| CITYMEALS ON WHEELS | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| GOD'S LOVE WE DELIVER | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| RIVERDALE COUNTRY SCHOOL | BRONX, NY | $25,000 | 2024 | GENERAL |
UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
$1,000,000GENERAL
CHABAD AT DARTMOUTH
GENERAL
RIVERDALE COUNTRY SCHOOL
$75,000GENERAL
JOHN HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
$25,000GENERAL
PARK AVENUE SYNAGOGUE - HANUKKAH ON BROADWAY
$3,000GENERAL
PARK AVENUE SYNAGOGUE
$693,900GENERAL
BASSER CENTER FOR BRCA
$500,000GENERAL
UJA FEDERATION
$100,000GENERAL
SIMON WIESENTHAL CENTER
$25,000GENERAL
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY NEW YORK CITY
$25,000GENERAL
PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE LLC
$15,000GENERAL
PARK AVENUE SYNAGOGUE - HANUKKAH ON BROADWAY
$10,000GENERAL
JEWISH LIFE AT DUKE UNIVERSITY
$5,000GENERAL
JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
$260,000GENERAL
PARK AVENUE SYNAGOGUE
$100,000GENERAL
PARK AVENUE SYNAGOGUE
$53,640GENERAL
MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING CANCER CENTER
$50,000GENERAL
REFORM ALLIANCE
$50,000GENERAL
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
$50,000GENERAL
JEWISH CHILD CARE ASSOCIATION
$50,000GENERAL
PARK AVENUE SYNAGOGUE
$31,172GENERAL
RIVERDALE COUNTRY SCHOOL
$25,000GENERAL