The Adelson Family Foundation concentrates its giving on pro-Israel and Jewish communal causes, primarily funding organizations that build Jewish identity, strengthen U.S.–Israel ties, and support Israeli institutions. Grants are large, often multi-million-dollar unrestricted gifts to a small set of repeat grantees, including advocacy groups, education initiatives, and Israeli institutions such as universities and medical centers. The foundation’s pattern shows a clear geopolitical focus on Israel alongside domestic Jewish community-building and security-related efforts.
A defining feature of the Adelson Family Foundation is its repeated large gifts to a small set of Israel-linked and Jewish communal institutions. In the recent grant record, multi-million-dollar awards recur for organizations such as Maccabee Task Force Foundation, Birthright Israel Foundation, and the Jewish Agency for Israel N American Council, showing a pattern of sustained support rather than one-off awards. The foundation’s giving also reaches Israeli universities and medical institutions, alongside U.S.-based groups working on Jewish identity, anti-Semitism awareness, public diplomacy, and community building. Recent grants show a strong preference for general charitable purposes, with several awards at levels that can support broad organizational operations. The Adelson Educational Institute received major support in both 2023 and 2025, while Hashomer Hachadash also appears more than once, indicating ongoing relationships with certain grantees. The foundation’s portfolio includes both U.S. charities and Israeli recipients, and the grant list suggests a consistent emphasis on institutions tied to Israel engagement, Jewish education, and communal resilience. Its largest recent award went to Maccabee Task Force Foundation, underscoring the scale at which the foundation operates within its chosen areas.
In Israel engagement and public diplomacy, the foundation backed Birthright Israel Foundation with $9,000,000 in 2025 and the Jewish Agency for Israel N American Council with $5,500,000 in 2025. It also funded the Israeli American Council with $5,000,000 in 2025, reinforcing a repeated commitment to organizations that connect American and Israeli Jewish communities. In Jewish identity and education, the Adelson Family Foundation gave $4,900,000 in 2025 to the Adelson Educational Institute and $4,000,000 in 2025 to Hashomer Hachadash. Its recent record also includes $3,000,000 to The Tikvah Fund, alongside gifts to Jewish federation and community organizations. The foundation also supports health-related Jewish communal infrastructure. Friends of Sourasky Tel Aviv Medical Center received $5,666,667 in 2025, and Friends of United Hatzalah received $1,796,000 in 2025, placing medical and emergency-response institutions within the foundation’s broader charitable portfolio.
Grant sizes are wide-ranging but skew large: p25 is $19,500, median is $100,000, and p75 is $525,000. The recent record includes several million-dollar and multi-million-dollar gifts, alongside a smaller layer of six-figure awards. The pattern is not purely episodic; several recipients reappear across multiple years, including Birthright Israel Foundation, the Jewish Agency for Israel N American Council, Israeli American Council, Hashomer Hachadash, and the Adelson Educational Institute. The foundation makes grants through general grantmaking rather than a public application-driven program, and the available program descriptions indicate unsolicited applications are not accepted.
$66.9M
$21M
$88M
$67.7M
Most grants fall between $20K and $525K, with a median of $100K.
25th Percentile
$20K
Median
$100K
75th Percentile
$525K
About 13% of grants go to recipients in NY.
Top 2 recipient countries by grant volume for Adelson Family Foundation.
| Rank | Country | Grants | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United StatesDomestic | 94 | $103.6M | 94.0% |
| 2 | Israel | 6 | $11.9M |
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Highly concentrated giving: a small number of very large, often repeat grants focused on a narrow set of organizations; mostly unrestricted/general purpose support aimed at scaling partner impact in Israel and U.S. Jewish communities.
Notable grantees: Birthright Israel Foundation, Maccabee Task Force Foundation, American Friends of Ariel University, Jewish Agency for Israel (North American Council), Israeli American Council
The foundation gives nationally, with 94% of grants going to U.S. recipients and 6% to Israel. New York is the top state by grant count, and several recipient cities appear repeatedly, including New York, Brooklyn, Las Vegas, Woodland Hills, and Boston. Israeli recipients in the recent record include Upper Nazareth and Ariel. The foundation’s HQ is in Needham, Massachusetts, but only 12% of grants go to recipients in Massachusetts.
Its recent grants center on Israel engagement, Jewish identity and education, anti-Semitism and Holocaust awareness, and related social services and health work. Named recipients include Birthright Israel Foundation, the Jewish Agency for Israel N American Council, the Israeli American Council, and Friends of Sourasky Tel Aviv Medical Center.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including Birthright Israel Foundation in 2023 and 2025, the Jewish Agency for Israel N American Council in 2023 and 2025, the Israeli American Council in 2023 and 2025, and Hashomer Hachadash in 2023 and 2025.
The grant-size distribution is broad: p25 is $19,500, median is $100,000, and p75 is $525,000. The recent list also includes several awards in the millions, showing that the foundation often makes large general-support grants.
The available program descriptions say unsolicited applications are not accepted. The foundation’s grantmaking is handled through general grantmaking and through the Adelson Medical Research Foundation’s investigator-driven model for medical research.
New York is the top state by grant count. The recipient list also shows repeated giving in Las Vegas, New York City, Brooklyn, Boston, Woodland Hills, and Israeli locations such as Ariel and Upper Nazareth.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AMERICAN FRIENDS OF ARIEL UNIVERSITY | BROOKLYN, NY | $10,850,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| BIRTHRIGHT ISRAEL FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $9,000,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| FRIENDS OF SOURASKY TEL AVIV MEDICAL CENTER | NEW YORK, NY | $5,666,667 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| MACCABEE TASK FORCE FOUNDATION | LAS VEGAS, NV | $5,601,557 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| JEWISH AGENCY FOR ISRAEL N AMERICAN COUNCIL | NEW YORK, NY | $5,500,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| ISRAELI AMERICAN COUNCIL | WOODLAND HILLS, CA | $5,000,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| ADELSON EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE | LAS VEGAS, NV | $4,900,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| HASHOMER HACHADASH | UPPER NAZARETH | $4,000,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| PEF ISRAEL ENDOWMENT FUNDS INC | NEW YORK, NY | $3,830,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| THE TIKVAH FUND | NEW YORK, NY | $3,000,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| FRIENDS OF UNITED HATZALAH | NEW YORK, NY | $1,796,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| INTERNATIONAL FELLOWSHIP OF CHRISTIANS AND JEWS | CHICAGO, IL | $1,000,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| GIFT OF LIFE BONE MARROW FOUNDATION | BOCA RATON, FL | $1,000,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| FRIENDS OF IR DAVID | NEW YORK, NY | $1,000,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| COMBINED JEWISH PHILANTHROPIES | BOSTON, MA | $1,000,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| CHRISTIANS UNITED FOR ISRAEL | SAN ANTONIO, TX | $500,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| JEWISH FEDERATION OF LAS VEGAS | LAS VEGAS, NV | $500,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| FRIENDS OF ZION | LAS VEGAS, NV | $257,500 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| VANGUARD CHARITABLE ENDOWMENT PROGRAM | WARWICK, RI | $255,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| ZIONIST ORGANIZATION OF AMERICA | NEW YORK, NY | $250,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| THIS WORLD JEWISH VALUES NETWORK | ENGLEWOOD, CA | $250,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| STUDENTS SUPPORTING ISRAEL | PLYMOUTH, MN | $150,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| ALS ASSOCIATION | ARLINGTON, VA | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| MIDDLE EAST MEDIA RESEARCH INSTITUTE | WASHINGTON, DC | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| THE JERUSALEM FOUNDATION - USA | NEW YORK, NY | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| THE ROCKEFELLER UNIVERSITY | NEW YORK, NY | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| WORLD JEWISH CONGRESS (AMERICAN SECTION) | NEW YORK, NY | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| ISRAAID | BEVERLY HILLS, CA | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| LAS VEGAS PHILHARMONIC | LAS VEGAS, NV | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| LETTER OF THE LAW | BROOKLYN, NY | $100,000 | 2025 | GEBERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| GATEWAYS ACCESS TO JEWISH EDUCATION | NEWTON, MA | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| FRIENDS OF NAHAL HAREDI | TEANECK, NJ | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| JEWISH FEDERATION OF GREATER WASHINGTON | NORTH BETHESDA, MA | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| KADIMA HEBREW ACADEMNY | LOS ANGELES, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| JEWISH NEWS SERVICE | NEWTON CENTER, MA | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| CHELSEA JEWISH NURSING HOME | CHELSEA, MA | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| JEWISH INSTITUTE FOR NATIONAL SECURITY OF AMERICA | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| AMERICAN FRIENDS OF LIBI | BRIGHTON, MA | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| CITYARTS | NEW YORK, NY | $45,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| CHABAD OF THE UNIVERSITY OF LAS VEGAS | LAS VEGAS, NV | $40,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| ADELSON CAMPUS FOR JEWISH LIFE | LAS VEGAS, NV | $40,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| STOP STIGMA NOW | LARCHMONT, NY | $30,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| ALEH INC | NEW YORK, NY | $26,595 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| AMERICAN FRIENDS OF JORDAN RIVER VILLAGE | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| LUBAVITCH FOUNDATION OF LEXINGTON | LEXINGTON, MA | $18,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| ISRAFEST FOUNDATION | BEVERLY HILLS, CA | $18,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| FRIENDSHIP CIRCLE OF LV | LAS VEGAS, NV | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| AMERICAN FRIENDS OF LUBAVITCH | WASHINGTON, DC | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| JEWISH NATIONAL FUND | NEW HAVEN, NY | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
AMERICAN FRIENDS OF ARIEL UNIVERSITY
$10,850,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
BIRTHRIGHT ISRAEL FOUNDATION
$9,000,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
FRIENDS OF SOURASKY TEL AVIV MEDICAL CENTER
$5,666,667GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
MACCABEE TASK FORCE FOUNDATION
$5,601,557GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
JEWISH AGENCY FOR ISRAEL N AMERICAN COUNCIL
$5,500,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
ISRAELI AMERICAN COUNCIL
$5,000,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
ADELSON EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE
$4,900,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
HASHOMER HACHADASH
$4,000,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
PEF ISRAEL ENDOWMENT FUNDS INC
$3,830,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
THE TIKVAH FUND
$3,000,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
FRIENDS OF UNITED HATZALAH
$1,796,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
INTERNATIONAL FELLOWSHIP OF CHRISTIANS AND JEWS
$1,000,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
GIFT OF LIFE BONE MARROW FOUNDATION
$1,000,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
FRIENDS OF IR DAVID
$1,000,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
COMBINED JEWISH PHILANTHROPIES
$1,000,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
CHRISTIANS UNITED FOR ISRAEL
$500,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
JEWISH FEDERATION OF LAS VEGAS
$500,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
FRIENDS OF ZION
$257,500GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
VANGUARD CHARITABLE ENDOWMENT PROGRAM
$255,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
ZIONIST ORGANIZATION OF AMERICA
$250,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
THIS WORLD JEWISH VALUES NETWORK
$250,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
STUDENTS SUPPORTING ISRAEL
$150,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
ALS ASSOCIATION
$100,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
MIDDLE EAST MEDIA RESEARCH INSTITUTE
$100,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
THE JERUSALEM FOUNDATION - USA
$100,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
THE ROCKEFELLER UNIVERSITY
$100,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
WORLD JEWISH CONGRESS (AMERICAN SECTION)
$100,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
ISRAAID
$100,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
LAS VEGAS PHILHARMONIC
$100,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
LETTER OF THE LAW
$100,000GEBERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
GATEWAYS ACCESS TO JEWISH EDUCATION
$50,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
FRIENDS OF NAHAL HAREDI
$50,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
JEWISH FEDERATION OF GREATER WASHINGTON
$50,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
KADIMA HEBREW ACADEMNY
$50,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
JEWISH NEWS SERVICE
$50,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
CHELSEA JEWISH NURSING HOME
$50,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
JEWISH INSTITUTE FOR NATIONAL SECURITY OF AMERICA
$50,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
AMERICAN FRIENDS OF LIBI
$50,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
CITYARTS
$45,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
CHABAD OF THE UNIVERSITY OF LAS VEGAS
$40,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
ADELSON CAMPUS FOR JEWISH LIFE
$40,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
STOP STIGMA NOW
$30,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
ALEH INC
$26,595GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
AMERICAN FRIENDS OF JORDAN RIVER VILLAGE
$25,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
$20,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
LUBAVITCH FOUNDATION OF LEXINGTON
$18,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
ISRAFEST FOUNDATION
$18,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
FRIENDSHIP CIRCLE OF LV
$15,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
AMERICAN FRIENDS OF LUBAVITCH
$15,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
JEWISH NATIONAL FUND
$15,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES