The Bernard and Sylvia Witt Foundation concentrates its support on Jewish communal and Israel-related organizations (synagogues, federations, day schools, emergency medical/relief groups) while also funding local Columbus institutions — notably hospitals and performing arts — and children's health charities. Grants are predominantly operational support, indicating a preference for core/general operating funding to sustain grantee programs and infrastructure. The foundation mixes a few large gifts to national Jewish/Israel causes with smaller, local awards in Columbus, GA.
Bernard and Sylvia Witt Foundation Inc shows a clear preference for operational support, with grants that sustain Jewish communal institutions, Israel-related relief organizations, and Columbus, Georgia nonprofits. The largest recent award in the record is $140,000 to Afmda for operational support, pointing to a willingness to make sizable gifts for core needs when the mission fits the foundation’s priorities. That same pattern appears in other major awards, including $85,000 to AFLAC Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and $72,000 to Friends of United Hatzalah, both also designated for operational support. The foundation’s giving is not limited to one community or one geography. In Columbus, it has backed Shearith Israel Synagogue, Piedmont Columbus Regional Hospital, and local arts groups. In Atlanta and New York, it has supported Jewish federations, family services, and emergency medical or advocacy organizations. Across the grants list, the recurring thread is general operating support rather than restricted project funding, suggesting an emphasis on organizational stability and day-to-day capacity.
Jewish communal life is a central theme in the foundation’s portfolio. It gave $56,000 to Shearith Israel Synagogue in Columbus for operational support, and it also backed Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta with $50,000. Related awards include $30,000 to Jewish Family and Career Services and $18,600 to Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, both for operational support. Israel-related emergency and relief work is another visible area. The foundation awarded $72,000 to Friends of United Hatzalah and $140,000 to Afmda, each for operational support. It also made a $2,000 grant to United Hatzaha of Israel. Local health and community institutions in Columbus appear alongside those Jewish-focused grants. Examples include $50,000 to Piedmont Columbus Regional Hospital, $8,000 to Children's Miracle Network Hospital, and $2,000 to Wynnton Neighborhood Network.
Grant sizes cluster at the low end, with a p25 of $1,000, a median of $1,000, and a p75 of $8,000. The recent record mixes many small awards with a handful of much larger operational grants, including six-figure support. The pattern also shows repeated giving to the same organizations across years, such as Shearith Israel Synagogue and Shearith Israel Synagogue Trust Fun. The foundation is a grantmaking foundation rather than a DAF, does not fund individuals, and does not make program-related investments.
$708K
$0
$68
$16K
Most grants fall between $1K and $8K, with a median of $1K.
25th Percentile
$1K
Median
$1K
75th Percentile
$8K
About 64% of grants go to recipients in GA.
Top 3 recipient countries by grant volume for Bernard and Sylvia Witt Foundation.
| Rank | Country | Grants | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United StatesDomestic | 59 | $705K | 96.7% |
| 2 | Switzerland | 1 | $2K |
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A mix of concentrated, relatively large grants to a small set of national Jewish/Israel-focused organizations plus a spread of smaller, local grants; most awards are unrestricted/operational support and there are several repeat or multi-year-seeming relationships.
Notable grantees: AFMDA (American Friends of Magen David Adom), Friends of United Hatzalah / United Hatzalah, Shearith Israel Synagogue, Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta, Piedmont Columbus Regional Hospital
Most grants land in Georgia, and 64% of the foundation’s grants go to recipients in its HQ state. Atlanta and Columbus anchor the state-level pattern: Atlanta recipients include AFLAC Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta, and Jewish Family and Career Services, while Columbus recipients include Shearith Israel Synagogue, Piedmont Columbus Regional Hospital, and River Center For The Performing Art. Outside the US, the recipient country distribution includes one grant to Israel and one to Switzerland.
The foundation supports Jewish congregations and community institutions, Israel-related emergency medical and relief organizations, and Columbus-area hospitals and arts or neighborhood nonprofits. Recent grants include operational support to synagogues, Jewish federations, pediatric healthcare groups, and local community organizations.
The recent grants list is overwhelmingly labeled operational support. That includes the largest awards in the record, such as $140,000 to Afmda and $85,000 to AFLAC Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, as well as smaller recurring awards across Jewish and local Columbus organizations.
Typical awards are small: the p25 is $1,000, the median is $1,000, and the p75 is $8,000. Even with that distribution, the foundation also makes occasional larger gifts, including six-figure support for mission-aligned organizations.
Yes. Georgia is the top state by grant count, and 64% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state. Atlanta and Columbus receive many of those awards, with additional grants going to organizations in New York and other locations.
Yes. Shearith Israel Synagogue appears in multiple years, with grants in 2023 and 2024, and Shearith Israel Synagogue Trust Fun appears in 2023 and 2025. That pattern suggests recurring support for some grantees rather than one-time funding only.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
1.6% |
| 3 | Israel | 1 | $500 | 1.6% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shearith Israel Synagogue Trust Fun | Columbus, GA | $3,499 | 2025 | Operational Support |
| JGIVE-FRIEND of ASOR | Seattle, WA | $2,000 | 2025 | Operational Support |
| United Hatzaha of Israel | Jerusalem | $2,000 | 2025 | Operational Support |
| Marcus Jewish Community Center of A | Atlanta, GA | $1,000 | 2025 | Operational Support |
| Jewish Family and Career Services | Atlanta, GA | $750 | 2025 | Operational Support |
| Marine Toys For Tots Foundation | Triangle, VA | $250 | 2025 | Operational Support |
| Shearith Israel Synagogue | Columbus, GA | $150 | 2025 | Operational Support |
| AFLAC Children's Healthcare of Atla | Atlanta, GA | $85,000 | 2024 | Operational Support |
| Friends of United Hatzalah | New York, NY | $72,000 | 2024 | Operational Support |
| Shearith Israel Synagogue | Columbus, GA | $56,000 | 2024 | Operational Support |
| Piedmont Columbus Regional Hospital | Columbus, GA | $50,000 | 2024 | Operational Support |
| Marcus Jewish Community Center of A | Atlanta, GA | $50,000 | 2024 | Operational Support |
| Jewish Home Life | Atlanta, GA | $35,000 | 2024 | Operational Support |
| Jewish Family and Career Services | Atlanta, GA | $30,000 | 2024 | Operational Support |
| Camp Judaea Scholarship Fund | Atlanta, GA | $28,000 | 2024 | Operational Support |
| Emory University Giving | Atlanta, GA | $20,000 | 2024 | Operational Support |
| Jewish Federation of Greater Atlant | Atlanta, GA | $18,600 | 2024 | Operational Support |
| Anti Defamation Leauge | New York, NY | $11,022 | 2024 | Operational Support |
| Masorti Foundation | New York, NY | $10,000 | 2024 | Operational Support |
| St Jude Childrens Research Hospital | Memphis, TN | $8,000 | 2024 | Operational Support |
| Children's Miracle Network Hospital | Columbus, GA | $8,000 | 2024 | Operational Support |
| Make A Wish Georgia | Atlanta, GA | $8,000 | 2024 | Operational Support |
| Jewish Federation of Columbus GA | Columbus, GA | $7,000 | 2024 | Operational Support |
| River Center For The Performing Art | Columbus, GA | $5,000 | 2024 | Operational Support |
| Springer Opera House | Columbus, GA | $5,000 | 2024 | Operational Support |
| Hadassah | New York, NY | $1,956 | 2024 | Operational Support |
| Marine Toys For Tots Foundation | Triangle, VA | $1,000 | 2024 | Operational Support |
| Walhalla Performing Arts Center | Walhalla, SC | $400 | 2024 | Operational Support |
| AFMDA | New York, NY | $140,000 | 2023 | Operational Support |
| Shearith Israel Synagogue Trust Fun | Columbus, GA | $17,000 | 2023 | Operational Support |
| Yad Eliezer Inc | Brooklyn, NY | $2,000 | 2023 | Operational Support |
| Int'l Committee of Red Cross | Geneva | $2,000 | 2023 | Operational Support |
| Wynnton Neighborhood Network | Columbus, GA | $2,000 | 2023 | Operational Support |
| Emory Giving | Atlanta, GA | $2,000 | 2023 | Operational Support |
| Toys For Tots | Triangle, VA | $1,000 | 2023 | Operational Support |
| Children's Miracle Network Hospital | Columbus, GA | $1,000 | 2023 | Operational Support |
| Anti Defamation Leauge | New York, NY | $1,000 | 2023 | Operational Support |
| Hadassah | New York, NY | $1,000 | 2023 | Operational Support |
| Don Blue Card Inc | New York, NY | $1,000 | 2023 | Operational Support |
| River Center For The Performing Art | Columbus, GA | $1,000 | 2023 | Operational Support |
| Dekalb Rape Crises Center | Decatur, GA | $1,000 | 2023 | Operational Support |
| Leukemia and Lymphoma Society | Atlanta, GA | $1,000 | 2023 | Operational Support |
| The William Breman Jewish Home | Atlanta, GA | $1,000 | 2023 | Operational Support |
| Jewish Family and Career Services | Atlanta, GA | $1,000 | 2023 | Operational Support |
| Make A Wish Georgia | Atlanta, GA | $1,000 | 2023 | Operational Support |
| St Jude Childrens Research Hospital | Memphis, TN | $1,000 | 2023 | Operational Support |
| Springer Opera House | Columbus, GA | $1,000 | 2023 | Operational Support |
| JDRF International | New York, NY | $1,000 | 2023 | Operational Support |
| American Cancer Society | Columbus, GA | $1,000 | 2023 | Operational Support |
| Rebacca's Tent - Shearith Israel of | Atlanta, GA | $1,000 | 2023 | Operational Support |
Shearith Israel Synagogue Trust Fun
$3,499Operational Support
JGIVE-FRIEND of ASOR
$2,000Operational Support
United Hatzaha of Israel
$2,000Operational Support
Marcus Jewish Community Center of A
$1,000Operational Support
Jewish Family and Career Services
$750Operational Support
Marine Toys For Tots Foundation
$250Operational Support
Shearith Israel Synagogue
$150Operational Support
AFLAC Children's Healthcare of Atla
$85,000Operational Support
Friends of United Hatzalah
$72,000Operational Support
Shearith Israel Synagogue
$56,000Operational Support
Piedmont Columbus Regional Hospital
$50,000Operational Support
Marcus Jewish Community Center of A
$50,000Operational Support
Jewish Home Life
$35,000Operational Support
Jewish Family and Career Services
$30,000Operational Support
Camp Judaea Scholarship Fund
$28,000Operational Support
Emory University Giving
$20,000Operational Support
Jewish Federation of Greater Atlant
$18,600Operational Support
Anti Defamation Leauge
$11,022Operational Support
Masorti Foundation
$10,000Operational Support
St Jude Childrens Research Hospital
$8,000Operational Support
Children's Miracle Network Hospital
$8,000Operational Support
Make A Wish Georgia
$8,000Operational Support
Jewish Federation of Columbus GA
$7,000Operational Support
River Center For The Performing Art
$5,000Operational Support
Springer Opera House
$5,000Operational Support
Hadassah
$1,956Operational Support
Marine Toys For Tots Foundation
$1,000Operational Support
Walhalla Performing Arts Center
$400Operational Support
AFMDA
$140,000Operational Support
Shearith Israel Synagogue Trust Fun
$17,000Operational Support
Yad Eliezer Inc
$2,000Operational Support
Int'l Committee of Red Cross
$2,000Operational Support
Wynnton Neighborhood Network
$2,000Operational Support
Emory Giving
$2,000Operational Support
Toys For Tots
$1,000Operational Support
Children's Miracle Network Hospital
$1,000Operational Support
Anti Defamation Leauge
$1,000Operational Support
Hadassah
$1,000Operational Support
Don Blue Card Inc
$1,000Operational Support
River Center For The Performing Art
$1,000Operational Support
Dekalb Rape Crises Center
$1,000Operational Support
Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
$1,000Operational Support
The William Breman Jewish Home
$1,000Operational Support
Jewish Family and Career Services
$1,000Operational Support
Make A Wish Georgia
$1,000Operational Support
St Jude Childrens Research Hospital
$1,000Operational Support
Springer Opera House
$1,000Operational Support
JDRF International
$1,000Operational Support
American Cancer Society
$1,000Operational Support
Rebacca's Tent - Shearith Israel of
$1,000Operational Support