The David and Etta Jonas Family Foundation concentrates its giving on large institutional gifts that split between medical/higher education in the Chicago area and Jewish/Israel advocacy and community support. A handful of sizable grants account for most of the budget, with repeat, multi-year or multi-payment commitments to hospital systems, universities, and pro-Israel organizations. The foundation appears to prioritize impact at scale — funding flagship medical and academic institutions while also backing campus advocacy, veterans/defense support, and Israeli NGOs.
Concentrated, high-dollar grants to a small set of repeat institutional grantees; funding split between local Chicago institutions and Israeli/Jewish organizations, with multiple multi-grant relationships rather than many small gifts.
A defining feature of the David and Etta Jonas Family Foundation is its repeated seven-figure support for major Chicago medical institutions, including three consecutive annual grants of $1,025,000 to The University of Chicago Medicine in 2024 and 2025, and to University of Illinois Chicago in 2023. That pattern points to a funder that uses large unrestricted gifts to back established organizations rather than spreading support across many small awards. The foundation’s recent giving also shows a sustained commitment to Jewish and Israel-related organizations, with multiyear support for groups such as StandWithUs and Friends of Elnet, alongside gifts to Jewish communal institutions and schools in Illinois. Several grants are structured as unrestricted support, suggesting a preference for flexible funding at the recipient level. Its portfolio bridges health care, higher education, campus advocacy, and community infrastructure, with repeat awards appearing across multiple years to the same institutions and intermediaries. The overall pattern is concentrated and relationship-driven, with a small number of recipients accounting for a large share of recent grant dollars.
In health care and higher education, the foundation gave $1,025,000 to The University of Chicago Medicine in 2025 and another $1,025,000 in 2024, both unrestricted. It also supported University of Illinois Chicago with a $1,025,000 unrestricted grant in 2023. These awards place major academic medical institutions at the center of its giving. In Jewish communal support, the foundation backed Jewish United Fund with $200,000 in 2024 and $150,000 in 2025, both unrestricted. It also gave $122,200 to Solomon Schecter Day School in 2025 and $107,200 in 2024, reflecting continued support for Jewish education. For Israel advocacy and related institutions, the foundation made recurring unrestricted grants to StandWithUs, Friends of Elnet, Friends of the IDF, and Friends of Tel-Aviv Sourasky. The repeated awards to these organizations show a consistent emphasis on advocacy, networking, and institutional support.
Typical grant size sits at $25,000 at the 25th percentile, $107,200 at the median, and $265,000 at the 75th percentile, which indicates a spread from mid-sized awards to large institutional grants. The recent record also shows repeat giving across multiple years, especially to the same hospitals, advocacy groups, and schools. Most awards are unrestricted, including grants labeled Unrestricted and UNRESTRICTED. The foundation is a family foundation, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments.
$2.4M
$54.2M
$6.8M
$2.5M
Most grants fall between $25K and $265K, with a median of $107K.
25th Percentile
$25K
Median
$107K
75th Percentile
$265K
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Notable grantees: The University of Chicago Medicine, University of Illinois Chicago, StandWithUs, Friends of the IDF, Jewish United Fund
Grantmaking is strongly concentrated in Illinois, with 65% of grants going to recipients in the foundation’s HQ state. Chicago appears repeatedly through hospital, university, and Jewish communal grants, while Deerfield and Northbrook also recur. Outside Illinois, the most frequent recipient locations include Los Angeles, New York, Edison, Washington, DC, Buffalo Grove, Northfield, Bala Cynwyd, and Conover. All recent grants in the provided list went to US recipients.
It supports large institutional grantees in health care and higher education, along with Jewish communal, education, and Israel-related organizations. The recent record includes major hospitals and universities in Chicago, plus support for advocacy groups, schools, and community institutions.
The grant-size distribution is $25,000 at the 25th percentile, $107,200 at the median, and $265,000 at the 75th percentile. The recent list also includes several seven-figure grants, led by $1,025,000 awards to Chicago medical and university institutions.
Yes. The recent grants show multiple-year support for several recipients, including The University of Chicago Medicine in 2024 and 2025, StandWithUs in 2024 and 2025, Friends of Elnet from 2023 through 2025, and Jewish United Fund in 2024 and 2025.
The awards are largely unrestricted. The recent grants list uses Unrestricted or UNRESTRICTED for the reported gifts, including support to hospitals, universities, Jewish communal organizations, and advocacy groups.
Illinois receives the majority of the grants, with 65% going to recipients in that state. Chicago is especially prominent, and other Illinois recipient cities include Deerfield, Northbrook, Buffalo Grove, and Northfield.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The University of Chicago Medicine | Chicago, IL | $1,025,000 | 2025 | Unrestricted |
| StandWithUs | Los Angeles, CA | $265,000 | 2025 | Unrestricted |
| Friends of the IDF | New York, NY | $205,000 | 2025 | Unrestricted |
| Friends of Tel-Aviv Sourasky | Edison, NJ | $200,000 | 2025 | Unrestricted |
| Friends of Elnet | Northbrook, IL | $170,000 | 2025 | Unrestricted |
| Jewish United Fund | Chicago, IL | $150,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| Solomon Schecter Day School | Northbrook, IL | $122,200 | 2025 | Unrestricted |
| The Birthtright Israel Foundation | New York, NY | $100,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| American Israel Education Foundation | WASHINGTON DC, DC | $100,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| Moriah Congregation | Deerfield, IL | $30,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| Camp Ramah | Conover, WI | $18,000 | 2025 | Unrestricted |
| Stand Strong | Buffalo Grove, IL | $15,000 | 2025 | Unrestricted |
| Rochelle Zell Jewish High School | Deerfield, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| The Cove School | Northbrook, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | Unrestricted |
| Jack Miller Center | Bala Cynwyd, PA | $10,000 | 2025 | Unrestricted |
| Beber Camp | Mukwonago, WI | $5,000 | 2025 | Unrestricted |
| Northwestern Hillel | Evanston, IL | $3,600 | 2025 | Unrestricted |
| Israel Tennis & Education | New York, NY | $1,000 | 2025 | Unrestricted |
| The University of Chicago Medicine | Chicago, IL | $1,025,000 | 2024 | Unrestricted |
| StandWithUs | Los Angeles, CA | $265,000 | 2024 | Unrestricted |
| Jewish United Fund | Chicago, IL | $200,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| Friends of Elnet | Northbrook, IL | $185,000 | 2024 | Unrestricted |
| Solomon Schecter Day School | Northbrook, IL | $107,200 | 2024 | Unrestricted |
| The Birthright Israel Foundation | New York, NY | $100,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| American Israel Education Foundation | WASHINGTON DC, DC | $100,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| Moriah Congregation | Deerfield, IL | $25,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| Friends of the IDF | New York, NY | $15,759 | 2024 | Unrestricted |
| Rochelle Zell Jewish High School | Deerfield, IL | $10,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| Israel ParaSport Center | Northfield, IL | $10,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| University of Illinois Chicago | Chicago, IL | $1,025,000 | 2023 | Unrestricted |
| Friends of the IDF | New York, NY | $300,000 | 2023 | Unrestricted |
| StandWithUs | Los Angeles, CA | $265,000 | 2023 | Unrestricted |
| Friends of Elnet | Northbrook, IL | $160,000 | 2023 | Unrestricted |
| Solomon Schecter Day School | Northbrook, IL | $55,400 | 2023 | Unrestricted |
| Moriah Congregation | Deerfield, IL | $25,000 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED |
The University of Chicago Medicine
$1,025,000Unrestricted
Friends of the IDF
$205,000Unrestricted
Friends of Tel-Aviv Sourasky
$200,000Unrestricted
UNRESTRICTED
Solomon Schecter Day School
$122,200Unrestricted
The Birthtright Israel Foundation
$100,000UNRESTRICTED
American Israel Education Foundation
$100,000UNRESTRICTED
Moriah Congregation
$30,000UNRESTRICTED
Camp Ramah
$18,000Unrestricted
Stand Strong
$15,000Unrestricted
Jack Miller Center
$10,000Unrestricted
Northwestern Hillel
$3,600Unrestricted
Israel Tennis & Education
$1,000Unrestricted
The University of Chicago Medicine
$1,025,000Unrestricted
Solomon Schecter Day School
$107,200Unrestricted
American Israel Education Foundation
$100,000UNRESTRICTED
Moriah Congregation
$25,000UNRESTRICTED
Friends of the IDF
$15,759Unrestricted
Israel ParaSport Center
$10,000UNRESTRICTED
University of Illinois Chicago
$1,025,000Unrestricted
Solomon Schecter Day School
$55,400Unrestricted
Moriah Congregation
$25,000UNRESTRICTED