The Helen and Jacob Shaham Charitable Foundation concentrates its philanthropy on large, institutional health-care gifts, supporting major hospitals and medical centers rather than many small community groups. Recent grants demonstrate a focus on pediatric access in Miami and sustaining a prominent academic medical center in New York, with multi-million-dollar donations to a small set of hospital partners. The foundation gives few, high-value awards and appears comfortable making repeat gifts to core medical institutions.
Helen and Jacob Shaham Charitable Foundation Inc’s largest recent gift was a $2,000,000 award to Nicklaus Childrens Health Care Foundation Inc to provide families access to world-class pediatric healthcare. That single grant captures the foundation’s pattern: it concentrates on a small set of high-value awards, mostly to health-care institutions and related community organizations. The recent record also shows repeated support for NYU Langone Health, with two $1,000,000 grants in consecutive years to support the New York University Medical Center. Beyond medicine, the foundation has funded Jewish and Israeli-American community organizations, including Friends of Israel Defense Forces and the Israeli American Council, alongside smaller grants to faith and parish groups in South Florida. The mix suggests a donor that favors direct institutional support, often at substantial scale, with a strong preference for organizations serving children, patients, students, and community members through established programs and infrastructure.
Health care is the clearest through line in the foundation’s giving. In 2025, it gave $2,000,000 to Nicklaus Childrens Health Care Foundation Inc for families’ access to pediatric healthcare, and it supported NYU Langone Health in both 2024 and 2025 with $1,000,000 grants for the New York University Medical Center. The foundation also backs community identity and support organizations. It awarded $200,000 in 2025 to Friends of Israel Defense Forces for educational, financial, well-being, and cultural initiatives for young men and women of IDF, following a $105,000 grant in 2024 for the same purpose. Another $100,000 in 2025 went to the Israeli American Council to build an engaged and united Israeli-American community.
Grant size is highly skewed toward large institutional awards: the typical grant size is $5,000 at the 25th percentile, $100,000 at the median, and $600,000 at the 75th percentile. The recent record shows both repeat funding and one-off gifts. NYU Langone Health received $1,000,000 in 2024 and again in 2025, and Friends of Israel Defense Forces received grants in both years as well. The foundation is a private grantmaker that does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments. Its giving is regional, with a relatively small number of grants rather than broad-volume distribution.
$0
$2K
$40
$2K
Most grants fall between $5K and $600K, with a median of $100K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$100K
75th Percentile
$600K
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Highly concentrated giving: very large, multi-million-dollar grants to a small number of institutional healthcare recipients, including repeat support to the same grantee (NYU Langone).
Notable grantees: Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation Inc, NYU Langone Health
Giving is concentrated in Florida, which receives 46% of grants and is the foundation’s top state by grant count. Miami appears in the recent grants alongside Coral Gables and Fort Lauderdale, while North Palm Beach also received the largest award. Outside Florida, New York is another key recipient state, with grants to New York, NY. The recipient country distribution is entirely U.S.-based.
The foundation’s recent grants are centered on health-care institutions and community organizations. Its largest awards went to Nicklaus Childrens Health Care Foundation Inc and NYU Langone Health, while smaller grants supported Jewish, Israeli-American, parish, and public-safety organizations in Florida and elsewhere in the United States.
Yes. NYU Langone Health received $1,000,000 in both 2024 and 2025, and Friends of Israel Defense Forces received grants in both years as well, at $105,000 in 2024 and $200,000 in 2025.
The grant-size distribution is weighted toward larger awards, with p25 at $5,000, median at $100,000, and p75 at $600,000. That pattern matches the recent record, which includes several six- and seven-figure gifts.
Florida is the top grant state, with 46% of grants going to recipients in FL. Recent Florida recipients include organizations in North Palm Beach, Miami, Coral Gables, Fort Lauderdale, and Pincecrest.
No. The foundation’s profile indicates that it does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NICKLAUS CHILDRENS HEALTH CARE FOUNDATION INC | NORTH PALM BEACH, FL | $2,000,000 | 2025 | TO PROVIDE FAMILIES ACCESS TO WORLD-CLASS PEDIATRIC HEALTHCARE. |
| NYU LANGONE HEALTH | NEW YORK, NY | $1,000,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT THE NEW YORK UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER. |
| FRIENDS OF ISRAEL DEFENSE FORCES | NEW YORK, NY | $200,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT AND TRANSFORM THE LIVES OF THE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN OF IDF THROUGH EMPOWERING EDUCATIONAL, FINANCIAL, WELL-BEING, AND CULTURAL INITIATIVES. |
| ISRAELI AMERICAN COUNCIL | WOODLAND HILLS, CA | $100,000 | 2025 | TO BUILD AN ENGAGED AND UNITED ISRAELI-AMERICAN COMMUNITY. |
| TEMPLE BETH AM | PINCECREST, FL | $1,800 | 2025 | TO FUND THE TEMPLE BETH AM SCHOOL AND PROGRAM IN SUPPORT OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY. |
| NYU LANGONE HEALTH | NEW YORK, NY | $1,000,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT THE NEW YORK UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER. |
| FRIENDS OF ISRAEL DEFENSE FORCES | NEW YORK, NY | $105,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT AND TRANSFORM THE LIVES OF THE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN OF IDF THROUGH EMPOWERING EDUCATIONAL, FINANCIAL, WELL-BEING, AND CULTURAL INITIATIVES. |
| UCI FOUNDATION | IRVINE, CA | $25,000 | 2024 | TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR VARIOUS UNIVERSITY SCHOOLS AND PROGRAMS, INCLUDING RESEARCH GRANTS, STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS, INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT, EQUIPMENT PURCHASES, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, AND EDUCATION. |
| SHERIFFS FOUNDATION OF BROWARD COUNTY | FORT LAUDERDALE, FL | $5,000 | 2024 | TO PROVIDE SUPPORT TO THE BROWARD COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE THROUGH ANTI-TERRORISM FUNDING, MEMORIAL FUNDS, VITAL TRAINING, AND COMMUNITY EDUCATION PROGRAMS. |
| CHABAD OF DOWNTOWN CORAL GABLES | CORAL GABLES, FL | $5,000 | 2023 | TO PROMOTE AND STRENGTHEN JEWISH AWARENESS, PRIDE AND IDENTITY BY PROVIDING EDUCATIONAL, CULTURAL AND SOCIAL ACTIVITIES AND SERVICES TO ALL JEWISH INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES REGARDLESS OF AFFILIATION OR BACKGROUND. |
| SAINT JOHN NEWMANN MEN'S CLUB | MIAMI, FL | $5,000 | 2023 | TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR SAINT JOHN NEWMANN MEN'S CLUB WITH THE GOAL OF PROMOTING FAITH DEVELOPMENT, CHARITABLE PROJECTS, AND SERVICE TO BUILD A BETTER PARISH COMMUNITY. |
TO PROVIDE FAMILIES ACCESS TO WORLD-CLASS PEDIATRIC HEALTHCARE.
NYU LANGONE HEALTH
$1,000,000TO SUPPORT THE NEW YORK UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER.
FRIENDS OF ISRAEL DEFENSE FORCES
$200,000TO SUPPORT AND TRANSFORM THE LIVES OF THE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN OF IDF THROUGH EMPOWERING EDUCATIONAL, FINANCIAL, WELL-BEING, AND CULTURAL INITIATIVES.
TO BUILD AN ENGAGED AND UNITED ISRAELI-AMERICAN COMMUNITY.
TEMPLE BETH AM
$1,800TO FUND THE TEMPLE BETH AM SCHOOL AND PROGRAM IN SUPPORT OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY.
NYU LANGONE HEALTH
$1,000,000TO SUPPORT THE NEW YORK UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER.
FRIENDS OF ISRAEL DEFENSE FORCES
$105,000TO SUPPORT AND TRANSFORM THE LIVES OF THE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN OF IDF THROUGH EMPOWERING EDUCATIONAL, FINANCIAL, WELL-BEING, AND CULTURAL INITIATIVES.
TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR VARIOUS UNIVERSITY SCHOOLS AND PROGRAMS, INCLUDING RESEARCH GRANTS, STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS, INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT, EQUIPMENT PURCHASES, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, AND EDUCATION.
SHERIFFS FOUNDATION OF BROWARD COUNTY
$5,000TO PROVIDE SUPPORT TO THE BROWARD COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE THROUGH ANTI-TERRORISM FUNDING, MEMORIAL FUNDS, VITAL TRAINING, AND COMMUNITY EDUCATION PROGRAMS.
CHABAD OF DOWNTOWN CORAL GABLES
$5,000TO PROMOTE AND STRENGTHEN JEWISH AWARENESS, PRIDE AND IDENTITY BY PROVIDING EDUCATIONAL, CULTURAL AND SOCIAL ACTIVITIES AND SERVICES TO ALL JEWISH INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES REGARDLESS OF AFFILIATION OR BACKGROUND.
SAINT JOHN NEWMANN MEN'S CLUB
$5,000TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR SAINT JOHN NEWMANN MEN'S CLUB WITH THE GOAL OF PROMOTING FAITH DEVELOPMENT, CHARITABLE PROJECTS, AND SERVICE TO BUILD A BETTER PARISH COMMUNITY.