The Jesselson Foundation concentrates its philanthropy on Israel-focused charitable infrastructure, directing all recorded giving to PEF Israel Endowment Funds. Its grants are unrestricted/ general charitable support intended to build or maintain endowment capacity for Israeli and Jewish communal needs. The foundation appears to prioritize long-term, institutional support rather than many small program-level awards.
Highly concentrated: very few, relatively large grants (two grants) exclusively to a single Israel-focused endowment/grantmaking organization, indicating repeat, sustained support for one core grantee.
The Jesselson Foundation’s recorded giving is centered on a small set of Israel- and Jewish-communal institutions, with PEF Israel Endowment Funds appearing as the largest recipient in the recent record. That pattern points to a funder that uses charitable dollars to support endowment capacity and general charitable needs rather than a wide array of program-specific awards. Across the file, the foundation’s grants stay close to that infrastructure-oriented approach, while also reaching Jewish history, education, synagogues, and cultural institutions. Recent awards include $100,000 to The Netherland American Fdtn, $86,300 to Cteen Upper West Side Inc, and $45,000 to Sar Academy. The record also includes recurring support for the Center for Jewish History, which received grants in both 2025 and 2026. Alongside those larger awards, the foundation makes a mix of mid-sized and smaller grants, suggesting a style that combines institutional support with selective local giving. Its grants are all general charitable in purpose, and the recipients in the recent file are all U.S.-based.
Jewish communal infrastructure is the clearest theme in the Jesselson Foundation’s record. It gave $35,000 to Nli USA Inc for general charitable support and $1,620 to National Library of Israel for the same purpose, both pointing to interest in Jewish heritage and institutional capacity. The foundation also supports community organizations tied to religious and civic life, including $5,000 to Manhattan Eruv Inc and $1,800 to Congregation Shearith Israel. Cultural and educational organizations appear as well: it awarded $15,000 to MoMA and $6,000 to Columbia University, each listed as general charitable gifts. Another example is $10,000 to American Friends of Shaare Zedek Hospital, showing that the portfolio includes health-related support within its broader charitable frame.
Typical grants cluster around a median of $5,000, with a lower quartile of $2,050 and an upper quartile of $20,000. The file also shows a few much larger awards, including six-figure and mid-five-figure grants, alongside many smaller gifts. Giving appears recurring rather than one-off in several cases: Pef Israel Endowment Fds received grants in 2024, 2025, and 2026, and the Center for Jewish History appears in both 2025 and 2026. The foundation is a private family foundation by legal form, and it does not fund individuals or program-related investments. No application process is shown in the data.
$1M
$6.5M
-$397K
$352K
Most grants fall between $2K and $20K, with a median of $5K.
25th Percentile
$2K
Median
$5K
75th Percentile
$20K
About 95% of grants go to recipients in NY.
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Notable grantees: PEF Israel Endowment Funds
Grant activity is highly concentrated in New York, which accounts for 95% of grants and is the top state by grant count. New York City recipients dominate the record, including organizations in New York, Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Riverdale. Outside New York, only a small number of grants appear, such as recipients in Key Biscayne, Florida and Westhampton Beach, New York. The recipient-country distribution is entirely U.S.-based in the recent grant file.
The record centers on Jewish communal institutions, Israel-related charitable infrastructure, and general charitable support for cultural, educational, and religious organizations. Recipients include Pef Israel Endowment Fds, the Center for Jewish History, Manhattan Eruv Inc, and MoMA.
The typical grant size is a median of $5,000, with a lower quartile of $2,050 and an upper quartile of $20,000. The recent file also includes larger awards such as $100,000 and $86,300.
Yes. Pef Israel Endowment Fds appears in 2024, 2025, and 2026, and the Center for Jewish History received grants in both 2025 and 2026. That suggests repeat support for select organizations.
Its giving is local and heavily concentrated in New York. The data shows 95% of grants going to recipients in NY, with New York City-area organizations making up most of the recent list.
The foundation makes general charitable grants and does not fund individuals or program-related investments. The recent record shows all grants categorized as general charitable support.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| THE NETHERLAND AMERICAN FDTN | NEW YORK, NY | $100,000 | 2026 | GENERAL CHARITABLE |
| CTEEN UPPER WEST SIDE INC | NEW YORK, NY | $86,300 | 2026 | GENERAL CHARITABLE |
| PEF ISRAEL ENDOWMENT FDS | NEW YORK, NY | $37,975 | 2026 | GENERAL CHARITABLE |
| CENTER FOR JEWISH HISTORY | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL CHARITABLE |
| CHABAD OF KEY BISCAYNE | KEY BISCAYNE, FL | $12,550 | 2026 | GENERAL CHARITABLE |
| AMERICN FRIENDS OF ISRAEL PHILHARMONIC | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL CHARITABLE |
| JEWISH COMMUNITY RELATIONS COUNCIL OF NY | NEW YORK, NY | $3,600 | 2026 | GENWERAL CHARITABLE |
| THE TIKVAH FUND | NEW YORK, NY | $2,000 | 2026 | GENERAL CHARITABLE |
| NATIONAL LIBRARY OF ISRAEL | NEW YORK, NY | $1,620 | 2026 | GENERAL CHARITABLE |
| PEF ISRAEL ENDOWMENT FDS | NEW YORK, NY | $453,450 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE |
| SAR ACADEMY | RIVERDALE, NY | $45,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE |
| CENTER FOR JEWISH HISTORY | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE |
| MOMA | NEW YORK, NY | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE |
| COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY | NEW YORK, NY | $6,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE |
| CENTER FOR JEWISH LIFE | NEW YORK, NY | $2,300 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE |
| CHABAD OF KEY BISCAYNE | KEY BISCAYNE, FL | $1,800 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE |
| PEF ISRAEL ENDOWMENT FDS | NEW YORK, NY | $130,350 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE |
| NLI USA INC | NEW YORK, NY | $35,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE |
| AMERICAN FRIENDS OF SHAARE ZEDEK HOSPITAL | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE |
| CONGREGATION BNAI ISRAEL | BKLYN, NY | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE |
| THE JERUSALEM FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE |
| MANHATTAN ERUV INC | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE |
| UJA FEDERATION | NEW YORK, NY | $3,600 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE |
| CONGREGATION SHEARITH ISRAEL | NEW YORK, NY | $1,800 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE |
| EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE OHOLEI TORAH | BROOKLYN, NY | $100 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE |
| BEACH MINYAN INC | WESTHAMPTON BEACH, NY | $5,000 | 2023 | GENERAL CHARITABLE |
| SALANTER AKIBA RIVERDALE ACADEMY | BRONX, NY | $360 | 2023 | GENERAL CHARITABLE |
| EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE OHOLEI TORAH | BROOKLYN, NY | $100 | 2023 | GENERAL CHARITABLE |
THE NETHERLAND AMERICAN FDTN
$100,000GENERAL CHARITABLE
CTEEN UPPER WEST SIDE INC
$86,300GENERAL CHARITABLE
PEF ISRAEL ENDOWMENT FDS
$37,975GENERAL CHARITABLE
CENTER FOR JEWISH HISTORY
$25,000GENERAL CHARITABLE
CHABAD OF KEY BISCAYNE
$12,550GENERAL CHARITABLE
AMERICN FRIENDS OF ISRAEL PHILHARMONIC
$5,000GENERAL CHARITABLE
JEWISH COMMUNITY RELATIONS COUNCIL OF NY
$3,600GENWERAL CHARITABLE
THE TIKVAH FUND
$2,000GENERAL CHARITABLE
NATIONAL LIBRARY OF ISRAEL
$1,620GENERAL CHARITABLE
PEF ISRAEL ENDOWMENT FDS
$453,450GENERAL CHARITABLE
SAR ACADEMY
$45,000GENERAL CHARITABLE
CENTER FOR JEWISH HISTORY
$25,000GENERAL CHARITABLE
MOMA
$15,000GENERAL CHARITABLE
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
$6,000GENERAL CHARITABLE
CENTER FOR JEWISH LIFE
$2,300GENERAL CHARITABLE
CHABAD OF KEY BISCAYNE
$1,800GENERAL CHARITABLE
PEF ISRAEL ENDOWMENT FDS
$130,350GENERAL CHARITABLE
NLI USA INC
$35,000GENERAL CHARITABLE
AMERICAN FRIENDS OF SHAARE ZEDEK HOSPITAL
$10,000GENERAL CHARITABLE
CONGREGATION BNAI ISRAEL
$5,000GENERAL CHARITABLE
THE JERUSALEM FOUNDATION
$5,000GENERAL CHARITABLE
MANHATTAN ERUV INC
$5,000GENERAL CHARITABLE
UJA FEDERATION
$3,600GENERAL CHARITABLE
CONGREGATION SHEARITH ISRAEL
$1,800GENERAL CHARITABLE
EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE OHOLEI TORAH
$100GENERAL CHARITABLE
BEACH MINYAN INC
$5,000GENERAL CHARITABLE
SALANTER AKIBA RIVERDALE ACADEMY
$360GENERAL CHARITABLE
EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE OHOLEI TORAH
$100GENERAL CHARITABLE