The Persimmon Foundation concentrates its giving on supporting academic and biomedical research—frequently channeling sizable awards to universities and research partnerships—while also making recurring gifts to Jewish communal and congregational organizations. Grants often target named professors, specific research projects (including Parkinson’s and genetics-related work), and a mix of domestic and international higher-education partners. The foundation blends large, research-oriented awards with smaller local faith-based support, suggesting dual priorities of advancing scientific scholarship and sustaining Jewish community institutions.
Persimmon Foundation’s largest recent awards go to academic research, including a $284,757 grant to the University of Pittsburgh to support Professor Emily Rocha and a $259,500 grant routed through Myriad USA for the University of Luxembourg. Those gifts point to a funder that backs faculty-led science at universities, with a particular emphasis on biomedical work and Parkinson’s disease research. The foundation also supports named researchers at major institutions such as Georgetown University and University College London Friends and Alumni Association, showing a pattern of direct, project-specific academic support rather than broad institutional operating grants alone. The recent record also shows a second, recurring stream of support for Jewish communal organizations in California. Grants to Jewish Community Federation and Congregation Beth Am appear alongside the research awards, indicating that Persimmon Foundation funds both scholarly work and local community institutions. Its grant list includes domestic and international higher-education partners, but the emphasis is consistently on university-based research and community organizations rather than individuals or program-related investments. The foundation’s giving volume is substantial, with several grants above $75,000 and a mix of larger research awards and smaller faith-based support.
Academic biomedical research is a central theme. Persimmon Foundation gave $84,534 to Georgetown University to support Professor Rebekah Evans, and $75,000 to Northwestern University to support research. It also awarded $80,000 to University College London Friends and Alumni Association for Parkinson’s disease research, connecting its university giving to a defined disease area. International academic partnerships appear as well. Through Myriad USA, the foundation gave $259,500 for the University of Luxembourg and $106,731 for the University of Tübingen. That pattern shows support for research beyond the United States while still working through university channels. The foundation also funds Jewish communal life. It gave $27,500 to Jewish Community Federation for general support and $25,000 to the same organization for its annual campaign, alongside grants to Congregation Beth Am in Los Altos and Los Altos Hills.
Persimmon Foundation’s recent grants are concentrated in the middle-to-upper range: p25 is $25,650, the median grant is $75,000, and p75 is $95,632. The list also includes a much larger outlier at $284,757. That spread suggests a grantmaking pattern that combines substantial research awards with smaller community gifts. The recent record shows repeated support to the same organizations in different years, including Jewish Community Federation and Congregation Beth Am. It is a public charity, does not fund individuals, and does not make program-related investments.
$983K
$3.8M
$434K
$919K
Most grants fall between $26K and $96K, with a median of $75K.
25th Percentile
$26K
Median
$75K
75th Percentile
$96K
About 36% of grants go to recipients in NJ.
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Concentrated giving with a few large grants to research-focused universities (several multi-hundred-thousand dollar awards) alongside smaller, repeat gifts to Jewish community organizations and a local congregation; mix of project-specific and general/annual support, with several repeat grantees.
Notable grantees: Myriad USA (for University of Tübingen), University of Pittsburgh (supporting a named professor), Georgetown University (faculty-directed research), University College London Friends and Alumni Association (Parkinson’s research), Jewish Community Federation
Persimmon Foundation gives nationally, with every recent grant in the U.S. California receives 36% of grants, reflecting both its headquarters location and local community giving. Recent recipients include Pittsburgh, New York, Washington, Evanston, New Brunswick, Los Altos, and Los Altos Hills. Outside California, grants reach institutions in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Illinois, and the District of Columbia, while international university-related support is routed through U.S.-based intermediaries.
The recent grants point to universities, university-affiliated research partners, and Jewish communal organizations. Academic gifts include support for professors, research projects, and Parkinson’s disease research, while community gifts include general support and annual campaign funding for Jewish federations and congregations.
The foundation’s grant-size distribution centers on larger awards: p25 is $25,650, the median is $75,000, and p75 is $95,632. Recent grants range from smaller community gifts of $6,615 to a high of $284,757.
Yes. Its grantmaking is national, and the recent record includes support tied to the University of Luxembourg and the University of Tübingen. The recipient-country distribution shown here is still entirely U.S.-based because those international grants were made through U.S. organizations.
Yes. Jewish Community Federation appears more than once, with grants for general support and an annual campaign. Congregation Beth Am also appears more than once, with grants in two different California locations.
Biomedical and Parkinson’s-related research are clear themes. Recent examples include support for Professor Emily Rocha at the University of Pittsburgh, Professor Rebekah Evans at Georgetown University, research at Northwestern University, and Parkinson’s disease research through University College London Friends and Alumni Association.
2024
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2024.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH | PITTSBURGH, PA | $284,757 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT PROFESSOR EMILY ROCHA |
| MYRIAD USA | NEW YORK, NY | $259,500 | 2024 | UNIVERSITY OF LUXEMBOURG |
| MYRIAD USA | NEW YORK, NY | $106,731 | 2024 | FOR UNIVERSITY OF TUBINGEN |
| GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY | WASHINGTON, DC | $84,534 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT PROFESSOR REBEKAH EVANS |
| UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON FRIENDS AND ALUMNI ASSOCIATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $80,000 | 2024 | FOR PARKINSON'S DISEASE RESEARCH |
| JEWISH COMMUNITY FEDERATION | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $27,500 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| RUTGERS UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION | NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ | $7,000 | 2024 | FOR THE RUTGERS FOUNDATION |
| CONGREGATION BETH AM | LOS ALTOS HILLS, CA | $6,615 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY | EVANSTON, IL | $75,000 | 2023 | TO SUPPORT RESEARCH |
| CONGREGATION BETH AM | LOS ALTOS, CA | $26,300 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| JEWISH COMMUNITY FEDERATION | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $25,000 | 2023 | ANNUAL CAMPAIGN |
UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH
$284,757TO SUPPORT PROFESSOR EMILY ROCHA
MYRIAD USA
$259,500UNIVERSITY OF LUXEMBOURG
MYRIAD USA
$106,731FOR UNIVERSITY OF TUBINGEN
GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
$84,534TO SUPPORT PROFESSOR REBEKAH EVANS
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON FRIENDS AND ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
$80,000FOR PARKINSON'S DISEASE RESEARCH
JEWISH COMMUNITY FEDERATION
$27,500GENERAL SUPPORT
RUTGERS UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION
$7,000FOR THE RUTGERS FOUNDATION
CONGREGATION BETH AM
$6,615GENERAL SUPPORT
NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
$75,000TO SUPPORT RESEARCH
CONGREGATION BETH AM
$26,300GENERAL SUPPORT
JEWISH COMMUNITY FEDERATION
$25,000ANNUAL CAMPAIGN