The Bob & Brana Paster Foundation concentrates its giving on Jewish religious life and institutions, with donations directed toward Jewish education and Israel-focused religious organizations. Their grants are few but substantive, supporting local Orthodox Jewish schooling in Los Angeles and national Israel-support efforts, indicating a blend of local community and broader Jewish/Israel philanthropy.
Highly concentrated giving: only two grants totaling $31,000, split between a local religious school and a national Israel-oriented organization. Prefers relatively large, one-off grants to a small number of grantees rather than many small donations.
The Bob & Brana Paster Foundation’s recent giving is defined by Jewish religious life in Southern California, with repeated support for Orthodox education and local congregational institutions. Mesivta of Greater LA received the largest recent gift at $16,000 in 2023, while Calabasas Shul was also a major beneficiary with $13,984 in 2024 after a $10,926 grant in 2023. That pattern points to a foundation that supports recurring institutional needs rather than one-off projects. Its grants also extend beyond the immediate neighborhood to Jewish and Israel-oriented organizations in New York, including Jewish National Fund and Friends of the IDF. Within Los Angeles County, the foundation has backed schools, shuls, and Jewish learning organizations such as Jewish Learning Exchange, Aish Hatorah, Merkaz Ha Torah Kollel, and Valley Torah High School. The result is a giving profile centered on Jewish continuity, religious instruction, and communal infrastructure. A smaller set of grants reaches medical and educational institutions as well, including Myasthenia Gravis Fdn of CA and the University of Michigan.
Orthodox Jewish secondary education appears as a core priority. The foundation gave $16,000 to Mesivta of Greater LA in 2023 and another $8,000 in 2024, showing continued support for a local religious school. Congregational and adult Jewish learning organizations also receive steady backing. Calabasas Shul was funded in both 2023 and 2024, while Jewish Learning Exchange and Aish Hatorah each received grants in both years. Merkaz Ha Torah Kollel and AshreinuJAM also appear among the recent recipients, reinforcing a strong emphasis on Jewish study and programming. Israel-linked organizations are part of the mix. The foundation gave to Jewish National Fund in 2024 and Friends of the IDF in 2024, indicating support for Israel-focused religious and community causes alongside its local Los Angeles commitments.
Grant sizes are modest to mid-sized, with a typical spread of $360 at the 25th percentile, a $500 median, and $2,500 at the 75th percentile. The recent record shows repeated gifts to several recipients across 2023 and 2024, including Calabasas Shul, Jewish Learning Exchange, Aish Hatorah, and Merkaz Ha Torah Kollel, which suggests ongoing relationships rather than isolated awards. The foundation is not reported to fund individuals and does not make program-related investments. Its grantmaking reads as institutional support, with many awards aligned to operating or programmatic needs at religious and educational organizations.
$219K
$763K
$95K
$123K
Most grants fall between $360 and $3K, with a median of $500.
25th Percentile
$360
Median
$500
75th Percentile
$3K
About 63% of grants go to recipients in CA.
Sign up for a free Kindora account to access AI-generated insights into this funder's giving patterns, decision-makers, and fit signals.
Get Started FreeFree Kindora accounts unlock side-by-side comparisons with foundations that share this funder's focus areas and giving profile.
Get Started FreeRegístrate gratis para ver qué tan bien se adapta tu organización sin fines de lucro a este financiador, obtener un pitch generado por IA y descubrir fundaciones similares.
Notable grantees: Mesivta of Greater LA (Orthodox Jewish high school), Jewish National Fund (Israel-focused religious/community organization)
The foundation gives most often in California, and 63% of its grants go to recipients in the HQ state. Los Angeles-area beneficiaries appear frequently, including Calabasas, Los Angeles, Valley Village, West Hills, and Agoura Hills. Outside California, recent grants reached New York recipients such as Jewish National Fund, Friends of the IDF, and Friends of Magen David Adom, along with a grant to the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. All recent grants in the dataset were to U.S. recipients.
Recent grants go mainly to Jewish religious schools, shuls, and Jewish learning organizations. The foundation also gives to Israel-oriented groups and a smaller number of medical and educational institutions, including Myasthenia Gravis Fdn of CA and the University of Michigan.
Yes. Several recipients appear in both 2023 and 2024, including Calabasas Shul, Jewish Learning Exchange, Aish Hatorah, Merkaz Ha Torah Kollel, and AshreinuJAM. That pattern points to recurring support rather than only one-time gifts.
The grant-size distribution is small to moderate: p25 is $360, the median is $500, and p75 is $2,500. Even the larger recent awards remain concentrated in a relatively narrow range, with the biggest listed grant at $16,000.
California is the top state by grant count, with 63% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state. Recent California recipients include organizations in Calabasas, Los Angeles, Valley Village, West Hills, and Agoura Hills.
2024
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2024.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jewish National Fund | New York, NY | $15,000 | 2024 | Religious Organization |
| Calabasas Shul | Calabasas, CA | $13,984 | 2024 | Religious Organization |
| Friends of the IDF | New York, NY | $10,360 | 2024 | Religious Organization |
| Myasthenia Gravis Fdn of CA | Los Angeles, CA | $10,000 | 2024 | Medical Research |
| Jewish Learning Exchange | Los Angeles, CA | $8,000 | 2024 | Religious Organization |
| Mesivta of Greater LA | Calabasas, CA | $8,000 | 2024 | Religious School |
| Aish Hatorah | Los Angeles, CA | $7,200 | 2024 | Religious Organization |
| Friends of United Hatzalah | New York, NY | $5,500 | 2024 | Arts |
| Merkaz Ha Torah Kollel | LA, CA | $5,000 | 2024 | Religious Organization |
| University of Michigan | Ann Arbor, MI | $3,500 | 2024 | Educational |
| David Labkovski Project | West Hills, CA | $3,500 | 2024 | Educational |
| AshreinuJAM | Los Angeles, CA | $3,000 | 2024 | Religious Organization |
| AmFriends of Magen David Adom | New York, NY | $2,500 | 2024 | Medical |
| Valley Torah High School | Valley Village, CA | $2,500 | 2024 | Religious School |
| Chabad of Conejo | Agoura Hills, CA | $2,160 | 2024 | Religious Organization |
| LA Philharmonic Association | Los Angeles, CA | $2,000 | 2024 | Arts |
| AmFriends of Bimad Elon Moreh | New Rochelle, NY | $1,800 | 2024 | Religious School |
| American Heart Association | Phoenix, AZ | $1,500 | 2024 | Medical Research |
| American Cancer Society | Los Angeles, CA | $1,500 | 2024 | Medical Research |
| Alzheimer's Association | Los Angeles, CA | $1,000 | 2024 | Medical Research |
| LA Opera | Los Angeles, CA | $1,000 | 2024 | Arts |
| MOCA | Los Angeles, CA | $750 | 2024 | Charity |
| LACMA | Los Angeles, CA | $650 | 2024 | Arts |
| American Society for Yad Vashem | New York, NY | $648 | 2024 | Museum |
| American Diabetes Association | Arlington, VA | $500 | 2024 | Medical Research |
| The Segerstrom Center for the Arts | Costa Mesa, CA | $500 | 2024 | Arts |
| Simon Wiesenthal Center | Los Angeles, CA | $500 | 2024 | Museum |
| American Committee for Shaare Zedec | Beverly Hills, CA | $500 | 2024 | Medical |
| Greater Los Angeles Zoo Assoc | Los Angeles, CA | $500 | 2024 | Museum |
| Susan Komen Breast Cancer Fdn | Dallas, TX | $400 | 2024 | Medical Research |
| Jews for Judaism | Los Angeles, CA | $360 | 2024 | Religious Organization |
| Agudath Israel of America | New York, NY | $360 | 2024 | Religious Organization |
| ICRF | New york, NY | $360 | 2024 | Medical Research |
| Orthodox Union | New York, NY | $360 | 2024 | Religious Organization |
| Hebron Fund | Brooklyn, NY | $360 | 2024 | Religious Organization |
| PBS So Cal KCET | Los Angeles, CA | $350 | 2024 | Arts |
| Birthright Israel Foundation | New York, NY | $300 | 2024 | Religious Organization |
| Hillel International | Washington, DC | $270 | 2024 | Religious Organization |
| The Ronald Reagan Presidential Fdn | Simi Valley, CA | $250 | 2024 | Museum |
| Leukemia Lymphoma Society | Ryebrook, NY | $250 | 2024 | Medical Research |
| USHolocaust Memorial Museum | Washington, DC | $250 | 2024 | Museum |
| Aquarium of the Pacific | Long Beach, CA | $239 | 2024 | Museum |
| Westside Kollel DBA LINK | Los Angeles, CA | $200 | 2024 | Arts |
| Jewish War Veterans | Washington, DC | $200 | 2024 | Arts |
| City of Hope | Los Angeles, CA | $200 | 2024 | Medical Research |
| Holocaust Museum LA | Los Angeles, CA | $200 | 2024 | Museum |
| Chabad of Laguna Hills | Laguna Hills, CA | $180 | 2024 | Religious School |
| LA Natural History Museum Fdn | Los Angeles, CA | $150 | 2024 | Museum |
| SCPR | Pasadena, CA | $100 | 2024 | Arts |
| Stand With US | Los Angeles, CA | $100 | 2024 | Religious Organization |
Jewish National Fund
$15,000Religious Organization
Calabasas Shul
$13,984Religious Organization
Friends of the IDF
$10,360Religious Organization
Myasthenia Gravis Fdn of CA
$10,000Medical Research
Jewish Learning Exchange
$8,000Religious Organization
Mesivta of Greater LA
$8,000Religious School
Aish Hatorah
Religious Organization
Friends of United Hatzalah
$5,500Arts
Merkaz Ha Torah Kollel
$5,000Religious Organization
University of Michigan
$3,500Educational
David Labkovski Project
$3,500Educational
AshreinuJAM
$3,000Religious Organization
AmFriends of Magen David Adom
$2,500Medical
Valley Torah High School
$2,500Religious School
Chabad of Conejo
$2,160Religious Organization
LA Philharmonic Association
$2,000Arts
AmFriends of Bimad Elon Moreh
$1,800Religious School
American Heart Association
$1,500Medical Research
American Cancer Society
$1,500Medical Research
Alzheimer's Association
$1,000Medical Research
LA Opera
$1,000Arts
MOCA
$750Charity
LACMA
$650Arts
American Society for Yad Vashem
$648Museum
American Diabetes Association
$500Medical Research
The Segerstrom Center for the Arts
$500Arts
Simon Wiesenthal Center
$500Museum
American Committee for Shaare Zedec
$500Medical
Greater Los Angeles Zoo Assoc
$500Museum
Susan Komen Breast Cancer Fdn
$400Medical Research
Jews for Judaism
$360Religious Organization
Agudath Israel of America
$360Religious Organization
ICRF
$360Medical Research
Orthodox Union
$360Religious Organization
Hebron Fund
$360Religious Organization
PBS So Cal KCET
$350Arts
Birthright Israel Foundation
$300Religious Organization
Hillel International
$270Religious Organization
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Fdn
$250Museum
Leukemia Lymphoma Society
$250Medical Research
USHolocaust Memorial Museum
$250Museum
Aquarium of the Pacific
$239Museum
Westside Kollel DBA LINK
$200Arts
Jewish War Veterans
$200Arts
City of Hope
$200Medical Research
Holocaust Museum LA
$200Museum
Chabad of Laguna Hills
$180Religious School
LA Natural History Museum Fdn
$150Museum
SCPR
$100Arts
Stand With US
$100Religious Organization