The National Center to Encourage Judaism concentrates its support on organized Reform Judaism and related institutional channels, providing unrestricted/general support to national movement bodies. Most giving is channeled in large, handful grants rather than many small awards, and it also uses donor-advised vehicles to direct funds. The foundation appears focused on sustaining the infrastructure of Reform Jewish life rather than program-level grassroots funding.
Focus Areas
National Reform Jewish movement support (Union for Reform Judaism/URJ)Institutional operating support for Jewish denominational bodiesDonor-advised fund distributions to Jewish causes
Who They Fund
national Reform Jewish institutions (e.g., Union for Reform Judaism)Jewish denominational bodies and movement leadershipcharitable intermediaries/donor-advised fund sponsors (e.g., Vanguard Charitable)
Giving Approach
Highly concentrated: very few, relatively large general-support grants with repeat funding to the Union for Reform Judaism and use of a donor-advised fund intermediary.
About National Center to Encourage Judaism
The National Center to Encourage Judaism centers its giving on outreach and education for people exploring Judaism, especially through programs that introduce newcomers to Jewish beliefs, holiday practice, interfaith engagement, and conversion support. Its recent grants show a mix of national movement bodies, synagogues, federations, and Jewish educational organizations, with large general-support awards sitting alongside smaller program grants. The largest recent grant in the data is $76,000 to Union Reform Judaism, followed by $70,000 in 2025 to the same organization and $60,000 in 2024 to Vanguard Charitable. That pattern points to a funder that uses both direct operating support and donor-advised channels to move money to Jewish causes.
The foundation’s grantmaking is not limited to one institution type. It gave $45,000 in 2025 to the Institute for Southern Jewish Life and $35,175 in 2024 to the Joint Distribution Committee, while also funding many synagogue-based efforts and outreach programs. Recent awards also include support for Jewish Federation of North America, Sha'ar Zahav, and Center for Jewish Life Beth David.
What National Center to Encourage Judaism Funds
A central theme in the foundation’s giving is support for programs that welcome new people into Judaism. It awarded $23,900 in 2025 to Sutton Place Synagogue NYC for general support, and its program descriptions emphasize Judaism 101 classes, experiential learning, and holiday programming.
Interfaith and intercultural engagement is another recurring focus. The foundation gave $17,100 in 2025 to Sha'ar Zahav, and its active grant programs explicitly include interfaith engagement and outreach to participants exploring Judaism.
The foundation also supports institutions that build movement infrastructure. It gave $25,000 in 2024 to Jewish Federation North America and $20,000 in 2025 to the same organization, while donor-advised giving appears in the $60,000 grant to Vanguard Charitable.
Jewish education and conversion-related support appear in the funding menu as well, including introductory classes, holiday workshops, and support for those exploring or converting to Judaism.
How National Center to Encourage Judaism Gives
Typical grants are relatively small even though the funder also makes occasional larger awards: the p25 grant size is $2,150, the median is $3,900, and the p75 is $7,050. The recent-grants list shows repeated support to the same recipients across years, including Union Reform Judaism, Joint Distribution Committee, and Jewish Federation North America, which indicates a recurring relationship pattern rather than one-off only. The foundation uses general support frequently and gives through donor-advised vehicles as well, including Vanguard Charitable. It also accepts unsolicited applications through multiple grant programs and an initial proposal form.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$426K
Total Assets
$3M
Total Revenue
$793K
Total Expenses
$505K
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $2K and $7K, with a median of $4K.
25th Percentile
$2K
Median
$4K
75th Percentile
$7K
Geographic Reach
National32 states funded
About 5% of grants go to recipients in NY.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Where National Center to Encourage Judaism Funds
Top 5 recipient countries by grant volume for National Center to Encourage Judaism.
Rank
Country
Grants
Total
Share
1
United StatesDomestic
143
$1.3M
96.6%
2
United Kingdom
Deep Analysis
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unrestricted/general operating supportinstitutional/infrastructure sustainingconcentrated large grantsdonor-advised fund distributions
Notable grantees: Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), Vanguard Charitable, National Reform Jewish movement institutions (general)
Topics
national Reform Jewish movement support (URJ)denominational institutional operating supportmovement infrastructure and sustainabilityphilanthropic intermediary funding (donor-advised funds)
Where National Center to Encourage Judaism Makes Grants
Giving is national, and every grant in the recipient-country distribution is in the United States. Pennsylvania appears most often in the grant list, including Philadelphia, Jenkintown, and Allentown. New York City recipients are also frequent, with awards to Union Reform Judaism, Sutton Place Synagogue NYC, and Project Kesher. Other recipient cities in the data include Jackson, Miami, San Francisco, Washington, DC, Los Angeles, Bellevue, and Warwick, RI.
Frequently Asked Questions About National Center to Encourage Judaism
What kinds of organizations does National Center to Encourage Judaism fund?
It funds synagogues, JCCs/federations, national and international Jewish organizations, and other Jewish nonprofits. Recent examples include Union Reform Judaism, Jewish Federation North America, and synagogue-based recipients, with many awards labeled general support.
What is the typical grant size?
The grant-size distribution is modest: p25 is $2,150, the median is $3,900, and p75 is $7,050. The recent grants list also shows a few much larger awards, including $76,000 and $70,000.
Does the foundation accept unsolicited applications?
Yes. Several active grant programs are marked as accepting unsolicited applications, and the foundation also offers an online proposal or interest form for organizations to submit initial program ideas.
What program areas can grants support?
The active programs focus on introducing new people to Judaism through Judaism 101 classes, interfaith and intercultural engagement, holiday programming, experiential learning, outreach and marketing, and limited support for program materials and staff expenses.
Where does the foundation give most often?
Its giving is national, but Pennsylvania appears most often in the recent grants list. Recipient cities there include Philadelphia, Jenkintown, and Allentown.
Latest 990 Filing
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
2
$29K
1.4%
3
Brazil
1
$10K
0.7%
4
Ukraine
1
$6K
0.7%
5
Georgia
1
$6K
0.7%
Recipient country reflects the grantee's headquarters per IRS 990-PF and Schedule F filings, not the program's implementation country.
Open Grant Opportunities
Current and upcoming funding from National Center to Encourage Judaism that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Open nowRolling / open intakeAward: Up to $10K
NCEJ Grant Program – Requests Under $10,000
Introduction to JudaismConversion and outreachInterfaith family engagement+3 more
Who can apply: Programs must have an educational component and focus on welcoming new people to Judaism, including interfaith couples, people interested in conversion, and others exploring Jewish life. Eligible expenses may include digital and print marketing, hyperlocal advertising, flyers, postcards, books, ritual items, Jewish celebration kits, limited staff costs, security, and related program expenses. NCEJ does not reimburse the entire cost of a program and focuses on a narrow outreach niche rather than broad-based expenses.
Deadline: Applications accepted anytime throughout the year. Notification is generally provided within 30–45 days.
holiday workshopsexperiential Jewish educationShabbat+7 more
Who can apply: Open to organizations offering programs for interfaith families, people interested in conversion, and others who are new to Judaism. NCEJ funds local, regional, national, and international groups.
Deadline: Applications accepted throughout the year; turnaround generally under 30 days.
Introduction to Jewish Beliefs & Traditions Grants
Judaism 101introductory Judaismconversion education+3 more
Who can apply: Open to organizations offering classes or discussion groups for people exploring Judaism, including those interested in conversion and interfaith couples.
Deadline: Applications accepted throughout the year; turnaround generally under 30 days.
interfaith engagementintercultural engagementJewish outreach+2 more
Who can apply: Open to organizations running engagement programs for interfaith couples, people considering conversion, and other newcomers to Judaism.
Deadline: Applications accepted throughout the year; turnaround generally under 30 days.
Introduction to JudaismConversion and outreachInterfaith engagement+4 more
Who can apply: Applicants requesting more than $10,000, or larger organizations giving out subgrants, may apply through the larger-grant proposal process. Programs must have an educational component and focus on welcoming new people to Judaism. Proposals should describe the organization, program, participants, funding plan, budget, marketing strategy, program materials, staff costs, and how the program meets NCEJ funding goals. NCEJ does not reimburse the entire cost of a program.
Deadline: Applications and proposals are considered throughout the year; no fixed deadline is stated. NCEJ generally responds within 45 days.
NCEJ General Grants (Programs Welcoming New People to Judaism)
Intro to JudaismJudaism 101interfaith engagement+8 more
Who can apply: Programs must be open to the public, must begin after the application is submitted, and must have an educational component. NCEJ funds synagogues, JCCs/federations, national groups, international organizations, and other Jewish nonprofits. Larger organizations and requests over $10K are directed to the larger grant requests process.
Deadline: Applications accepted throughout the year; apply anytime.
Deadlines and eligibility are summarized from public sources and may change — always confirm the details on the funder's official application page before applying.
