Grants for Jewish Nonprofits

The Jacob and Hilda Blaustein Foundation promotes social justice and human rights through its five program areas: Jewish life, strengthening Israeli democracy, health and mental health, educational opportunity, and human rights. Support is provided to organizations in the United States and abroad.

The Foundation supports organizations that promote systemic change, involve constituents in planning and decision-making, encourage volunteer and professional development and engage in ongoing program evaluation.

Human Rights Program Area

The goal of this program is to advance fundamental human rights.

The Foundation seeks to: 

• advance women’s rights 
• protect the rights of refugees and asylum seekers
• support leadership development, capacity building and training across a range of issue areas

The Charles H. Revson Foundation operates grant programs in Urban Affairs, Jewish Life, Biomedical Research, and Education.

Jewish Life Grant Program

The Jewish Life Program seeks to improve social and economic outcomes for communities in Israel and North America. We focus on building capacity in under-resourced fields, like civic service and urban planning in Israel and Jewish chaplaincy in North America, and to develop courageous leadership. In North America, the communities we support include Muslims and Jews together and Jewish students at the City University of New York.

The Kars4Kids Small Grant Program is dedicated to supporting educational initiatives around the world, helping us impact more children.

Causes We Care About

We’re passionate about helping children develop into productive members of their community.

• Youth Development
• Mentorship
• Education

Our Impact

Through our small grant program, we've helped likeminded charities ensure a brighter future for children & their families.

Our Mission

We’re a national Jewish nonprofit that provides year-round educational and mentoring opportunities and support to develop youth into productive and engaged members of society. Our small grant program enables us to expand our reach to more diverse populations by lending support to local charities doing great work for the children in their communities.

How it works

Are you a 501c3 lay organization with a central focus of doing original work on behalf of America’s children? We want to hear from you. Grants typically range from $500-$2,000, depending on such factors as mission alignment and availability of funds.

Our committee considers each application seriously. Due to the large number of requests we receive, it may take up to 4 months for you to hear from us with a determination. We may not respond to your application if it does not meet our criteria for consideration. Determination is made on a case-by-case basis, depending on factors like mission alignment and availability of funds. 

NOTE: The Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications or letters of inquiry. We prefer to develop projects in collaboration with organizations aligned with our mission and funding priorities. However, if you believe your program or project would be a good fit with the Foundation’s funding priorities, please email a brief one-page description of your program.

About 

The mission of the Howard and Geraldine Polinger Family Foundation is to improve the quality of life for families and their communities through support of innovative projects and successful ongoing programs.

We are particularly interested in programs that engage individuals, families, and communities in Jewish life; support excellence and inspiration in arts and culture; and strengthen families and society.

Strengthening Families and Society

The Foundation seeks to create a vibrant and equitable society where children and families flourish, and all people are treated with respect and feel accepted and safe. Specifically, we endeavor to:

• Promote Behavioral Health Support Services, by identifying and addressing the behavioral and mental health needs of pregnant women, mothers with new babies and families with young children. This work is focused on employing strategic systems-building strategies in a variety of settings including, but not limited to:
  • schools, child care centers, health care providers and home visiting programs.
• Create a More Civil Society, by investing in and championing education that promotes equality, deepens understanding of democracy, increases social justice, and teaches people to productively engage in a civil society.
• Combat Antisemitism, by ensuring justice and fair treatment for Jewish communities and foster respect and understanding through education.

Types of Grants Available

Grants are available for general operating and project support, especially for innovative approaches and new initiatives. We are particularly interested in emphasizing long-term impact, encouraging organizational sustainability, and investing in systems-building to strengthen fields. Requests for capital and endowment grants are generally not accepted, but the Trustees may initiate such grants at their discretion.

NOTE: The Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications or letters of inquiry. We prefer to develop projects in collaboration with organizations aligned with our mission and funding priorities. However, if you believe your program or project would be a good fit with the Foundation’s funding priorities, please email a brief one-page description of your program.

About 

The mission of the Howard and Geraldine Polinger Family Foundation is to improve the quality of life for families and their communities through support of innovative projects and successful ongoing programs.

We are particularly interested in programs that engage individuals, families, and communities in Jewish life; support excellence and inspiration in arts and culture; and strengthen families and society.

Engaging Individuals, Families, and Communities in Jewish Life

The Foundation seeks to build and sustain vibrant Jewish life and connected communities which are welcoming to all and inspire Jews to explore the richness Judaism offers. We support both innovative ideas and historic institutions, and specifically, we endeavor to: 

Foster Jewish Identity, by funding innovative programs that bring together Jews in their 20s and 30s to explore their Jewish identities and form meaningful communities; and by expanding resources and opportunities that engage families with young children in Jewish life in creative and dynamic ways.

Build & Strengthen Jewish Life in Emerging Communities, by supporting programs that build internal leadership and develop programs that deepen Jewish identity in Central and Eastern Europe.

Please note that the Foundation does not fund projects in, or about, Israel.

Types of Grants Available

Grants are available for general operating and project support, especially for innovative approaches and new initiatives. We are particularly interested in emphasizing long-term impact, encouraging organizational sustainability, and investing in systems-building to strengthen fields. Requests for capital and endowment grants are generally not accepted, but the Trustees may initiate such grants at their discretion.

The Charles H. Revson Foundation operates grant programs in Urban Affairs, Jewish Life, Biomedical Research, and Education.

Education Grant Program

The Education program supports institutions and projects that seek to provide broad access to knowledge, information, and resources that sustain an informed and engaged citizenry.

Areas of focus include supporting innovation in access to digital and online materials in public libraries, bolstering the financial and editorial capacities of ethnic and community news publications, encouraging the education and participation of students as discerning readers of news media, and strengthening college and postgraduate fellows who are pursuing careers in the public interest.

Kaplun Foundation Youth Board

The Morris J. & Betty Kaplun Foundation Youth Board invites eligible nonprofit organizations to submit grant proposals for its Winter 2022-23 grant cycle. Grants will be awarded to one or more organizations doing work in the area of education and literacy for youth.

The Kaplun Foundation Youth Board is an initiative of the Morris J. & Betty Kaplun Foundation. The Youth Board, established in 2019, gives high school and first-year college students an opportunity to learn about concepts of Jewish philanthropy, explore Jewish values, dive into grant making, and review and analyze grant proposals during a series of online board meetings over a school year.

Mission Statement

Guided by the Jewish values of Human Dignity and Service, The 2022-23 Morris J. & Betty Kaplun Foundation Youth Board seeks to support organizations that work to mitigate the impact of racial bias in patient care and medical education in order to create empathy and objectivity in healthcare by promoting anti-racist practices.

About Natan

Natan inspires young  philanthropists to become actively engaged in building the Jewish future by giving collaboratively to cutting- edge initiatives in Israel and in Jewish communities around the world.

Natan is a giving circle - a  grantmaking foundation where members pool their charitable contributions, set the group’s philanthropic strategy and agenda, and collectively award grants to emerging initiatives, working actively with their leaders to help them grow. We believe that educated, engaged, and entrepreneurial philanthropy can transform both givers and grant recipients.

Confronting Antisemitism

Natan’s Confronting Antisemitism committee requests proposals from organizations that are addressing contemporary antisemitism around the world. The committee is particularly interested in proactive approaches that preempt antisemitism.

• developing positive, constructive efforts to understand and expose contemporary manifestations of antisemitism including distinguishing between good faith criticism of Israel and bad faith bigotry that uses criticism as a cover for prejudice;
• utilizing technology and social media to address antisemitism;
• building partnerships between Jews and other minority groups - including, but not limited to, the black, Hispanic, Muslim and LGBTQ+ communities - to navigate antisemitism within their respective circles;
• empowering young individuals (13-23) with the tools, knowledge and critical thinking skills to effectively advocate for themselves and the Jewish people;
• creating new partnerships between organizations otherwise working independently, with a unified mission of fighting antisemitism.

Natan's Focus

In the spirit of “venture philanthropy,” Natan is especially interested in supporting entrepreneurial individuals, startups and fledgling organizations that have not yet received significant support from major funders and that are independent from larger institutions and organizational structures. Natan seeks to catalyze and support innovation that begins on the margins of the Jewish organizational world, with the twin goals of developing new standalone organizations and infusing innovative thinking into larger, legacy institutions for the long term. 

Roberta and Phil married in 1954 and, together, the couple became quiet philanthropists, focusing much of their charitable giving on nonprofit organizations in and around the Muskogee area. After Phil’s death in 1981, five charitable trusts were established to ensure their legacy would live on. After Roberta's death in 1985, her daughter, Miriam Freedman, continued administering the trusts.

In 2013, after overseeing the family’s foundation for more than 30 years, Miriam transferred the Kirschner Trusts to the Oklahoma City Community Foundation. Today, the Kirschner Trusts award grants to charitable organizations that support causes important to the family.

Funding areas

Jewish Education, Culture & Heritage

Goal:  To support Jewish organizations that provide:

• Social services, counseling and education specifically targeted to children and young adults (ages 0 - 24) of Jewish heritage.
• Public understanding related to Jewish religion and cultural heritage.

Educational & Vocational Opportunities for Children & Young Adults with Disabilities

Goal: To support organizations that provide children and young adults living with disabilities (ages 0 - 24) educational and vocational opportunities that contribute to their independence and self-sustainability.

If you plan to apply under this funding category, please note the following:

• Social services are beyond the scope of this grant program unless they specifically contribute to independent living.
• Applicants may only request program/project-based support. Requests for General Operating Support will not be considered.

Eastern Oklahoma Charitable Organizations

Goal: To support organizations that are meeting the social, economic and educational needs of their communities.