What Maimonides Fund does

Maimonides Fund is a private American philanthropic foundation established in 2019 and structured as Maimonides Fund, LLC, with headquarters in New York and a regional office in Jerusalem. The foundation operates as a grantmaking entity that combines modern philanthropic strategy with classic Jewish values (drawing explicitly on Maimonides' teaching of tzedakah given in secret), supporting initiatives across two geographies — North America and Israel — in six verticals: Jewish Life & Learning, Film & Media, US Engagement with Israel, Gifted Youth, Integration of Haredim, and Strengthening the Center. Donors fund the entity and receive tax-deductible contributions because it qualifies as a public charity, and the donor base is intentionally anonymous by design.

The fund's core "products" are wholly-owned operating programs rather than commercial technology: the Future Scientists Center (Alpha, Odyssey, Idea, Israel's Science Teams, and Ascola alumni network, training over 1,500 gifted Israeli high school students annually and producing a record 26 medals in international Olympiads in the most recent season); the Jewish Writers Institute (Screenwriters Lab with Crystal City Entertainment and Digital Storytellers Lab, expanded to 18-fellow cohorts with $10K-$25K stipends); the SAPIR Institute and SAPIR Journal (quarterly thought-leadership publication edited by Bret Stephens); the Jewish Journalism Fellowship; the Scholar in Residence Program; and the newer Department of Policy Initiatives. Notable grantees and partners include Hadar Institute, Tzohar, Haredim Ba'Akademia, Fuente Latina, the Constructive Dialogue Institute, Israel's Ministry of Education, and the National Cyber Bureau.

The business model is non-commercial grantmaking rather than revenue generation. The fund identifies strategic opportunities through landscape analysis and expert input, deploys capital via competitive application processes (e.g., 260+ applications for the inaugural Digital Storytellers Lab) and strategic partnerships, and measures success in programmatic outcomes (medals, fellows trained, content produced) rather than revenue. Leadership includes President Mark Charendoff, COO Felicia Herman (former 16-year Natan Fund president, joining October 2024), Senior Director Daniel Gamulka (Managing Director, Israel), and a bench of advisors and directors with prior experience at the White House, State Department, BCG, Shalom Hartman Institute, and prominent American rabbinical positions.

Name

Maimonides Fund

Legal name

Maimonides Fund, LLC

Website

https://maimonidesfund.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Maimonides Fund is a private, donor-endowed philanthropic foundation established in 2019 that makes grants and operates programs across North America and Israel to advance Jewish life, learning, media, gifted education, and US-Israel engagement.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Philanthropic Grantmaking

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)

Keywords

• Private foundation
• Grantmaking services
• Philanthropic grants
• Nonprofit funding
• Charitable giving

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Donor-Endowed Grantmaking: Maimonides Fund operates as a private grantmaking foundation supported by donor capital. The fund makes grants to eligible organizations working in its focus areas. Donors to the fund receive tax-deductible contributions as it operates as a public charity.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Maimonides Fund is described as a private grantmaking foundation / nonprofit organization. It supports Jewish faith, peoplehood, citizenship, and science through grantmaking and programmatic activities directed to eligible nonprofit and community recipients.

Product overview

Maimonides Fund is a private grantmaking organization that combines modern philanthropic strategies with classic Jewish values to advance the shared future of the Jewish people. The organization operates a portfolio of interconnected programs including the SAPIR Institute (journal and programmatic efforts), Future Scientists Center (gifted youth programs including Alpha, Odyssey, Idea, Israel's Science Teams, and Ascola alumni network), Jewish Writers Institute (Screenwriters Lab and Digital Storytellers Lab), Jewish Journalism Fellowship, Department of Policy Initiatives, Viewpoint Diversity Program, Perspectives Program, and Scholar in Residence Program. These programs span North America and Israel, focusing on Jewish Life & Learning, Film & Media, US Engagement with Israel, Gifted Youth, Integration of Haredim, and Strengthening the Center.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Future Scientists Center: Operated by Maimonides Fund, supports academic institutions throughout Israel providing specialized programs for gifted and talented high school students through Alpha, Odyssey, Idea programs and Israel's Science Teams for international Olympiads.
• Jewish Writers Institute
• SAPIR Institute

Quantifiable outcome

• Future Scientists Center supports over 1,500 gifted students annually in Israel
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Crystal City EntertainmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Crystal City Entertainment to operate the Screenwriters Lab, part of the Jewish Writers Institute. The lab supports screenwriters in developing Jewish-themed scripts for mainstream film and television, with fellows receiving $10,000 stipends and industry mentorship.
• Sarah Lefton and Janine Okmin (Digital Storytellers Lab)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSarah Lefton (creator of BimBam) and Janine Okmin direct the Digital Storytellers Lab, supporting creators developing Jewish content for digital platforms including YouTube, TikTok, and podcasts. Fellows receive up to $25,000 in project funding.
• Constructive Dialogue Institute (CDI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint programming partnership to support viewpoint diversity and dialogue across differences within Jewish organizational settings. Launching suite of programming including leadership training, online learning, and facilitation training tailored to the Jewish community.
• Israeli Ministry of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Israel's Ministry of Education for the Future Scientists Center, which trains Israel's high school delegations for international Olympiads and competitions.
• Israel's National Cyber BureauminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates with Israel's National Cyber Bureau within the Prime Minister's Office on gifted youth programming through the Future Scientists Center.
• Academic Institutions (Israel)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFuture Scientists Center partners with academic institutions throughout Israel to provide specialized programs for gifted high school students, including Alpha, Odyssey, and Idea programs.
• White House Liaison to American Jewish CommunityminorOthersChanan Weissman, Director of SAPIR Institute, previously served as White House Liaison to the American Jewish Community under both Obama and Biden administrations, providing valuable connections and expertise.
• Council on Foreign RelationsminorOthersChanan Weissman is a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations, contributing to the fund's policy and international relations capabilities.
• Blue Engine CollaborativeminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSupporting the Jewish Journalism Fellowship with expertise in digital transformation and long-term sustainability for local Jewish news organizations.
• Jewish Book CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTeamed with Jewish Book Council to offer marketing grants of $18,000 to $36,000 for nonfiction, fiction and children's books supporting Jewish authors.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Birthright Israel Foundation: Funds Birthright Israel's young-adult trips; comparable in targeting U.S.-Israel engagement and Jewish identity formation, overlapping in donor community and grantee networks.
• Natan Fund: Jewish venture philanthropy fund supporting Jewish life, education, and innovation; directly comparable given its similar grantmaking model, target population, and prior leadership overlap (Maimonides COO Felicia Herman served as Natan's President for 16 years).
• Jewish Communal Fund: Donor-advised fund vehicle serving the Jewish philanthropic community; comparable in targeting U.S. Jewish donors and channeling capital to Jewish nonprofits, though operating a different distribution model.
• Koret Foundation: Family foundation funding Jewish education, Israel-related programs, and community initiatives; comparable grantmaking focus areas and direct overlap with several Maimonides programmatic categories.
• Tikvah Fund: Jewish ideas and Israel education-focused grantmaking foundation; comparable in thought leadership orientation, Zionist educational programming, and overlap with Maimonides' SAPIR-style editorial work.
• Schusterman Family Philanthropies: Jewish-focused philanthropy with parallel emphasis on Jewish life, Israel engagement, and inclusive storytelling; competes for similar grantees, donors, and narrative-shaping talent.
• Jim Joseph Foundation: Major Jewish education-focused grantmaking foundation funding experiential and formal Jewish learning; comparable in mission scope, grantee profile, and North American grantmaking orientation.

Others

• Jewish Funders Network: Membership network of Jewish philanthropists and foundations; not a direct grantmaker but a convener for the same donor and foundation ecosystem Maimonides operates within.

Broad incumbents

• Combined Jewish Philanthropies: One of the largest U.S. Jewish federations and grantmaking bodies; broader portfolio and much larger endowment than Maimonides but overlapping community base and grantee ecosystem.
• UJA-Federation of New York: New York-based Jewish federation with overlapping donor base, grantees, and Jewish life programming; a much larger incumbent that anchors the same NYC Jewish philanthropic community.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Maimonides Fund