MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger

What MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger does

MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger is a national 501(c)(3) advocacy nonprofit founded in 1985 in Los Angeles by Leonard Fein, Theodore Mann, and Irv Cramer. Its mission is to advance policy and systemic change to end hunger among people of all faiths and backgrounds in the United States and Israel, drawing on Jewish values of tzedakah and tikkun olam as its organizing frame. The organization runs a multi-program portfolio rather than a single product: federal and state policy advocacy, partnership grants to anti-hunger organizations, a Quick Reaction Fund for rapid-response initiatives, a Legal Advocacy Department engaged in federal litigation, community engagement programs including the absorbed Challah for Hunger campus initiative, the digital Hunger Museum, and educational resources (K-12 curriculum, Jewish holiday materials, a Rapid Response Team, and a legislative action toolkit). Strategic priorities are organized around named populations including military families, single mothers, college students, Native Americans, veterans, Puerto Rico, LGBTQ+ older adults, and Israel.

The organization is funded through donations from individuals and institutions, synagogue partnerships, planned giving, donor-advised funds, and stock gifts; it does not sell a product or service. It holds a Charity Navigator four-star rating and a Candid Gold Transparency 2025 designation. MAZON has roughly 11-50 staff across Los Angeles, Washington DC, and Israel, is governed by a board chaired by Carolyn Schwarz Tisdale, and is currently led by President & CEO Abby J. Leibman, who announced her retirement effective mid-2027. In 2025 the organization deployed more than $3.9 million to 60 anti-hunger organizations and a separate $3M+ multi-year cohort to 39 organizations, materially expanding grantmaking relative to its $2.84M 2023 and 2024 partnership grant cycles.

Name

MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger

Legal name

MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger

Website

https://mazon.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

MAZON is a 501(c)(3) national advocacy nonprofit that channels Jewish community support into anti-hunger policy, grants, legal advocacy, and education across the United States and Israel.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Anti-Hunger Advocacy Services

NAICS

Community Food Services (624210), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Nutrition Governance, Policy & Coordination (SUN, National Plans) (BPADAJAL)

Keywords

• Anti-hunger advocacy
• Hunger policy solutions
• Community grantmaking
• Food security advocacy
• Jewish philanthropic action

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Core offering

MAZON is a national 501(c)(3) advocacy organization that mobilizes the Jewish community to fight hunger in the United States and Israel. It advances anti-hunger policy at federal and state levels, distributes grants to a national network of partner organizations serving overlooked populations, operates a Legal Advocacy department that litigates against federal and state agencies, and delivers community engagement and educational programs including the Challah for Hunger campus initiative, The Hunger Museum virtual exhibit, and K-12 hunger curriculum.

Product overview

MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger operates as a multi-program advocacy organization rather than a unified software product. The core offerings consist of advocacy services (Policy Solutions, Legal Advocacy, Rapid Response Team, Legislative Action Toolkit), grant programs (Partnership Grants, Quick Reaction Fund), and community engagement initiatives. Major branded programs include Challah for Hunger (sub-brand for campus-based philanthropy), The Hunger Museum (virtual digital museum), and This Is Hunger (immersive video experience). Educational products include K-12 Curriculum and Jewish Holiday Materials. The organization also runs the No One Deserves to Go Hungry Campaign and provides multiple donation and giving platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Challah for Hunger: An innovative philanthropic program bringing together groups around the Jewish tradition of baking challah, donating proceeds to fight hunger locally and nationally. Developed leaders committed to social justice and engaged them in understanding hunger realities in America.
• The Hunger Museum

Products and services

• Partnership Grants Investments in anti-hunger organizations across the country, including the Emerging Advocacy Fund and Anti-Hunger Network, partnering to advance public education, community organizing, and policy proposals.
• Quick Reaction Fund A grant program providing one-time grants ranging from $500-$15,000 for innovative, rapid-response initiatives in anti-hunger advocacy that require immediate action.
• Policy Solutions Federal and state policy advocacy services collaborating with diverse stakeholders to protect and strengthen federal nutrition programs and address root causes of hunger.
• Legal Advocacy Department ensuring robust and proactive legal engagement to strengthen anti-hunger systems, ensure accountability in food security program implementation, and identify areas for improvement, including federal litigation against USDA, Tennessee DHS, and on religious freedom grounds.
• Challah for Hunger Youth engagement program bringing together groups around the Jewish tradition of baking challah to build community and raise funds to fight hunger locally and nationally, developing leaders committed to social justice.
• The Hunger Museum A completely virtual museum telling the story of the last 100+ years of hunger and anti-hunger public policy in the United States through immersive and interactive digital exhibits.
• This Is Hunger A powerful, immersive digital video experience that explores who struggles with hunger in America and why, featuring images by photographer Barbara Grover with concept design by Marni Gittleman.
• K-12 Curriculum Age-appropriate educational materials for grades K-12 that teach students about hunger, Jewish values of tzedakah and tikkun olam, and advocacy skills through downloadable activity worksheets, factsheets, and multi-session series.
• Rapid Response Team A network of advocates who receive notifications about urgent policy actions and can take immediate steps to contact lawmakers regarding critical anti-hunger issues.
• Donation and Giving Services Multiple giving options including gifts of stock, electronic funds transfer (ACH), planned giving, donor advised fund contributions, and donate by mail to support MAZON's anti-hunger mission.

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• WhyHunger: WhyHunger is a national nonprofit focused on ending hunger and poverty through advocacy, grassroots grantmaking, and direct support. It shares MAZON's mix of advocacy and partner grantmaking and overlaps in mission and constituency.
• RESULTS: RESULTS is a national anti-poverty advocacy organization that mobilizes volunteer citizens to lobby Congress on nutrition and global health programs. It shares MAZON's federal policy advocacy orientation and Rapid Response-style grassroots engagement model.
• Bread for the World: Bread for the World is a faith-based collective hunger advocacy organization engaging its membership in federal policy action on nutrition and anti-poverty programs. It mirrors MAZON's faith-rooted donor engagement model and federal legislative advocacy focus.
• Food Research & Action Center (FRAC): FRAC is a leading national anti-hunger advocacy and policy organization working to end poverty-related hunger in the US. It directly parallels MAZON in mission (federal nutrition program protection, including SNAP), operating model (advocacy + research), and stakeholder base (low-income populations).
• Hunger Free America: Hunger Free America is a national anti-hunger advocacy and direct-service organization working on SNAP access, federal nutrition programs, and public education. It directly parallels MAZON in federal nutrition policy advocacy and direct constituent support.
• Share Our Strength (No Kid Hungry): Share Our Strength runs the No Kid Hungry campaign, a national anti-hunger advocacy and grantmaking effort focused on childhood hunger. Like MAZON, it combines federal advocacy with grantmaking to local partners and engages a large donor and corporate support base.

Broad incumbents

• Feeding America: Feeding America is the largest US hunger-relief organization, operating a national food bank network and substantial federal advocacy program. It is comparable to MAZON in advocacy and food-security mission but operates at dramatically larger scale with a different primary model (food distribution versus grantmaking and policy).

Others

• Jewish Federations of North America: Jewish Federations of North America is the central umbrella for the Jewish communal fundraising and social service system. It is comparable to MAZON as a touchpoint for Jewish communal philanthropy and shared donor base, though its scope is broader than anti-hunger advocacy.

Emerging players

• Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI): CSPI is a nutrition and food-policy advocacy organization working on federal nutrition programs, labeling, and food access. It overlaps with MAZON's federal nutrition policy advocacy but emphasizes science-based consumer protection rather than faith-rooted community engagement.
• Coalition on Human Needs: The Coalition on Human Needs is an alliance of national organizations working to protect federal anti-poverty and human needs programs, including SNAP. It shares MAZON's federal advocacy orientation but operates as an umbrella coalition rather than a grantmaker.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/MAZONusa
• YouTubeyoutube.com/mazonusa
• Facebookfacebook.com/mazonusa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mazon-a-jewish-response-to-hunger
• Instagraminstagram.com/mazonusa

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger