Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies

What Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies does

The Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit philanthropic organization headquartered in Getzville, New York (2640 North Forest Road, Suite 200), founded on March 23, 1911 as the Federated Jewish Charities of Buffalo and rebranded to its current name. It serves the Jewish community across eight Western New York counties (Erie, Niagara, Genesee, Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, and Wyoming/Orleans), operating with a lean staff of 1-10 employees under Executive Director Irving H. Levy. The foundation's core function is administering charitable giving vehicles for donors, including Donor Advised Funds, IRA Restricted Funds, Endowments (named funds at $100,000+), Charitable Lead/Remainder Trusts, Bequests, and Life Insurance Giving instruments, supported by a Donor Portal (fjp.fcsuite.com) for online fund management.

The foundation generates revenue through tiered administrative fees on fund balances (1% on first $500K, scaling down to 0.15% over $10M, with a $250 annual minimum), plus subscription membership dues (e.g., HBLA $36 annual/$360 life). Beyond donor services, it operates a portfolio of financial aid programs: the Academic Scholarship and Loan Program ($135,800 awarded in 2025; over $1.67M in grants and $520K in interest-free loans since 2006), the Medical Student Aid Society (interest-free loans up to $5,000/year at Jacobs School of Medicine), Hebrew Benevolent Loan Association (interest-free loans up to $5,000 to Jewish residents), Israel Scholarships ($1,000-$3,000), and the Geoff Richter Performing Arts Award, Joe Lombardo Memorial Scholarship, Louis Sklarow Award, and Golden Goldman Fund.

Distribution runs through direct grantmaking to over 1,100 recipient organizations annually, in-person engagement with donors and Professional Advisors, signature events co-hosted with Buffalo Jewish Federation, and the Life & Legacy program partnership with the Harold Grinspoon Foundation. The foundation absorbed the Medical Student Aid Society via merger in 2020 and received a landmark $26 million endowment from the Surdam estate in August 2022, providing approximately $1M annually to Buffalo City Mission, FeedMore WNY, and Friends of Night People. Technology infrastructure consists of standard nonprofit fund management systems with no disclosed proprietary platform, AI capabilities, or public APIs.

Name

Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies

Legal name

Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies

Website

https://jewishphilanthropies.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1911

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies is a 114-year-old nonprofit foundation in Getzville, NY that administers charitable giving vehicles (donor-advised funds, endowments, trusts) and runs scholarship and interest-free loan programs for the Jewish community across Western New York's eight counties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Philanthropic Foundation Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE), Philanthropic & Charitable Trust Services (FSAAANAI)

Keywords

• Donor advised funds
• Charitable giving vehicles
• Endowment management
• Philanthropic foundation services
• Planned giving administration

Headquarters

HQ city

Getzville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Financial Aid and Scholarships: The foundation provides scholarships and interest-free loans to Jewish students in Western New York. During 2025, provided $135,800 in financial aid. Since 2006, awarded over $1,679,606 in grants and $520,000 in interest-free loans.
2. Donor-Advised Funds Management: The foundation manages donor-advised funds, endowment funds, and other charitable vehicles for donors. Revenue comes from annual fees assessed on fund balances.
3. Fund Administration Fees: IRA Restricted Fund fees: 0.25% quarterly fee for accounts over $25,000; accounts under $25,000 charged $62.50 quarterly; minimum annual fee $250. Fee schedule: 1% of first $500K, 0.8% of next $3.5M, 0.5% of next $2M, 0.3% of next $4M, 0.15% over $10M.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies administers a suite of charitable giving vehicles for donors, including Donor Advised Funds, IRA Restricted Funds, Endowments, Charitable Trusts, Bequests, and Life Insurance Giving options. It manages donor contributions, investments, and grant distributions through a Donor Portal, and supports the Jewish community of Western New York through scholarship, loan, and grant programs.

Product overview

The Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies is a philanthropic services organization offering a comprehensive suite of charitable giving vehicles centered around its Donor Advised Funds platform. The core offering includes Donor Advised Funds, IRA Restricted Funds, Endowments, Charitable Trusts, Bequests, and Life Insurance Giving options, all managed through the Foundation's administrative infrastructure. Supporting these core products are various grant programs including Academic Scholarships, Medical Student Aid Society, Israel Scholarships, Performing Arts Awards, and the Hebrew Benevolent Loan Association. The Foundation also operates a Donor Portal for online fund management and maintains recognition programs like Legacy Society. The organization serves Jewish Buffalo and Western New York donors seeking to fulfill philanthropic goals through both immediate and planned giving vehicles.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Donor Advised Funds

Quantifiable outcome

• During 2025, provided $135,800 in Financial Aid to deserving Jewish Students of Western New York
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Harold Grinspoon FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Life & Legacy program promoting after-lifetime giving to benefit Jewish synagogues and organizations in Buffalo. The program helps ensure future of Jewish community through legacy commitments.
• Buffalo Jewish FederationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-host of signature events including 'An Evening of Israeli Wine & Honors'. Joint administration of Life & Legacy at Buffalo program.
• Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at University at BuffalocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Medical Student Aid Society (merged into Foundation in 2020) for interest-free loans to second, third, and fourth-year medical students.
• Buffalo Philharmonic OrchestracoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPerforms Marcel Tyberg's symphonies and piano sonatas. Recordings published on NAXOS international label. Music director JoAnn Falletta serves as champion of Tyberg's musical legacy.
• Jewish Family Services of Western New YorkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for academic scholarship and loan program. Jewish Family Services Career Services Department conducts confidential interviews and administers scholarship program.
• Phi Lambda Kappa Medical FraternityminorOthersHistorical sponsor of Medical Student Aid Society. MSAS originated under this fraternity founded at University of Pennsylvania in 1907.
• WinnCompaniesminorOthersBoston-based developer being considered to purchase senior apartment community on Weinberg Campus as resolution to foreclosure action filed by Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Fidelity Charitable: Largest national donor-advised fund sponsor in the US with tens of billions in AUM. Indirect competitor for Jewish donors seeking DAFs with broader grantmaking reach and lower fees.
• Schwab Charitable: Major national donor-advised fund sponsor offering low-cost DAFs with broad grantmaking capabilities. Competes for the same high-net-worth donor wallet but with no Jewish community specialization.
• UJA-Federation of New York: Largest Jewish federation in North America, managing billions in philanthropic assets for the New York Jewish community. Comparable in mission and service mix but far larger in scale and broader in scope.

Direct peers

• Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia: Regional Jewish federation providing DAFs, endowments, scholarships, and community grantmaking for Greater Philadelphia's Jewish community. Highly comparable in regional scope, product offerings, and mission.
• Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund (San Francisco): San Francisco Bay Area Jewish federation and foundation managing donor-advised funds, endowments, charitable trusts, and grant programs for a regional Jewish community. Operates with a similar centralized infrastructure of giving vehicles and community programs.
• Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston: Major Jewish community foundation serving the Boston area with donor-advised funds, endowments, scholarships, and legacy giving programs. Direct peer as both operate as centralized Jewish philanthropic service providers for their respective regions with similar product mixes.
• The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington: DC-area Jewish federation managing donor-advised funds, planned giving programs, scholarships, and agency partnerships for a regional Jewish community. Comparable structure and product portfolio.
• Baltimore Jewish Council / Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore: Jewish federation serving the Baltimore region with DAFs, endowments, scholarships, and agency partnerships. Similar mid-sized regional Jewish philanthropic infrastructure with comparable service offerings.

Others

• Harold Grinspoon Foundation: Strategic partner that operates the national Life & Legacy program supporting after-lifetime giving across Jewish communities. Included as an ecosystem enabler and partner, not a competitor.

Regional players

• Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo: General-purpose community foundation serving the same Western NY geography with DAFs, endowments, and grantmaking. Adjacent rather than directly competing in the Jewish niche, but operates in the same donor pool.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/foundation-for-jewish-philanthropies

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies