Jewish Foundation for Education of Women

What Jewish Foundation for Education of Women does

Jewish Foundation for Education of Women (JFEW) is a 145-year-old New York-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation that supports women with financial need pursuing post-secondary education. Founded in 1880 as a school for immigrant Jewish girls and restructured as a scholarship foundation in the 1930s, JFEW now operates two core programs: a non-sectarian College Program and a Heritage Program supporting Jewish women, complemented by Emergency Grants, Research Grants addressing systemic barriers, and Special Projects funding. The foundation partners with CUNY, SUNY, and select private institutions across New York State to deliver cohort-based scholarships, paid internships, dedicated advising, and professional development.

JFEW distributes impact through institutional partnerships rather than direct applications; students access JFEW programs through financial aid and program offices at partner campuses such as Hunter College, John Jay, City Tech, Queens College, Binghamton, Oswego, Rutgers, and Yeshiva. The foundation supplements direct scholar support with funded research on issues like food and housing insecurity, student-parents, and financial aid advising, partnering with institutions including Macaulay Honors College, Brandeis University's Cohen Center, and Temple University's HOPE Center. There is no proprietary technology product; the platform is human-led program delivery, with digital channels limited to a website and standard social media presence.

Revenue is generated entirely through philanthropic contributions: individual donations, endowment gifts (minimum $150,000 principal), planned giving and bequests, and securities or wire transfers. The foundation has awarded more than $30M in grants since 2015 and currently supports 400+ scholars annually, with a cumulative alumnae base exceeding 12,000. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors and operates with a small professional staff led by Executive Director Rona Sheramy.

Name

Jewish Foundation for Education of Women

Legal name

Jewish Foundation for the Education of Women

Website

https://jfew.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1880

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

JFEW is a 145-year-old New York nonprofit foundation that provides scholarships, paid internships, advising, and professional development to low-income women college students through partnerships with CUNY, SUNY, and select universities, supported by individual donations and endowment gifts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Grantmaking

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Scholarship, Financial Aid & FAFSA Support (EDAMAKAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Emergency Student Aid & Hardship Fund Administration (EDADAHAK)

Keywords

• Women's education scholarships
• Higher education grants
• Nonprofit scholarship programs
• Community college support
• Educational equity funding

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Others, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: JFEW raises funds from individual donors who support the organization's mission of helping women achieve higher education. Donors can contribute through the website, mail checks, or contact the organization directly.
2. Endowment Gifts: Donors can create endowed scholarship funds with a minimum principal of $150,000 to help women secure college degrees for generations to come.
3. Planned Giving and Bequests: JFEW accepts legacy gifts through wills, trusts, retirement plan beneficiary designations, life insurance policies, and bank/brokerage account transfers as part of donors' estate planning.
4. Securities and Wire Transfers: Donors can transfer appreciated securities or send bank wires to support JFEW's work.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

JFEW provides scholarships, paid internships, dedicated advising, professional development programming, peer networks, and emergency grants to women with financial need pursuing post-secondary education in New York State. Programs are delivered through cohort-based partnerships with CUNY, SUNY, and select private institutions, combining financial support with career readiness services. Complementary offerings include Research Grants funding studies on systemic barriers (food/housing insecurity, student-parents, campus inclusion) and Special Projects funding for community-based organizations distributing emergency grants.

Product overview

JFEW offers a portfolio of educational grantmaking and support services centered on two core programs: the College Program (non-sectarian scholarships, paid internships, advising, and professional development) and the Heritage Program (for Jewish women). These are complemented by Emergency Grants for students facing sudden financial needs, Research Grants addressing systemic issues in higher education, and Special Projects funding new initiatives. The organization operates as a philanthropic foundation rather than a technology platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• College Program A non-sectarian scholarship and support program for students of all backgrounds with financial need pursuing post-secondary education in New York. Delivered through partnerships with CUNY and SUNY campuses and select private institutions, combining scholarship funding with paid internships, dedicated advising, peer networks, and professional development opportunities.
• Heritage Program A scholarship program honoring JFEW's origins as a school for immigrant Jewish girls, supporting students with financial need who are committed to Jewish women's educational and professional advancement. Delivered through partnerships including Stern College at Yeshiva University and the UJA-CUNY Hillels Program, providing scholarships, paid internships, and professional development alongside Jewish community connection.
• Emergency Grants Short-term funding that helps college students facing unexpected expenses persist in and complete their degrees. Supported by family-endowed funds and distributed through community-based partner organizations such as Commonpoint Queens.
• Research Grants Funding for research addressing systemic issues impacting women with financial need pursuing a college degree, including food and housing insecurity, student-parents, financial aid advising, and campus inclusion for Jewish students. Awarded to research institutions such as Temple University's Hope Center, the Institute for Women's Policy Research, CUNY School of Public Health, Macaulay Honors College, and the Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies at Brandeis University.
• Special Projects Time-sensitive project funding and investments in new, strategically aligned opportunities in the post-secondary education space, including partnerships with community-based organizations such as Footsteps and Commonpoint Queens to distribute emergency grants to women in college facing immediate financial needs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 12,000 alumnae dating back to the late 1930s
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Macaulay Honors College, CUNYcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Research partnership to assess Jewish student success and inclusion at Macaulay Honors College, studying financial, academic and social needs of Jewish students and their impact on college completion and feelings of belonging.
• Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies at Brandeis UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Research funding for comprehensive study on how financial insecurity affects the academic and professional experiences of Jewish young adults across the country.
• University of Buffalo, SUNYcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Research on the experience of student-mothers across 6 SUNY 2-year and 4-year institutions, examining what campuses can do to be more welcoming for student-parents.
• Graduate NYC!minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020College Completion Innovation Fund (CCIF) - public-private partnership between CUNY, Department of Education, Mayor's office and private foundations seeking to double college completion among NYC students.
• Temple University HOPE Center for College, Community and JusticeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Comprehensive survey of student needs across New York's public college campuses assessing food and housing insecurity across SUNY and CUNY systems to inform structural and policy changes.
• Institute for Women's Policy ResearchminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Support for NYC convening and publications regarding cost/benefit analysis of single mothers in higher education, funded by ECMC Foundation.
• CUNY School of Public HealthminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017CUNY Campaign for Food Security program to foster student advocacy on campuses of John Jay College and Hostos Community College around food insecurity.
• Goddard Riverside Community CenterminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Options Center for College Access and Success program to create workshops for student advisors on maintaining financial aid while in college.
• ACE at SUNY OswegocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for students in the Accelerate, Complete, Engage program. JFEW supports a cohort in the comprehensive SUNY program designed to help students complete their bachelor's degree within four years.
• ACE at John Jay College, CUNYcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for students in the Accelerate, Complete, Engage program. JFEW supports a cohort in the comprehensive CUNY program designed to help students complete their bachelor's degree within four years.
• Hunter College, CUNYcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJFEW Eleanor Roosevelt Scholars program for students with demonstrated interest in public policy and public service. JFEW provides scholarship assistance, a summer internship stipend, and special programming to enhance professional development.
• New York City College of Technology, CUNYcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFor students in associate degree programs in dental hygiene and radiologic technology. JFEW provides scholarship assistance, a summer internship stipend and special programming to enhance professional development.
• Queens College, CUNYcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFor students in Communications Sciences and Disorders. JFEW provides scholarship assistance, a summer internship stipend, and special programming to enhance professional development.
• Rutgers UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJFEW Purpose Project Scholars Program for undergraduate students, with a focus on leadership and career development. JFEW provides scholarship assistance, summer internship stipends and professional and career development support.
• Binghamton University, SUNYcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJFEW Scholars Binghamton Leadership and Career Development Scholars Program for undergraduate students, with focus on leadership and career development. JFEW provides scholarship assistance, summer internship stipend and professional and career development support.
• Stern College, Yeshiva UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFor students in the sciences or humanities. JFEW provides scholarship assistance, summer internship stipends and special programming to enhance professional development.
• FootstepscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFor students in the Footsteps Scholarship Program. JFEW provides scholarship assistance.
• UJA-CUNY Hillels ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFor students active in CUNY Hillels at Baruch College, Hunter College, Brooklyn College, the College of Staten Island and Queens College. JFEW provides scholarship assistance, summer internship stipends, professional development support and mentoring through UJA's Career Services Initiative and Emerging Leaders programs.
• Long Island UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollege partnership supporting women committed to educational and professional advancement in New York State.
• Commonpoint QueensminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity-based organization partnership supporting women in college facing immediate financial needs through emergency grants.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• The New York Women's Foundation: NYC-based foundation funding programs that advance economic mobility, safety, and education for women and girls. Operates in the same NY metro geography as JFEW with overlapping education-focused grantmaking.
• Jackie Robinson Foundation: Provides multi-year scholarships, mentoring, and leadership development to college students with financial need. Closely aligned with JFEW's model of scholarships paired with cohort programming and professional development.
• Hispanic Scholarship Fund: Large national scholarship organization supporting Hispanic students in higher education through financial aid, mentoring, and career services. Comparable in structure (scholarships + wraparound support) but different demographic focus.
• American Association of University Women (AAUW): National nonprofit providing scholarships, fellowships, and grants to women pursuing higher education and graduate study. Most direct functional peer to JFEW given its mission of advancing women through education-focused financial support.
• Alpha Kappa Alpha Educational Advancement Foundation: Educational foundation affiliated with a historically African American sorority providing scholarships and grants to women in higher education. Similar women-focused scholarship grantmaking model with established brand history.
• Coca-Cola Scholars Program: Large corporate-backed scholarship foundation awarding achievement-based scholarships with leadership development programming to high-achieving students. Similar cohort/programmatic model but more selective and corporate-funded.

Regional players

• P.E.F. Israel Endowment Funds: Jewish charitable endowment supporting education and welfare programs, including scholarships. Comparable cultural/religious-affiliated grantmaking foundation with parallel constituency, though operating in Israeli context rather than NY-based.

Broad incumbents

• United Negro College Fund (UNCF): The largest scholarship provider for African American students, operating 1,000+ member institutions and administering scholarships, fellowships, and institutional grants. Larger scale incumbent in the same space.
• Gates Foundation (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation): Massive philanthropic foundation funding postsecondary completion initiatives including scholarships, research, and systemic interventions for low-income students. Operates at vastly larger scale but shares the economic mobility thesis.

Emerging players

• Scholly (Scholly Inc.): Digital scholarship-matching platform helping students find and apply for scholarships. Emerging tech-enabled peer addressing the same end-user need (financial access to higher education) via a different delivery model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/JFEWomen
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/jewish-foundation-for-education-of-women-jfew-
• Instagraminstagram.com/jfewomen

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Jewish Foundation for Education of Women