The David Berg Foundation

Private foundation · EIN 13-3753217 · since 1994bergfoundation.org·Europe, International, Israel, United States·Updated 13 October 2026

At a glance

$2.9M

Annual giving, 2024 tax year

From the Form 990-PF filing

$5,000 to $100k

Grant range

From grants in the 990-PF filings

$25,000

Typical grant (median)

72 grants in the latest filing

Invitation only

Unsolicited applications are not accepted

This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.

Key takeaways

The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests, so a cold application is unlikely to be considered; a small charity should only approach it by invitation, and should not send an unsolicited request.
If your work covers Jewish museums, exhibitions, history or archives, combating antisemitism, civil legal services, services for elderly or indigent people, or kosher food and rescue, it fits the foundation's stated themes, and its priority geographic focus is worldwide, United States, Israel and Europe, with legal-services support prioritising non-profits serving Jewish communities.
Its typical grant range is $5,000 to $100,000 rather than a ceiling, and the median grant is $25,000, so a modest request in that region is the realistic size to plan around.
In its most recent filing, 78% of grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in earlier filings, so the foundation leans heavily on existing grantees and any approach should be based on an existing connection.

Overview

The David Berg Foundation is a US private foundation based in New York, NY.

What they fund

Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.

Priority Areas

The Foundation supports law, legal education, public policy, museums, Jewish history, religion and art. It strengthens Jewish institutions by preserving, interpreting and making accessible primary historical documents, and supports archives, libraries and cultural institutions through scholarly research, fellowships, conservation and digitisation. Its museum work includes exhibitions, research and publications on Jewish art, culture and history. It funds civil legal services and legal advocacy, including law-school clinics and non-profit organisations providing free civil legal services for low-income and underserved communities, with priority to those serving Jewish communities. It also supports efforts to combat antisemitism, Holocaust education and security at synagogues, museums and senior centres. Its work includes Jewish communal services for elderly and indigent people, aid for blind people, palliative care, and kosher food services and food rescue. It prioritises the needs of the Jewish community worldwide.

Themes

Jewish museums and exhibitions
Jewish history and archives
Combating antisemitism
Legal services
Elderly and indigent services
Kosher food and rescue

Geographic Focus

Priority: Worldwide; United States; Israel; Europe.

How to apply

The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests.

Application success factors

Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 78% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 or TY2023 filing.
Grant size: Across its TY2022, TY2023 and TY2024 filings, half of its 213 grants to organisations were $25,000 or less.

What the foundation says:

For legal-services support, the Foundation gives priority to non-profit organisations serving Jewish communities.

Where grants go

From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.

Grant dollars by state

New York78%

District of Columbia6%

California5%

Pennsylvania4%

Massachusetts3%

New Jersey2%

6 other states: 2%

The largest single recipient received 5% of grant dollars to organisations.
In tax year 2024, 78% of grant dollars went to organisations The David Berg Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
3% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.

Grants

72 grants in the latest filing analysed · median $25,000

How much do they typically give?

Share of 72 grants in tax year 2024 by size

$1k–$2.5k8%

$2.5k–$5k1%

$5k–$10k14%

$10k–$25k15%

$25k–$50k24%

$50k–$100k26%

$100k–$250k10%

$250k–$500k1%

Median $25,000 (tax year 2024)

The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:

NLI USA · Gallery / exhibitions
$250,0002024 tax year
The New York Historical · Museum display cases
$200,0002024 tax year
Nyu Grossman School Of Medicine · Elder care services / education
$150,0002024 tax year
American Friends of Rambam Medical Center · Humanitarian emergency aid
$100,0002024 tax year
IsraAID US Global Humanitarian Assistance · Humanitarian emergency aid
$100,0002024 tax year
Netherland-America Foundation · Museum exhibition
$100,0002024 tax year
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum · Archive digitization
$100,0002024 tax year
American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee · Elder care services
$100,0002024 tax year

Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.

Officers and directors

Valerie Tocci Longobardi — Director
William D Zabel — Treasurer / Director
Michele C Tocci — President / Director

From the latest Form 990-PF filing

3 years of tax filings

Year	Total expenses	Grants paid	Assets	Filing document
2022 tax year	$6,525,734	$2,996,660	$92,111,239	Filing for 2022 tax year
2023 tax year	$5,049,539	$3,443,588	$92,563,422	Filing for 2023 tax year
2024 tax year	$6,841,987	$2,914,750	$95,714,655	Filing for 2024 tax year

Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.