Keren Keshet - The Rainbow Foundation

Quick Stats

Annual Giving: $6,263,203
Average Grant Size: $229,689
Assets: $174.9 million
Geographic Focus: New York City metropolitan area, Israel, San Francisco
Application Process: Invitation only/no public application process

Contact Details

Address: New York, NY
EIN: 134069592

Note: The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications.

Overview

Keren Keshet - The Rainbow Foundation was established in 1999 following the death of billionaire financier Zalman Chaim Bernstein. Founded by his wife, Mem Dryan Bernstein, and longtime friend Arthur Fried as trustees, the foundation has enriched the Jewish world with nearly $300 million in grants over its first two decades. With assets of approximately $174.9 million and annual giving of over $6 million, Keren Keshet focuses on Jewish educational and cultural programs. The foundation has launched transformative enterprises including Tablet Magazine (through Nextbook), the Jewish Community High School of the Bay, and major cultural initiatives in Israel including Hebrew Book Week. The foundation operates with a strategic, high-impact approach, making substantial investments in organizations and initiatives that align with its vision for Jewish education and culture.

Funding Priorities

Grant Focus Areas

Jewish Education

Jewish day schools and high schools
Educational innovation and 21st-century learning
Hebrew language and Judaics instruction
Leadership development for educators

Jewish Culture and Literature

Jewish publishing and literary initiatives
Cultural programming in Israel
Public intellectual engagement with Jewish ideas
Digital media promoting Jewish culture

Geographic Focus

Primary: New York City metropolitan area
Secondary: Israel (particularly cultural activities)
Selected grants: San Francisco medical centers and Jewish organizations

Types of Support

General operating support
Project-specific funding
Capital investments (including property acquisition)
Multi-year commitments for major initiatives

Grant Range

Average grant: $229,689
Range: Varies significantly from smaller project grants to multi-million dollar investments
Major initiatives have received $3.5 million - $20+ million

What They Don't Fund

Specific exclusions are not publicly documented, but the foundation maintains a tightly focused portfolio around Jewish education and culture.

Governance and Leadership

Key Leadership:

Mem Dryan Bernstein - President and Trustee (widow of founder Zalman Bernstein, lives in Jerusalem)
Arthur Fried - Trustee (longtime friend and adviser to Zalman Bernstein)
Linda Sakacs - Secretary

Founder's Legacy: Zalman Chaim Bernstein (1929-1999) headed Sanford Bernstein Investment Bank in New York. In the 1980s, he moved closer to Orthodox Judaism and changed his name from Sanford to Zalman. He died in 1999, leaving approximately $900 million for philanthropic pursuits.

Philanthropic Philosophy: As articulated through the related AVI CHAI Foundation (also founded by Zalman Bernstein), the foundation values:

Deep alignment with the founder's vision of "the future of Judaism and the Jewish people"
Active trustee engagement "not only on a policy level, but also in project development"
Strategic data-driven decision-making (example: investing in day schools after analysis showed "9 years of immersive Jewish education was the best predictor of Judaic involvement for an adult")
Large-scale, transformative investments rather than small scattered grants

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. The foundation explicitly does not accept unsolicited requests for funding.

Grants are awarded through:

Trustee discretion and strategic initiative
Invitation from the foundation
Pre-existing relationships with foundation leadership
Foundation-initiated projects

Getting on Their Radar

The foundation operates through a highly strategic, proactive model where trustees identify and develop projects aligned with their mission. Based on available information about this specific funder:

Trustee Networks: The foundation's trustees (Mem Bernstein in Jerusalem and Arthur Fried) identify opportunities through their extensive networks in Jewish educational and cultural sectors
Strategic Initiatives: The foundation has a history of launching whole new enterprises rather than responding to applications (examples: founding Nextbook/Tablet Magazine, co-founding Jewish Community High School of the Bay)
Israel Connection: With Mem Bernstein based in Jerusalem, the foundation has strong ties to Israeli cultural institutions, particularly in literature and publishing

Application Success Factors

Since this foundation operates on an invitation-only basis, traditional "application success factors" do not apply. However, examining their funding patterns reveals what attracts foundation support:

What Keren Keshet Values

Transformative Scale and Vision

The foundation makes major, game-changing investments rather than small grants
Example: Purchased $20+ million property for Jewish Community High School of the Bay with innovative agreement that the school would receive the deed upon raising $20 million or reaching 400 students
Example: Committed over $1 million annually to Hebrew Book Week in Israel, transforming it into major public cultural events

Educational Innovation

Jewish Community High School of the Bay represented an innovative model for Jewish secondary education
The foundation provided two years' tuition for each of the school's first three classes to ensure viability

Cultural and Intellectual Impact

Nextbook (founded 2003) promotes Jewish literature and culture through commissioned books and Tablet Magazine
Keren Keshet funded Hebrew Book Week events including "children's shows, street performances, discussion panels about books, meetings with poets and writers at coffee houses, and special events in libraries"
All cultural events were "open to the public and free or at low admission cost"

Long-term Commitment

Multi-year funding relationships (example: Nextbook received $16 million annually as of 2009, with last recorded gift of $3.5 million in 2013)
Structural support for organizational sustainability

Geographic Connection

Strong preference for New York metropolitan area and Israel
Selected significant investments in San Francisco

Evidence from Funded Projects

The foundation "backed strong Jewish leaders and organizations in the U.S., Israel, and the former Soviet Union," suggesting they value:

Proven leadership
Organizations working across the Jewish diaspora
Both established institutions and bold new ventures

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

No public application process exists - this foundation cannot be approached through traditional grant applications
Invitation-only funding model - grants are awarded through trustee discretion and pre-existing relationships
Think transformational, not incremental - the foundation invests in major initiatives ($229,689 average grant) that can reshape Jewish education and culture
Geographic alignment matters - primary focus on New York City area and Israel, with selective West Coast funding
Educational and cultural nexus - strongest interest at the intersection of Jewish education, literature, culture, and intellectual life
Multi-year partnerships - the foundation builds long-term relationships with major grantees rather than one-time project support
Leadership and vision - funded projects demonstrate strong, visionary leadership aligned with the foundation's values
If your organization fits their profile, building relationships within New York and Israeli Jewish educational and cultural communities may create indirect pathways to foundation awareness

References

Keren Keshet-The Rainbow Foundation - Cause IQ - Accessed December 24, 2025
Keren Keshet - Foundation Directory - Candid - Accessed December 24, 2025
Keren Keshet The Rainbow Foundation - ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer - Accessed December 24, 2025
Nextbook - Wikipedia - Accessed December 24, 2025
Haaretz. (2004). "You Don't Have to Be Polite and Bashful" - Accessed December 24, 2025
eJewishPhilanthropy. "Mem Bernstein: 'Passing the Baton'" - Accessed December 24, 2025
eJewishPhilanthropy. "Donor Intent: The Legacy of Zalman Chaim Bernstein" - Accessed December 24, 2025
J Weekly. (2001). "Benefactor purchases $20 million S.F. campus for JCHS" - Accessed December 24, 2025
Jewish Community High School of the Bay - Wikipedia - Accessed December 24, 2025
Keren Keshet - The Rainbow Foundation - GrantStation - Accessed December 24, 2025