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Nash Family Foundation Inc

Annual Giving
$12.0M
Grant Range
$5K - $1.5M

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $11,978,545 (2024)
  • Total Assets: $13.2 million
  • Grant Range: Varies widely - median $20,000
  • Total Grants: 193 grants (2022), 165 awards (2023)
  • Geographic Focus: Primarily New York, with support for Israeli organizations
  • Application Method: Invitation only - no public application process

Contact Details

Address: 1 Rockefeller Plaza, 20th Floor, New York, NY 10020

Leadership Contact:

  • Judith Ginsberg, Executive Director
  • Yvette Schops, Grants Manager

Note: The foundation does not accept unsolicited funding requests. Contact information is provided for reference only.

Overview

The Nash Family Foundation Inc., established in 1965, continues the philanthropic legacy of Jack Nash (1929-2008), a pioneering hedge fund investor and co-founder of Odyssey Partners, and his wife Helen Nash (1935-2024), a Holocaust survivor and kosher cookbook author. With approximately $13.2 million in assets and $11.98 million in charitable disbursements in 2024, the foundation is devoted to advancing life-long learning and supporting the disadvantaged. The foundation focuses primarily on Jewish communities in New York and Israel who are in need of social services, educational support, and healthcare. Led by the Nash family's son Joshua Nash (President) and Helen Nash (Chairman until her passing in 2024), the foundation operates through trustee discretion, funding preselected organizations with which they have established relationships. As noted by Rabbi Menachem Creditor following Helen Nash's passing, "Her family foundation has changed the Jewish world for the better in countless ways."

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Nash Family Foundation operates without formal grant programs or application cycles. All grants are made at the discretion of the trustees to preselected organizations.

Major Areas of Support:

  • Healthcare and Medical Research: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai ($1.5M in 2022), Northwell Health Foundation ($500K in 2022)
  • Jewish Education: The Shefa School ($500K in 2022), supporting special needs education
  • Community Services: UJA Federation of New York ($440K in 2022)
  • Israeli Institutions: Support for organizations including Shaare Zedek Medical Center and Israel Museum

Grant Size: Median grant of $20,000, with significant variation ranging from smaller grants to seven-figure awards for major institutional partners.

Priority Areas

Based on 2022-2024 grant activity, the foundation prioritizes:

  • Jewish Community Support: Organizations serving Jewish populations in New York and Israel
  • Education: Particularly Jewish education and special needs education programs
  • Healthcare: Medical centers, research institutions, and healthcare access programs
  • Social Services: Organizations supporting disadvantaged and underserved populations
  • Arts and Culture: Jewish cultural institutions, museums, and preservation efforts
  • Youth Development: Programs supporting young people in Jewish communities

What They Don't Fund

The foundation explicitly states it "only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds." This effectively excludes:

  • Organizations without pre-existing relationships with the foundation or trustees
  • First-time applicants
  • Organizations outside their core focus on Jewish communities and education
  • General operating support requests from unknown organizations

Governance and Leadership

Board of Trustees (all positions unpaid):

  • Helen Nash - Chairman (until her passing in December 2024)
  • Joshua Nash - President (son of Jack and Helen Nash)
  • Morris H. Rosenthal - Secretary & Treasurer
  • Pamela Rohr - Executive Vice President

Staff:

  • Judith Ginsberg - Executive Director ($353,000 compensation in 2022). Dr. Ginsberg holds a Ph.D. in Spanish literature and previously served as founding Executive Director of The Covenant Foundation, where she established a significant presence in Jewish philanthropy beginning in 1990. Helen and Josh Nash hired her on the recommendation of Lisa Goldberg to run their family foundation.
  • Yvette Schops - Grants Manager ($98,000 compensation in 2022)

Foundation History: The foundation's philanthropic approach reflects the values of founders Jack and Helen Nash. Jack Nash was a German-born refugee who became a pioneering hedge fund manager, co-founding Odyssey Partners with Leon Levy in 1982. The firm generated annualized returns of 22.4% over 15 years before liquidation in 1997 with $3.3 billion under management. Forbes estimated Nash's net worth at $750 million in 2004. In 2008, he was posthumously inducted into Institutional Investors Alpha's Hedge Fund Manager Hall of Fame alongside George Soros, James Simons, and Michael Steinhardt. Helen Nash was a noted kosher cookbook author and dedicated philanthropist.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process.

The Nash Family Foundation explicitly states: "As of September 1, 2023, the Nash Family Foundation will no longer accept unsolicited grant applications from organizations we have not funded in the past."

The foundation operates exclusively on an invitation-only basis, making contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. This policy change was implemented because "the Nash Family Foundation has been receiving an extremely large number of grant applications that far exceed our limited financial resources."

Exception: Organizations that have received funding in the past may submit multi-year grant applications, but new applicants cannot apply.

Getting on Their Radar

Foundation-Specific Intelligence:

Given the foundation's explicit no-unsolicited-applications policy and trustee-discretionary approach, there is no direct pathway for new organizations to apply. However, based on the foundation's documented approach:

  • Personal Connections: The foundation states it is "committed to helping small organizations based in the communities where the Trustees live as well as those we have come to know personally." This suggests trustees identify opportunities through their personal networks and community involvement.

  • Geographic Proximity: Trustees have connections to the New York area, where most grants are concentrated. The foundation supports organizations in communities where board members live and work.

  • Institutional Relationships: Major beneficiaries like Mount Sinai Medical Center have family connections (Jack Nash passed away there, and Joshua Nash has maintained support for the institution).

  • Sector Networks: Executive Director Judith Ginsberg has deep connections in Jewish philanthropy through her previous role at The Covenant Foundation. Organizations known within these networks may come to the foundation's attention.

Note: These are observational insights, not recommendations to circumvent the foundation's stated policies. Organizations seeking funding should respect the foundation's decision not to accept unsolicited applications.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - the foundation does not operate on an application cycle. Grants are made at trustee discretion throughout the year.

Success Rates

Not publicly disclosed. Given the invitation-only model, traditional success rate metrics do not apply.

Reapplication Policy

Organizations previously funded by the foundation may submit multi-year grant applications. The foundation has not specified waiting periods or restrictions for past grantees seeking renewed funding.

Application Success Factors

Since this foundation operates on an invitation-only basis without a public application process, traditional application success factors are not applicable. However, analysis of their funding patterns reveals what the foundation values:

Established Relationships Are Essential: The foundation explicitly states it supports "small organizations based in the communities where the Trustees live as well as those we have come to know personally." Every grant reflects a pre-existing relationship or connection to the Nash family or trustees.

Jewish Community Focus: The overwhelming majority of grants support Jewish organizations, Jewish education, or Israeli institutions. As one source noted, the foundation "devotes most of its resources to helping members of Jewish communities in New York and Israel who are in need of social services."

Major Institutional Partners: The foundation maintains significant multi-year relationships with major institutions including:

  • Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (seven-figure grants)
  • UJA Federation of New York (consistent six-figure support)
  • The Shefa School (special needs Jewish education)
  • Northwell Health Foundation

Special Needs and Vulnerable Populations: The mission to support "the disadvantaged" is reflected in funding for The Shefa School (special needs education) and social service organizations serving vulnerable Jewish populations.

Healthcare and Medical Research: Strong emphasis on medical institutions, particularly those with family connections (Mount Sinai, where Jack Nash received treatment; Shaare Zedek in Israel).

Educational Excellence: The foundation's commitment to "advancing life-long learning" appears in grants to educational institutions at all levels, from youth programs to university medical schools.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No Public Application Process: This foundation is not accessible to new organizations. They ceased accepting unsolicited applications in September 2023 due to overwhelming demand exceeding resources.

  • Trustee-Discretionary Model: All grants are made to preselected organizations based on trustees' personal knowledge and relationships, not through competitive application review.

  • Jewish Philanthropy Focus: Nearly all funding supports Jewish communities, institutions, and causes in New York and Israel - this is the foundation's primary mission.

  • Previous Grantees Have Access: If your organization has been funded before, you may submit multi-year grant proposals, giving you privileged access not available to new applicants.

  • Relationship-Driven: The foundation explicitly prioritizes "small organizations based in the communities where the Trustees live as well as those we have come to know personally" - personal connection is paramount.

  • Significant Range in Grant Sizes: While the median grant is $20,000, major institutional partners receive six- to seven-figure grants, suggesting deep, long-term relationships yield larger commitments.

  • Financial Capacity: With approximately $12 million in annual giving and $13 million in assets, the foundation has substantial resources but operates selectively through its closed model.

References

  1. ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer - Nash Family Foundation Inc. (EIN 136168559). https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/136168559 (Accessed January 2026)

  2. Grantmakers.io - Nash Family Foundation Inc. Profile (2022 Tax Year). https://www.grantmakers.io/profiles/v0/136168559-nash-family-foundation-inc/ (Accessed January 2026)

  3. The Nash Family Foundation website. https://thenashfoundation.org/ (Note: This appears to be a different Nash Family Foundation based in Wisconsin) (Accessed January 2026)

  4. Wikipedia - Jack Nash (businessman). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Nash_(businessman) (Accessed January 2026)

  5. Cleveland Jewish News / JTA - "Helen Nash, kosher cookbook author and NYC philanthropist, dies at 89" (December 2024). https://www.clevelandjewishnews.com/jta/helen-nash-kosher-cookbook-author-and-nyc-philanthropist-dies-at-89/article_1d829819-c04c-58cc-8ff7-0a4d21fbc2dd.html (Accessed January 2026)

  6. The New York Sun - "Jack Nash, 79, a Founder Of Odyssey Partners and Sun" (Obituary, August 2008). https://www.nysun.com/article/obituaries-jack-nash-79-a-founder-of-odyssey-partners-and-sun (Accessed January 2026)

  7. Jewish Women's Archive - Paris Center Stories: "Realizing Your Dreams" with Paul LeClerc and Judith Ginsberg. https://globalcenters.columbia.edu/news/paris-center-stories-realizing-your-dreams-paul-leclerc-and-judith-ginsberg (Accessed January 2026)

  8. Philanthropy New York - The Nash Family Foundation Profile. https://philanthropynewyork.org/redhen/org/1210 (Accessed January 2026)

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