The Ravitz Foundation
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.
Key takeaways
- The Ravitz Foundation does not accept unsolicited requests and makes contributions only to organisations it has preselected, so a cold application is not an open route here.
- Its grants have chiefly supported Jewish communal and educational organisations, including camps, Hillel bodies, community federations, schools and social-service providers, so work in that field is the closest fit the filing shows.
- About 8 in 10 of its grants fall between $1,000 and $90,000, with a median near $15,000, though its largest grant was $250,000, so that band is typical rather than a limit.
- Repeat giving is strong: in its latest filing, 81% of its grant dollars to organisations went to groups it had also funded in an earlier filing, so new recipients make up a small share of its giving.
Overview
The Ravitz Foundation is a US private foundation based in Farmington Hills, MI.
What they fund
Profile based on the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) only: no website or other web source for the foundation was found. Every statement is checked against the filings. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
Across its recorded grants, the foundation has chiefly supported Jewish communal and educational organisations, including camps, Hillel bodies, community federations, schools and social-service providers. Its grants also reach food assistance, community health and other community organisations. The recorded purposes are varied, although general support is the most common description; other named purposes include camper programmes, food subsidies, pantry work and community initiatives. Recipients are concentrated in Michigan, with a substantial share in New York and a small number in other states. The filing says that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organisations and does not accept unsolicited requests, so this is not an open application process.
Themes
From its grants, not stated by the foundation:
- Jewish communal organisations
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in Michigan and New York.
How to apply
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 81% 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 199 grants to organisations were about $15,000 or less.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
2 other states: <1%
- The largest single recipient received 12% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 81% of grant dollars went to organisations The Ravitz Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- 13% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 66 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $16,000 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Tamarack Camp · General support$247,5002024 tax year
- Anti-Defamation League · General support$136,0002024 tax year
- Hillel Campus Alliance of Michigan · General support$112,5002024 tax year
- Birthright Israel Foundation · General support$99,5002024 tax year
- Msu Hillel · Small communities initiative$90,0002024 tax year
- Jewish Senior Life of Metropolitan Detroit · Food subsidy program$90,0002024 tax year
- Msu Hillel · General support$90,0002024 tax year
- Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit · Israeli camper program$85,5002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Brian H Aaron — Treasurer / Director
- Jonathan Aaron — Secretary / Director
- Carole Shifman — Program Director / Director
- Burton Shifman — President / Director
- Steve Margolin — Director
- Bruce Gelbaugh — Director
- Jennifer Fritz — Director
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $2,615,188 | $2,128,350 | $40,401,290 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $2,530,714 | $1,992,329 | $43,255,301 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $2,912,517 | $2,093,700 | $44,613,132 | 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.
Sources
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At a glance
Applying to The Ravitz Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Farmington Hills, MI
Applying to The Ravitz Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Farmington Hills, MI