The Ryna and Melvin Cohen Family Foundation
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.
Key takeaways
- The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests and gives only to preselected charitable organisations, so a cold application is not the way in and should not be sent.
- The filing states no defined subject area or geographic focus, so fit cannot be judged from it alone; where an invitation exists, the recipients span many kinds of organisation, including health charities and youth organisations.
- If invited, a request within the typical range of $1,000 to $50,000 suits it, as half of its 166 grants to organisations were $5,000 or less across the filings, and that band is typical rather than a ceiling.
- In the latest filing, 48% of grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in the filing before, so it leans towards continuing relationships; the filing gives no timing or deadlines to plan around.
Overview
The Ryna and Melvin Cohen Family Foundation is a US private foundation based in Beltsville, MD.
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
The filings do not name a defined subject area for the foundation’s giving. They describe its grants as unrestricted support for recipient organisations’ tax-exempt purposes. The recipients include Jewish community federations and community organisations, synagogues, museums, universities, arts and cultural bodies, policy and civil-liberties organisations, health charities, youth organisations and social-service providers. The recorded gifts therefore span a range of charitable organisations rather than one repeated recipient type. The application information says that contributions are made only to preselected charitable organisations, and that unsolicited requests are not accepted. It gives no further description of the foundation’s preferred causes or selection approach.
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in New York, California and District of Columbia.
How to apply
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 48% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2023 filing.
- Grant size: Across its TY2023 and TY2024 filings, half of its 166 grants to organisations were $5,000 or less.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
6 other states: 6%
Outside the US or with no state on the filing: 2%
- The largest single recipient received 25% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 48% of grant dollars went to organisations The Ryna and Melvin Cohen Family Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- 53% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 48 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $5,000 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- JPMorgan Cohen Family Fund · Unrestricted support of the organizations tax exempt purpose$1,300,0002024 tax year
- San Francisco Jewish Community Federation · Unrestricted support of the organizations tax exempt purpose$900,0002024 tax year
- The John F Kennedy DC · Unrestricted support of the organizations tax exempt purpose$124,0002024 tax year
- Capital Jewish Museum · Unrestricted support of the organizations tax exempt purpose$105,0002024 tax year
- Anti-Defamation League · Unrestricted support of the organizations tax exempt purpose$100,0002024 tax year
- Bender JCC Of Greater Washington · Unrestricted support of the organizations tax exempt purpose$27,5002024 tax year
- Stanford University Development Services · Unrestricted support of the organizations tax exempt purpose$25,0002024 tax year
- SP National Links · Unrestricted support of the organizations tax exempt purpose$25,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Thea A Cohen — Vice President
- Theresa Cohen — Vice President
- Howard B Zack — Vice President
- Marcella E Cohen — Vice President
- Mark L Cohen — Vice President
- Diane C Zack — Vice President
- Neil D Cohen — President
- Ryna G Cohen — Vice President
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $2,563,945 | $2,225,427 | $34,542,283 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $2,736,558 | $2,440,735 | $49,109,166 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $3,173,537 | $2,791,022 | $60,453,053 | 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 Ryna and Melvin Cohen Family Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Beltsville, MD
Applying to The Ryna and Melvin Cohen Family Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Beltsville, MD