Jacob and Hilda Blaustein Foundation
At a glance
Key takeaways
- This Baltimore, MD-based foundation funds six programme areas - public education, arts and culture, health and mental health, Israeli democracy, Jewish life, and international human rights - so check that your work sits within one of these before applying, bearing in mind its geographic focus is Baltimore City, the Baltimore metropolitan area, the Negev, and the USA.
- Most grants are modest: across its filings half of its 601 grants to organisations were $35,000 or less, and typical grants range from $1,150 to $75,000, so a request in that range is realistic.
- Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, but applicants are normally asked to contact a Program Officer through the Contact form to discuss fit before submitting a full proposal.
- The foundation looks relationship-led rather than wide open to newcomers, since 82% of its grant dollars went to organisations it had also funded previously.
- It does not fund grants or scholarships to individuals, unsolicited proposals for academic, scientific or medical research, or direct mail, annual giving, membership, special events or fundraising campaigns, and within specific programmes it excludes individual-school programming or capital needs, local or regional Israeli-democracy efforts outside the Negev, vocational-education or non-degree proposals, local or regional environmental efforts outside the Negev, teen programming or local community-based Jewish-life efforts such as individual synagogues, JCCs or campus Hillel programs, and domestic programs under international human rights.
Overview
Jacob and Hilda Blaustein Foundation is a US private foundation based in Baltimore, MD.
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 Jacob and Hilda Blaustein Foundation promotes social justice and human rights through six programme areas: strengthening public education, arts and culture, health and mental health, strengthening Israeli democracy, Jewish life, and international human rights. Its Baltimore work backs improved public-school teaching and leadership, arts education and wider access to culture, and better access to affordable health and mental-health services. In Israel, it supports a pluralistic society, equality and shared society, educational and workforce pathways for ethnic minorities, environmental protection, and civil and human rights. Its Jewish-life work spans national and regional efforts in the USA; international human-rights grants generally support US-based organisations addressing international issues. It supports organisations that promote systemic change, include constituents in identifying needs and decision-making, encourage innovation, and set clear goals with evaluation processes and long-range funding strategies.
Themes
- Public education
- Arts and culture
- Health and mental health
- Israeli democracy
- Jewish life
- International human rights
Geographic Focus
Baltimore City; Baltimore metropolitan area; Negev; USA.
What They Don't Fund
- Grants or scholarships to individuals
- Unsolicited proposals for academic, scientific or medical research
- Direct mail, annual giving and membership campaigns, special events and fundraising events
- Strengthening Public Education only: programming or capital needs of individual schools
- Strengthening Israeli Democracy only: local or regional efforts outside the Negev; proposals for vocational education or for programs that work with individuals without academic degrees; proposals for local and regional environmental efforts in other areas of the country
- Jewish Life only: teen programming; local, community-based efforts such as individual synagogues, JCCs, or campus Hillel programs
- International Human Rights only: domestic programs in this area
How to apply
Applicants are typically asked to contact a Program Officer through the Contact form to assess fit before submitting a proposal; the officer provides the email address for electronic submission.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 82% 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 601 grants to organisations were $35,000 or less.
What the foundation says:
- It supports organisations that promote systemic change, involve constituents in identifying needs and decision-making, encourage innovation, and have clear goals, evaluation processes and long-range funding strategies.
- Applicants are encouraged to contact a Program Officer before submitting a proposal to discuss its potential fit.
- For international human-rights work, it generally favours US-based organisations addressing international issues rather than organisations based abroad, and rarely supports projects focused on one country or region.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
6 other states: 3%
- The largest single recipient received 15% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 82% of grant dollars went to organisations Jacob and Hilda Blaustein Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- <1% of grant dollars went directly to organisations outside the US (Israel).
- 39% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 220 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $35,000 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Associated Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore · general support for the 2024 Annual Campaign$650,0002024 tax year
- Associated Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore · general support for the 2024 Annual Campaign$650,0002024 tax year
- Accelerate Change · general support for a challenge grant$450,0002024 tax year
- Ground Game Fund · support for DJs at the Polls$200,0002024 tax year
- Equis Institute · support for Equis Research$200,0002024 tax year
- Verified Voting Foundation · general support$150,0002024 tax year
- Ground Game Fund · support for the Focus for Democracy re-granting pool$150,0002024 tax year
- PEF Israel Endowment Funds · support for Sikkuy-Aufoq-For a Shared and Equal Society for activities in the Negev$150,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Judith R Weinstein — Director
- Majorie B Roswell — Director
- Gina B Hirschhorn — Director
- Arthur E Roswell — Director
- Jennifer L Bove — Assistant Treasurer
- Anne L Shelton — Assistant Treasurer
- Daniel B Hirschhorn — Assistant Treasurer
- Sandra L Glock — Assistant Treasurer
- Stephen J Bass — Treasurer
- Scott L Soffen — Assistant Secretary
- Regan E Ralph — Assistant Secretary & Executive Director
- Jennifer A Pratt — Secretary
- Sarah H Shapiro — Vice President & Director
- Barbara S Roswell — Vice President & Director
- Michael J Hirschhorn — 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 | $10,156,889 | $8,652,853 | $133,784,607 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $10,351,144 | $9,032,286 | $141,791,754 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $11,903,429 | $10,449,607 | $146,104,395 | 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 Jacob and Hilda Blaustein Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (410) 347-7201
- Baltimore, MD
- blaufund.org/jacob-and-hilda-blaustein-foundation
Applying to Jacob and Hilda Blaustein Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (410) 347-7201
- Baltimore, MD
- blaufund.org/jacob-and-hilda-blaustein-foundation