RFI Foundation

Private foundation · EIN 54-2076962 · since 2002·District of Columbia, Maryland, New York, Virginia·Updated 13 October 2026

At a glance

$237k
Annual giving, 2025 tax year
From the Form 990-PF filing
$1,000 to $25,000
Grant range
From grants in the 990-PF filings
$22,500
Typical grant (median)
12 grants in the latest filing
Invitation only
Unsolicited applications are not accepted

This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.

Key takeaways

  • The foundation makes grants only to organisations it has preselected and does not accept unsolicited requests, so a small charity should not send one and should wait to be invited.
  • Where a request is made, the typical grant band in the filing runs from $1,000 to $25,000, with about 8 in 10 grants to organisations in that range and a median of $10,000, so a request near that level fits its pattern.
  • The largest grant was about $140,000, so that band is not a ceiling.
  • About 45% of grant dollars to organisations in the latest filing went to organisations it had also funded in earlier filings, which suggests that existing ties may matter more than a cold approach.
  • The filing states no geographic focus and no general eligibility framework, and it sets out no application timetable.

Overview

RFI Foundation is a US private foundation based in Bethesda, MD.

What they fund

Profile based on the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2025, TY2024, TY2023) 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 the recorded organisation grants, the foundation makes donations to a varied mix of charitable organisations. Recipients include Jewish communal and educational bodies, advocacy and policy organisations, universities, faith communities, health and social-care providers, and cultural organisations. The filing describes each grant purpose simply as a donation, rather than naming a specific field. Its stated approach is to contribute only to preselected charitable organisations and not to accept unsolicited requests. The available sources do not set out a general eligibility framework or further public programme priorities.

Geographic Focus

No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in New York, District of Columbia, Virginia and Maryland.

How to apply

Contributions are made only to preselected charitable organisations; unsolicited requests are not accepted.

Application success factors

  • Repeat giving: In its TY2025 filing, 45% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2023 or TY2024 filing.
  • Grant size: Across its TY2023, TY2024 and TY2025 filings, half of its 36 grants to organisations were $10,000 or less.

Where grants go

From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2023–2025.

Grant dollars by state

New York48%
District of Columbia20%
Virginia16%
Maryland10%
California5%
Pennsylvania<1%

2 other states: <1%

  • The largest single recipient received 33% of grant dollars to organisations.
  • In tax year 2025, 45% of grant dollars went to organisations RFI Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
  • No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
  • 9% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.

Grants

12 grants in the latest filing analysed · median $22,500

How much do they typically give?

Share of 12 grants in tax year 2025 by size

$1k–$2.5k8%
$2.5k–$5k0%
$5k–$10k8%
$10k–$25k33%
$25k–$50k42%
$50k–$100k8%

Median $22,500 (tax year 2025)

The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:

  • American Jewish Committee · donation
    $50,0002025 tax year
  • American Israel Education Foundation · Donation
    $25,0002025 tax year
  • Conference of Presidents · Donation
    $25,0002025 tax year
  • Coalition for a Safer Web · Donation
    $25,0002025 tax year
  • Foundation for the Defense of Democracies · donation
    $25,0002025 tax year
  • Scotland AME Zion Chruch · Donation
    $25,0002025 tax year
  • University of California, Santa Cruz · Donation
    $20,0002025 tax year
  • UJA Federation of NY · donation
    $15,0002025 tax year

Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.

Officers and directors

  • Norman Freidkin — Treasurer & Director
  • Maura Dyer — Secretary & Exective Director
  • Joshua B Rales — President & Direcor

From the latest Form 990-PF filing

3 years of tax filings

YearTotal expensesGrants paidAssetsFiling document
2023 tax year$160,130$155,855$3,645,154Filing for 2023 tax year
2024 tax year$260,428$251,205$3,494,715Filing for 2024 tax year
2025 tax year$249,860$237,000$6,071,512Filing for 2025 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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Contact

  • Bethesda, MD