Klaff Family Foundation
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.
Key takeaways
- This foundation makes grants only to organisations it has preselected and does not accept unsolicited requests, so a small charity without an existing relationship should not apply.
- Where it does give, its support is broad, covering Jewish communal and religious organisations, educational institutions, social-service providers, health and disability organisations, arts and cultural organisations, and charitable foundations or grant intermediaries.
- Most grants are modest: about 8 in 10 of its 223 grants to organisations fall between $4,500 and $130,000, the median grant is $15,000, and half of its grants over its recent filings were $15,000 or less, so a request in that range fits its typical pattern (its one much larger grant, around $9,450,000, went to American Endowment Foundation, an intermediary it funds every year, rather than to a typical applicant).
- It looks strongly relationship-led rather than open to new approaches: 91% of its grant dollars went to organisations it had already funded in the two previous filings.
- No geographic focus is stated, so do not treat the states where grants happen to have gone as a rule about who may apply.
Overview
Klaff Family Foundation is a US private foundation based in Chicago, IL.
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 filing describes the grants as general, and the recipient list shows support to a varied set of charitable organisations rather than a named grant field. Recipients include Jewish communal and religious organisations, educational institutions, social-service providers, health and disability organisations, arts and cultural organisations, and charitable foundations or grant intermediaries. The filing states that contributions are made only to preselected charitable organisations and that unsolicited requests are not accepted. The available sources do not set out further funding priorities or detailed eligibility criteria.
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in Ohio, Illinois, New York and California.
How to apply
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organisations and does not accept unsolicited requests; no further submission steps are stated.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 91% 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 223 grants to organisations were $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
6 other states: 5%
Outside the US or with no state on the filing: 2%
- The largest single recipient received 55% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 91% of grant dollars went to organisations Klaff Family Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- <1% of grant dollars went directly to organisations outside the US (South Africa, United Kingdom, Austria, Brazil).
- 66% 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 $15,000 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- American Endowment Foundation · General$9,462,4332024 tax year
- JCC Chicago · General$1,299,9982024 tax year
- Start Early · General$833,3332024 tax year
- Johannesburg Jewish Helping Hand · General$702,5002024 tax year
- Jewish United Fund · General$412,5002024 tax year
- Fundacion Escuela Integral Hebreo Uruguaya · General$333,3332024 tax year
- Jewish National Fund USA · General$333,0002024 tax year
- Fundacion Tzedaka USA · General$250,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Hersch M Klaff — Director
- Zara Klaff — Director
- Marissa Klaff — Director
- Daniel Klaff — Director
- Avril M Klaff — Director
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $10,207,567 | $8,495,805 | $168,713,151 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $12,094,900 | $8,479,057 | $326,621,099 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $19,251,464 | $15,566,050 | $296,478,854 | 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 Klaff Family Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
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Contact
- Chicago, IL
Applying to Klaff Family Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Chicago, IL