The Yonah Foundation
At a glance
Key takeaways
- The foundation's stated mission is Torah learning and teaching, women's Torah education and support for Israel's Defense Forces, and its priority geography is all over the world and Israel, so a Jewish education project or one linked to Israel Defense Forces is the clearest fit.
- Typical grants fall between $10,000 and $40,000, with a median of $20,000 and about 8 in 10 of its 59 grants in that band, though its largest grant was about $180,000, so a request in or near that band is a realistic size.
- Its website invites people interested in establishing a learning centre to get in touch and welcomes sponsorship enquiries, so a short contact before a full application is the route it describes.
- Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, and only 8% of its grant dollars went to organisations it had also funded in the earlier filing, so most of its grant dollars have gone to organisations it had not funded the year before.
Overview
The Yonah Foundation is a US private foundation based in New York, NY.
What they fund
Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The foundation describes its mission as growing Torah learning and teaching, supporting women’s Torah education and supporting Israel’s Defense Forces. It says that it supports women’s Torah centres all over the world, teaching all the Laws to the next generation. Its grant record shows a strong focus on women’s religious education, alongside other religious education and military protective gear. The recipient organisations include Chabad centres, congregations and Jewish education providers, including schools. Its own account presents learning centres and teachers as central to its work, and invites contact from people interested in establishing or sponsoring a learning centre. Its stated approach is to extend Torah learning and teaching across communities and generations.
Themes
- Women's Torah education
- Israel Defense Forces
Geographic Focus
Priority: All over the world; Israel.
How to apply
The site invites people interested in establishing a learning centre to contact the foundation; it also welcomes sponsorship enquiries.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 8% 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 59 grants to organisations were $20,000 or less.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2023–2024.
Grant dollars by state
3 other states: 4%
Outside the US or with no state on the filing: 23%
- The largest single recipient received 14% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 8% of grant dollars went to organisations The Yonah Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- 23% of grant dollars went directly to organisations outside the US (Canada, Israel, Ukraine).
- 1% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 49 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $20,000 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Friends of Emek Lone Soldiers · Women's religious education & protective gear$181,8432024 tax year
- Melehet Mahshevet Judaica · Military protective gear$98,9022024 tax year
- Chabad Lubavitch of Richmond Hill · Womens religious education$40,0002024 tax year
- Jewish Renaissance Center · Religious education$40,0002024 tax year
- Emek Hebrew Day School Ref · To support religious education$25,0002024 tax year
- Yula High School · Women's religious education$23,6752024 tax year
- Chabad of Brookline · Womens religious education$20,0002024 tax year
- Circle of Kindness · To support religious education$20,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Joanne Rose — Trustee
- Justin Sacks-Wilner — Trustee
- Joanne Krupp — Trustee
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
2 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 tax year | $362,286 | $350,000 | $19,877,914 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $1,316,448 | $1,199,220 | $19,917,150 | 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
Registers and filings
Other sources
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At a glance
Applying to The Yonah Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- New York, NY
- theyonahfoundation.com
Applying to The Yonah Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- New York, NY
- theyonahfoundation.com