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Brandeis University

Foundation · Grantmaker Waltham, MA EIN: 04-2103552 Website

Brandeis University is a 501(c)(3) educational institution located in Waltham, Massachusetts. Founded in 1947, it operates as a community of scholars and students united by their commitment to the pursuit of knowledge and its transmission from generation to generation. The university maintains a substantial workforce and operates as a Massachusetts-domiciled corporation.

Key facts about Brandeis University

EIN
04-2103552
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2025
Annual giving (2025)
$6,602,549
Grants made (2025)
47
Average grant
$140,480
Median grant
$50,064
New grantees (estimate)
17% first-time grantees (8 of 47, 2025)
Total assets
$1,970,333,569
Primary geography
Massachusetts (60% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).

Who Brandeis University funds

By grant dollars, the top recipient states for Brandeis University's 47 itemized 2025 grants were Massachusetts (60%), Illinois (8%) and California (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Boston, MA (6 grants), Washington, DC (5 grants), Chicago, IL (2 grants) and Cambridge, MA (2 grants). None of its 47 grants with a stated purpose were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Research" (47 grants).

Is Brandeis University open to new grantees?

17%

first-time grantees, 2025

In 2025, 8 of 47 grantees (17%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $26K; repeat grants $164K. How we count

Medians: $23K first-time, $74K repeat.

  • 72% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
  • Giving grew 54% from 2022 to 2025. Method

Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990-PF grant lists (2020–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.

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Financial Overview

From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$2.0B

+12.3% YoY

Annual Giving

$6.6M

+5.8% YoY

Grant Count

47

-2.1% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$140K

+8.1% YoY

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

Mission Statement: An educational institution, a community of scholars and students united by their commitment to the pursuit of knowledge and its transmission from generation to generation.

The university's grantmaking focuses on:

  • Education
  • Human Services
  • Health Care
  • Social Science & Humanities
  • STEM Education

Primary geographic focus for grants includes Massachusetts, California, and Rhode Island.

Grantmaking

Brandeis University operates as a grantmaking organization with total giving of $127,730,690 according to recent IRS filings. Typical grant awards range from $5,017 to $854,260.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

Primary grantmaking activity occurs in:

  • Massachusetts
  • California
  • Rhode Island

Grant Distribution by State

28states

Share of all 47 itemized 2025 grant dollars.

Cities

BostonWashingtonNew YorkCambridgeProvidenceSan FranciscoWorcesterAnn ArborChicagoAmherstBerkeleyColumbiaDurhamMaldenMedfordRochesterRoslindaleSeattleBoulderChestnut Hill

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Assets: $1,755,184,696

Annual Revenue: $746,691,599 (2024 gross receipts)

Total Giving: $127,730,690

Net Assets/Fund Balances: $1,390,841,395 (as of June 30, 2023)

Employees: 5,302

Volunteers: 3,196

Tax-Exempt Status: 501(c)(3), tax-exempt since September 1941

EIN: 04-2103552

Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$151M$302M$453M$604M202020212022202320242025
Metric202520242023
Total Assets$1,970,333,569$1,755,184,696$1,729,108,819
Revenue$496,910,407$502,522,897$478,693,199
Expenses$548,898,836$546,022,794$516,290,241
Qualifying Distributions———
Net Investment Income$8,996,502$10,177,134$7,633,059
Distributable Amount———

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 11, 2026)
  2. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$2M$3M$5M$7M37 grants202060 grants202161 grants202246 grants202348 grants202447 grants2025

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

Massachusetts General Hospital: $1.2MMassachusetts General Hospital$1.2MPresident and Fellows of Harvard College: $857KPresident and Fellows ofHarvard College$857KTrustees of Boston University: $673KTrustees of Boston University$673KNorc: $518KNorc$518KOregon Health & Science University: $354KOregon Health & ScienceUniversity$354KTrustees of Tufts College: $284KTrustees of Tufts College$284KCambridge Public Health Commission: $232KCambridge Public HealthCommission$232KRegents of the University of California: $201KRegents of the University ofCalifornia$201KUniversity of Massachusetts - Worcester: $189KUniversity of Massachusetts -Worcester$189KMagee Womens Research Institute & Foundation: $168KMagee Womens ResearchInstitute & Foundation$168K

Grant Size Distribution

262 grants across all recorded years

135<$50K57$50–100K46$100–250K15$250–500K8$500K–1M1$1–5M$5M+

Open Grants

2 open opportunities from Brandeis University

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2025 grants, the largest recipients include Massachusetts General Hospital ($1,166,219), President and Fellows of Harvard College ($856,864), Trustees of Boston University ($673,080).

RecipientPurposeAmount
MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL Boston, MARESEARCH$1,166,219
PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE Boston, MARESEARCH$856,864
TRUSTEES OF BOSTON UNIVERSITY Boston, MARESEARCH$673,080
NORC Chicago, ILRESEARCH$517,593
OREGON HEALTH & SCIENCE UNIVERSITY Portland, ORRESEARCH$353,868
TRUSTEES OF TUFTS COLLEGE Medford, MARESEARCH$284,426
CAMBRIDGE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION Cambridge, MARESEARCH$232,166
REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA San Francisco, CARESEARCH$200,716
UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS - WORCESTER Worcester, MARESEARCH$189,154
MAGEE WOMENS RESEARCH INSTITUTE & FOUNDATION Pittsburgh, PARESEARCH$168,330

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Arthur Levine - Principal Officer (as of 2024 Form 990)

Ronald Liebowitz - Principal Officer (as of 2023 Form 990)

The governing body consists of 48 voting members, with 46 independent voting members.

Compensation Overview

From 2025 IRS filing

Ronald Liebowitz — President (Thru 11/1/24): $1.3MRonald LiebowitzPresident (Thru 11/1/24)$1.3MTarek Saghir — Chief Investment Officer: $708KTarek SaghirChief Investment Officer$708KCarol Fierke — Provost, EVP Academic Affairs: $649KCarol FierkeProvost, EVP Academic Affairs$649KStewart Uretsky — EVP Finance and Administration: $585KStewart UretskyEVP Finance and Administration$585KKathryn Appleby — Dean: $507KKathryn ApplebyDean$507KChris Hofmann — Director of Investments: $409KChris HofmannDirector of Investments$409KSamuel Solomon — CFO, Treasurer: $387KSamuel SolomonCFO, Treasurer$387KJames La Creta — Chief Information Officer: $378KJames La CretaChief Information Officer$378KJeffrey Shoulson — Dean: $377KJeffrey ShoulsonDean$377KAnna Scherbina — Faculty: $376KAnna ScherbinaFaculty$376KDebarshi Nandy — Faculty: $367KDebarshi NandyFaculty$367KSteven Locke — SVP, General Counsel: $359KSteven LockeSVP, General Counsel$359KLois Stanley — VP Campus Operations: $306KLois StanleyVP Campus Operations$306KRobin Switzer — VP HR: $291KRobin SwitzerVP HR$291KHannah Peters — SVP Inst Advncmnt (Thru 6/2024): $283KHannah PetersSVP Inst Advncmnt (Thru 6/2024)$283KSteven Karel — Vice Provost for Research: $245KSteven KarelVice Provost for Research$245KMeredith Ainbinder — Chief of Staff: $235KMeredith AinbinderChief of Staff$235KJennifer Walker — VP Enrollment (As of 12/2024): $227KJennifer WalkerVP Enrollment (As of 12/2024)$227KJulie Jette — SVP Communications (Thru 7/2024): $198KJulie JetteSVP Communications (Thru 7/2024)$198KArthur Levine — Interim President (As of 11/2024): $161KArthur LevineInterim President (As of…$161KOrla O'Brien — Assistant Secretary: $136KOrla O'BrienAssistant Secretary$136K

From 2025 IRS filing

NameTitleHoursCompensation
Ronald LiebowitzPresident (Thru 11/1/24)60$1,284,634
Arthur LevineInterim President (As of 11/2024)60$160,786
Lisa R KrancTrustee - Chair2—
Ronald a RatnerTrustee - Vice Chair (As of 7/2024)2—
Cynthia D ShapiraTrustee - Vice Chair2—
Curtis H TearteTrustee - Vice Chair2—
Leslie M AronzonTrustee - Secretary2—
Cynthia L BerensonTrustee1—
Stephen L BergerTrustee1—
Deborah BialTrustee1—
Daniel H BlumenthalTrustee1—
Lewis H BrooksTrustee1—
Steven M BunsonTrustee (Thru 9/29/24)1—
Merle R CarrusTrustee1—
Amy L CohenTrustee1—
Barbara a Dortch-OkaraTrustee1—
Nancy a DreyerTrustee1—
Susan K FeigenbaumTrustee1—
Madalyn E FriedbergTrustee1—
David a HarrisTrustee1—
Marjorie HassTrustee1—
Daniel J JickVice Chair (Thru 6/2024), Trustee1—
Ronald L KaisermanTrustee1—
Ellen L KaplanTrustee1—
Stephen B KayTrustee1—
Martin R KupferbergTrustee1—
Sylvia M NeilTrustee1—
Monique L NelsonTrustee1—
Gregory a PetskoTrustee1—
Stephen R ReinerTrustee1—
Adam RifkinTrustee1—
Leonard X RosenbergTrustee1—
Jay S RudermanTrustee1—
Daniel S RuevenTrustee1—
Karen Richards SachsTrustee1—
Carol R SaivetzTrustee1—
Barbara Z SanderTrustee1—
Mindy L SchneiderTrustee1—
Bram ShapiroTrustee1—
Malcom L ShermanTrustee1—
Todd E SolowayTrustee1—
Mark a SurchinTrustee1—
Barton J WinokurTrustee1—
Lewin C WrightTrustee1—
Bing-Le WuTrustee1—
Lan XueTrustee1—
David L YaleTrustee1—
Carol FierkeProvost, EVP Academic Affairs50$648,588
Stewart UretskyEVP Finance and Administration50$585,365
Samuel SolomonCFO, Treasurer50$386,857
Orla O'BrienAssistant Secretary50$135,508
Tarek SaghirChief Investment Officer50$707,896
James La CretaChief Information Officer50$377,566
Steven LockeSVP, General Counsel50$359,036
Lois StanleyVP Campus Operations50$305,546
Robin SwitzerVP HR50$291,345
Hannah PetersSVP Inst Advncmnt (Thru 6/2024)50$282,699
Meredith AinbinderChief of Staff50$235,054
Jennifer WalkerVP Enrollment (As of 12/2024)50$226,966
Steven KarelVice Provost for Research50$245,330
Julie JetteSVP Communications (Thru 7/2024)50$198,273
Kathryn ApplebyDean50$507,141
Chris HofmannDirector of Investments50$409,234
Debarshi NandyFaculty50$366,731
Jeffrey ShoulsonDean50$377,266
Anna ScherbinaFaculty50$375,694

Recent News & Activity

Recent developments and announcements

Brandeis University received a $1 million grant from Carnegie Corporation to support the university's plan to reinvent the liberal arts and boost career readiness through an extracurricular skills transcript initiative.

Provost Research Grant Application - Brandeis University

The university is partnering on a major National Science Foundation grant to build an AI-literate workforce.

Provost Research Grant Application - Brandeis University

The university operates the Provost Research Grant program for internal research support.

Provost Research Grant Application - Brandeis University

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Brandeis University fund?

**Mission Statement:** An educational institution, a community of scholars and students united by their commitment to the pursuit of knowledge and its transmission from generation to generation. The university's grantmaking focuses on: • Education • Human Services • Health Care • Social Science & Humanities • STEM Education Primary geographic focus for grants includes Massachusetts, California, and Rhode Island.

How do I apply for a grant from Brandeis University?

Brandeis University operates as a grantmaking organization with total giving of $127,730,690 according to recent IRS filings. Typical grant awards range from $5,017 to $854,260. The university maintains a donor-advised fund through which donors can direct the distribution or investment of funds.

Where does Brandeis University make grants?

Primary grantmaking activity occurs in: • Massachusetts • California • Rhode Island

What size grants does Brandeis University award?

In 2025, Brandeis University awarded 47 grants totaling $6.6M — an average of about $140K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

What is Brandeis University's EIN?

Brandeis University's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-2103552. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.

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Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.

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