Central Fund of Israel
Established in 1979 as a volunteer charity with the motto what you give is what you get, CFI was designed by its founders, Arthur and Hadassah Marcus, to enable one hundred percent of donations to reach charities in Israel. Over the years, CFI has received the Jerusalem Prize for volunteerism, accolades from the Chief Rabbinate, an award from PM Menachem Begin and accolades from hundreds of charities in Israel. We do not solicit or advertise. By word of mouth alone we have grown into a significant charitable force in Israel. Aiding over 400 charities and institutions each year we help the nation of Israel to thrive.
Central Fund of Israel at a glance
In short: Central Fund of Israel gave $4.4M across 11 grants in 2025 (avg $397K), mostly in California. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $4,364,200
- +39.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 11
- +22.2% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $396,745
- +14.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $100,000
- Total assets
- $47,279,306
- +21.2% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- California (58% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026.
Who Central Fund of Israel funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Yad Ahava ($2.5M). Together the top 10 received $4.4M.
Grant Size Distribution
32 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $100–250K range: 13 grants of 32 (41%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Central Fund of Israel gives
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $220K (2021) to $42.3M (2020). In 2025 it made 11 grants totaling $4.4M.
Hatched bars: grants paid as reported on the IRS filing, which lists no individual grants for that year.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Yad Ahava Burlingame, CA | Charitable | $2,450,000 |
| Flora amnd Morris Mizel Found Denver, CO | Charitable | $1,113,700 |
| Zionist Organization America New York, NY | Charitable | $200,000 |
| Chabad Aventura Aventura, FL | Charitable | $135,000 |
| American Friends of Justifi Bethesda, MD | Charitable | $116,000 |
| Hatzala Emergency Air Unit Mongaup Valley, NY | Charitable | $100,000 |
| Friends of Sheba Medical Cent Los Angeles, CA | Charitable | $91,000 |
| One Israel Fund Hewlett, NY | Charitable | $52,000 |
| American Friends of Elon More Clifton, NJ | Charitable | $50,000 |
| Giving Back Fund Boston, MA | Charitable | $50,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $47,279,306 | $96,947,478 | $88,572,708 | $4,364,200 | 11 | $1,715,574 |
| 2024 | $39,023,950 | $109,179,379 | $96,119,535 | $3,133,214 | 9 | $2,114,560 |
| 2023 | $26,145,976 | $74,247,260 | $73,817,799 | $1,625,000 | 7 | $397,390 |
| 2022 | $25,861,859 | $55,454,981 | $55,173,972 | $650,000 | 3 | $233,813 |
| 2021 | $25,580,850 | $48,947,790 | $44,850,305 | $220,000 | 2 | $247,226 |
| 2020 | $21,483,365 | $48,219,177 | $42,439,185 | $42,322,436 | Total only | $249,148 |
"Total only": grants paid as reported on the IRS filing, which lists no individual grants for that year.
About Central Fund of Israel
Based on IRS filings
Central Fund of Israel is a public charity focused on International, Foreign Affairs & National Security, based in Cedarhurst, NY. IRS filing data is available from 2020 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $47.3M in total assets. In 2025, it awarded 11 grants totaling $4.4M. Net investment income was $1.7M.
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Central Fund of Israel is led by Jay Marcus, President on every filing since 2020; 1 of 7 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Jay Marcus
President
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$95K (2020) → $120K (2025)
Jacob Weichholz
Director
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael Fischberger
Director
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mitchell Eichen
Director
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Yehuda Marcus
Director
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jeff Most
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Linda Kalish Marcus
Secretary
On filings since 2020
25 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $120K, to Jay Marcus (President).
Frequently asked questions about Central Fund of Israel
How much does Central Fund of Israel give each year?
Central Fund of Israel gave $4.4M across 11 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $3.1M across 9 grants.
What is Central Fund of Israel's typical grant size?
Central Fund of Israel's median grant in 2025 was $100,000, and its average grant was $396,745, across 11 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Where does Central Fund of Israel give grants?
Central Fund of Israel gives mostly in California: 58% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest states were Colorado (26%) and New York (8%).
Does Central Fund of Israel give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 11 grants with a stated purpose on Central Fund of Israel's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable" (11 grants).
Who are Central Fund of Israel's largest grantees?
Central Fund of Israel's largest 2025 grantees include Yad Ahava ($2,450,000), Flora amnd Morris Mizel Found ($1,113,700) and Zionist Organization America ($200,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 86% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Central Fund of Israel?
Central Fund of Israel reported $47.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $96.9M.
What is Central Fund of Israel?
Central Fund of Israel is a public charity focused on International, Foreign Affairs & National Security, based in Cedarhurst, NY. It holds $47.3M in total assets as of 2025.
What is Central Fund of Israel's EIN?
Central Fund of Israel's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-2992985. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS December 11, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS December 9, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS December 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS December 2, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS December 19, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
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