Desert Flower Foundation
Desert Flower Foundation is a private foundation based in New York, New York. Its 2024 filing reports grants to charitable organizations including schools, a university, and organizations working in areas such as medical research, elder services, and poverty reduction.
Desert Flower Foundation at a glance
In short: Desert Flower Foundation gave $1.8M across 12 grants in 2024 (avg $153K), mostly in New York. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,830,400
- +21.3% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 12
- +9.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $152,533
- +11.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $42,500
- Total assets
- $6,350,119
- -13.8% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- New York (55% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Desert Flower Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 689 Fifth Ave-12Th Fl, New York, NY 10022
Phone: (212) 871-7890
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Desert Flower Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was The Shefa School ($650K). Together the top 10 received $1.8M.
Grant Size Distribution
34 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 11 grants of 34 (32%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, the reported share of grant dollars by recipient state was New York 55%, Pennsylvania 34%, Ohio 11%, and New Jersey 0%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 12 itemized grants.
Cities
How Desert Flower Foundation gives
- 67% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+11%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 472% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $1.0M (2020) to $1.9M (2022). In 2024 it made 12 grants totaling $1.8M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Shefa School New York, NY | To Support Educational Activities | $650,000 |
| University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA | To Provide Support for Advanced Education | $625,000 |
| Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund Cincinnati, OH | General Support | $200,000 |
| The Abraham Joshua Heschel School New York, NY | To Support Educational Activities | $125,000 |
| City Meals on Wheels New York, NY | To Support Homebound Elderly New York Citizens | $54,000 |
| Target ALS Foundation Inc New York, NY | General Support for Medical Research for ALS | $50,000 |
| Solomon R Guggenheim Foundation New York, NY | General Support. | $35,000 |
| Yamba Malawi Inc New York, NY | General Support for Ending Childhood Poverty. | $33,000 |
| Ubuntu Pathways Inc New York, NY | General Support | $25,000 |
| New York Presbyterian Fund Inc New York, NY | General Support for Medical Care and Treatment | $20,900 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $6,350,119 | $875,553 | $1,918,487 | $1,830,400 | 12 | $1,846,070 | $810,424 | $391,491 |
| 2023 | $7,367,988 | $758,268 | $1,583,147 | $1,509,500 | 11 | $1,516,986 | $677,765 | $397,763 |
| 2022 | $8,192,867 | $1,269,898 | $2,303,527 | $1,938,400 | 8 | $1,944,835 | $883,932 | $429,593 |
| 2021 | $9,195,498 | $7,722,809 | $1,664,643 | $1,650,000 | 2 | $1,650,000 | $4,269,709 | $426,523 |
| 2020 | $6,794,802 | $805,388 | $1,052,037 | $1,030,000 | 1 | — | $712,603 | $282,394 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Desert Flower Foundation reported a distributable amount of $391K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for a range of organizations. The Abraham Joshua Heschel School describes itself as an independent Jewish day school serving students from a wide range of Jewish backgrounds, practices, and beliefs. Target ALS Foundation says it works to overcome barriers to ALS research and advance treatments. Yamba Malawi describes community-led programs focused on childhood well-being, sustainable businesses, and financial management to address poverty. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own work.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 12 grants totaling $1,830,400. Grant amounts ranged from $2,500 to $650,000, with a median of $42,500. Notable grants included $650,000 to The Shefa School for educational activities; $625,000 to the University of Pennsylvania for advanced education; $200,000 to Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund for general support; and $125,000 to The Abraham Joshua Heschel School for educational activities. Other grants included $54,000 to City Meals on Wheels to support homebound elderly New York citizens and $50,000 to Target ALS Foundation for general support for ALS medical research.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Joshua Kazam as president, Joia Kazam as treasurer, and Noah Kazam as vice president.
Desert Flower Foundation is led by Joshua Kazam, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Joshua Kazam
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Joia Kazam
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Noah Kazam
Vice President
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Desert Flower Foundation
How much does Desert Flower Foundation give each year?
Desert Flower Foundation gave $1.8M across 12 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.5M across 11 grants.
What is Desert Flower Foundation's typical grant size?
Desert Flower Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $42,500, and its average grant was $152,533, across 12 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Desert Flower Foundation give grants?
Desert Flower Foundation gives mostly in New York: 55% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Pennsylvania (34%) and Ohio (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (9 grants).
Does Desert Flower Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 67% of Desert Flower Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (8 of 12) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Desert Flower Foundation's largest grantees?
Desert Flower Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include The Shefa School ($650,000), University of Pennsylvania ($625,000) and Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund ($200,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 81% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Desert Flower Foundation?
Desert Flower Foundation reported $6.4M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.8M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $391K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Desert Flower Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for a range of organizations. The Abraham Joshua Heschel School describes itself as an independent Jewish day school serving students from a wide range of Jewish backgrounds, practices, and beliefs. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Desert Flower Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Desert Flower Foundation's EIN?
Desert Flower Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 47-4314183. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Desert Flower Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Desert Flower Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/desert-flower-foundation-morg_02ae0ad368a9432f88cb6437c64ff2f9
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_474314183_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Desert Flower Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/desert-flower-foundation-morg_02ae0ad368a9432f88cb6437c64ff2f9},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Desert Flower Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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