Ernest Lowenstein Foundation Inc
Ernest Lowenstein Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Lawrence, New York. Its 2025 filing lists 75 grants, with stated purposes of “charitable and educational,” to organizations including Jewish, health, civil-rights, and community organizations.
Ernest Lowenstein Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Ernest Lowenstein Foundation Inc gave $8K across 75 grants in 2025 (avg $100.8), top state District of Columbia. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $7,560
- -3.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 75
- -2.6% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $101
- -0.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $100
- Total assets
- $166,166
- +3.6% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- District of Columbia (25% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Ernest Lowenstein Foundation Inc
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 236, Lawrence, NY 11559
Phone: (516) 239-2338
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Ernest Lowenstein Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Birthright Israel Foundation ($500). Together the top 10 received $2K.
Grant Size Distribution
234 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 234 grants of 234 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, the largest shares of grant dollars by recipient state went to the District of Columbia (25%), New York (20%), Maryland (14%), Virginia (7%), and Wisconsin (6%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 75 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Ernest Lowenstein Foundation Inc gives
- 95% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 22% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 39% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $8K (2025) to $571K (2019). In 2025 it made 75 grants totaling $8K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Birthright Israel Foundation New York, NY | Charitable and Educational | $500 |
| United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Annapolis Junction, MD | Charitable and Educational | $500 |
| Jewish National Fund Rockville Centre, NY | Charitable and Educational | $200 |
| Chabad of Elon Elon, NC | Charitable and Educational | $180 |
| Elon Hillel Elon, NC | Charitable and Educational | $180 |
| American Society for Yad Vashem Milwaukee, WI | Charitable and Educational | $150 |
| ADL (Anti Defamation League) New York, NY | Charitable and Educational | $100 |
| American Cancer Society Hagerstown, MD | Charitable and Educational | $100 |
| American Civil Liberties Union Washington, DC | Charitable and Educational | $100 |
| American Friends of Magen David Adom Washington, DC | Charitable and Educational | $100 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $166,166 | $22,597 | $16,886 | $7,560 | 75 | $7,560 | $13,271 | $19,455 |
| 2024 | $160,401 | $19,341 | $17,581 | $7,805 | 77 | $7,805 | $9,565 | $18,988 |
| 2023 | $158,446 | $13,026 | $16,929 | $8,350 | 80 | $8,350 | $4,447 | $18,886 |
| 2022 | $162,348 | $17,730 | $18,745 | $9,750 | 1 | $9,750 | $8,735 | $18,410 |
| 2021 | $163,403 | $17,044 | $19,082 | $10,125 | 1 | — | $8,087 | $15,683 |
| 2020 | $165,441 | $12,399 | $20,850 | $10,085 | 1 | — | $1,634 | $12,872 |
| 2019 | $173,892 | $130,390 | $581,563 | $571,348 | 14 | — | $12,622 | $38,709 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Ernest Lowenstein Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $19K for 2025 — 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 2025 grants show support for a range of organizations. For example, Birthright Israel Foundation describes its work as raising funds for an educational trip to Israel for young Jewish adults; the American Society for Yad Vashem says it supports public education about the Holocaust and memorial activities; and the Jewish National Fund says it works to build a prosperous future for Israel and its people. Other 2025 recipients include organizations working in health care, reproductive health, services for older adults, and guide dogs for people with vision loss, according to those organizations’ descriptions.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation gave $7,560 through 75 grants. Grants ranged from $25 to $500, with a median of $100. Among the largest listed grants were $500 each to Birthright Israel Foundation and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum; $200 to Jewish National Fund; and $180 each to Chabad of Elon and Elon Hillel.
Other listed 2025 grants included $150 to the American Society for Yad Vashem and $100 each to the ADL, American Cancer Society, American Civil Liberties Union, American Friends of Magen David Adom, American Heart Association, and American Institute for Cancer Research.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Andrew Wildenberg as president, Judith Wildenberg as vice president, and David S Kaufman as treasurer.
Ernest Lowenstein Foundation Inc is led by Andrew Wildenberg, President since 2020 (on filings since 2019); none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Andrew Wildenberg
President
Treasurer → President, 2020
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David S. Kaufman
Treasurer
Vice President → Treasurer, 2020
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Judith Wildenberg
Vice President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (4)
- Former: Ann Wathen (2019) — Assistant Secretary
- Former: Hanna Wildenberg (2019) — President
- Former: Martin Lowenstein (2019) — Vice President
- Former: Robert Lowenstein (2019) — Secretary
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 Ernest Lowenstein Foundation Inc
How much does Ernest Lowenstein Foundation Inc give each year?
Ernest Lowenstein Foundation Inc gave $8K across 75 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $8K across 77 grants.
What is Ernest Lowenstein Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Ernest Lowenstein Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $100, and its average grant was $101, across 75 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Ernest Lowenstein Foundation Inc give grants?
Ernest Lowenstein Foundation Inc's top state is District of Columbia, with 25% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (20%) and Maryland (14%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (23 grants), New York, NY (9 grants), Merrifield, VA (5 grants) and Milwaukee, WI (4 grants).
Does Ernest Lowenstein Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 75 grants with a stated purpose on Ernest Lowenstein Foundation Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable and Educational" (75 grants).
Who are Ernest Lowenstein Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Ernest Lowenstein Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Birthright Israel Foundation ($500), United States Holocaust Memorial Museum ($500) and Jewish National Fund ($200), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 16% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Ernest Lowenstein Foundation Inc?
Ernest Lowenstein Foundation Inc reported $166K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $8K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $19K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Ernest Lowenstein Foundation Inc fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for a range of organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Ernest Lowenstein Foundation Inc?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Ernest Lowenstein Foundation Inc's EIN?
Ernest Lowenstein Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-6085585. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Ernest Lowenstein Foundation Inc 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
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS March 6, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 17, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 12, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 8, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS February 20, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS June 2, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS February 18, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
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